SUNDRY FLANK MOVEMENTS ARRANGED
Captain Dingfield, with the portion of his company with which he had
attacked Major Lyon near the cross-roads, where he had been badly beaten
at the first assault, had fled across the country, and was continuing
his flight along the hill road. Doubtless he did not intend to fight a
battle at the point mentioned, but had made the attack immediately after
the explosion on the bridge to occupy the attention of the force there
until his men had completed the destruction of the structure.
He appeared to have discovered that the squadron of cavalry he had
encountered was not so easily annihilated as he had believed they would
be by his invincible Rangers. On the contrary, he found his troop in a
difficult situation, with a superior force near him. Doubtless he had
read in what manner Napoleon I. defeated an army of superior numbers by
taking it when divided into two parts, delivering battle to each in
turn.
Captain Gordon, with half his company, had been sent in pursuit of him,
but had been somewhat delayed in his movements. Captain Dingfield had
united the two portions of his company after the skirmish of one of them
with Lieutenant Belthorpe, who was believed to have retreated to the
railroad.
Deck Lyon had listened to the interview between the captain and
lieutenant of the Rangers, and fully understood their plan. As soon as
the company had departed on their mission to annihilate the detachment
of Captain Gordon, he hastened back to the big tree where he had left
Lieutenant Belthorpe. Tom had just crossed swords with the enemy for the
first time, and had fought like a lion; but he was nervous in regard to
the situation. He had no superior officer near him, and he felt the
responsibility of his position.
"Well, Deck, what next?" he asked, before the young soldier could get
within talking distance of him.
"There is work for you," replied Deck; and though he knew precisely what
ought to be done, he was very careful not to suggest anything. He did
not wish to overstep the line of his duty as a private, though he and
the lieutenant were on the most intimate and familiar terms of
friendship. He hurried his steps; and in as few words as possible he
related all he had seen and heard.
"Then, Captain Dingfield has gone out with his whole company to
intercept Gordon?" said the officer.
"Precisely so; and I don't know what force Captain Gordon has with him,"
added Deck. "The Rangers believe your command has retreated to the
railroad, and are well out of the way."
"We will convince them to the contrary very soon," said Tom with energy,
and darted off at the best speed of his horse for the knoll where he had
left his men.
Deck restored his sabre to its place, and mounted his horse. He was
ready to return to the ranks; but Tom called him, and he took his place
at the side of his friend. The lieutenant asked him a great many
questions; for the troop could not move at their best speed on account
of the trees and bushes.
"I suppose we have nothing to do but follow and pitch in when we find
the enemy," said Tom, when they came out on the hill road. "We can't see
anything of Dingfield's company yet."
"He has not got over the top of that hill we see ahead, and is in the
valley this side. Neither of us has been over this road, and we know
nothing at all about it," replied Deck, careful not to wound the pride
of his officer.
"Why don't you speak out, Deck, and tell me what you are thinking
about?" said the lieutenant somewhat impatiently. "You keep in your
shell as tight as a Baltimore oyster. You did not hesitate to tell me
what you had in your sconce when we were fighting that detachment in the
road."
"I only intended to give you the information that Dingfield's company
was coming, and would then outnumber you," replied Deck.
"You advised me to retreat, and I did so, for I saw that you were
right."
"But you are my superior officer, and my business consists in obeying
your orders," replied the private with becoming humility.
"None of that, Deck! We will keep up all the forms and ceremonies; but I
want you to be Deck Lyon, while I am Tom Belthorpe, when we are side by
side as we are at this moment. I say all we have to do is to ride ahead
till we find the enemy, and then pitch in. Is that your idea, Deck?"
"With all due deference, Tom, it is not," replied the private.
"Confound your deference!" exclaimed the lieutenant. "I asked your
advice, and you mumble about forms."
"I will speak as plainly as I know how to speak. If you show yourself to
Captain Dingfield, he will run away if he can. He has been badly
punished to-day, and he can't stand much more of it. When he finds
himself pinched between Captain Gordon and yourself, I don't believe he
will feel like cutting his way out."
"But he outnumbers Gordon just now," Tom objected.
"Of course you will not let Captain Gordon suffer," continued Deck. "If
you will allow me to say it, I will suggest what I should do if I were
in your place."
"Allow you! Confound you, Deck! Didn't I ask you point-blank what you
would do?" demanded Tom.
"We are moving at a dog-trot now, and that is just right. Before we get
to the top of that hill yonder in the road, I should halt, and send a
scout ahead to report on what there is to be seen," said Deck.
"All right! I detail you as the scout," answered the lieutenant very
promptly.
"Then I will leave you. If I raise my cap over my head, hurry up. If I
make no sign, come along leisurely," added Deck, as he urged his steed
to a gallop, and dashed ahead.
Just then he wished he had Ceph; but he had left him hitched near the
bridge when he ascended it to take in the flag, though the horse he had
was not a bad one. How far in the rear of Captain Dingfield's company
Captain Gordon had been he had no means of judging. Deck reached the
summit of the hill over which the road passed. He reined in his steed,
and walked him till his own head was high enough to see over the crest
in front of him.
Captain Dingfield's company was not in sight. Not more than half a mile
ahead of him was another hill, beyond which the enemy had disappeared.
