THE V IN THE FENCE
The prophecy of Dennis that a small body of men were approaching up the
winding road was in part fulfilled.
The men advanced until both the crouching soldiers were able to see
distinctly that they were clad in the uniform of gray. This fact
confirmed their suspicions that somehow the small body of men had come
between them and the camp at Harper's Ferry. Just what this meant or how
much it implied, neither was able to conjecture.
The afternoon sun was low in the western sky. As Noel glanced behind him
he became aware of this fact, and with it also came a hope that if the
advancing party might be kept off until the sun had set, the darkness
would provide a shelter under which he and his companion might be able
to retrace their way to camp.
"They're stoppin', lad!" whispered Dennis excitedly.
"So they are," replied Noel "If they will only stay there we may be
able to get away from here after all."
"But they have seen us," protested Dennis.
"I know it," answered Noel. "But they may not be able to see us now."
"There's one thing," said Dennis; "they don't know how many there are
here. If they have seen only two, it may be they think we're part of a
big company. We'll do all we can to lave them believe that. We don't
want any closer acquaintance with any of thim Johnnies."
It was manifest that the party had halted in the road, and whether or
not there was any prospect of an advance was something which the boys
could not determine.
Behind him Noel saw that the field sloped towards some woods that were
not more than one hundred yards away.
Once within the shelter of the trees, safety for a time at least might
be secured, but in passing across the open field, even on the slightly
sloping ground, they would be exposed to the fire of the men in the
road.
Suddenly Dennis exclaimed, "Look yonder, me boy! Is that a spade, or do
me eyes deceive me?"
Glancing quickly at the corner in the fence Noel saw a spade resting
upon the ground, where it plainly had been abandoned by some one who had
been repairing the fence.
"Be careful, Dennis. You'll be seen if you try to get that."
"Niver fear, me lad. That spade is worth its weight in gold, and I'm the
boy that is goin' to try for it."
Instantly acting upon his own suggestion Dennis crawled slowly through
the grass and stubble and carefully attempted to gain the implement.
Noel meanwhile anxiously watched his friend, fearful every moment that
the report of guns in the distance would be heard. His fears, however,
were relieved when in a few minutes Dennis returned with the spade.
"There, now!" he exclaimed. "We'll be ready for the Johnnies in a jiffy.
Just watch me!"
It was marvelous to see what he was able to accomplish with his spade
and still without exposing himself to the possible fire of the enemy,
who were not moving from the position where they had halted some
distance up the road.
As soon as a slight excavation had been made, both Noel and Dennis
leaped into it. A few fence rails were also secured and piled upon the
fence in front of them.
"You see now," said Dennis, "we're ready for almost any kind of an
attack."
Noel smiled, though he made no reply. The full seriousness of the peril
in which he and his companion now found themselves was plain. They were
confronted by a band which had seen them scurrying across the road, and
though the gray-clad soldiers had halted some distance down the road the
young soldier was aware that they knew of the presence of the two boys
in blue. Why they had not advanced he did not understand.
He was afraid to make the attempt to gain the woods in his rear, as he
believed his enemies were still watchful and that any effort to escape
would meet with a quick fire.
Meanwhile Dennis had succeeded in digging a ditch along the two sides of
the V-shaped rail fence.
"There," he exclaimed, with a sigh of relief. "That will keep out the
Johnnies, I'm thinkin'."
"Not very long," said Noel quickly.
"But they don't know how many there are of us," declared Dennis. "If
they try to attack us there will be a couple of thim what shurely will
nade the sarvices of the surgeon."
"We may need the services of the undertaker."
"Not yet, sor!" said Dennis with a laugh.
It was apparently impossible for the young Irish soldier to realize the
seriousness of the position in which he and his comrade now found
themselves.
"We'll wait a while, anyway," said Noel, "before we do anything. If they
don't attack us, we'll not make any trouble for them."
"I'm not so shure o' that," said Dennis.
"We won't yet, anyway," said Noel quietly, fearful that his impulsive
friend, if the attack should be delayed, would become impatient and with
difficulty would be held back from firing at the men who were so near.
