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diff --git a/40430-8.txt b/40430-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 2227bd1..0000000 --- a/40430-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10257 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of In The Saddle, by Oliver Optic - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: In The Saddle - -Author: Oliver Optic - -Release Date: August 6, 2012 [EBook #40430] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE SADDLE *** - - - - -Produced by David Garcia, Sue Fleming and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Kentuckiana Digital Library) - - - - - - - - - - THE BLUE AND THE GRAY--AFLOAT - - Two colors cloth Emblematic Dies Illustrated - Price per volume $1.50 - - TAKEN BY THE ENEMY - WITHIN THE ENEMY'S LINES - ON THE BLOCKADE - STAND BY THE UNION - FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT - A VICTORIOUS UNION - - THE BLUE AND THE GRAY--ON LAND - - Two colors cloth Emblematic Dies Illustrated - Price per volume $1.50 - - BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER - IN THE SADDLE - A LIEUTENANT AT EIGHTEEN (IN PRESS) - - (Other volumes in preparation) - - - ANY VOLUME SOLD SEPARATELY. - - - LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS BOSTON - - - - -[Illustration: "Be you uns soldiers, mass'r?"] - - - - - THE - BLUE AND THE GRAY - ON LAND - - BY OLIVER OPTIC - - IN THE SADDLE - - - _The Blue and Gray Army Series_ - - - IN THE SADDLE - - BY - OLIVER OPTIC - - AUTHOR OF "THE ARMY AND NAVY SERIES" "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD" FIRST - AND SECOND SERIES "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES" "THE GREAT WESTERN - SERIES" "THE WOODVILLE STORIES" "THE ONWARD AND UPWARD - SERIES" "THE LAKE SHORE SERIES" "THE YACHT-CLUB SERIES" - "THE RIVERDALE STORIES" "THE BOAT-BUILDER SERIES" - "THE BLUE AND GRAY NAVY SERIES" "A MISSING MILLION" - "A MILLIONAIRE AT SIXTEEN" "A YOUNG - KNIGHT-ERRANT" "STRANGE SIGHTS ABROAD" - "AMERICAN BOYS AFLOAT" "THE - YOUNG NAVIGATORS" ETC. - - BOSTON - LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS - 10 MILK STREET - 1895 - - - COPYRIGHT, 1895, BY LEE AND SHEPARD - - _All Rights Reserved_ - - IN THE SADDLE - - - TO MY FRIEND - - WILLIAM R. BEATTY - - MY COMPANION IN MANY VERY AGREEABLE ASSOCIATIONS - THIS VOLUME - IS CORDIALLY DEDICATED - - - - -PREFACE - - -"In The Saddle" is the second of the "Blue and Gray--On Land." In the -first volume a New Hampshire family was transplanted to the southern -part of one of the Border States just before the breaking out of the -Great Rebellion, now happily an event of the somewhat distant past. An -attempt is made in that book to describe the condition of the region in -the progress of the story; and the material for it was diligently looked -up in the records of those stormy times, in those of official character -in the archives of the State in which the events transpired, as well as -in "The Record of the Rebellion," Congressional Reports, and the -multitude of histories, narratives, biographies, and miscellaneous works -on the shelves of public and private libraries. The writer believes his -material statements are correct, and that the pictures he has given of -the disorderly condition of the State of Kentucky, especially in -the southern portion, are not overdrawn. - -The story of the Lyon family introduces two branches of it, both from -the same Northern locality, though, unhappily, not of the same way of -thinking on the great question of loyalty to the national government and -Secession with the South. Plantation life and manners are presented to -some extent, as one of the brothers comes into possession of a large -estate and half a hundred slaves by the will of a Kentucky member of the -Lyon family. The first volume of the series is devoted to the "bringing -out" of the loyal element in the county where the plantation is located, -in opposition to the more demonstrative secession or neutral sentiment. -A Union meeting in a schoolhouse, disturbed by the "ruffians," as they -had come to be called, in which the loyal citizens vigorously defend -themselves, and expel the intruders, brings the affairs of the -neighborhood to a crisis. The planter is attacked by a mob, and