|The house where they asked for entertainment for the night was a
two-story frame building, and belonged to a well-to-do farmer, who was
the owner of ten or twelve negroes, and therefore one of the aristocracy
of southwest Missouri. Being an owner of slaves, he was naturally in
sympathy with secession, though he professed the most ardent unionism
whenever he was visited by any party of soldiers wearing the federal
blue. His family consisted of his wife and two daughters. His son had
gone to join Price's army, and the father took great pains to explain
that he had done so greatly against the parental will.
The pronounced unionism of the man did not arouse any suspicions in the
minds of Harry and Jack, who talked freely with him during and after
the supper which was set before them. They retired early to bed, as they
were wearied with their day's ride and intended to be off at an early
hour in the morning, so as to reach Forsyth in good season. On their
arrival, before dark, they accompanied their horses to the barn and saw
them fed and cared for by one of the negroes, whose good graces they
secured by slipping a quarter into his hand. They took a general survey
of the barn and its surroundings, more from habit than from any thought
that such knowledge might be useful to them before the next morning.
The room where they slept was in the upper story of the house, and there
was a window in it which opened upon a shed that served as a kitchen.
There was no means of fastening the door, and neither of the youths
thought there was any special occasion for securing it, as they did not
apprehend any disturbance from the family, and it was hardly likely that
an outsider could make an entrance without being stopped by some one
below stairs.
They threw off their clothing and retired to the double bed which stood
in one corner of the apartment, and in less than five minutes both were
sound asleep. Harry was on the front of the bed, while Jack lay next to
the wall.
About midnight Harry was waked by a hand upon his shoulder, and he was
about to ask, “Who's there?” in an audible voice, when he heard a gentle
“Hush!” close to his ear.
Instantly collecting his thoughts, he asked, in the same low whisper:
“What's the matter?”
“Hush! don't speak, and don't move till I've been gone five minutes.
Keep still, and listen.”
“Certainly,” said Harry; “what's the trouble?”
“Father's gone to get some men, who 'll carry you off. They are hiding
in the woods a mile or so back from here, and he's just gone for 'em.
You've time enough to git away, and you'd better git.”
“We 'll git, you bet,” answered Harry; “but who are you?”
“Never mind,” was the soft answer, “I'm your friend, that's all.”
“I want to know,” said Harry, “as it may be in our power to do you or
your people service some time. You may be sure we won't betray you.”
“Well, if you must know, I'm Cordelia, the youngest daughter of Mr.
--------, who is such a Yankee when any of you fellers comes 'round. He's
secesh though, and so are we all, for that matter; but promise me you
won't say so to anybody.”
Harry made the required promise, and then Miss Cordelia explained that
she overheard her father and mother talking about how they could have
the young Yanks carried off into the woods and kept there. “I did n't so
much mind your being just carried off,” she added, “but I did n't know
but they might kill you as they've killed some of the union men about
here. I'd taken a sort o' liking to both of you, and did n't want any
harm to come to you. And that's why I came and told you.”
“Now,” she added, “I'll creep back to where sister Jane and I sleep, and
you must n't stir for five minutes. Don't try to go downstairs and out
of the house that way, but get out on the shed, and at the further end
of it you 'll find a big chimney that's built up in steps like, so that
you can get along it down onto the ground. Then find your horses and be
off jest as quick as you can. There's a little lane from the back of the
barn that goes downhill, and if you keep along that lane and then turn
to the right where it forks, you 'll come out on the main road about a
quarter of a mile from the house. Now, good-bye!”
“Good-bye!” whispered Harry, “and be sure we won't forget your
kindness.” And as he said so he pressed to his lips the hand that had
been resting on his shoulder, and which he took hold of just as it was
being removed.
Then he roused Jack, who would have spoken aloud, had not Harry
pressed a hand on his mouth and whispered, not as softly as the recent
whispering had been, that he'd better shut up. As soon as Jack was
fairly awake the situation was explained, and the five minutes in which
they had been enjoined to lie still were fully taken up in laying plans
for getting away.
“In the first place,” said Harry, “we ought to fasten the door of the
room, so as to delay our would-be captors as long as possible.”
“That's so,” said Jack; “but how'll we fasten it?”
“I think the chair will do it,” was the reply; “at any rate I 'll try
it. We might move the bed against the door, but in doing it we would be
very likely to make a noise.”
