THE PINE TREE BRIDGE.
Jed had arrived with his sharp axe. He had also brought with him a
bill-hook, to clear away the underbrush on the verge of the chasm, so
that it need not impede our movements when the decisive moment arrived.
Jed and one of the large fellows soon cut the bushes down, but we did
not remove them. They were piled up so as to form a screen to hide the
operations on our side from the view of those on the bluff. They were
so arranged that the fall of the pine tree would tumble them into the
abyss, and leave everything clear, so that we could rush over before
the enemy could gather on the other side to oppose our passage.
The occupants of High Bluff did not seem to be in the best of spirits.
They had doubtless discovered the loss of our share of the muskets,
and of the bridge materials. The boat by which Hacker had left the
bluff was no longer available, and they could not help understanding
that they were prisoners. In fact the tables were already turned. But
we were confident that the election would not be neglected. If Major
Tommy was convinced that his command were prisoners, he was equally
well assured that our party could not disturb him without first laying
down the bridge. Probably he thought it easy enough to prevent us from
putting the timbers across the gully, as, indeed, it was.
Jed was already at work on the pine tree. It was exceedingly important
to prevent the garrison on the bluff from knowing what was going on at
this point; but the sound of the woodman’s axe in that locality was
not a strange one. It need excite no suspicion. But we saw several of
Tommy’s adherents making a critical examination to ascertain what our
party were doing. The bushes effectually concealed the work from their
gaze.
“Come, Skotchley, we must not take it too easily,” said Briscoe.
“If those fellows should snuff what we are doing, they might spoil
everything. You must make a demonstration where the bridge was.”
“I intended to do that at the right time,” I replied, looking at my
watch. “It is about time now--half past eleven.”
“You are the engineer, captain. What do you intend to do?”
“I am going to commence laying that bridge just before twelve o’clock.
I want about half the fellows. The other half will stand by the tree,
and go over as soon as it falls. When they have crossed, we will all
rush up and join you on the other side.”
“Jed has cut the tree more than half through, and a few clips on the
other side will drop it.”
“All right.”
I took half the force, and marched down to the road. Half a dozen
sentinels guarded the bluff on the other side at this point. It was
evident that Tommy and Haven did not expect an attempt would be made
to cross the chasm at any other place. I did not wonder at their
conclusion, for it seemed quite impracticable for a party of boys to
span the arm of the lake, where it varied from thirty to a hundred feet
in width. Our entire force had taken their muskets, and so far we now
stood upon an equality. Each could oppose bayonet to bayonet.
I halted my detail on the verge of the gully where the bridge had been
removed. As soon as we appeared, Haven marched his portion of Company
A down to the threatened quarter, and halted on the other side. I was
not quite satisfied with this movement, for I wished Tommy to send his
whole force to oppose my operation. I walked up to the edge of the
chasm, and looked into it.
“What are you going to do now?” shouted Haven.
“You shall see pretty soon,” I replied, good-naturedly.
“Do you think of coming over here?”
“Well, I had thought of it.”
“All right. The major has informed you in regard to the terms upon
which you can return to your duty--a general amnesty to all except
commissioned officers.”
“He is very generous.”
“I think that he is fair. We are going to have the election over here
at twelve o’clock precisely,” continued Haven, in taunting tones.
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“But are you not coming over to vote?”
“Perhaps we shall.”
“I guess not--unless you should come under arrest,” replied Haven,
glancing into the ravine which yawned between us.
“Probably we shall be over to help you vote.”
“I don’t see it.”
“You forget that we have the bridge stuff on this side.”
“I should like to see you lay it down!”
“Should you? I don’t believe you are quite sincere, Haven. But we shall
have a bridge in season to vote.”
“You must be in a hurry, then.”
“Then I think I won’t stop to talk any longer.”
“I think you had better not waste any more time, if you are coming over
to vote. The polls will be closed at twenty minutes past twelve.”
“I suppose I can vote if I go over.”
“O, certainly!”
