A Rebel Trick.
The next day Frank and the major made out their reports of the
expedition. The former's, as usual, was short and to the point,
conveying, in a few lines, the information that their object had been
accomplished. He described the fight in the house as a "short skirmish,"
and made it appear that their success was owing to the gallant behavior
of the major, Archie, and the coxswain. In fact, one, to have read the
report, would have supposed that Frank had been merely a looker-on,
instead of one of the principal actors. But the major went more into
details, and the part Frank had taken in the fight was described in
glowing language, and his bravery highly complimented. While thus
engaged, the orderly entered the cabin and reported a small party of
rebels approaching with a flag of truce. Frank went on deck, and saw
several men galloping toward the vessel, waving a white flag, to attract
their attention. When they reached the top of the bank, they dismounted
from their horses, and appeared to be waiting for some one to come
ashore.
For some moments, Frank was undecided how to act. He remembered that he
had once been sent on shore with a flag of truce which had not been
respected, he having been detained a prisoner, and he did not like the
idea of receiving a white flag from men whom he knew would not respect
it themselves; besides, he had received no orders in regard to
communicating with the rebels, and he did not know whether he had a
right to do so or not.
"Well, major, what do you think of this, sir?" he asked, turning toward
the scout, who stood close at his side.
"It's a trick of some kind, captain," replied the latter. "Depend upon
it, it's a trick."
"If that is so," said Frank, "I will try and find out what it is." Then,
raising his voice, he called out, "What do you want out there?"
"I want to come on board," shouted one of the rebels, in reply. "I want
to see the captain."
"Well, speak out; you can't come on board. What do you want?"
The rebels consulted together for a few moments, and then one of them
replied:
"We have a Yankee prisoner, and want to exchange him for Captain Thorne.
If you will let one of us come on board, perhaps we can make some
arrangements with you."
"You can't come on board," shouted Frank, "that's settled. But where's
your prisoner?"
"Out in the woods, under guard."
"They've got no prisoner, captain," said the major. "All they want is to
see the inside of your vessel, and find out how many men and guns you
have."
"Well, they'll have to go away without accomplishing their object," said
Frank. "I can't make any arrangements for an exchange," he shouted,
"until I see your prisoner."
The rebels lingered a moment, as if in consultation, and then mounted
their horses and rode away. Every one who had heard the conversation
laughed at the idea of attempting to deceive Captain Nelson with so
shallow a trick, and the circumstance was soon forgotten by all except
Frank, who knew that the guerrillas would not abandon their project
simply because their first attempt had failed. Although he made no
remark, he resolved to be doubly vigilant, and to be ready for any
emergency.
Two days afterward the dispatch-boat came alongside, on her way up the
river, and the major took passage on her for Cairo.
"I'm sorry to be obliged to leave you, captain," said he, as he stood
ready to start, "for, if I am not very much mistaken, you'll have lively
times here before long. The rebels are up to something, depend upon it.
Don't let them catch you off your guard. Good luck to you!"
It was lonesome in the cabin after the major left, for he was a good
companion, and both Frank and Archie had become very much attached to
him.
The dispatch-boat had scarcely left the Boxer, when the officer of the
deck reported a canoe approaching. It came from up the river, and, by
the aid of the spy-glass, they discovered that it contained two men and
was loaded with vegetables. It was customary for gun-boats to purchase
such provisions as they needed from the people who lived along the
banks, and in some places market-boats were received regularly every
day. The men were paid, either in money, or, as they generally
preferred, in coffee, flour, or sugar, from the paymaster's store-rooms;
but this was the first time the Boxer had ever been visited, and this
circumstance, taken in connection with the flag of truce, made Frank
suspicious.
"Shall we allow them to come alongside, sir?" asked the officer of the
deck.
"Yes," replied Frank, who had already determined upon his plans, "allow
them to come on board, if they wish to do so;" and here he gave the
officer a few rapid orders, which the latter hurried below to execute.
The Boxer had a full crew of sixty-five men, who were in an admirable
state of discipline; but Frank had sent the officer below to order the
most of the men into the hold, out of sight, and to remove the small
arms about the deck. The major's warning was still ringing in his ears,
and the young commander could not rid himself of the impression that the
market men who were now approaching were in some way connected with
guerrillas. If it was a trick, he resolved to help it along. As the boat
approached, it was hailed by the sentinel on the fore-castle, who asked
the men their business, and was informed that they had "garden truck"
which they wanted to "swap for sugar, flour, an' sich like."
The men were then permitted to come alongside, and one of them was at
once conducted into the cabin, where a bargain was soon concluded, Frank
agreeing to take the whole boatload of vegetables, and to give the man
two pounds of flour, three pounds of sugar, and six pounds of coffee.
The young commander was now fully satisfied that the only object of the
men in visiting the vessel was not to dispose of their vegetables, for
the man rather overdid his part. He gazed with open mouth at every thing
he saw, in regular country style, but it was not natural, most of his
wonder, as Archie expressed it, being "put on." The latter went below to
order his steward to procure the provisions, and the man inquired--
"Will yer let a feller look about a leetle? This is the fust time I was
ever on a gun-boat."
