THE FIRE THAT WAS STARTED AT RIVERLAWN
Levi and Deck were the bill-stickers, and the night was chosen as the
time to post them, in order that the paste might be well dried and
hardened before they were seen. They had taken a wagon, and with the
coachman for driver they had gone their round after people generally
were asleep. Wherever a flat surface could be found by the light of a
lantern, on barns, fences, rocks, and shops, a placard was posted.
It would take the ruffian brigade a long time to pull them all down,
after the paste was dry; and the very wrath of these men would assist in
advertising the recruiting office at Riverlawn. The fact that the papers
were ready for signature could hardly fail to be known all over the
vicinity early in the morning, and all over the county in a day or two.
The information was already circulating in Bowling Green; for the editor
of _The Planter_, at whose office Artie had applied to have the bills
printed, had made it known soon enough to enable the three ruffians to
make an attempt to suppress the placards.
_The Kentuckian_ was the loyal paper, and would doubtless make at least
an item of the fact that the recruiting office had been established.
Possibly the other journal would make a "dastardly outrage" of the shot
which Artie had fired at the three ruffians who beset him on the road.
There was no doubt in the minds of the active men at Riverlawn that the
recruiting office would be known to the fullest extent even the day
after the bills were posted; for even the women would gossip about it as
they went from house to house, and the loafers in the "corner grocery"
would have an exciting theme for discussion.
The people had been terrorized by the ruffians, who had banded together
as Home Guards in this locality; and they had made noise enough to
create the belief among the less demonstrative citizens that the
Secessionists were in a majority. But Squire Truman had punctured this
bubble by an actual canvass of the inhabitants, and proved, as did the
vote of the Legislature, that loyalty was the predominant sentiment.
When Artie Lyon returned from his mission to the county town with the
bundle of placards in his possession, there was so much excitement at
Fort Bedford that he said nothing about his adventure on the road.
Lieutenant Gordon had counselled the sending away of the four wounded
ruffians, who had been carefully nursed and fed at the hospital. They
were all recovering from their injuries, and all of them walked about
the premises during a portion of the day.
"We don't want a lot of spies and enemies in our midst, for they will
report everything that is done to their friends who have been permitted
to visit them," he reasoned with the planter, and the major agreed with
him; and this was the work which was in progress when Artie arrived.
Deck had made a hero of himself at the cross-cut, and his brother was
not inclined to wear a wreath of laurel for the little exploit on the
road. He slept upon it, and the next morning he felt that it was his
duty to inform his father of the occurrence, as one of the indications
of public sentiment in the county. The ruffians evidently intended that
the Union army should not be recruited in the county.
Major Lyon praised him for his spirited conduct, and the lieutenant made
him blush with his commendation. But the incident was discussed more as
an exponent of the temper of the ruffians than as an exhibition of pluck
and courage on the part of the boy.
"You were right in calling these fellows the ruffians, Major Lyon," said
the recruiting officer. "I have no doubt there are many respectable
Secessionists in this part of the State, but I am confident they do not
associate with such fellows as you have had to deal with."
"Such men are simply in favor of neutrality, which I look upon as a
fraud and a humbug," replied the planter. "They are gentlemen in the
truest sense of the word, and I am only sorry they are on the wrong side
of the question."
The American flag was flying on the newly erected staff, and during the
forenoon the carpenters were busy preparing the fort for the new use to
which it was to be devoted. A skylight was put in the roof to afford
better light, a desk was brought from the library, and enclosed in rails
for the officer. Dr. Farnwright, who lived at Brownsville, was appointed
medical examiner, and the office was all ready for business by noon.
Before that time a dozen men had presented themselves for enlistment,
and had signed the roll. A camp for the volunteers was to be established
in the vicinity as soon as practicable. The lieutenant had sent off a
requisition for uniforms, arms, provisions, and such other supplies as
would be needed. At dinner all were in excellent spirits, and the
location of the camp was discussed, and was decided after considerable
disagreement. When the party returned to the fort they found half a
dozen men waiting for the officer. While he was questioning them, a
tremendous outcry came from the direction of the mansion.
"Fire! fire!" screamed the two girls, assisted by all the females in the
house.
The planter, Levi, and the boys ran with all their might to the point
from which the alarm came. Before they reached it a considerable cloud
of smoke rose from the rear of the building, indicating the locality of
the fire.
"The house is on fire!" screamed Dorcas.
Major Lyon ran into the house; but Levi, as soon as he saw the smoke,
rushed around the mansion, followed by the two boys. In the rear of the
building was an ell, to which a one-story structure had been added as a
storeroom. The flames rose from this part of the house. Against it was
heaped up a pile of dry wood and other combustibles, and it was
instantly apparent to the overseer that the fire was the work of an
incendiary. No time was to be lost, for the flames were rapidly
gathering headway, and in a few minutes the whole mansion would be on
fire.
The hands began to appear on the spot, and Levi sent the first one to
the stable for pitchforks; but he did not wait for them, and began to
draw away the combustibles with such sticks as he could obtain. The boys
followed his example, and the dry wood, blazing against the side of the
storeroom, was soon removed from its dangerous proximity to the
building. The work was effectively completed with the pitchforks as soon
as they came.
"There are three men running away towards the swamp!" shouted Deck.
