THE CARPET-BAG
Noel was conscious of a low cry from the man upon whom he had fallen,
and then instantly each savagely clutched the other. There was a
struggle, which was short and violent, and Noel found himself holding to
the ground the body of Levi, the sutler.
"Father Abraham!" ejaculated Levi. "Father Abraham! Let me up! Let me
up!"
The surprise of Noel, when he discovered who his captive was, did not
detract from his inclination to laugh as he heard the exclamations of
the little sutler.
Without rising and still holding his prisoner fast to the ground, Noel
said, "What are you doing here, Levi?"
"You vill let me up and I vill leave so quick you shall not see me."
"Before you go I want to know what you're doing here. Were you spying on
me?"
"Not von leedle bit. I deed not know you vas here. Father Abraham! Vot a
pinch you gif mine arm!"
"You want to be thankful it was only your arm, Levi. Now you tell me
what you were doing here!"
"I vas chust stopping for to see vich vay the men vas going."
"What men?"
"Der men vot vas soldiers for the Johnnie Rebs."
"Did you find any of them?"
"Yes, I see some going up mit der road. Dey vas all gone, and den I
starts for der house over yonder for to sell somedings vot I carry in
mine bag."
"I believe you knew I was here all the time."
"Nefer did I know you vas here. Father Abraham! I vish you vere not here
now. If you vill be gone I too vill go so fast you shall not see me in
two minutes."
Aware of the perils which recently had threatened him, Noel was not
inclined either to prolong the interview or to compel his prisoner to
remain longer on the ground. Grasping the little sutler by his shoulder
Noel quickly yanked him to his feet, but without relaxing his grasp.
"Levi, what have you got in that bag?" he demanded.
"Somedings vot I sells to the vimmins ven der men vas gone off to the
var. Dot vos all. You shall belief mine vord. I chust carry somedings
vat cannot be had ven the armies vas so near by."
"Let me see what you have," suggested Noel, as, compelling his prisoner
to advance with him he moved toward the bag which Levi had left on the
ground near the base of the straw-stack.
"No, I shall not do so!" screamed the little sutler. "You shall not open
mine bag. It vas mine."
Noel's suspicions, greatly increased by the manifest alarm of the
sutler, were almost strong enough to induce him to send his prisoner
away and appropriate the bag. From the expressions he already had heard,
he was aware that Levi was playing a dual part, or at least he believed
him now to be in the employ of the Confederates.
Before he acted, however, he turned once more to his prisoner and said
sharply, "How long since you have been inside our lines?"
"I do not go in der lines of der Yankees," protested Levi. "Dey vas
steal mine goots. Dey vas take vat vas not theirs. I lose more nor two
hundred dollars ven you and dot Dennis tear mine tent and tip ofer mine
goots."
The expression of hatred which appeared upon the sutler's face when he
referred to Dennis strengthened the conviction in the heart of Noel that
his prisoner certainly did not entertain any cordial feelings for the
boys in blue.
Noel, boylike, unmindful of the justice of the little sutler's
complaints, was greatly angered at the treachery of his comrade.
"How long since you have been in the Confederate lines?" he demanded
sharply.
"I do not go dere either. I have tolt you vat mine peesness vas. I sells
mine goots to the peoples vat may be at home."
"All right, then," said Noel. "You let me see what is in your bag, and
I'll believe you."
"I shall not trust von Yankee soldier!" screamed Levi. "You shall not
open mine bag. I haf already had mine droubles mit der Yankees. Dey
tears mine tent and tips ofer mine goots and steals vot vas mine. I
shall not open mine bag for you yet von leedle bit."
"Too bad," said Noel, more soberly. "Then I shall have to open it
myself, I suppose."
"No! No!" screamed Levi in tones still shriller. "Father Abraham!
Father Abraham! I shall call for some helps!"
"Levi," said Noel abruptly, "I think I shall send you away and take your
bag myself."
"You shall not do so!" protested the sutler noisily. "You shall not take
mine bag! It vas mine, I dells you! It vas not yours. You shall not have
it."
"Then let me see what there is in there."
"If I open mine bag von leedle bit, you vill take vot is not yours. I
haf known you. You are von of dose Yankee soldiers. Dey tears mine tent
and tips ofer mine goots and takes vat vas not theirs. I shall not gif
you von chance, not even one leedle bit of a chance."
"I'm sorry," said Noel, "but I'm afraid, then, that I shall have to take
it myself." As he spoke Noel moved as if he was about to seize the bag,
and instantly the little sutler, rushing savagely upon him, began to
kick and strike, and before Noel was prepared to resist the sudden
onslaught Levi bit him severely on the hand.
Aroused by the sudden attack and maddened by the pain which Levi's bite
had caused, Noel flung the little sutler far from him and eagerly
watched him as he rolled over upon the ground.