with the -assistance of a few of his friends, and by arming a portion of his -negroes, successfully encounters the disturbers of the peace. Following -these stirring events, two companies of cavalry are enlisted by an -authorized officer, carefully drilled, and put in readiness to take the -field. - -In the present volume this battalion enters upon active service. The -same characters are presented in the uniform of cavalrymen, mounted on -the fine equine stock of the plantation. Noah Lyon, the head of the -family, obtains an actual military title, instead of the merely -complimentary one given to him by his friends and neighbors. His two -sons, Deck and Artie, appear in the front rank in the operations in -which the squadron is engaged, though both of them enter the service as -privates. The young men are of the loftiest moral character, actuated by -the purest and most devoted patriotism. They are of good physique, in -vigorous health, and do not seem to know the meaning of the word fear. -If their individual exploits seem to any to be extravagant, they have -been more than paralleled on the battle-field in hundreds of instances. -Both of them are exceedingly fond of their steeds; and Deck, in the -months devoted to drill, makes no insignificant figure as a -horse-trainer. His steed, one of the blood stock of his deceased uncle, -is so intelligent and so apt a scholar, that he enables his rider to -achieve some rather wonderful feats in action. He is modest, and, when -praised for his deeds, attributes them to "Ceph." This young soldier -wins and obtains a promotion which will supply the title for the next -volume. - -In contrast with the progressive fortunes of the loyal brother and his -two sons, the disloyal one, who had become, through the influence of his -money rather than his ability, the leader of the "ruffians," is again -introduced, with his two boys, who follow in the footsteps of their -father till they become disgusted with their lot. - -The operations of the loyal battalion of cavalry are confined to the -protection of the bridges on the railroads, and to repressing "partisan" -onslaughts and outrages upon towns and villages largely inhabited by -citizens who are faithful to the national government. But the officers -and privates are faithful where loyalty meant vastly more than in the -North; and their zeal and earnestness in the discharge of their duty -left a stirring record behind them wherever they went. - - WILLIAM T. ADAMS. - - DORCHESTER, Dec. 12, 1894. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I. PAGE - COLLECTING A BILL BY FORCE OF ARMS 15 - - CHAPTER II. - REVELATIONS OF A YOUNG GUARDSMAN 27 - - CHAPTER III. - SOMETHING ABOUT THE LYON FAMILIES 39 - - CHAPTER IV. - THE DAY'S MARCH OF THE SQUADRON 52 - - CHAPTER V. - THE LEADER OF THE SCOUTING-PARTY 64 - - CHAPTER VI. - A VERY OBSTINATE PRISONER CAPTURED 76 - - CHAPTER VII. - PREPARING FOR ACTIVE OPERATIONS 88 - - CHAPTER VIII. - THE ACTION BY THE RAILROAD BRIDGE 100 - - CHAPTER IX. - AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE ENEMY'S SCOUTS 112 - - CHAPTER X. - THE BATTLE BEGUN AT THE CROSS-ROADS 124 - - CHAPTER XI. - A DESPERATE CHARGE ON BOTH SIDES 137 - - CHAPTER XII. - THE YOUNG HERO OF THE BATTLE 149 - - CHAPTER XIII. - THE PERPLEXING MOVEMENTS OF THE ENEMY 161 - - CHAPTER XIV. - A LONG WAIT FOR THE ENEMY 173 - - CHAPTER XV. - THE AMERICAN FLAG ON THE BRIDGE 185 - - CHAPTER XVI. - THE EXPLOSION ON THE BRIDGE 197 - - CHAPTER XVII. - THE CONFUSION OF THE DAY EXPLAINED 209 - - CHAPTER XVIII. - INTRODUCING MR. BROWN KIPPS 221 - - CHAPTER XIX. - THE CONSPIRACY ON THE BRIDGE 234 - - CHAPTER XX. - THE OPERATIONS OF THE BRIDGE-BURNERS 246 - - CHAPTER XXI. - A NEW DISPOSITION OF THE FORCES 258 - - CHAPTER XXII. - A DESPERATE DEED CONTEMPLATED 270 - - CHAPTER XXIII. - THE SKIRMISH ON THE HILL ROAD 282 - - CHAPTER XXIV. - CAPTAIN DINGFIELD'S STRATEGY 294 - - CHAPTER XXV. - SUNDRY FLANK MOVEMENTS ARRANGED 306 - - CHAPTER XXVI. - THE ENEMY'S BATTLE WITH THE MUD 318 - - CHAPTER XXVII. - AT THE CAMP-FIRE NEAR THE ROAD 330 - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE 342 - - CHAPTER XXIX. - THE RIVERLAWN CAVALRY CHANGES BASE 354 - - CHAPTER XXX. - THE MAGNATE OF GREELTOP'S VISIT 366 - - CHAPTER XXXI. - LIFE KNOX ON THE MOUNTAIN ROAD 378 - - CHAPTER XXXII. - THE SKIRMISH IN THE GREAT CIRCLE 390 - - CHAPTER XXXIII. - CAPTAIN STINGER THE FIRE-EATER 402 - - CHAPTER XXXIV. - THE RE-ENFORCEMENT FOR PLAIN HILL 414 - - CHAPTER XXXV. - SURROUNDED AND TOTALLY DEFEATED 426 - - CHAPTER XXXVI. - CAPTAIN VINEGOLD OF THE GUERILLAS 439 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - "BE YOU UNS SOLDIERS, MASS'R?" _Frontispiece._ - - ILLUSTRATED TITLE. - PAGE - "HELP! HELP! SHOUTED THE VICTIM" 18 - - "ONE OF THE TEXANS TUMBLED FROM HIS HORSE" 123 - - "SLING CARBINES! CHARGE THEM!" 207 - - "HALT WHERE YOU ARE, KIPPS!" 