NICK
The brief respite had so restored the strength of the young soldier that
he ran swiftly over the loose planks until he had gone several yards
from the place where he had stopped.
Compelled then to slacken his pace, he glanced anxiously about him as he
moved on through the unfamiliar country. The storm was still severe,
though heavy, broken clouds now were to be seen in the darkened sky.
Noel was fleeing through a country with which he not only was not
familiar, but which also provided many perils of its own. Fortunately,
as he believed, there were few people whom he was likely to meet at such
a time and in a pouring rain. The thought of Stuart's cavalry, however,
caused him to be doubly watchful, for he knew of the report that
horsemen had been thrown out to intercept any stragglers that might be
striving to make their way to the army of General McClellan.
An hour or more elapsed, and as yet Noel had not discovered any one on
the old roadway. Once when he had passed a humble cabin the barking of
the dogs had caused him to hesitate. He was defenseless and was unaware
of the sympathies of the inmates of the little house. The uncertainty,
however, caused him to resume his flight, although he still was ignorant
of his destination.
His chief thought was that, by placing the greatest possible distance
between him and the enemies whom he had left behind him, he might then
be able to obtain help or find a place in which he could hide throughout
the day and resume his flight when night again came. Even in his alarm
and perplexity, he smiled as he recalled the statement of Dennis, when
the young Irishman had outlined his plan for escape, "that he didn't
know where he was going, but he knew he wanted to go there mighty quick,
and he wanted to go mighty bad."
The night now was almost gone. Noel was aware of this from the slight
change that appeared in the eastern sky. There was as yet no promise of
the passing of the storm, though its violence had markedly decreased.
It was strange, the young soldier thought, that all through the hours of
his flight he had not discovered any of his enemies. At that moment,
however, Noel saw coming from a lane at the left of the road a man who
was carrying a burden in each hand. Around his neck hung a yoke the
cords of which were attached to bundles.
It was too dark to enable Noel to determine whether or not the man was a
soldier. He halted abruptly, and, prepared to flee instantly if occasion
should demand, eagerly watched the approaching stranger. As yet he
apparently was unaware of the presence of Noel in the road. Suddenly,
however, he glanced in the direction of the young soldier.
The man's alarm was so manifest at his discovery that under other
circumstances Noel would have laughed heartily. The light was
sufficiently strong to enable him to see now that the man was not a
soldier, and a moment later, when the stranger spoke, the young
soldier's fears were relieved when it became manifest that he was a
negro.
"Who dat? Who dat?" asked the colored man as he stopped abruptly.
"Where did you come from?" demanded Noel, striving to speak sternly.
"Yas, suh! Yas, suh!" replied the negro. "Is yo' all come from--"
Whatever the place from which the negro thought he came, he did not
complete his sentence, and consequently Noel was left in ignorance.
"Who lives here?" demanded Noel.
"Massa Hilton."
"Is he home?"
"No, suh. Yas, suh. I don' jest 'member whether he's home or not,"
stammered the negro.
Noel's experiences with Long John had made him somewhat suspicious of
the colored people of the region. He decided that he would be extremely
cautious, and at once said, "In which direction are you going?"
"Yas, suh! Yas, suh!" replied the negro.
"Come on, then," said Noel. "I'm going in the same direction."
The colored man hesitated a moment, and then as he moved nearer he was
convinced that he did not need to fear the young stranger and obediently
joined him.
As soon as they had advanced beyond the point in the road which hid the
little house from their sight, Noel turned to his companion and said,
"What are you doing--leaving home at this time of night?"
"I don' lib dar," replied the negro promptly. "I b'long to Massa Frost."
"Where does he live?"
"Fo' or five miles up yonder," replied the negro, pointing ahead of him
as he spoke.
"What are you doing down here, and what are you leaving at this time in
the night for?"
"Is yo' all a Union sojer?" asked the negro abruptly.
"Do I look like it?"
"Yas, suh; though yo' clothes is so covered with mud I dess can't tell
'xactly what you are."
"What would you say if I was?"
"I want to know whether yo' is or yo' isn't befo' I answers dat ar
question."
"All right," laughed Noel, who was convinced now that in no event should
he have to fear his colored companion.
The house had been safely passed and the negro apparently was
inoffensive and harmless. Noel was still watchful for the appearance of
any of Stuart's men, for whom he entertained a feeling of most wholesome
respect.
"What's your name?" he asked again as he turned to his companion.
"Yas, suh! Yas, suh!" replied the negro. "My name's Nick."
"Are you related to 'Nicodemus, a slave, of African birth,' and did you
call your friends to 'meet you down by the swamp and wake you up for
the great jubilee'?" The young soldier was speaking in apparent
seriousness and his companion stopped abruptly and stared at the man who
had asked him these strange questions.
"No, suh," he said. "I never kno' nuthin' 'bout no swamp. Wha's dat yo'
all is tellin' 'bout anyway?"
In a low voice Noel began to sing the song which was familiar even in
his far-away home on the St. Lawrence,--
"Nicodemus, the slave, was of African birth,
And he died years ago very old.
