A PAIR OF RELUCTANT RECRUITS.
Ephraim followed the officers to the door of the hut and looked out. For
five minutes he maintained this position without moving or speaking;
then he turned inwards again, and with his usual quiet grin on his face,
hailed: ‘Ye kin git down now, Luce. I reckon the coast is cl’ar.’
Lucius swung down to the floor and burst out laughing. ‘How well you
managed that, Grizzly!’ he said. ‘Do you know, at one time I thought
that you were going to make a clean breast of it, and tell the general
that we had been in the balloon.’
‘I ’low I had some thorts er it,’ answered Ephraim; ’fer he seemed dead
sot agin the cunnel himself; but ye never know what’ll happen. After
all, they war all Yanks in hyar, and though the ginrul seemed inclined
ter be perfeckly fair and squar ’bout them two escaped balloonists, ye
carn’t tell how his complexshun might hev changed ef wanst he knew he’d
got his claws onter ’em.’
‘That’s so,’ agreed Lucius. ‘It was best to be on the safe side. And you
told him the simple truth.’
‘’Ceptin’ ’bout the “Trailin’ Terrors,”’ chuckled Ephraim. ‘Ye see thet
came inter my hed and sorter slipped out before I could stop it. I ’low
I war rather sot back when he purposed ter put me up agin the cunnel;
and ef it hed come ter thet, I’d hev owned up at once. But it’s jest ez
well,’ he went on, ’fer ef the ginrul hed known who we war, he’d hev
been bound ter rope us in fer a while, till he’d got the rights er the
story, and thar’s no tellin’ when we’d hev got home.’
‘We’re not there yet,’ said Lucius dubiously.
‘I know thet, sonny; but we’re on the way; fer now we know whar we air,
and we won’t be long in gettin’ out er this, I tell ye.’
‘Where are we?’ asked Lucius. ‘Somewhere about Port Republic, I gathered
from what was said.’
‘Right, bub. We’re on’y ’bout three miles from thar, and that’s whar old
Stonewall is, holdin’ the bridge. But the road and the woods between
this and thar is choke-full er Yanks; so, ez ye rightly remark, we ain’t
thar yit. On our right is the Shenandoah, ez full er water ez an egg is
er meat, and on our left is the Blue Ridge, so we carn’t do nuthin’ but
go straight on.’
‘We can’t go by the turnpike either,’ said Lucius, ‘for I fancy there
would be a pretty to do if two Federal soldiers were caught walking in
the direction of the enemy.’
‘Thet’s so,’ returned Ephraim. ‘We must keep ter the woods and make the
best of it. It won’t do ter git lost in ’em agen, though, and come
wanderin’ back upon Lewiston. We must hold close by this edge.’
‘Where is Lewiston?’ inquired Lucius. ‘It’s a name I don’t know.’
‘I reckon it’s thet fine big house way back thar, what we saw when we
fust came out er the woods, or nearly—whar the Yankee cannon wuz
planted. And I tell ye what it is. Ef old Stonewall whips Frémont
to-day—and I reckon he will—thar’s goin’ ter be the biggest kick-up thar
ter-morrer you ever heard on. Shields expects it, that’s cl’ar; fer
didn’t ye hear him say he’d wait the attack thar?’
‘I did,’ answered Lucius; ‘but if the bridge is carried, it may make a
difference.’
‘Shucks!’ exclaimed Ephraim with contempt. ‘I reckon ef the Yanks hes
actually got across, they’ll be glad enough to git back agin. Why, old
Stonewall, he’s thar himself.’
Such was the confidence that this general inspired that it never
occurred to Ephraim or to any one else in the valley to doubt that where
Jackson was, there also would the victory be.
‘Well, then, what do you propose to do?’ asked Lucius.
‘Waal,’ replied Ephraim, ‘ez they war so onmannerly ez to plump in upon
us before we could git well started with our breakfast, and ez we hev
the whole day ter git thar, I p’intedly advise thet we fortify our
stummicks fust thing we do.’
‘Right!’ cried Lucius. ‘I’m with you there.’ And with much laughter the
two boys fell to work upon the provisions, and made a hearty meal.
‘I feel better now,’ said the Grizzly, wiping his mouth a few minutes
later. ‘Come along and let us take a squint at what’s goin’ on outside.’
They peeped, the one through the window, and the other through the door,
and no one being in sight, issued from the latter into the open.
‘This hyar is mighty pleasant,’ remarked Ephraim, like the epicure,
serenely full, and enjoying the warm June sunshine; ‘but I s’pose we’d
better make fer the woods in case any wan comes along.’
