A NEW DISPOSITION OF THE FORCES
Major Lyon listened with the most intense interest to Lieutenant
Makepeace's statement in regard to the bridge-builders, as he called
them, though bridge-burners proved to be a more appropriate designation.
It was clear enough to him that his son had encountered these men; and
the disappearance of Deck appeared to be explained, though what had
become of him was still the vital question.
Life Knox had returned alone, leaving his men to guard the bridge; and
if it had been in order for the sergeant to express an opinion on the
subject, he would have said that sentinels should have been placed on it
as soon as the company of Captain Titus had been captured. The major had
tardily arrived at this conclusion. As soon as he came to the vicinity
of the hospital, Knox discovered the plumed hat of the commander, which
Deck had watched all the time he was on the bridge.
"I'm right sorry I don't bring you any good news of your son," said
Life, riding up to the commander, and saluting him as soon as he turned
away from the wounded prisoner. "The first thing we had to do was to put
out the fires, and then I went about a mile up the track to look for
Deck; but I could not find him."
"Did you see anybody over there?" asked the major.
"Not a solitary soul, Major Lyon."
"The prisoner in the hospital, with whom I have been talking, said that
four bridge-builders, with a wagon and six mules, went over that way,"
suggested the major.
"I reckon they've been to the bridge, and set it afire; but none of them
was there when I come to it. If they had a wagon and six mules, they
left as soon as they'd done the job they come to do."
"What was the condition of the bridge when you reached it, Knox?" asked
the major.
"It was all afire, but it hadn't burnt much. If we'd got there ten
minutes later, nothin' could saved it; and we had to work lively as it
was."
"But there was an explosion there."
"That didn't amount to shucks. I reckon they stuck the cans of powder in
between the 'butment and the bankin', and it only blowed out a lot of
dirt, and knocked off a couple of stones from the top of the wall. They
brought half-a-dozen bundles of light wood with them, pulled them to
pieces, and then poured sperits turpentine over and all around 'em; for
we found the cans on the platform. The fires were blazin' lively when we
got there; but we poked the wood all off the bridge. We found some
barrels o' water they kept on the platform to put out fires, and it
didn't take long to make an end on't. That's all I know about it,
major."
"But what do you suppose has become of Dexter, Knox?" asked the father,
concealing his feelings as much as he could.
"The bridge-burners had gone when we got there, and I reckon they took
Deck with 'em," replied the sergeant.
"I suppose there is no other way to account for his absence. Lieutenant
Belthorpe has been sent with half the first company to look out for the
enemy in that direction," added the major. "Return to the bridge, Knox,
and make sure that no further attempt is made to destroy it. The flag is
still there, and I see that you have hoisted it again. If you need any
assistance, haul down the flag as a signal to that effect."
The sergeant hastened back to his post; and the major rode up to the
cross-roads, just in time to meet the scouts who had been sent up the
east road, coming down the hill at full speed. There were only two of
them; but they had left two others at the hill road.
The pair of riders who came in as the major reached the cross-roads were
scouts; for they had been sent out with orders to go where they pleased
in the hills to obtain all the information they could, especially in
regard to the approach of any body of the enemy. They were not pickets
nor skirmishers, who are sent out to act on fixed lines.
"We have just come from the hill road," said one of the scouts, as he
saluted the major. "A detachment of the Texans has just come down from
the hills, and all four of us retreated behind a knoll to see where they
were going."
"And where were they going?" demanded the commander impatiently.
"They kept on the hill road, going north."
"How many of them were there?"
"Forty-two, besides the officer in command, who had one arm in a sling,
and his head bound up so that he could not wear his cap."
"That must have been the troop that we engaged on the south road," said
the major. "But how could they have got around to the point where you
saw them?"
The scouts could not answer this question, and the commander sent them
back to the point from which they had come. The last he had seen of
Captain Dingfield's command was on the south road, retreating at the
best speed of their small horses. He had sent Captain Gordon in pursuit
as soon as his men were available. So far as he knew, there was no
highway by which the hill road could be reached short of six miles south
of the cross-roads, near the place where the Texans had camped the night
before.
In order to have reached the position where they were reported to be by
the scouts, they must have found a way across the country. He opened his
map, and began to study it very diligently, to ascertain if there was a
road which he had failed to notice before.
"More scouts coming in, father!" exclaimed Artie, who retained his
position near the field-officer, the only one present with the squadron,
for the regiment had not been fully organized.
Major Lyon turned his attention in the direction of the east road. He
saw two riders galloping down the hill with all speed; and he folded up
his map, restoring it to his pocket. The coming of these men meant
something. The whole of the Texan company were accounted for, as half of
them had been sent to the north by Captain Dingfield, and now the other
half had been reported as having gone in hot haste in the same
direction. Had any re-enforcement been sent to the Texan cavalry?
The major had no doubt the officer at the head of the troop reported was
Captain Dingfield. He had expected to find his body in the road after
the action, for he had been the most prominent person for the aim of the
men. The same bullet could hardly have hit him in the head and in the
arm, and it was plain that he had been wounded at least in two places.