Wake me up was his plea--"
"Yas, suh," said the negro, "but it's not dis yere Nick. Dat's some oder
Nick. I know milliums of darkies named Nick."
"Nick," demanded Noel abruptly, "do you know any men around here who are
friends of the Union?"
"Yas, suh. I sho'ly does," replied the negro, so promptly that the young
soldier at once decided that he might rely upon his friendship.
"Are any of the men at home now?"
"Yas, suh. Yas, suh. Massa Hilton, back yonder; I reckon he mought be er
Union man."
"Is your master?"
"Yas, suh. Massa Hilton's brother Sam, he's fo' de South. I reckon it
almost comes to blows when dey talks about de war."
"Isn't either of them in the army?"
"Yas, suh; Massa Sam Hilton, he's in de 'fed'ate a'my."
"But this Mr. Hilton who lives back in the house we passed, he's not a
soldier, you say?"
"No, suh. No, suh."
"You're sure he's a good friend of the Union men?"
"He sho'ly am."
"Then I'm going back there," said Noel, stopping as he spoke and turning
abruptly about.
Nick in surprise also stopped and looked at his companion. "Is yo' all a
Union sojer?"
"I am, and I want to go where I can find somebody who will be good to me
for a day or two. You say you're sure Mr. Hilton will be glad to see
me?"
"I can't jes' say as how he will be glad to see yo'," replied the negro,
shaking his head slowly.
"But you said he would," interrupted Noel.
"No, suh; 'scuse me. What I done say was dat he would be good to yo'. I
don' know as Massa Hilton will be _glad_ to see a Union sojer des'
now."
"Why not?"
"Dar's some special reasons what I don't recomember," replied Nick,
speaking in such a manner that Noel's suspicions again were aroused.
"But you say he's a Union man?"
"Yas, suh. Yas, suh, he sure am."
"Why won't he be glad to see me?"
"I done tell yo', suh, des' now dat dere's all dis yere trouble what am
goin' on. I reckon dey isn't nobody what's glad to have a sojer come to
his house des' now."
"Oh, I see," said Noel slowly; "but if I do come he will take care of me
for a day or two? Then I'm going back there. What have you got in your
bundle, Nick?"
"Nothin' much. Des' some stuff what Massa Frost done tol' me fo' toe git
at Massa Hilton's."
"Why do you call for it in the night? Why don't you go out in the
daytime?"
"I'se feared some of the sojers mought see me if I start after sunup--"
"You're more afraid they will take away from you what you have in those
bundles."
"Dere ain't nuthin' in dis yere bundle. I mus' be goin' on," Nick added
excitedly. "I mus' git toe Massa Frost's befo' sunup."
"Well, good luck to you," laughed Noel. "I hope you won't fall in with
any of Stuart's cavalry, and I hope a good deal more that I shan't, but
I'm going back to that house."
The young soldier was aware that he was incurring great risk in his
venture, but he was wet and weary, and it had been long since he had
tasted food. He might be hidden about the place somewhere and fed for a
day or two, when matters might so shape themselves that he would be able
to join the main army of McClellan, which he knew could not be very far
away.
Acting at once upon his decision, Noel rapidly retraced his steps and
soon arrived at a place from which he was able to see the house and the
few low outbuildings that were in the rear. He stopped a moment and
listened intently. The rain had almost stopped, though the air was heavy
with mist. Not a sound broke the silence.
Cautiously approaching the house, Noel turned from the roadside and
started toward the building. He was watchful, for not only was there
peril from men who might be within, but also from the huge dogs which
he knew were common in the region.
When at last he approached the grounds of the house he stopped once more
and again listened intently. Still the silence was unbroken and there
was no appearance of danger.
He decided to go to the door, which he believed would be in the rear of
the house and that opened into the kitchen. Perhaps he might there find
a shelter or some place of refuge which would protect him in a measure
from the night. If such a place should be found, he planned to wait
there until daylight before making his presence known to the inmates of
the house.
To his great delight Noel discovered a lean-to or shed in the rear of
the house. The floor was of brick, and though it was too dark to enable
him to see what was inside, the fact that no dogs had challenged his
coming encouraged him to enter. Stepping inside, he turned to look once
more out into the night and make certain that his movements had not been
seen.
The young soldier was startled when, appearing around the corner of one
of the low buildings, he saw a man, who in the dim light seemed to loom
head and shoulders above the height of an ordinary human being. At first
Noel almost believed that it was the negro, Long John, by whom he had
been led into the trap set by the Confederate soldiers. Certainly the
man was as tall as the negro, but there was something in his movements
which convinced the watching boy after a brief interval that this man
was not colored.
Suddenly it occurred to him that the proprietor of the place, the man of
whom Nick had spoken as "Massa Hilton," might be the one who was
approaching, though why he should be out of the house at such a time and
in such a night the lad could not understand. Boldly advancing from his
hiding-place, Noel approached the startled stranger, and in a low voice
hailed him.