‘I think so,’ agreed Lucius. ‘There’s no use running unnecessary
risks.—Quick, Grizzly, quick! Here come some soldiers.’
‘Run, Luce, fer all ye’re wuth!’ cried Ephraim, setting the example.
‘Maybe we’ve not been seen.’
It was a foolish proceeding, for they had been seen before they took
flight, and had they remained perfectly still, they would have had a
better chance of escaping unfavourable observation. As it was, their
hasty action condemned them. Around the short arm of the wood, described
above, swept a column of infantry, and as soon as the officer in command
saw, as he supposed, two Federal soldiers in full flight, he very
naturally roared out ‘Halt!’ at the top of his voice. Ephraim and
Lucius, however, paid no attention to this courteous invitation, but
continued their race towards the friendly shelter at top speed.
But they were soon brought up standing. ‘If you don’t stop,’ shouted the
officer, ‘I’ll fire on you. Halt!’ And thus adjured, the fugitives
unwillingly checked their flight and stood still.
‘Never mind, Luce,’ muttered Ephraim; ‘we kin bluff ’em, I reckon.’
‘Why didn’t you stop when I ordered you?’ demanded the officer roughly
as he came up.
The boys were silent. To give the true reason was not at all to their
taste, and no other seemed just then to fit the circumstances. However,
the officer went on without waiting for a reply to his first question:
‘Where were you running to?’
‘Makin’ fer our lines, major,’ replied Ephraim, recognising the
officer’s rank.
‘So. What is your regiment?’
‘The “Trailing Terrors.”’
The major laughed. ‘As usual,’ he said, ‘with their backs the wrong way.
Fall in here, both of you.’
‘Oh, I say, major,’ whined Ephraim, ‘our regiment’s three miles back of
Lewiston.’
‘Is it?’ answered the major. ‘I know. Well, I’ll start you three miles
in front of Lewiston, and show you a little fighting for a change.’
‘General Shields told us the “Terrors” warn’t ter be in action ter-day,’
protested Ephraim, still hanging back.
‘Rubbish! None of your cock-and-bull stories for me. Fall in!’
‘But my comrade’s wounded,’ declared Ephraim desperately. ‘How kin he
fight?’
The major was a good-humoured man, but he began to lose patience. ‘What
do you mean, sir, by arguing with me?’ he cried, striking Ephraim with
the flat of his sword. ‘Do you suppose I don’t know a couple of
confounded skulkers when I see them? There’s nothing wrong with your
comrade’s legs, I should say. I’m not going to stand here all day. Fall
in!’
‘But we han’t got no guns,’ whimpered Ephraim as a last resource.
‘Fall in!’ roared the major.—‘Sergeant Pierce, draft these two cowardly
skulkers into the middle of the column, so that they can’t run away; and
keep your eye on them during the action. If they try to bolt, cut them
down.—Column, forward!’
The sergeant thrust Ephraim and Lucius into the ranks, and the column
moved forward at the double to atone for the short delay.
To exchange ideas on this unpleasant development was impossible; but
Ephraim glanced at Lucius as they trotted along, as much as to say: ‘We
are in for it this time, and, for the life of me, I don’t see how we are
going to get out of it.’ The column was marching two deep, and the
sergeant kept abreast the file formed by the two boys. Presently, as the
men fell by order into the quick step once more, Ephraim addressed the
grizzled warrior in plaintive accents.
‘See hyar, sergeant,’ he said; ‘it ain’t thet we don’t want ter fight.
We feel powerful like fightin’ ef we git the chance; but how air we
goin’ ter do it ’thout nary a gun or a ba’net?’
‘You’ll git ’em before long,’ answered the sergeant. ‘You bet.’
‘Whar air we gwine ter?’ next inquired Ephraim.
‘Oh, shet yer head,’ retorted the sergeant. ‘You’ll know when ye git
thar. Yew two “Trailing Terrors” is going ter hev one day’s gunning this
time, I tell yew.’
Ephraim glanced again at Lucius. The boy’s head was erect, and his face
was flushed; but though his eyes glittered with excitement, he met his
comrade’s look boldly and confidently as he marched along with easy
swinging step. He certainly had not the appearance of one who was
afraid.
Grizzly heaved a breath of relief. Despite his loyalty, his thoughts
would recur to that scene in the balloon; but now, though full of fears
for his friend’s safety, the old pride in him revived in full force, and
he knew that, whatever desperate move their dangerous position might
necessitate, he would be able to count upon Luce’s cool and hearty
co-operation. His feelings insisted upon expression, and slily grasping
Luce’s arm, he gave it a fervent squeeze. In return, the boy smiled up
at him.
