A DAY OF DISCOVERIES
Meanwhile Andy, with the help of the detail, was cutting and notching
the timber for ladders, the captain and the three young soldiers of the
station made a breakfast, standing, from their haversacks and canteens,
and looked about them over the wild country at their feet, and off at
the blue peaks which rose above and around the valley of Cashiers, and
then at the ridges in the opposite direction, drawn like huge furrows
across the western horizon, showing fainter and fainter in color until
the blue of the land was lost in the blue of the sky.
The men worked with a will, so that by ten o'clock the main ladder,
which was just a chestnut stick deeply notched on the outer side, was
firmly set in the ground against the face of the cliff. The
landing-shelf was found to extend into a natural crevice, so that the
short upper ladder was set to face the bridge, and so as to be entirely
concealed from the view of any one approaching from below.
When everything was in readiness, Lieutenant Coleman was the first to
ascend, with the powerful telescope of the station strapped on his
shoulders; and the others quickly followed, except the three troopers
who remained behind to unpack the mules and bring up the rations and
outfit for the camp.
[Illustration: "LIEUTENANT COLEMAN WAS THE FIRST TO ASCEND, WITH THE
TELESCOPE OF THE STATION STRAPPED ON HIS SHOULDERS."]
At the point where they landed there was little to be seen of the top
of the mountain beyond a few stunted chestnuts which clung to the rocks
and were dwarfed and twisted by the wind; and nearly as many dead blue
limbs lay about in the thin grass as there were live green ones forked
against the sky. There was the suggestion of a path bearing away to
the left, and following this they came to a series of steps in the
rocks, partly natural and partly artificial, which brought them on to a
higher level where an extended plateau was spread out before them. On
the western border they saw the line of trees overhanging the Cove
side--the same that had looked like berry-bushes the night before from
the cabin where they had halted for the moon to go down. From this
point the crest of the Upper Bald was in plain view across the Cove,
but, anxious as they were to open communication with the other
mountain, the flags had not yet come up, and there was nothing left for
them to do but continue their exploration. It was observed, however,
that the trees overhanging the Cove would conceal the flagging
operations from any one who might live on the slopes of the mountains
in that direction, and, moreover, that by going a short distance along
the ridge to the right a fine backing of dark trees would be behind the
signal-men. Philip would have scampered off to explore and discover
things for himself, but the captain restrained him and directed that
the party should keep together. Andy carried his long rifle, and
Philip and Bromley had brought up their carbines, so that they were
prepared for any game they might meet, even though it were to dispute
progress with a bear or panther. Since they had come up the ladders
the region was all quite new to Andy, and he no longer pretended to
guide them.
Back from the last ridge the ground sloped to a lower level, much of
which was bare of trees and so protected from the wind that a rich soil
had been made by the accumulation and decay of the leaves. At other
points there were waving grass and clumps of trees, which latter shut
off the view as they advanced, and opened up new vistas as they passed
beyond them. It could be seen in the distance, however, that the
southern end of the plateau was closed in by a ledge parallel to and
not unlike that which they had already scaled, except that it was much
more formidable in height.
There was a stream of clear, cold water that was found to come from a
great bubbling spring. It broke out of the base of this southern
ledge, and after flowing for some distance diagonally across the
plateau tumbled over the rocks on the Cashiers valley side and
disappeared among the trees.
After inspecting this new ledge, which was clearly an impassable
barrier in that direction, and as effectually guarded the plateau on
that side as the precipices which formed its other boundaries, the
captain and his party turned back along the stream of water, for a
plentiful supply of water was more to be prized than anything they
could possibly discover on the mountain.
"There is one thing," said Andy, as they walked along the left bank of
the stream, "that you-all can depend on. Risin' in the spring as hit
does, that branch will flow on just the same, summer or winter."
"Probably," said Lieutenant Coleman; "but then, you know, we are not
concerned about next winter."
