THE SUTLER AS A GUIDE
"Vat you do here?" inquired Levi suspiciously as the two departed down
the road.
"That's just what I was going to ask you."
"You see. You see for yourself," repeated the sutler, pointing as he
spoke to the pack which he was carrying upon his back.
"What have you in that pack?"
"Somedings to sell."
"What?"
"Many dings."
"I shouldn't think you would have anybody to sell these things to, now
that both armies are so near."
"It is von beeg drouble," said Levi, shaking his head. "Dere vas no
chance. Eferybody cares not for mine laces--"
"'Laces!' I should think this would be the last place in the world where
you could sell such things as that," broke in Noel. "What do people down
here want of laces, especially when they are likely to be caught between
the two armies any time?"
"I lose money efery day," said Levi, disconsolately.
"Why do you stay, then?" demanded Noel. "If you cannot make any money,
you certainly don't stay here for pleasure, do you?"
"But," protested Levi, spreading both hands as he spoke, "a man has to
live, ain't it?"
"Levi, I believe you have lots of money," said Noel soberly.
"Nein! No! Not von penny."
"Then how can you live if you are losing money every day? You must have
something on which to draw."
"But I must live," protested Levi. "I must get some money. Perhaps I
don't got it to-day, maybe I gets it to-morrow."
"Where have you been, Levi, since you left camp?"
"I haf been just vere you sees me. I haf been to efery house, but nobody
buys mine laces. I dinks vot I haf to go North pretty soon. Nobody here
has any money."
"Have you seen anything of Stuart's cavalry?"
The quick side glance which Levi gave him, although the eyes of the
little Jew were instantly turned away again, was not lost upon Noel.
Always suspicious of the little sutler, he had now become sure that
there were more than suspicions upon which his fears rested.
"Who vas Stuart's cavalry?"
Noel laughed, but did not reply to the question.
"Haf you seen somedings of dot Irishmans?" inquired the peddler.
"What Irishman?"
"Dot young Irishmans vot tormented me. He upsets mine tent. He makes der
poys turn over mine trunks. He steals vot is mine, vot is mine!"
The fierce anger of the little Jew was almost pathetic, and despite his
declaration, Noel was aware that much justice, perhaps, was in his
complaint, in spite of the fact that he had charged the boys of the
regiment exorbitant prices for his poor and cheap supplies.
"Do you mean Dennis O'Hara?" asked Noel quickly.
"Dat vas it. Dat vas his name,--Dennis. Haf you seen him maybe?"
"No, I haven't. Have you?"
"How should I see him?" inquired Levi. "I haf leave der camp. I haf
nodings more to do mit der soldiers. I goes now from house to house."
"Have you seen him?" again asked Noel.
"I'm telling you," protested the sutler. "I don't go vere de Yankee
soldiers be."
"If you don't look out the Yankee soldiers will come where you are."
Noel spoke indifferently, but he was keenly watching the face of his
companion. The quick, shifting glance which Levi instantly gave him
somehow served to strengthen the conviction in the heart of the young
soldier that the little peddler was playing a suspicious if not a double
part.
"You didn't tell me," he said, "whether or not you have seen Dennis
O'Hara anywhere."
"I vould like mooch to see him. I vould like to see him mit a rope
around his neck. I vould like to be der von to pull on der rope. I vill
do so to him," he added in his excitement, as he stretched forth both
hands and pulled vigorously upon an imaginary rope.
"Here, where are you going?" demanded Noel abruptly, as his companion
turned from the road to enter a lane which led toward a house partly
concealed by magnolia trees far back from the road.
"To der house," answered Levi. "To der beeg house."
"Why are you going in there?"
"I vill sell somedings."
"It doesn't look as if anybody is home," suggested Noel.
The young soldier was striving to lead his companion on and draw from
him information which he suspected the little Jew possessed. As he spoke
he was keenly observant of the house and grounds, but as yet had not
seen any signs of life about the place.
"Der vas only vimmins dere."
"How do you know?"
"Because I vas dere de oder day. Dey vas tolt me dey vill buy somedings
ven I comes back. So now I'm comes back and I shall sell somedings."
"You say there are no men there?"
"Der men vas all gone mid der army."
"Which army?"
"How should I know?" demanded the peddler irritably. "I sells to der
vimmin."
"Do you want me to go with you?"
"Yes. You come. It vill interest der vimmins. You come mit me and I vill
go on mit you and show you der way to Frederick City."
Noel was unarmed, but he saw no reason to doubt the words of his
companion. If the place was deserted by the men he would be in no
danger, and, on the other hand, he might be able to obtain some food,
even if the women were sympathizers with the Southern cause. He was
aware that from many such people the sight of a man clad in the uniform
of the Union army was not likely to bring a cordial response. On the
other hand, he was unknown, and it might be that he could obtain food
and supplies that would help him through the day. He was confident that
if he went much farther on his way, he might have experiences that would
compel him to remain in hiding part of the time.
Slowly the two young men approached the great house. The house itself
was not so large, but the expression was one which was applied to many
homes, perhaps to distinguish the dwelling-place of the master from the
quarters of the negroes.
