DICK TO THE FORE
Jeanne uttered an exclamation of joy as she stumbled upon a musket that
for some reason had been thrown aside.
"This is the very thing," she cried.
"What are you going to do?" asked Bob.
"I am going to make the guards think that we are attacked," answered
Jeanne, swinging the gun to her shoulder as she had seen the men do.
Before the other could stop her she had pulled the trigger. There was
a flash followed by a loud report, and with a groan Jeanne fell prone
upon the earth.
"Jeanne," shrieked Bob, falling beside her. "Jeanne, are you hurt? Oh,
she's shot! She's shot!"
"Miss Bob! Miss Bob, where are you?" shouted the voices of the soldiers,
and a number of those who had been left to guard the camp ran hither and
thither in confusion.
"To arms!" came the hoarse command of an officer. "We are attacked."
"Here! Oh, come here!" called Bob as Jeanne lay groaning upon the ground.
"Captain Dallas, come here!"
In a few moments the soldiers were about them. Captain Dallas raised the
fallen girl carefully.
"Where are you hurt?" he asked gently. "Which way did the shot come?"
"It was the gun," moaned Jeanne, feebly finding herself able to talk. "It
went off at the wrong end."
"Well, by George," cried the Captain bursting into a laugh, "we're nicely
fooled, boys. The girl isn't shot. She fired the gun herself. The musket
kicked. That's all. Now you girls go to bed," he ordered sternly, "and
let's have no more nonsense."
"But Dick," said Jeanne, getting upon her feet. "You haven't caught Dick,
have you?"
"If you mean the fellow that left with the Colonel's son, no," answered
the Captain. "We can't spare the men to give chase, but there will be
a reckoning for somebody when Colonel Peyton gets back. Now go to bed.
You'll let us keep the rest of our prisoners, I reckon," he added with
sarcasm.
"Oh, yes," said Bob, laughing a little hysterically. "It was just our
brothers that we were after."
"Better go to the surgeon and get something for that shoulder," called
the Captain as they started off. "It's liable to be pretty lame for a few
days."
Bob profited by his advice and sought the surgeon who gave her some
liniment to rub on it, but the morning found it still so lame that Jeanne
retained her bed.
On the morning of the third day the Colonel and his men returned, worn
and jaded looking. There were no prisoners, and from the spiritless
condition of the soldiers it looked as though they had been on a fruitless
enterprise.
"And if that is the case," remarked Bob to Jeanne, "dad will be in an
awful humor, and we'll catch it."
It was afternoon before Colonel Peyton sought their presence. Bob's face
blanched as her father entered the tent, but Jeanne, strong in the belief
that Dick was safe, faced him boldly.
"I want to hear the whole of this affair," said Colonel Peyton quietly
ignoring his daughter's greeting. "Barbara, tell me just what happened."
Briefly Bob related the facts of the night's occurrence. Her father
listened attentively.
"And you threw up to Johnson the benefits conferred upon him," he said
as Bob finished her narrative. "I would not have believed it of you,
Barbara. Johnson has been court-martialed and sentenced to the guard
house for one month. The officers were merciful because that unhappy
boy was my son. But I cannot risk a second offense of this nature.
Hereafter, you will occupy quarters next to my own. I did not dream
that my daughter would so far forget what was due to herself as to aid
in the escape of the enemies of her country. I cannot but think it
owing to the companionship of the past few weeks. That you may not be
influenced further I forbid you to have any further communication with
this girl. As for you," turning to Jeanne and speaking sternly, "as I have
passed my word to you that you shall be sent to the Federal lines it
shall be done. We leave for Jackson to-morrow. At the first opportunity
I will send you to your people. Meantime, may I ask that you refrain
from any intercourse whatever with my daughter? It is the smallest
return that you can make, in view of your conduct of the last few days."
"I have no desire to do other than you wish, Colonel Peyton," said Jeanne
proudly. "I am not sorry for anything I have done. Were it to do over, I
would not hesitate for a moment to do anything I could to restore either
my brother or your son to liberty. I am very sorry if my conduct has not
pleased you. I should think that you would be glad to be saved from being
the slayer of your son."
"We will not discuss the matter," said the Colonel coldly. "Come,
Barbara, I will take you to your quarters, and under pain of my severest
displeasure, I expect that you will have no more to say to this young
person."
Bob gave Jeanne a long sad look, and then silently gathering up her
belongings, left the tent.
And now began a dreary time for Jeanne. Cold looks greeted her on every
side. The old, pleasant, cheery companionship with Bob was no more. She
missed even the tiffs they had had, and longed with a passionate yearning
for home and friends. The march to Jackson would have been a pleasant one
as it led through the autumn woods which shone through a silvery mist
amid spicy breezes which blew cool and keen from the heart of the pines,
had it not been for the manner in which she was treated.
No one paid the least attention to her comings and goings. Indeed it
seemed to her that Colonel Peyton would gladly welcome the fact of her
disappearance, and so she grew into the habit of riding a little apart
from the others and sometimes of loitering considerably in the rear of the
cavalcade. It had been the original intention that she go in the wagon
with Bob, but under the altered conditions a horse had been given her
while Bob rode in front with her father.
The afternoon of the second day out Jeanne dropped behind the regiment,
for she was very tired, intending to wait for the wagons and to ask the
drivers to let her rest for a while in one of them. A bend of the road
hid the regiment from view. The wagons were far in the rear and for the
time she was alone.
"Jeanne," came her name in low tones from the underbrush at the side of
the road.
Jeanne drew rein quickly and looked wonderingly about her. She saw nothing
and thinking that she had imagined the call, she started to go on, when
it came again.
"Jeanne! Jeanne! Wait a moment."
Pale and trembling the girl stopped, and then to her astonishment Dick
came breathlessly though the undergrowth.
"Dick!" she cried. "Oh, Dick!"
"I have waited and watched for this chance ever since I left the camp,"
cried the lad. "Come with me, Jeanne. You have no business with these
rebels."
"But Colonel Peyton----" began Jeanne.
"Come," cried Dick seizing the bridle of her horse. "I do not understand
why you are here, but it is no place for you. I will take you home."
"Will you, Dick?" asked the girl joyfully, preparing to dismount.
"Don't get off the horse. We will need him. I don't know just where our
men are, and we may have a long distance to go."
"But he is not ours," objected Jeanne, whose residence among soldiers had
not been long enough to render her conscience elastic on this point.
"Yes, he is," answered Dick. "The Government confiscated all the property
belonging to the Johnnies long ago, and I guess this horse comes under
that act. I am only doing my duty in taking the animal."
"Do you think so?" asked Jeanne, dubiously.
"Certainly, I do," and the lad led the horse away from the road into the
thicket. "I thought I was going to have lots of trouble to get you away
from those people," he said, when they were a safe distance.
"They don't care anything about me," said the girl, sadly. "O Dick, I've
had such a time!"
"There! There!" Dick drew her head against his shoulder caressingly.
"It's all over now. I'll take care of you. But tell me, Jeanne, how in
the world did you come down here in this benighted country? I left you
safe at home in New York and find you here. How did it happen?"
"I thought that perhaps father had written," and Jeanne looked up through
her tears.
"No; I have not heard from the folks for quite a while, but we have been
on the march, and I was taken prisoner. I know that there are letters for
me somewhere."
"Then I will begin at the beginning," said Jeanne, stroking his hair
tenderly. "Oh, Dick, it is so good to be with some one who belongs to me!"