Almost as nimbly as a monkey the sutler leaped to his feet, and instead
of trying to run from the place started once more fiercely at his enemy.
Noel was prepared for the attack now, and as Levi ran savagely upon him
he thrust out his right foot and, at the same time giving him a hard
push, sent him once more sprawling upon the ground. This time he did not
wait for the sutler to recover from his fall but at once advanced and
seized his carpet-bag.
The sight of his possessions in the hands of Noel again proved too much
for Levi's feelings. In a thin, piping voice he screamed, "Father
Abraham! Father Abraham! You shall not steal from mine bag. It vas not
yours. You vas like some of dose Yankee soldiers. Dey tears mine tent
and tips ofer mine goots and takes vot vas not theirs. I shall shoot!"
Startled by the threat, Noel glanced keenly at Levi, who was almost
beside himself with rage, to see if any weapons were upon his person. He
had not thought of the sutler as one who would carry firearms of any
kind. The man was undersized and was lacking in physical strength. Noel
had never thought of him other than as a weakling and one who might
obtain his way by deception rather than by force. The thought that he
might be armed was startling, and before the man could act Noel leaped
forward and, seizing him again, threw him upon the ground, where he
satisfied himself that no pistols were in his possession.
"You go back from here the way you came," ordered Noel as he swung his
prisoner in his arms and, giving him a violent push, sent him in the
direction he had indicated.
But Levi was not to be so easily turned aside from his purpose. Once
more he leaped toward his tormentor, who now had taken the carpet-bag in
his hands and stood facing him. Screaming, chattering, lamenting, Levi
would have been a pathetic object under other circumstances. But Noel
was so thoroughly convinced that in the bag which he held in his hands
he would find something of value to the leaders of his army that he was
determined now to investigate the contents and compel the little Jew to
give it over.
Levi's screams of impotent rage and his childish attempts to compel Noel
to relax his hold upon the bag were alike without avail. At last the
young soldier said more sternly to the angry sutler, "Levi, if you know
when you are well off you'll leave this place as I told you. Now, go!"
There was something in Noel's voice that caused Levi to heed the
command. Tears were coursing down his cheeks and his two little fists
were working very much after the manner of a pump-handle when he saw the
expression on the face of his captor, and, aware that further efforts
would be useless, he abruptly turned away and, without once glancing
behind him, sped swiftly toward the fork in the road from which he had
come.
For a brief time Noel watched the man as he sped across the field, and
then suddenly, aware that his own problems were sufficient to demand his
entire attention, he turned toward the house in the distance.
He had expected to learn from Levi the direction in which the Union
troops might be found, but his sudden determination to investigate the
carpet-bag, as soon as he discovered that it was not heavy, had changed
his plans. Levi was gone and if he possessed the desired information he
had taken it with him.
And yet Noel Curtis was aware that his own predicament was such that if
other bodies of the Confederate cavalrymen should soon pass along the
road, Levi would be able to inform them of what had occurred. If his
suspicions were correct, that the contents of the carpet-bag were of
considerable value, there would be an added incentive for the little
sutler to rescue them.
Perhaps Noel's decision to start toward the house which he saw in the
distance was formed simply because it was the only place within sight
which indicated the presence of people. His own plight now was such that
he keenly felt the need of food and drink. No little streams were near
him, and as for food there were no indications that the shallow soil
itself had produced any of late.
His determination once fixed, Noel, with the carpet-bag firmly grasped
in his hand, moved swiftly across the field toward the distant house.
Twice he stopped and looked back to see whether or not Levi had held to
his course. Once he saw the little sutler, but he was moving steadily
toward the fork in the road. The second time Noel looked he was unable
to see the man anywhere. Concluding that Levi had sought the little
building in which he himself had found shelter a short time before,
Noel's efforts increased, and he ran swiftly toward the place he was
seeking.
When Noel drew nearer the house he was aware of the aspect of neglect
and even of dejection that was manifested by every living object within
his sight. The two dogs, which came out of the building as soon as they
were aware of his approach, were mangy and spiritless. Even the few
chickens in the yard seemed to be affected by the general air of
desolation. The fence was broken in many places, the gate was lying flat
upon the ground, and as for paint or whitewash, it had been long since
the house or barns had seen anything of that kind.
The young soldier halted a moment to make certain that no enemies were
near the plantation. Satisfied that his fears for the time were without
foundation, and still holding firmly to the carpet-bag which he had
taken from the little sutler, Noel boldly approached the kitchen door.
His purpose now was merely to obtain food, and then to push forward on
his way to rejoin the army from which he had been separated so long.
Advancing boldly, he rapped loudly upon the door, which sagged like
everything else about the place. All these things were forgotten,
however, when he looked into the face of the person who answered his
summons.