He took off his cap and waved it in the air above his head. Tom could
not help seeing it; and his command were immediately galloping towards
him. Deck did not wait for them, but ran his own horse till he reached
the summit of the second hill. Here he halted again. There was a third
hill, and probably one every mile or half-mile; for this was the hill
road.
Captain Dingfield had not hurried his men, and Deck discovered his force
on the lowest ground between the two hills. He had halted there, and the
men appeared to be watering their horses. Deck was sorry he had not a
field-glass. He fell back a short distance, so that his horse should not
be seen by the enemy, hitched him to a sapling, and returned to the top
of the hill on foot. After examining the location of the enemy as well
as he could, he concluded that a road crossed that upon which both
forces were moving, though he was not sure.
Returning to his horse, he mounted again, and descended the hill a few
rods. The lieutenant had reached the top of the first hill, and Deck
waved his cap again. As soon as Tom reached the spot where the private
was, he halted his command. He hastily informed his officer that the
enemy were at the foot of the hill on the other side.
"I must not lose sight of them for long," said Deck. "I will go ahead
again, and make the same signal for you to advance."
"But you expect there will be a fight, don't you, Deck?" asked the
lieutenant.
"There will be if Captain Dingfield don't run away by a road I believe
extends through the valley. I think the captain of the Rangers is
waiting for Captain Gordon to come upon him in this place. I will keep a
lookout for our men," replied Deck, as he rode up the hill again.
The private was a very enthusiastic soldier; and he thought it would be
a capital idea to bag the Rangers, and make prisoners of the whole
company. It would be a feather in Tom Belthorpe's cap, and he would have
been glad to place it there. He hitched his horse again, and then
climbed a tree. Some of the hills in the vicinity were cultivated, and
some were not. From his elevated perch he discovered a farmhouse on the
road, of whose existence he had not before been confident. He had no
doubt of the fact now.
There was a cornfield on the left of the road where he was, but at some
distance from it. Between this tilled land and the hill road was a
considerable extent of wild land, covered with hillocks, and the whole
of it overgrown with small trees and bushes. Near the place where the
platoon had halted, Deck perceived a practicable passage through the
tanglewood; and he went down the tree in a desperate hurry, to the
imminent peril of his limbs, though he reached the ground in safety.
A glance at the summit of the third hill assured him that Captain Gordon
was not yet in sight. Slinging his carbine, and buckling on his belt, he
hastened to the lieutenant, and, without any unnecessary manifestations
of deference, stated the plan he had brewed in the top of the tree.
"I should like to see the whole of that company bagged, Tom," said he,
as he led the way to the opening he had seen. "I should like to see you
do it, I am only afraid Dingfield will escape by that road, and I should
like to have you block his way in that direction."
"But if we shut up that road against him, we shall leave the hill road
open to him," replied Tom.
[Illustration: "What are you uns doing here!"]
Deck bit his lip, for he had not thought of this; for he was not a
full-fledged strategist any more than his officer.
"You are right, Tom; and that is the end of my scheme," added Deck.
"Not a bit of it, Deck. Why not compromise on your idea; send half our
force across the cornfield, and leave the other half to take care of
this road? I like that idea," said Tom with enthusiasm.
"You would have but twenty-five men to hold this road against the whole
of Dingfield's company," said Deck.
"But we don't intend to move till Captain Gordon is here to take a hand
in the game," answered Tom. "You will go with Sergeant Fronklyn to the
cross-road, and I will stay here. As soon as I see the rest of our
company coming down the hill, I will strike the enemy in the rear, while
the captain goes in on the front. You will sail in from the by-road as
soon as you hear the firing, Deck. That is fixed. Now have deference
enough for your officer to hold your tongue, and obey your orders."
"I am as dumb as a dead horse," replied Deck.
Both of them were laughing; and Deck hastened to a place where he could
see over the crest of the hill, while the lieutenant divided his force
for the two undertakings. In a few moments all was ready, and Tom joined
his friend.
"It is time we were moving," said Deck.
"All is ready for you; and Fronklyn will take counsel of you when
necessary," replied the lieutenant.
"Don't show yourself on the top of the hill, Tom; for that might let the
cat out of the bag," added Deck.
The scout, as Deck considered himself for the present, joined the
detachment detailed for the by-road, and led them into the wild region,
Fronklyn remaining some distance behind him. The enemy were in a deep
hollow, and the guide soon assured himself that the detachment could be
neither seen nor heard by them. The sergeant advanced in response to his
signals. A spur of the hill concealed them, and they galloped across the
field, from which the crop had been harvested. He guided the force to a
point beyond the farmer's house. Leaving the sergeant and his men where
the buildings shut off the view of the hill road, Deck rode cautiously
to the other side of the house.
"What you uns doin' here?" asked the farmer, showing himself from behind
his barn.
"We are attending to our own business, and it wouldn't be a bad idea for
you to do the same," replied Deck, who did not like the looks of the
man.
"I reckon you uns is Confedrits," he added.
"You are out of your reckoning."
"There's some more on 'em over to the brook. I reckon I'll go over, and
let 'em know you're here," suggested the farmer.
"If you do, you will get a bit of lead through your upper story,"
replied Deck, as he rode on.
He had hardly started his horse before a volley was heard in the
direction of the hill road.