‘I dunno what’s goin’ ter happen,’ thought Grizzly; ‘but I ’low it’ll be
funny ef they kin persuade Luce and me ter shoot our own friends. By
time! Luce war sot on seein’ a battle, and I reckon he’s goin’ ter hev
his way this time, same ez always. On’y, things hes got twisted upside
down most outrageous. And it’s all along er me, too.’ A sharp pang of
generous self-reproach shot through him; but the current of his
reflections was rudely turned aside by the loud, abrupt command:
‘Column, halt!’
The blue ranks stood fast, awaiting the next order.
It rang out, followed by others in rapid succession. ‘Form line on the
leading company! Remaining companies four paces on the right
backwards—wheel! Quick march! Number one, eyes right—dress! Eyes front!
Number two, halt—dress! Eyes front! Form line! Quick march! Number one,
number two, number four, right—wheel! Halt—dress up! Eyes front!
Steady!’ And so the column moved into line.
Lucius was the front man of his file, Ephraim the rear, and when the
rush and hurry of the movement were past, and they had opportunity for
observation, their eyes rested upon a strange and unfamiliar scene.
They had reached Port Republic, the streets of which were swarming with
Federal cavalry, the advance of Shields’s army, who had dashed into the
village by the fords of the South Fork; while a couple of field-pieces
rumbled along to take up an advantageous position. Right in front, over
the rolling Shenandoah ran the long wooden bridge, so much coveted by
the Federal commander as the key to Jackson’s position, and one of the
field-pieces had nearly reached the end which abutted on the village. On
the heights upon the opposite side of the river could be seen
Confederate horsemen and the pickets who had been driven in, fleeing for
their lives upon their supports. From the other end of the village came
the crackling rattle of musketry, telling that a stand of some sort was
being made, though what or where they could not see. Only, overhead the
bullets sang with angry, venomous _wheep_! And Lucius, unaccustomed to
the fearsome sound, felt his head duck of its own accord, so close did
the fatal singing seem to his ear.
The boys’ hearts sank within them. To their inexperienced eyes it looked
as if old Stonewall must be caught at last. The terrible field-piece had
reached the head of the bridge, unlimbered, and now commanded the narrow
way. And other approach there was none. The second cannon, planted below
them in the village, already roared its angry defiance and hurled its
iron messengers of death upon the wooded heights, where the enemy was
supposed to be.
Flash! A bright streak of light far up on the heights. A curling wreath
of smoke. Then boom! A shell hurtled through the air, shrieked for an
instant like a fury in their ears, then bang! crash! it exploded in
front of the line, hurling frightful jagged fragments right, left,
front, rear—in all directions.
An involuntary moan burst from Lucius. The file next him and Ephraim on
their right had gone down, and the two men who had composed it lay a
blood-stained heap upon the ground, all semblance of humanity gone, and
only a few twitchings of the shattered limbs to tell that the wretched
atom of life left in them was hastening fast away.
‘Hold up, Luce!’ whispered Ephraim, all his thoughts upon his friend,
though he felt sick with the horror of the ghastly sight.
Lucius nodded to the heights in front of him. He could not turn round.
His tongue had slipped forward between his teeth, and he bit it till the
blood flowed into his mouth. A vague wonder possessed him as to where
the salt taste came from—came and passed through his brain like
lightning. Then his head went up again and he stood still—so still that
he excited the admiration of his left-hand man, who muttered, ‘Ye stood
that well!’ Whereas, as a matter of fact, Lucius was simply stiffened
into immobility. Then something seemed to give way in his brain. The
swift thought crossed him, ‘It’s soon over, anyway;’ the tension of his
limbs relaxed, and all fear fled. He had received his baptism of fire,
and his heart grew strong within him. Another puff of smoke from the
battery on the heights. Another screaming shell. And Lucius found
himself idly wondering where it would fall, and careless where it fell.
‘How odd,’ he thought within himself, ‘that I should feel so cool now in
this unknown, terrible situation, while in the balloon’—— Fatal
recollection! The dreadful memory fell upon him like a bolt, and his
knees shook under him so violently that he nearly fell to the ground.
His neighbour looked curiously at him, unprepared for the sudden change,
while from Ephraim came again the warning whisper, ‘Hold up, Luce!’