A little farther on a rose-bush overhung the bank, and at the next turn
they found a grape-vine trailing its green fruit across a rude trellis,
which was clearly artificial. A few steps more and they came to a
foot-log flattened on the top; and, although it tottered under them,
they crossed to the other side, and coming around a clump of
chinkapin-bushes, they found themselves at the door of a poor hut of
logs, whose broken roof was open to the rain and sun. The neglected
fireplace was choked with leaves, and weeds and bushes grew out of the
cracks in the rotting floor; and, surely enough, in one dry corner
stood the very brown keg that Josiah Woodring had brought up the
mountain. In the midst of the dilapidation and the rotting wood about
it, it was rather surprising that the cask should be as sound as if it
were new, and the conclusion was that it had been preserved by what it
originally contained.
Just then there was a cry from Philip, who had gone to the rear of the
hovel; and he was found by the others leaning over the grave of the old
man of the mountain, and staring at the thick oak headboard, which bore
on the side next the cabin these words:
ONE WHO WISHES TO BE FORGOTTEN.
The letters were incised deep in the hard wood, and seemed to have been
cut with a pocket-knife. It was evident from the amount of patient
labor expended on the letters that the work had been done by the
unhappy old man himself, perhaps years before he died. Of course it
had been set up by Josiah, who must have laid him in his last
resting-place.
"That looks like Jo-siah was no liar, any more than he was a murderer
and robber," said Andy; "and if the little man could live up here
twenty-five years, I reckon you young fellers can get along two months."
A spot for camp was selected a few rods up the stream from the poor old
cabin and grave. This was at a considerable distance from the ridge
where the station was to be, but it had two advantages to balance that
one inconvenience. In the first place, it was near the water, and then
no smoke from the cook-fire would ever be seen in the valley below.
Accordingly, the stores were ordered to be brought to this point, and
Corporal Bromley hurried away to the head of the ladders to detain such
articles as would be needed at the station on the ridge. Below the
ledge the mules could be seen quietly browsing the grass, and, to the
annoyance of Lieutenant Coleman, a blue haze was softly enveloping the
distant mountains, as in a day in Indian summer, so that it was no
longer possible to think of communicating with the next station, which
was ten miles away.
That being the case, the afternoon was spent in pitching the tents and
making the general arrangements of the camp. Owing to the difficulty
of transportation, but the barest necessaries of camp life were
provided by the government; and, notwithstanding his rank, Lieutenant
Coleman had only an "A" tent, and Bromley and Philip two pieces of
shelter-tent and two rubber ponchos. It was quickly decided by the two
soldiers to use their pieces of tent to mend the roof of the hut of the
old man of the mountain, and to store the rations as well as to make
their own quarters therein. From the Commissary Department their
supplies for sixty days consisted precisely of four 50-pound boxes of
hard bread, 67 pounds 8 ounces bacon, 103 pounds salt beef, 27 pounds
white beans, 27 pounds dry peas, 18 pounds rice, 12 pounds roasted and
ground coffee, 8 ounces tea, 27 pounds light-brown sugar, 7 quarts
vinegar, 21 pounds 4 ounces adamantine candles, 7 pounds 4 ounces bar
soap, 6 pounds 12 ounces table-salt, and 8 ounces pepper. The medical
chest consisted of 1 quart of commissary whisky and 4 ounces of
quinine. Besides the flags and telescope for use on the station, their
only tools were an ax and a hatchet. On ordinary stations it was the
rule to furnish lumber for building platforms or towers, but here they
were provided with only a coil of wire and ten pounds of nails, and if
platforms were necessary to get above the surrounding trees they must
rely upon such timber as they could get, and upon the ax to cut away
obstructions. Fortunately for this particular station, they could
occupy a commanding ridge and send their messages from the ground.
Philip had by some means secured a garrison flag, which was no part of
the regular equipment; and through Andy they had come into possession
of a dozen live chickens and a bag of corn to feed them. On the
afternoon before the departure of the troopers, the captain, who had
now established the last of the line of stations, confided to
Lieutenant Coleman his final directions and cautions. He asked Andy to
point out Chestnut Knob, which was the mountain of the blue pin, and
whose bald top was in full view to the right of Rock Mountain, and not
more than eight miles away in a southeasterly direction, and, as Andy
said, just on the border of the low country in South Carolina. This
was the mountain, the captain informed Lieutenant Coleman, from which
in due time, if everything went well in regard to a certain military
movement, he would receive important messages to flag back along the
line.