"Where is Major Lyon?" shouted the foremost of the two scouts.
"Here!" shouted Artie, though it was a needless question, for the plume
of the commander distinguished him from all others.
"Messenger from Captain Gordon," said the foremost scout, as he reined
in his foaming steed, and saluted the major.
"Where did you see him?" demanded the commander.
"On the hill road, where I rode half a mile at his side; for he was
chasing the enemy that went along just before, and Styles and Brehan
came down here to report them to you."
"What is your message from Captain Gordon?" asked the major sharply.
"He told me to tell you he had pursued the enemy without getting near
enough to fire at them."
"But how came he on the hill road?" demanded the commander impatiently.
"He told me to say to you that they had taken to the fields near the
planter's house, and, after a good deal of winding about, had come to
the hill road. When I told him we had seen the enemy, he wanted to know
how far they were ahead of him; and I told him as near as I could guess
they were about half a mile from him. That is all I know about it, Major
Lyon."
"Where are Styles and Brehan now?"
"We passed them on our way down, and I suppose they will stay at the
crossing till they get further orders."
"Very well; return to your places in the company," added the commander,
as he proceeded to consider the information he had just received.
The situation was clearly defined in his mind. One-half of the first
company, under Lieutenant Belthorpe, had been sent up the railroad; and
the other half, under Captain Gordon, was pursuing the enemy. Captain
Dingfield had sent half his force by the hill road to the north, and now
he was retreating in the same direction with the other half. But the
whole of the first company would come together somewhere in the vicinity
of the railroad, and then there would be another fight.
The commander had with him at the cross-roads and at the camp the whole
of the second company, where they were not likely to be needed; for it
was evident that Captain Dingfield had left none of his force behind
him, as by this time he had realized the pressing need of all his men
farther north. It was plain enough to the commander that another action
was to be fought very soon, if it was not already in progress, though no
firing could be heard.
"Artie, tell Captain Truman I wish to speak with him," said he, as he
took his map from his pocket again. It seemed to him that the seat of
the fighting had been transferred to the north a few miles. But the
bridge was still safe, and so far he had accomplished his mission.
Captain Truman had proved to be an excellent officer, though all in the
two companies had had no previous service in actual warfare; but they
had shown that the only thing they lacked was military experience, and
in that respect they were like a very large proportion of all the
officers in the field.
"I was just coming to you, Major Lyon, when you sent for me," said the
captain, as he reined up his horse in front of the commander. "One of
my men has just informed me that there is a train coming down the
railroad from the north."
"Artie," called the major, "hurry over to the bridge, and give Knox my
order to detain the train that is approaching till he receives further
orders from me."
Artie did not wait an instant, but ran his horse down the road, calling
to the idlers and prisoners to get out of the way. He was fortunate
enough to find the sergeant where he could hail him from his horse, and
delivered the order.
By this time the train was moving very slowly towards the bridge, and
Knox stopped it behind the fence which had done so much ill service in
concealing the bridgemen. In front of the engine was a platform car, on
which was a field-piece and half-a-dozen soldiers; but the messenger
could not stay to examine the provisions for the protection of the
train, which was doubtless a pioneer of another of more importance. He
reported to his father what he had seen.
"The wounded and the prisoners have now become an incumbrance to me, and
I have decided to send them all back to our camp at Riverlawn," the
major began, as soon as Artie left him. "So far the enemy have failed
to destroy this bridge; but I have no doubt they will continue to
operate as they have begun, until they have disabled the railroad."
"The one over the Green River in Hart County is likely to be the next
one threatened," added the captain.
"That or some other. I have stopped this train because it affords me the
means of transportation for the wounded and prisoners. I shall place the
removal of them in your charge. You will have the train stopped where it
crosses the swamp road beyond Dripping Spring, and march those who are
able to walk to Riverlawn. Take the wagons of Captain Titus's company
with you, mules and all, and convey the wounded in them. How many men do
you require for this service?"
"Twenty will be enough," replied Captain Truman, who appeared not to be
pleased with the service upon which he was ordered.
The commander directed him to proceed with his arrangements at once,
communicating first with the officer of the troops on the train. In a
few minutes Lieutenant Blenks, in charge of the camp, who was to go with
the captain, had mustered the prisoners, while his superior was engaged
with the officer on the train. This gentleman was a quartermaster, with
the rank of lieutenant, who had been sent on a duty he did not explain;
but he put a veto on the plan of the major at once. He had to make some
observations near Bowling Green, and the train would return before
night. He suggested that Riverlawn was not a proper place to send the
prisoners or the wounded, and he proposed to convey them to Louisville.
Captain Truman reported the result of his interview; and the major
accepted the compromise, and was better pleased with it than with his
own plan. The prisoners were marched to the railroad in charge of the
guard selected, and at dark the train took them on board. It was not
necessary for the captain to go with them, but the lieutenant was to
return as soon as possible with the soldiers.
Not long after the train started, Major Lyon marched with all his
remaining force to the hill road, to form a junction, if possible, with
the two divisions of his first company.