282 - - "WHAT ARE YOU UNS DOING HERE?" 317 - - "THE RUFFIAN SEEMED TO BE AS POWERLESS AS - AN INFANT IN HIS GRASP" 383 - - - - -IN THE SADDLE - - - - -CHAPTER I - -COLLECTING A BILL BY FORCE OF ARMS - - -"Help! Help!" - -This call for assistance came from a small house, poorly constructed by -those who had little skill in the art of carpentry. It stood near the -Spring Road, in a field of about ten acres of land, under cultivation, -though the rank weeds among the useful plants indicated that it had been -sorely neglected. - -Those familiar with the locality would have recognized it as the abode -of one of those small farmers found all over the country, who were -struggling to improve their worldly condition on a very insufficient -capital. The house was hardly finished, and the want of skill was -apparent in its erection from sill to ridgepole. - -Swinburne Pickford was the proprietor of the dwelling and land. He -worked for farmers, planters, and mechanics, for any one who would give -him employment, in addition to his labor in the cultivation of his land; -and with the sum he had been able to save from his wages, he had bought -the land, and started the small farm on his own account. He had a wife -and two small children; and, as his time permitted, he had built the -house with his own hands alone. - -The section of the State of Kentucky in which this little place was -located had been sorely disturbed by the conflicts and outrages of the -two parties at the beginning of the War of the Rebellion, one struggling -to drag the State out of the Union, and the other to prevent its -secession. As in the other States of the South, the advocates of -disunion were more violent and demonstrative than the loyal people, and -after the bombardment of Fort Sumter appeared to be in the ascendant for -this reason. - -The entire South had been in a state of excitement from the inception of -the presidential campaign which resulted in the election of Abraham -Lincoln, and the industries of this region suffered in consequence; and -it looked as though Pickford's house would never be entirely finished. -With the exception of the chimney, placed outside of the building, after -the fashion of the South, he had done all the work himself. Titus Lyon, -the mason of the village of Barcreek, had done this portion of the -labor, and the bill for its erection was still unpaid. - -Inside of the house two young men, the older about eighteen and the -younger sixteen, both armed with muskets, had dragged the proprietor of -the house to the floor. One of them had his foot on the chest of the -fallen farmer, and the other was pointing his gun at him. Pickford had -evidently endeavored to protect himself from the assault of his two -assailants, who had got the better of him, and had only given up the -battle when pinned to the floor by the foot of one of them. - -"Will you pay the bill I have brought to you?" demanded Sandy Lyon, who -was the principal aggressor in the assault. "Dr. Falkirk paid you over -fifty dollars to-day, and you have got the money to pay the bill, which -has been standing two years." - -Swin Pickford made no reply to this statement; but just at that moment -he heard the clippetty-clip of a galloping horse in the road in front of -the house. With the foot of one of his assaulters on his chest, and the -other with an old gun in his hand at his side, Pickford realized that -nothing could be done but submit. Shooting in that locality and at that -time was no uncommon occurrence; for there seemed to be no law in the -land, and men generally settled their own grievances, or submitted to -them. - -"Help! Help!" shouted the victim of the present outrage, with