I directed a dozen of my working party to bring one of the
string-pieces of the bridge to the chasm. We had secured the ropes with
which the bridge had been removed, and I deliberately tied one end of
it to the timber. The party on the other side watched my movements with
intense interest. It was plain that Haven was not quite satisfied,
and by no means as confident as he pretended to be. He knew that we
had crossed the chasm in the night, and perhaps gave us credit for
more skill than we actually possessed. I was pleased to see him send a
messenger to the rear of his position; and, in a few moments, the other
company, under command of Barnscott, marched down to reënforce him. At
the same time Major Tommy appeared upon the ground. The little magnate
consulted a few moments with Haven, and then retired. He seemed to be
absorbed in another matter, which I concluded was the balloting for
officers.
I could hardly conceal my satisfaction when I saw that the idlers in
the vicinity of the pine tree had all been called away. Indeed, there
was nothing to attract their attention at this time, for Jed had ceased
chopping after he had prepared the tree on one side. I afterwards
ascertained that none of Tommy’s party suspected the movement in the
direction where it was really in progress. It was easier for them to
believe that some farmer had come into the woods to get out a stick of
timber for a special use than that our fellows intended to cross the
gully in any such manner.
I ordered my party to drop one end of the string-piece into the chasm.
I was promptly obeyed. This movement created great excitement on the
other side. Haven rallied his force in readiness to prevent the stick
from being landed on his territory.
“Out of the way, on the other side!” I shouted. “If this string-piece
should hit you on the head, it might hurt you.”
“Let it come!” replied Haven. “We will take care of it.”
With the aid of the poles, we threw the upper end of the stick over to
the other side of the chasm. The instant it touched the edge, Haven
and his men tumbled it down into the abyss, precisely as I supposed he
would do.
“Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!” shouted the adherents of Tommy Toppleton,
satisfied that they had gained a decided victory.
“Throw us another of them!” called Haven, derisively.
“Don’t cry yet!” I replied. “We will have a bridge over in season to
vote.”
“Over with it. I think we can throw the timbers down as fast as you can
set them up.”
“Man the rope here, fellows,” I shouted to my party. “Work as though
you were in real earnest! Heave ahead!”
Slowly, and with great difficulty, the end of the timber was pulled
out of the chasm, and I prepared to make a new attempt. All of Tommy’s
army was in front of me. The major was very busy. I saw him place a
tin kettle on a rock, and station three sentinels before it. This, I
soon ascertained, was the ballot-box, and the three sentinels were the
committee to assort, count, and declare the vote. Bowles was one of
them, and this fact did something to assure me that fair play would be
had. It was our custom to vote for each officer on a separate ballot;
and, of course, the first was for major. Tommy came down to the front,
and announced that the polls were open.
“Bring in your ballot for major for the ensuing year!” shouted Haven,
looking over to our side, as though the remark was addressed to us. “We
can vote and fight at the same time.”
“All right! We are going right over,” I replied, as they tumbled the
end of the timber into the gully a second time.
“The polls will be closed if you wait to lay this bridge,” retorted
Haven, in excellent humor.
“You attend to your voting, and we will take care of the bridge.”
I again heard the vigorous blows of Jed’s axe, and I expected every
moment to see the pine tree fall across the gulf. Our party were very
much excited, and we worked at the timber with most deceptive zeal. We
threw it over upon the other side, as we had done before.
“Stand by here!” shouted Haven. “Tumble it down, quick!”
And down it went into the gully. The party on the other side gave
three more rousing cheers, to celebrate the third repulse of the stick.
“Why don’t you throw up your bridge!” screamed Haven, almost beside
himself with excitement.
“Keep cool over there,” I replied, as calmly as I could. “There is no
such word as fail.”
“I think there is--three such words! And there will be another when you
throw that timber over again.”
“Try again! That’s our motto,” I answered, glancing at the top of the
tall pine, which was tottering and ready to fall.
It shook a moment, and then came down with a heavy crash. Briscoe,
with his drawn sword in his hand, was the first to cross the abyss.
He was closely followed by the rest of his party. Before Tommy and
his adherents could fairly understand what the matter was, our senior
captain had formed his men in line, and presented a wall of bayonets to
cover the advance of my party.
“There’s our bridge!” I cried to Haven, as I ordered my men to take
their guns and hasten to the pine tree.
We followed Briscoe’s lead, and in a few moments our entire force was
on High Bluff.
“Now give them three cheers, Briscoe, in answer to theirs,” I
suggested; and they were given with a zeal becoming the victory we had
won.