"I see them!" added Artie.
"Put the fire out first, and we will attend to them afterwards!" said
Levi. "Keep an eye on them while you work, and see where they go."
The burning brands were removed from the house, but the flames were
already communicated to the building. Mrs. Lyon had not gone out at the
front door with the girls, but had rushed to the storeroom, where she
was soon joined by her husband. All the buckets in the house were
brought into use, including half a dozen leather ones that hung in the
main hall, and all the women were carrying water to the exposed point.
The fire had not yet come through the side of the building, and the
buckets were passed out the window to the overseer.
In a few moments the fire was thoroughly drowned out, and everybody
breathed more freely. The lieutenant and the recruits had followed the
others, and assisted in putting out the fire. Deck and Artie turned
their attention to the three men they had seen, and had started in
pursuit of them; but Levi called them back. Then he sent to the fort for
several revolvers, not doubting that the men who were engaged in this
desperate venture were armed.
But he did not wait for them, and told Artie to bring them to him as
soon as the messenger returned. Gordon and Deck went with him. The great
river was directly in the rear of the mansion, with the road to the
county town on its shore. The swamp between the lawn and the road was a
quagmire of mud, which was impassable for man or beast. The green from
which the estate had been named was high ground, and bordered on the
river, with the swamp between them.
"I suppose this fire is the work of the ruffians," said the lieutenant
when the party had reached the highest ground in the rear of the house.
"No doubt of that; but it is a mystery to me how any of them got this
side of the house without being seen," replied Levi.
"But there is the road I came over yesterday morning," suggested the
officer.
"And you can see that low place this side of it, where the ruffians
could neither walk nor swim. There is a pond farther along, with a
stream from it that flows into Bar Creek," the overseer explained.
While they were on this high land, surveying the surrounding region,
Artie brought them the weapons which had been sent for, and informed
Levi that his father and the recruits were following the creek, looking
for the incendiaries.
"I should say they came across the river above the bridge," said the
lieutenant, pointing in that direction.
"But the rapids run close to the shore, and they would not find very
good boating right there," replied the overseer with a smile. "However,
we will go over to the river, and beat the edge of the swamp to the
pond."
They went to the river; but nothing like a boat could be seen on the
shore. Then they followed the swamp till they heard a shot ahead of
them.
"That makes it look as though Major Lyon had fallen upon them," said
Levi, as he quickened his pace. "There is another and another;" and two
shots followed the first one.
The party broke into a run, and soon came in sight of the pond. On its
waters was a flatboat, or bateau, in which three men were paddling with
all their might towards the shore near the road to Bowling Green. The
planter had fired three shots at them; but they were too far off for the
range of the revolver.
"Out of the reach of the revolver; and he had better have brought one of
the breech-loaders," said the lieutenant. "It looks to me just as though
they had a first-rate chance to escape."
"We are not euchred yet," replied Levi, as he ran with all his might in
the direction of the pond, but to a point much nearer the road. "I have
often thought of this place since the troubles here began. The high
ground extends very nearly to the road, over which a bridge goes over a
small creek, flowing into the pond. I have crossed this place on a plank
to the road."
"Then we are all right."
"We are if I can find the plank. One of the cows got mired here, and it
was brought over to use in getting her out. There it is!" exclaimed the
overseer, rushing to the spot where it lay.
It was carried to the swamp; and though it was too short to bridge the
dangerous place, it assisted, with the help of two long leaps, in
carrying them over. It was now seen that the ruffians had a wagon, with
which they had probably brought the boat to the pond. The party reached
the road just as the incendiaries leaped from the bateau. Levi fired the
six shots of his weapon at them, and the others followed his example;
but the enemy were too far off, and not one of them appeared to be hit.
The moment they reached the shore they ran for the road, and struck it
at a considerable distance from the pursuers. The ruffians did not wait
to recover the team, but bolted with all their might towards Bowling
Green. It seemed useless to pursue them; for they had an advantage of a
hundred rods, and the overseer was too fat to compete in speed with
them.
The wagon was only a haycart, drawn by two mules; and the incendiaries
could easily outrun them if they were used for the pursuit. The purpose
of the villains had been defeated, and Levi was disposed to be satisfied
with this result. The bateau was taken from the water, and loaded upon
the wagon. Major Lyon and the recruits started back to the mansion as
soon as the ruffians had effected their escape.
The party seated themselves in the boat, and the mules were started for
a new home. When they reached the bridge over the upper part of the
rapids, they were not a little surprised, not to say startled, to see a
crowd of men marching over in the direction of Riverlawn. They were not
exactly a mob, for the head of the column was in regular ranks, and the
men were armed with muskets.
"What does that mean, Mr. Bedford?" asked the lieutenant.
"The placards we posted last night have waked up the ruffians, and they
are coming over here on the same mission as the three we have driven off
to Bowling Green," replied Levi, as he whipped up the mules. "They are
the ruffians without a doubt, and we are going to have music of some
sort before the sun goes down to-night."
The information was carried to Major Lyon, who had reached the fort in
advance of them. The ruffians had doubtless made up their minds that a
company of cavalry should not be enlisted at Riverlawn, as advertised,
and it was evident enough to all that there was to be a fight before
this question could be settled.