all the -strength of his lungs, which gave him voice enough to make him heard a -quarter of a mile distant. - -"Shut up your head!" savagely yelled Sandy Lyon, as he pressed his foot -down with all his might by throwing all his weight upon the breast of -the prostrate farmer. - -The sound of the horse's feet in the road seemed to give the victim a -new hope, and he tried to shout again. But Sandy flew at his throat like -a wolf, and choked him into silence. - -"Find a couple of ropes or cords, Orly, and we will tie his hands behind -him!" called Sandy to his brother. - -[Illustration: "'Help! Help!' shouted the victim."] - -The younger brother hastened to obey the order. Finding nothing of the -description required, he rushed into the rear room of the house. The -pressure of the assailant's hands upon his throat, and the hope of -assistance from outside, stimulated the victim to further resistance, -for the gun in the hands of Orly no longer threatened him. With a -desperate struggle he threw Sandy over backwards, and sprang to his -feet. His persecutor picked himself up, and was about to throw himself -upon him again. Pickford, who was nearly exhausted by the struggle and -the choking, rushed to the open door; and as he was about to pass out he -encountered a young man in the uniform of a cavalryman, with a sabre -dangling at his side, and a carbine slung on his back. - -At the moment when the cry for help came from the house, the young man, -mounted on a spirited horse, was riding along the Spring Road. He was a -stout fellow, not more than eighteen years old, with a pleasant face, -though a physiognomist would have observed upon it a look of -determination, indicating that he could not be trifled with on a serious -occasion. Neither the house nor the man who occupied it would have -tempted the soldier to enter it for any other reason than the call that -had just come from it. - -The cavalryman reined in his steed, and halted him with his head to a -post in front of the dwelling. Dismounting in haste, he threw the reins -over the hitching-hook and hurried to the front door, just in time to -encounter Pickford as he was rushing out. The victim of the outrage was -gasping for breath, and presented a really pitiable aspect to the young -soldier, to whom he was not a stranger, though they had met as enemies -and not as friends. - -"What's the trouble?" asked Deck Lyon, the cavalryman, as he encountered -the owner of the miniature plantation. - -"I have been set upon, and nearly killed by your cousins, Sandy and Orly -Lyon, and one of them has nearly choked me to death," gasped Pickford. - -"By my cousins!" exclaimed Deck Lyon, astonished at the reply of the -victim. - -"Yes; both on 'em," groaned Swin, as he was generally called. - -"I supposed you had gone to the county town with the Home Guards," added -Deck. - -"No; I never 'listed, 'cause I have a family to take care on." - -"Come in, and let me see what the trouble is," continued Deck, as he -pushed Swin in ahead of him. - -Sandy had been in the act of throwing himself upon his victim again, -when he discovered his cousin in the person of the cavalryman. The sight -of him caused the angry young man to fall back; and Deck entered the -room just as Orly appeared at the rear door with a piece of bed-cord in -his hand. - -"Good-morning, Sandy," said Deck, as pleasantly as though nothing had -called for his interference. "There seems to be some trouble here." - -"Trouble enough," replied Sandy in a sulky tone. - -"Swin Pickford calls for help as though you intended to murder him," -continued Deck, as he looked from one to the other of the belligerents, -and took in Orly with the cord at the same time. "You are all on the -same side of the national fight, and you ought to be friends." - -"We are not on the same side, for Pickford is a traitor," answered -Sandy. - -"I'm no traitor!" protested Swin. "But I should like to ask what you and -Orly are, if I'm one. I was willing to join the Home Guards for home -service; but when they started to go inter the Confederate army, I took -off my name, for I didn't j'in for no sech work. But Sandy and Orly went -off with the company, and then deserted and come home. What's the sense -of them callin' me a traitor when I'm not one, and they