As he drew near, Noel saw in the rear of the house the quarters of the
servants. There were little huts that had been whitewashed, and about
the place were several little pickaninnies, whose presence indicated
that some of the blacks at least were at home.
The approach of the boys was apparently unobserved, and even when they
followed the winding pathway toward the rear of the house no one greeted
them.
Suddenly, however, Noel stopped, and looked in consternation at the
sight before him. Tied to the hitching-rail in the rear of the house he
saw a half-dozen horses.
Every horse was saddled and bridled, and in an instant Noel was aware
that he had come upon a small band of cavalry.
Startled as he was by his discovery he instantly stopped and, after
listening intently, turned back over the road which he and Levi had
come. As he did so, Levi suddenly dropped his pack and seizing the young
soldier by his coat began to shout in his loudest tones.
Frightened by the unexpected attack, Noel struck desperately at his
tormentor, and did his utmost to free himself. The little Jew, however,
apparently unmindful of the blows, clung desperately to his coat, and
before Noel was able to escape he saw a half-dozen men run out of the
house and start swiftly toward him.
One glance was sufficient to convince the desperate boy that he was in
the presence of some of the rebel cavalry. The men were armed, while he
himself was powerless to make any defense.
"What's this, Levi?" demanded the leader.
"Who is this man with you? Didn't I tell you not to let any one come
here?"
"Dis man is von Union soldier. He helps tear mine tent. He vas von vat
steals mine goots. He vas bad. I dinks dat you vill be glad to haf a
Yankee soldier here, maybe?"
"We'll take all the Yanks we can lay our hands upon," said the man with
a laugh.
It was plain that he was relieved by the discovery that there was only
one soldier near and he only a boy. The impression, however, produced on
Noel's mind by the action of the man was that there were Union soldiers
not far away. And yet, he thought bitterly, what advantage would that be
to him now? He was here, helpless to defend himself and really a
prisoner in the hands of the rebel cavalry. There were momentary visions
of Libby Prison, which he knew was the destination of most of the Union
soldiers taken by the Confederates in their recent campaigns.
The leader now turned to one of his men and good-naturedly said, "Tom,
we don't want to take this fellow into the house. I am afraid he would
scare the babies. I'll leave him out here with you. Don't let him get
away from you."
It was useless to protest, and Noel obediently followed his guard as he
led the way to the rear of the house near the place where the horses
were tied. The young soldier looked hastily about him to discover what
had become of the little sutler, but could not see him anywhere. Levi
must have entered the house, he concluded.
Noel's thoughts were bitter as he recalled how easily he had been
trapped. The sutler, without doubt, was in the employ of the
Confederates. Whether or not he had been, at the time when he held his
place in the Union camp at Harper's Ferry, Noel had no means of knowing;
but it was plain that he himself had been led by his guide into a place
from which apparently there was no escape.
When the soldiers reentered the house Noel seated himself on the ground
with his back against the post that upheld the rail to which three of
the horses were tied. In spite of his fear he looked with interest at
the mounts of the men. Every horse manifestly was fleet-footed, and in
better condition than one naturally would expect such horses to be at
such a time.
Little black faces began to appear, as the pickaninnies, led on by their
curiosity, slowly and cautiously advanced from their quarters to
discover for themselves what the meaning of the excitement was. At
another time Noel would have been interested, but now he gave slight
heed to his approaching visitors.
About fifteen feet from the place where he was seated there was a row of
beehives. The warmth of the September day had caused the busy little
creatures to resume their labors of the summer.
The sight of them recalled to the mind of the troubled boy the beehives
near his father's house and his thoughts naturally wandered from bees to
the people who were in the far-away home. He wondered if Frank had yet
returned to the army. He had been assigned to a different corps, and it
might be that he already was with McClellan. Would he see him at
Frederick City? The question received its own answer when Noel glanced
about him and saw the guard and the horses waiting for their riders.
There was slight prospect that he would see his brother very soon. Libby
Prison doubtless was to be his destination.
A half-hour had elapsed since Noel's arrival, and in spite of his fear
the droning of the bees sounded so monotonously in his ears that it
would not have been difficult for him to close his eyes and fall asleep.
Abruptly he sat erect and, facing his guard said, "How long are these
men going to be here?"
"I reckon yo' 'll have to ask the lieutenant, sir."
"How long have they been here?"
"I can't just say, sir."
"Do you know where they are going?"
"No, sir, I don't."
"Do you know what they will do with me?"
"I reckon I might suspect, sir. There have been a right sma't lot of
Yanks who have had free transpo'tation to Richmond. I reckon there will
be some mo', and it may be yo' will have a chance to ride along with
them, sir. It won't cost you a cent, sir. No, sir, not one cent."
"Do you belong to Stuart's cavalry?" asked Noel.
"I wonder what's the matter with the Yanks. They seem to be so full of
questions that the minute one of them opens his mouth they begin to pop
out the way corn pops in a popper."
Noel abruptly ceased his questioning, but, as he glanced once more about
the quarters, suddenly a scheme suggested itself to him, by which he
might be able to escape from his captors. If the plan was to be tried,
he must act at once, he decided, and, striving not to arouse the
suspicions of the guard, he slowly arose.