Glancing again at the band of Confederates, Noel was still more puzzled
by their inactivity. Apparently they had broken ranks and were sitting
or lying about on the ground near the road, though guards had been
stationed in front and rear.
The moments dragged slowly on, and the confidence of Noel that an attack
was not to be made upon them gradually became stronger.
The afternoon sun now was not more than a half-hour above the horizon.
If they should be left free for another hour, he was hopeful that they
might make their way to the near-by woods and by a wide detour be able
to return to the camp at Harper's Ferry.
"Shure!" said Dennis, after a few more minutes had elapsed, "we can't
lave the Johnnies like this."
"You had better let sleeping dogs alone," warned Noel.
"Shure, an' I will that," said Dennis. "I'm not goin' to harm any one of
thim. They seem to me to be aslape and I want to give thim somethin' to
wake 'em up."
"What are you doing?" demanded Noel, as his companion drew an empty
cartridge from his box and filled it with powder from his flask.
"I'm riggin' up somethin' to wake up thim boys," replied Dennis soberly.
Noel said no more and continued to watch his companion, who, after the
shell had been filled with powder, adjusted the percussion cap in such a
manner that it was placed upon the powder and within the covering.
"There's one of thim," exclaimed Dennis, looking with pride at his
workmanship. "Now I'll make another one."
A second "shot" like the first was soon made, and then, handing one to
Noel, Dennis proceeded very carefully to place his own in the muzzle of
his gun.
"What are you going to do?" demanded Noel. "That isn't much more than a
blank cartridge you have got there."
"Niver you mind that," said Dennis confidently. "We'll start these
fellows on the run."
"It depends upon which way they run," again said Noel. "We don't want
them coming in our direction."
"I'm not so shure about that," said Dennis, whose respect for the enemy
had fallen because of the long silence which had prevailed after their
arrival, "I'm not so shure of that," he repeated. "'Most anything is
better than nothing. Now, then, Noel," he explained, "you see that big
oak tree just beyond the place where the Johnnies are lyin'?"
"Yes," replied Noel, as he glanced at the huge tree in the distance.
"Do you think you could hit it?"
"A blind man could do that," said Noel.
"Well, then, I'll fire and then you fire."
"At the tree?" demanded Noel in surprise.
"That's it. That's it, exactly."
"What good will that do? It will only expose us and our shots won't do
any damage."
"We'll see about that in a minute or two," laughed Dennis. "When these
strange bullets of ours strike the tree they are goin' to make that
percussion cap explode and then the powder will go off and there will be
a big noise right behind the Johnnies. They'll think somebody's firin'
at thim from the other side."
"That's no joke, Dennis," said Noel positively. "If we do what you say,
they will think they are being attacked on the other side, and if they
retreat they will come straight toward this place where we are now."
"Shure, but they won't retreat," said Dennis. "It's positive I am that
they will be puttin' straight for the place where they think these guns
are bein' fired."
"Then that will give us a chance to get away."
"Which may be right, my boy."
"Yes, I am right," said Noel hesitatingly. "Although I confess I don't
like your scheme very much."
"We'll not fire together," said Dennis. "I'll fire first, then you fire
directly after me. Be sure you don't miss that tree."
Dennis raised his gun to his shoulder, took careful aim and fired. After
a brief interval Noel followed his example, though his better judgment
still protested against the action as perilous.
True to the aim of the young soldiers the strange shots struck the tree
just as Dennis had believed they would. An explosion followed each shot
that was so loud that even the report of the guns from the V along the
line of the rail fence sounded feeble.
In a moment the little Confederate band was thrown into confusion, as
the men hastily arose and glanced in consternation first up the road and
then in the opposite direction. They had heard the report of the guns of
the two young soldiers, but, as Dennis had prophesied, the louder
reports had come after the caps had been exploded when the great oak
tree had been struck by the strange missiles.
Eagerly Noel peered between the rails to discover in which direction the
little band would start.
The consternation and confusion apparently lasted only a moment. In a
brief time the men formed and at the word of their leader started
hastily up the road in the direction of the hiding-place of Noel and
Dennis.