What this movement was to be was still an official secret at
headquarters, and Lieutenant Coleman would be informed by flag of the
time when he would be required to be on the lookout for a communication
from the mountain of the blue pin. At the close of his directions, the
captain, standing very stiff on his heels and holding his cap in his
hand, made a little speech to Lieutenant Coleman, in which he
complimented him for his loyalty and patriotic devotion to the flag,
and reminded him that in assigning him to the last station the
commanding general had thereby shown that he reposed especial
confidence in the courage, honor, and integrity of Lieutenant Frederick
Henry Coleman of the 12th Cavalry, and in the intelligence and
obedience of the young men who were associated with him. This speech,
delivered just as the shadows were deepening on the lonely
mountain-top, touched the hearts of the three boys who were so soon to
be left alone, and was not a whit the less impressive because Andy
plucked off his coonskin cap and cried, in his homely enthusiasm, that
"them was his sentiments to the letter!"
It was understood that there should be no signaling by night, and no
lights had been provided for that purpose; so that, there being nothing
to detain them on the plateau, they decided to accompany the captain
and Andy back to the bridge and see the last of the escort as it went
down the mountain.
Two of the troopers, contrary to orders, had during the day been as far
as the deserted cabin of Josiah Woodring, and one of these beckoned
Philip aside and told him where he would find a sack of potatoes some
one had hidden away on the other side of the gorge, which, with much
disgust, he described as the only booty they had found worth bringing
away.
So great is the love of adventure among the young that there was not
one of the troopers but envied his three comrades who were to be left
behind on the mountain; but it was a friendly rivalry, and, in view of
the possibilities of wild game, they insisted upon leaving the half of
their cartridges, which were gladly accepted by Philip and Bromley.
The moon was obscured by thick clouds, and an hour before midnight the
horses were saddled, and with some serious, but more jocular, words of
parting, the troopers started on the march down the mountain, most of
them hampered by an additional animal to lead. The captain remained to
press the hand of each of the three young soldiers, and when at last he
rode away and they turned to cross the frail old bridge, whose
unprotected sides could scarcely be distinguished in the darkness, they
began to realize that they were indeed left to their own resources, and
to feel a trifle lonely, as you may imagine.
Before leaving that side of the gorge, however, Corporal Bromley had
shouldered their precious cartridges, which had been collected in a
bag, and on the other side Philip secured the sack of potatoes; and
thus laden they trudged away across the open field and among the rocks
and bushes, guided by the occasional glimpses they had of the cliff
fringed with trees against the leaden sky. It was of the first
importance that the cartridges should be kept dry, and to that end they
hurried along at a pace which scattered them among the rocks and left
but little opportunity for conversation. Lieutenant Coleman was in
advance, with Philip's carbine on his arm; next came Corporal Bromley,
with the cartridges; and a hundred yards behind, Philip was stumbling
along with the sack of potatoes on his shoulder. They had advanced in
this order until the head of the straggling column was scarcely more
than a stone's throw from the cliff, when a small brown object, moving
in the leaves about the foot of the ladder, tittered a low growl and
then disappeared into the deeper shadow of the rock. At the same
moment the rain began to fall, and Corporal Bromley stepped one side to
throw his bag of cartridges into the open trunk of a hollow chestnut.
While he was thus engaged, with the double purpose of freeing his hands
and securing the cartridges from the possibility of getting wet, his
carbine lying on the ground where he had hastily thrown it, Lieutenant
Coleman fired at random at the point where he had indistinctly seen the
moving object. The darkness had increased with the rain, and as the
report of the carbine broke the quiet of the mountain a shadowy ball of
fur scampered by him, scattering the leaves and gravel in its flight.
The mysterious object passed close to Bromley as he was groping about
for his weapon, and the next moment there was a cry from Philip, who
had been thrown to the ground and his potatoes scattered over the
hillside.
"Whatever it was," said Philip, when he presently came up laughing at
his mishap, "I don't believe it eats potatoes, and I will gather them
up in the morning."
As it was too dark for hunting, and the cartridges were in a safe
place, Lieutenant Coleman and Corporal Bromley slung their carbines and
followed Philip, who was the first to find the foot of the ladder.
It was not so dark but that they made their way safely to the camp,
and, weary with the labors of the day, they were soon fast asleep in
their blankets, unmindful of the rain which beat on the "A" tent and on
the patched roof of the cabin of the old man of the mountain.