Recovering himself, Lucius turned and laughed in Ephraim’s face. ‘I was
thinking of Blue Bag just then,’ he muttered.
Utterly taken aback by this singular statement, Ephraim weakly
ejaculated, ‘Oh!’ and finding nothing more to say, relapsed into
silence.
Sergeant Pierce stepped through the broken file to the front, and
stooping down, picked up the rifles from the road and removed the belts
with their ammunition pouches from the two dead men.
‘Hyar, yew two “Terrors,”’ he said, ‘ketch hold on these. Yew can’t say
yew haven’t got anything to fight with now. I thought it wouldn’t be
long before yew war provided.’ Lucius received the rifle and belt with a
little giggle which he could not entirely suppress. He was feeling
strangely light and cheerful. Tragedy was turning to comedy. He was
wearing the clothes of one dead man; why should he not receive the arms
of another? He longed to speak, to say something—anything. He had the
greatest difficulty in repressing a hilarious shout of ‘Hi! Grizzly,
isn’t it a joke—two young Rebs asked to shoot their own men?’ His
feelings found vent at last in the admonitory remark to Pierce, ‘Mind
you keep your eye on us, sergeant.’
The air was full of flying missiles, but Lucius no longer ducked his
head. He seemed not to hear them. The sergeant looked down at him from
his superior height and grinned. ‘I guess we misjudged yew,’ he said.
‘Yew’re’—— He stopped suddenly. The pupils of his eyes, still fixed upon
Lucius, dilated; the upper lip, drawn up by the action of the genial
smile, drooped down upon the lower in a pout. For an instant his sturdy
frame kept its position, martial and erect to the last, and then without
a word or a groan he fell dead, shot through the heart.
Lucius looked at him and did not blench, but his neighbour growled
discontentedly, ‘This air gitting too hot, I guess. Ain’t we never tew
git the word to fire?’ Then that man, too, fell suddenly dead. It was,
as he had said, getting remarkably hot. All at once on the crest of the
heights three more batteries appeared, the black-muzzled cannon grinning
down upon the village. But the guns were silent, though the cannoneers
stood beside them, ready to teach them their one deadly monosyllable.
They were waiting for something. What was it? Ah! here it comes.
Down the hill, marching by the flank in a strong, steady gray line, came
a regiment, and as they caught sight of the bridge, the supreme point of
advantage, the men, carried away by enthusiasm, roared out the Rebel
yell, and rushed towards it at double quick. Alongside them, directing
every movement, rode their general, erect upon his horse, calm and
serene as though his troops were passing him in review order. To be led
by him! To go in under the eye of Stonewall Jackson! Ah! there was not a
man there but would have died where he was rather than face about and
flee. There was not a regiment upon the hill that did not envy the 37th
Virginia, marching to take the bridge.
Ephraim bent forward and grasped Lucius by the arm. ‘By time! Luce,’ he
hissed into his comrade’s ear, ‘it’s old Stonewall himself! Lie low, fer
goodness’ sake.’ For he feared lest a shout of joy from Luce should
betray them to the Federals for what they were.
On came the 37th, and now all down the long Federal line ran the one
word ‘Ready!’ and the gunners at the bridge sprang to the gun.
Then Jackson was seen to stop, and from his lips rang out a sharp, stern
word of command. The boys could not hear what he said, but they watched
his every movement with blazing eyes. Standing in his stirrups,
Stonewall waved his sword towards the bridge, and cried in ringing
tones: ‘Fire one round upon those people at the bridge. Then charge and
give them the bayonet! Fire!’
He dropped the reins upon his horse’s neck, and all the light of battle
dying out of his face, raised his hands and eyes to heaven in mute
supplication.
Down the hill swept the 37th, and without pausing to wheel into line,
fired one volley and charged. Before that withering fire the gunners
melted away from the gun like snow in the sun, and with a yell that set
the old hills ringing, the Virginians rushed across the bridge.
‘Fire!’ roared the Federal commander, and one thin sputtering volley
rattled from the ranks where Luce and Ephraim stood. But ere they could
reload, from every cannon on the height burst forth an iron hail, from
the streets in rear of them came crashing deadly volleys, from the
bridge in front of them the Virginians poured upwards, mad, vengeful,
resistless. That flashing line of steel, that terrible ear-piercing
yell—they were more than mortal man could stand. The gun by the bridge
was taken, the gun in the streets was deserted. It was hopeless to wait,
for their supports had not come up. Panic seized the Federal infantry,
and as the cold steel gleamed in their eyes, they broke and fled.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]