THE PARTY ATTACKED IN THE CROSS-CUT
Deck Lyon could not imagine any possible use that could be made of the
horses in charge of the boys, and it was not probable that those in care
of them could afford him any information on the subject. It was evident
that some new movement was contemplated, and it looked as though the
commander of the forces intended to chase the ruffians with mounted men.
"Where is my father, Frank?" asked Deck.
"He's down the road with the rest of them; but I reckon they are all
marching back to the bridge," replied the coachman.
"What are you going to do with all these horses?" asked Deck, as he
began to move on.
"Dunno, Mars'r Deck, what they are for; but Mars'r Lyon sent us for
them."
Frank knew nothing about the use to which the horses were to be put, and
Deck continued on his way over the bridge. The fire from the blazing
boards in front of Fort Bedford sent some of the light across the creek;
but it did not reveal the presence of the defenders of the plantation,
and the messenger could not see anything of the force. It could not be
far away, and he continued to advance.
Just beyond the bridge he met a wagon coming towards him. When it came
near enough for him to see it in the gloom, he found that it belonged to
the plantation. Three men sat on the front seat, and were chattering at
a lively rate as they drew near.
"Who is driving that team?" demanded Deck.
"Me, Mars'r Deck," replied the man who held the reins.
"Who's me?"
"Clinker, sar, wid Bitts and Filly," replied the driver, who was the
blacksmith of the estate.
"What are you doing with the wagon over here?"
"Cart'n' off de wounded, mars'r."
"How many have you?"
"On'y two, sar."
These were the ruffians, doubtless, who had fallen when the volley was
fired at the beginning of the affair.
"You haven't got them all, then," added Deck. "There is another opposite
the fort, near a big tree, who was hit by Levi, firing from the other
side of the creek."
"We go for him when we done unload dese we got," said Clinker.
"Can you tell me where my father and the rest of them are?" inquired
Deck, who could see nothing of the main body.
"In de grove, Mars'r Deck. Wen de ruff'ns done runned off dat way Mars'r
Belt'orpe lead de sodjers arter 'em."
Deck was afraid he might not find his father before morning if they
pursued the retreating ruffians in that direction; for they would have
to follow the river, when they reached it, about ten miles before they
could come to a bridge by which they could cross. But he had a mission,
and he bravely fought against the fatigue and sleepiness that beset him,
and struck into the grove by a road some distance below the bridge over
the creek.
He had not gone twenty rods in the gloom of the wood before he heard the
sound of voices and the tramp of footsteps ahead of him, and he was
confident the force was returning to the plantation. He soon confronted
the little column, and placed himself by the side of the commander, who
was leading the way.
"Levi sent me over to report what we have been doing," said he.
"I heard the report of one of your guns, and I concluded that you had
work on your hands," replied Colonel Belthorpe, without slacking his
speed or halting to listen to the report.
"Not much work, Colonel. The ruffians were building a raft at the pile
of logs, and we fired over their heads, as ordered. The big branch of a
tree came down, and all the men on the raft and near them ran into the
woods. The road is all clear of them, and they are not going home by the
Rapids Bridge."
"No, the villains!" exclaimed the commander. "They have other business
on their hands. I am afraid we have been too tender with them."
"One thing more, Colonel, and I have done," continued Deck. "When the
ruffians retreated before your fire, those who had guns stationed
themselves behind the trees and began to fire at you. Then we three
opened upon them with the rifles, and when Levi fired a man dropped.
After that we saw nothing more of them."
"All right, my boy," added the colonel, hurrying his march. "I thought
the villains were only making a detour, intending to reach the Rapids
Bridge; but I find they are marching in the direction of my plantation."
Colonel Cosgrove and Major Lyon had been called forward to listen to the
report of Deck, and it was decided that, so far as Riverlawn was
concerned, the battle had been fought and won, inasmuch as the enemy had
been driven away. By the time the report was finished and the result
announced, the force had reached the bridge.
"Where are you going now, Clinker?" asked Major Lyon, when the wagon
returned from the hospital, as the small building set apart for the sick
of the plantation hands was called, and appeared on the bridge.
"Mars'r Deck done tell me a man dropped behind a tree down de creek, and
I'm gwine for him," replied the blacksmith.
"Go over and get the small wagon for that; we want this one," added the
planter.
"Where are you going, father?" asked Deck, who saw that some expedition
was in preparation.
"We are satisfied that the ruffians are going over to Colonel
Belthorpe's plantation, to do there what they intended to do here, and
we mean to get there before they do," replied Major Lyon. "We believe
that everything here is safe for the present."
The party crossed the bridge and came to the saddle horses. By this time
all the men on the plantation who had not before been called for duty
had assembled by the horses, and the four white men mounted at once. The
breech-loaders were provided with straps, and had been suspended at the
backs of those who used them. Eight of the men who had already seen
service were mounted and seven more were put into the wagon, provided
with weapons which had been sent for.
"Filly!" called Major Lyon, addressing a mulatto who had the reputation
of being a very intelligent fellow, "you will go to the fort and tell
Levi we are going over to Lyndhall, for we are sure the ruffians mean to
burn the house. Take the rest of the hands here with you, and tell him
to keep a close watch over the place. I shall take Dexter with me."