"Certainly," replied Archie, who had received his instructions from
Frank; "look about all you please;" and while the steward was weighing
the coffee and sugar, he accompanied the man about the vessel. There
were not more than a dozen sailors on deck, and most of these appeared
to be asleep.
"Be these all the fellers you-uns hev got?" asked the man.
"What's the use of having any more?" replied Archie. "There's no danger
here."
"That's so," was the answer; "I haint seed a rebel round for more 'n six
months, dog-gone if I hev."
The man walked slowly about the deck, carefully examining every thing he
saw, and acting altogether like a backwoodsman who had never seen a
gun-boat before. Finally, he said:
"I've heered as how all these 'ere boats hev got hot water; has yourn?"
"Oh, yes, we've got plenty of hot water, but it takes an hour to screw
the hose on, so that we can use it."
By this time the provisions were ready, and the market men took their
departure, expressing themselves fully satisfied that it wouldn't be a
"healthy job" for any rebels to attempt the capture of the Boxer, and
promising to be on hand the next day but one with more "garden truck."
As soon as their boat was out of sight, the hatches were raised, the
crew poured up out of the hold, and in a short time the Boxer's deck
presented its usual appearance of neatness and order. Frank's object had
been accomplished, for the market men had gone away satisfied that
twenty determined men could easily effect the capture of the gun-boat,
and they seemed determined to make the most of what they had seen.
Gaines's Landing had been a regular mail station, and the rebels had
only been deterred from sending it across the river by the presence of
the Boxer. The market men, however, had discovered, as they supposed,
that the vessel was but poorly manned, and this being communicated to
their leader, (for, as Frank had suspected, they belonged to a
regularly-organized band of guerrillas,) the latter determined to
dispatch his mail at once.
That night, about ten o'clock, as Frank and Archie sat in the cabin
reading, the orderly reported that lights were seen moving about on
shore. This was something unusual, and when Frank had watched the light
for a moment, he came to the conclusion that the rebels were making some
movements, the nature of which he was, of course, unable to determine;
but he resolved, if possible, to find out what was going on, and turning
to the officer of the deck, ordered the cutter to be called away and
furnished with an armed crew. This order was speedily and quietly
executed, and when the boat was ready, Frank and his cousin stepped into
it, and were pulled noiselessly up the river. The place where the light
shone was about half a mile from the vessel, and when they came opposite
to it, the crew rested on their oars, giving only an occasional stroke
to keep the cutter from floating down the stream, and waited impatiently
for the rebels to show themselves.
The light, which gleamed from the shore opposite to the town, seemed to
come from a dark lantern, for it would blaze up brightly for a moment,
and then disappear. Presently an answering light was shown from the
shore nearest to them, when Archie whispered--
"There's a boat coming!"
Frank listened, and could hear the slow, measured strokes of oars, which
grew louder and louder as the boat approached. It seemed to be heading
directly toward them, and in a few moments more it could be dimly seen,
moving through the darkness.
"Give way together!" commanded Frank, and the cutter, propelled by
twelve oars, shot alongside the approaching boat, and the sailors seized
the gunwale and held her fast. Resistance was useless. Three rebels
quietly delivered up their weapons, and one large, well-filled mail-bag
was stowed away under the stern sheets of the cutter. The prisoners were
taken on board the Boxer, and delivered into the charge of the
master-at-arms, while their boat, a leaky affair, requiring constant
bailing to keep it afloat, was unceremoniously allowed to sink. The
light on the opposite shore was still shown, now at shorter intervals,
as if the persons who were managing it had begun to grow impatient. This
was the source of much merriment among the sailors, who hoped the
"rebels would not grow tired of waiting for their mail."
The next day the Manhattan again came up the river, and, as she
approached, made signals for Frank to go on board of her. The gig was
called away, and taking the reports of the expedition the young officer
and his prisoners shortly stood in the presence of Captain Wilson, who,
as soon as he had secured the prisoners, conducted Frank into the cabin.
The latter, after presenting his reports, proceeded to give the captain
a history of the expedition which had resulted in the capture of the
guerrilla chief, of the interview with the flag of truce, and of the
manner in which he had deceived the market men and captured the mail,
upon hearing which the captain sprang from his chair, and giving Frank a
hearty slap on the back, exclaimed:
"Well done, sir! well done! Then you are not entirely unprepared to hear
what I have to tell you. I picked up a runaway darkey yesterday, who
informs me that the rebels are making preparations to capture the
Boxer!"
"I knew something was going on, sir," replied Frank, "and if that is
what they are up to, they will not find me unprepared."
"Well, that is what they intend to do. They have been building two large
boats, into which they are going to put a sufficient force to overpower
you. The attempt is to be made on Wednesday night. Of course, they hope
to be able to take you by surprise. This contraband I picked up says he
worked on the boats, and that they will hold about forty men each. I
shall not be far off when the fight takes place, although I do not
suppose you will need any assistance."
The two officers then began an examination of the mail, in hopes it
would throw some further light upon the movements of the guerrillas; but
most of the letters were unofficial, and not a word was said about the
proposed attempt to capture the Boxer.
At the end of an hour, Frank returned on board his vessel, and the
Manhattan steamed down the river toward her station.