The encounter had one good result, however. It got us over our stage
fright, as it were, and rather raised us up to the grand climax.
We had driven nearly three miles farther before we ran into the Rebel
camp again. When we finally found ourselves making our way under guard
to General Dare's headquarters, we were far more composed than we could
possibly have been had we not already had some experience.
When stopped, I had insisted on being allowed to proceed, but as I
expected and desired, the simple privilege of following my own way was
denied me. My statements regarding my identity were received with
incredulity. I insisted on the truth of my story, and I demanded that I
be taken to headquarters at once. After some parley, my request was
acceded to and a couple of soldiers took their places at the horses'
heads and slowly led them forward, while a guard walked at the side of
the buggy until we reached a cluster of tents pitched somewhat apart, in
front of which stood four or five officers conversing.
The officer who had brought us in advanced to the group, and I could
hear him reporting the circumstances of our arrest. A handsome subaltern
came forward to assist me from the buggy, and I was soon answering the
curtly-put inquiries of the middle aged officer to whom I had been
conducted. I repeated my story. He questioned and cross-questioned me
severely, but I was too entirely familiar with my ground to be caught
tripping. I felt a good deal as if I were an actor in a play, and while
I must say that I did not particularly admire the setting, I began to
have an intense interest in rendering my part well and having all go off
smoothly.
Ned was seated in the buggy within hearing distance and I saw he had
assumed, or was really feeling, about the right amount of anxiety, and
that no one seemed to be paying any attention whatever to him.
I did not recognize the officer interrogating me, but I heard him
addressed by one of the other officers as Colonel Sofield. When after
telling him my story, he utterly refused to credit it. I asked to see
the General in command. Col. Sofield replied that General Senhouse had
gone over to confer with General Leonard and might not be back until
morning, not for several hours certainly, and followed the explanation
with an intimation that both myself and my servant would be well off
under guard until his return.
I was somewhat nonplussed when the officer said General Senhouse. I had
looked on General Dare only as a guide to Captain DeLacy, and had no
interest whatever beyond that in him. At the same time I was a trifle
surprised that I had not been taken before him, and that reference had
not been made to him instead of to General Senhouse. I began to wonder
if it were possible that I had not reached Dare's headquarters, but I
did not dare ask directly or betray more knowledge of army details than
a girl would be likely to know. After pondering a moment, I said:
"I ought perhaps to have stopped at A----, as I was advised to do, but I
was so very anxious to get on, that I could not make up my mind to delay
there. Will you tell me what regiment this is? I have friends and
relatives with General Luce and there may be some one here who can
identify me."
An orderly was presenting a paper to Col. Sofield as I finished
speaking, and another officer, who had come up but a short time previous
and was standing near, in company with the others, answered:
"This is General Dare's division, but General Senhouse is in command at
present. Over on the left there is the ---- Regiment, ---- Brigade;
others are further on. If you will give the names of your friends, and
they are here, they can be sent for."
"Captain DeLacy is with General Dare. If I could see him, he would
assure you that I am just who I represent myself. He is a very intimate
friend of the family," I said, turning again to my first interlocuter.
"Impossible," he replied, "Captain DeLacy has just started to inspect a
position several miles from here. There is no telling when he will be
back."
"Beg pardon, Colonel, but Captain DeLacy has not got off yet. He passed
us on the way over here, and I saw him go in Colonel Lounsbery's tent a
few minutes ago," spoke up another officer. "There he comes now," he
added, as a tall figure came out of a tent near by.
Affairs progressed rapidly in the next few minutes. In less time than I
could write it, Captain DeLacy had been called over to identify me; had
done it, even to the satisfaction of the obdurate Colonel, and beard the
story of my detention, and my anxious request that I might go on at
once.
Captain DeLacy asked and received permission to take me into a
neighboring tent, where I could wait, freed from the gaze of those who
had gathered around to see what was going on, until he could procure the
passes necessary to insure my safe conduct through their lines. Colonel
Sofield, whose good manners had increased in proportion to the
strengthening of his convictions that I was not a spy, told him to take
me into General Dare's tent, as it was the nearest one unoccupied, then
to return to him for passes.
A moment later I was alone with the only man of them all who could
penetrate my disguise. His first words assured me that he had not heard
from Salome lately enough to imperil my statements. And his hurried
whispers of love and devotion, together with his grave concern at my
having undertaken a journey through that section at so dangerous a time,
proved that he accepted me in perfect good faith.
Even at that desperate moment, at the touch of the Captain's lips I was
filled with an unholy glee.
Fortunately, he had little time to play the lover. Love and war are an
ill-matched couple, and except that both set at naught all interfering
laws, they have nothing in common. The latter never relaxes the grasp of
a master and exacts that all who serve him shall fulfill their duty to
the utmost, without delay or flinching, although by so doing all
pleasures, affections, ties of kindred and life itself are yielded up.
My expressed anxiety for his safety, and pretended impression that he
was on some dangerous raid, led Captain DeLacy to assure me that he was
with Luce, and to tell me what forces Luce had with him, but no more
about his future movements than I had already gathered, which amounted
to but little beyond a clue to the meaning of General Middleworth's
movement, which I had witnessed that afternoon. I questioned as closely
as I dared, but elicited nothing further. My shrewdest efforts were a
failure. I saw that he either had not been informed of the object of the
campaign, or felt bound not to reveal it even to one whom he held as
dear as he did Salome.