The rest of the party had already ridden off at full gallop, fearful
that they might be too late to protect the colonel's property.
"But I have no horse, father," said Deck, who had heard the planter tell
Filly that he should take him with him.
"You will go in the wagon," replied his father. "I see that you are
gaping, and you must be very tired. Get in; the body is filled with hay,
and it will give you a chance to get rested."
Deck did not like the arrangement very well, tired as he was, but he
obeyed the order. The negroes made way for him, and fixed him a nice
place to lie down in the wagon. He dropped asleep almost instantly, for
he had been up all the night before, and had worked hard and been
intensely excited since he left his bed just before noon.
Major Lyon had his late brother's favorite animal, a blood horse that
had won a small fortune for his master in the races, and he soon
overtook the advance of the party. The wagon could not keep up with him,
and was soon left far behind.
Near the east end of the Rapids Bridge over the river was a locality
called the "Cross Roads," where four highways came together. At this
point the one from the county town passing through Barcreek village
crossed the stream. Another road branched off here, leading up the
creek, from which the private way over the bridge led to Major Lyon's
mansion. It continued half a mile farther up the creek, and then turned
to the north-east. This was called the "New Road," and upon it, three
miles from the creek bridge, was the plantation of Colonel Belthorpe.
From the Cross Roads also extended what was called the "Old Road," which
was laid out nearer to the great river; and six miles distant by the
later-built highway the two came together, though it was over eight by
the older one. About half a mile of the new road was on the bank of Bar
Creek, and upon it had transpired most of the events related.
The ruffians had been driven down this road towards Rapids Bridge. They
had taken to the woods between the two highways; and by sending out the
village lawyer to reconnoitre, Colonel Belthorpe had discovered that the
enemy were marching, not to the bridge, but up the old road, which would
take them, after a three miles' walk, to a point near his plantation,
where they could easily cross to the new road. The distance by the new
road was a mile less than by the other, and the fleet horses would carry
the party to Lyndhall in abundant season to confront the marauders.
"I don't believe the villains can get there before we do," said Colonel
Belthorpe, as Major Lyon galloped his horse to his side. "If I had
anticipated the events of to-night, I should have been prepared for
them. My overseer is not a Union man, and I am afraid he will not do his
duty. My place is not so well situated for a defence as yours, Major."
"I believe we have force enough to drive the ruffians again, for they
don't like the smell of gun-powder any better than other bullies,"
replied the Riverlawn planter.
"My son Tom is at home, and my nephew, Major Gadbury, is visiting at
Lyndhall. But all of them, including my two daughters, have gone to a
party at Rock Lodge. I suppose you know the place, Major?"
"Not by that name."
"It is over on the old road, close by Rock Hill, from which it takes its
name. You must have met Captain Carms."
"I have met him, and we have called upon him, but I never heard the name
of his place before."
"Just at the foot of Rock Hill there is a cart-path connecting the two
roads, and the ruffians may come through by that passage, though it is
very rough. Most of our stone comes from the quarry there, and the teams
make bad work with the roads."
"The enemy can't be a great way behind us by this time," suggested Major
Lyon.
"We haven't wasted any time, and it is some distance they had to travel
round by the Cross Roads," replied the colonel, as he urged his steed to
greater speed.
Though the road was anything but a smooth one, Deck Lyon slept like a
log on the hay. His dusky companions did not speak a loud word for fear
of waking him. Nearly half an hour after the horsemen had passed it, the
wagon was approaching the cross-cut between the two roads at Rock Hill.
Clinker the blacksmith, who had been excused from ambulance duty and
another put in his place, was driving the horses.
"Cristofus! Wat's dat?" he exclaimed, as two very distinct female
screams struck his ears, and he set his team into a dead run.
"'Pears like it's women screeching," replied Mose, who was by his side
on the front seat. "Dar's trouble dar!"
"I reckon do screeches comed out'n de cross-cut," added Clinker.
The screams were repeated several times, and as the wagon passed the
hill the sounds of an encounter were heard. It was evident that a fight
of some kind was in progress, and the men in the wagon unslung their
breech-loaders ready for action; for they came to the conclusion at once
that the ruffians were at the bottom of it. No shots were heard, and it
did not appear that the marauders were armed.
"I reckon we mus' woke Mars'r Deck," said Clinker, as he reined in his
horses at the cross-cut.
One of the men at his side shook the tired boy, and he sprang to his
feet; for doubtless he was dreaming of the events of the night. Clinker
explained the situation in as few words as his vocabulary would permit.
Deck seized his musket and leaped from the wagon, followed by all but
the driver, who drove the horses to a tree and fastened them there.
Deck ran with all his might into the passage, and presently came to a
road wagon which had been "held up" by a gang of the ruffians. He
ordered his six followers to have their arms ready, but not to fire till
he gave them the word. With his revolver in his hand, which was a more
convenient weapon than the gun, he rushed into the midst of the fight.
The party attacked were the nephew and son of Colonel Belthorpe, with
his two daughters, who had been to the party at Rock Lodge.