They dressed themselves quickly, but without noise, occasionally
glancing out of the window to the starlit but moonless sky. When they
had completed their toilets, all but putting on their shoes, Harry
leaned the chair against the door and found it made an excellent wedge
beneath the latch, and would greatly hinder an attempt to force an
entrance.
“That's a splendid way to fasten a door,” whispered Harry. “I got
the idea from Mr. Johnson, a commercial traveler, who used to come
to father's house. He said that if you take a chair or a strong
cane,--anything in fact that will go under the latch and rest on the
floor at a sharp angle,--it will defy any effort to open the door short
of bursting it in.”
“All right,” answered Jack; “let's have short talks and quick business.”
Then they opened, and very softly opened, the window, and with their
shoes in their hands stepped out on the roof of the shed. Creeping along
the roof they reached the chimney without making a sound, and found the
place that was “built up in steps like” and facilitated their descent to
the ground.
There they sat down and put their shoes on, and then they moved in the
direction of the barn. But just before reaching it they heard voices
that made them pause. After listening a moment they sought shelter
behind a broken cart that offered a friendly place of concealment.
A group of five men on horseback came up and drew rein within a few
feet of where the youths were lying. They talked in low tones, but loud
enough to be distinctly heard, and both Harry and Jack perceived that
one of the voices belonged to their host.
“We'd better get their horses out first and saddle'em,” said Mr.
------(we 'll call him Jones, but that was n't his name or anything like
it), “and then you won't have to do it afterwards. I can help you now,
but could n't when the young Yanks are looking on.”
“All right, squire,” was the answer, and with that all slid down from
their horses. The bridles were placed in the hands of one who appeared
to be the youngest, as he certainly was the smallest, of the party, and
the others proceeded to bring out and saddle the horses of Harry and
Jack.
When this had been done Mr. Jones suggested that all the horses should
be tied to the fence close to the barn, so that Billy, the man who had
been holding the five steeds, could be free to help them in case there
was occasion for anything. This was agreed to, and Billy was left to
watch outside while the rest of the party entered the house. Mr. Jones
was to retire to bed and thus give the capture the aspect of something
that had been done against his will. In case of any outside alarm, Billy
was to strike against the barn-door three times; it had been proposed to
fire a shot from his rifle, but on careful consideration it was thought
the other signal would answer just as well and be less suspicious to
ears for which it was not intended.
The four disappeared in the direction of the house, and from their place
of concealment Harry and Jack surveyed the scene and formed their
plans. Having nothing else to do, the five horses of the guerrillas were
inclined to quarrel with the two strange ones, and the disturbance they
made gave our friends an opportunity to whisper easily to each other,
without danger of being overheard by Billy.
“We must watch our chance,” said Harry, “and jump on his shoulders so as
to bear him to the ground before he can call out for help.”
“That won't do,” said Jack, “as he might give a yell as he goes down.
Better drop him with a club, and then he 'll be senseless the moment it
hits him and will stay so long enough for us to get away, and there 'll
be no danger of his hollering.”
Harry did not altogether like the idea of the club, but he realized that
it was a case of self-preservation, and the treatment was no worse
than what Mr. Billy would be ready to apply to them without the least
compunction. So he assented to Jack's proposal, and the two armed
themselves with clubs, which were conveniently furnished by the spokes
of a crushed wheel of the cart.
“I reckon them strange horse shad better be a little further off,” said
Billy to himself, “and then there won't be so much furse.”
Suiting the action to his thought, he proceeded to separate the old from
the new, and while he was occupied with this prudential duty Harry and
Jack crept up behind him and, at an opportune moment, felled him with a
blow from one of the cart-spokes. He went down without a sound; in less
than a minute a handkerchief had been tied across his mouth, in which a
corncob was inserted as a gag, his hands were securely fastened behind
him, and his feet were tied together. He was not likely to give an
alarm, no matter how soon he revived.
Harry and Jack then took possession of the seven horses, mounting their
own and leading the other five. Harry took charge of three, and left the
other two to Jack. They went at a walk down the lane which the girl had
indicated, and on reaching the high-road quickened their pace as much as
the led horses would permit.
“It was very kind of them to saddle our horses for us,” said Jack, “and
to save us any trouble about it.”
“Yes,” replied Harry, “and I'd give one of their saddles to hear their
remarks when they find we're not in the house, and come outside and see
the way that Billy is waiting for them.”
“I'm afraid their remarks will not be of a Sunday-school character,” was
Jack's answer, “nor very respectful to us.”