be." - -"If they deserted, they did a sensible thing," said Deck with a smile, -as he glanced at his two cousins. "But I am not here to settle any such -quarrel as this; for I don't care how much you ruffians fight among -yourselves." - -"The trouble here has nothing to do with politics or the Home Guards," -replied Sandy. - -"Nothing at all, Deck," added Orly. - -"What is it all about, then?" inquired Deck. "I came in because a cry -was heard from the house which made me think a murder was going on -here." - -"That's jest what was goin' on here!" exclaimed Pickford. - -"Nothing of the sort," protested Sandy. "Not a word has been said here -about the army or the Home Guards." - -"But your father has marched his company farther south, to join General -Buckner's army." - -"That had nothing to do with our business here. Swin Pickford owes -father twenty-seven dollars for building the chimney of this house, and -he has owed it for about two years, and it is time the bill was paid." - -"That's all so, Deck Lyon; I don't deny none on't," added Pickford, who -had recovered his breath and his temper by this time. "But I hain't had -the money to pay the bill. I'm an honest man, and I allus pay my debts -when I ken. Times have been hard with me for the last two years. Folks -has been all over inter politics, and I couldn't hardly git money enough -to pay for the bread and butter of my wife and children; for there -wasn't next to no work at all." - -"That's a poor excuse in your case, Swin," added Sandy. - -"I went to Cap'n Titus more'n a year ago, and talked to him about that -debt," continued Pickford, without heeding the remark of Sandy. "He got -heaps of money out of his brother's property, and I didn't s'pose he -needed the money. I offered him five dollars, and told him I'd try to -pay him five every month. But he didn't want me to do it that way, and -told me I could pay it all to once, when I had the money. Then he wanted -me to help him git up the company, and I did; I hoofed it all over the -county for him, sometimes when I might have worked." - -"But he has got money now!" Sandy broke in. "Dr. Falkirk paid him fifty -dollars this morning at the grocery; for I saw him do it, and heard him -say how much it was." - -"I don't deny that, nuther," said the unfortunate debtor. "But I haven't -got three dollars left of that money now. I paid Grunge the grocer -nineteen dollars on't; for he knows I'm an honest man, and trusted me. -Then I paid a man that's poorer'n I am for some work he done on my -place, seven dollars and a half, and I had to pay my taxes or lose my -farm." - -"I saw Dr. Falkirk pay him that money, and Orly and I tramped all the -way over here; for we have no horses at home now. He's got the money, -and won't pay the bill. Mother wants the money very much," added Sandy. - - -"She hasn't got a dollar in the house," Orly put in, perhaps telling -more than his brother wished to have revealed. - -"Then you came over here to collect the bill at the muzzle of your gun," -suggested Deck, who had seen the younger brother pick up his weapon, -which had fallen on the floor. - -"We meant to make him pay," said Sandy. "I believe he has the money, and -I meant to search the house till I found it." - -"You would have s'arched till the last gun fires, and you wouldn't found -it then," protested the victim, as he took an old wallet from his -pocket, which was found to contain about three dollars in silver. -"That's all I've got in this world, and none in the next." - -"I don't believe he has got any more money, Sandy," said Deck to his -cousin, as he stepped up to him, and spoke to him in a low tone. - -"I'm willin' to give him two dollars outen the little I got, though he -abused me wus'n any man ever did in this world, and sha'n't in the -next," interposed Pickford. - -"I will take what I can get," replied Sandy, as he took the bill from -his pocket. - -The debtor paid him two dollars in silver; and if his mother, as Orly -affirmed, had not a single dollar in the house, this small sum would be -gladly received by her. Deck led the way out of the house, and his two -cousins followed, just as Mrs. Pickford and her two small children came -into the room. The sight of them was enough to assure the visitors of -the poverty of the husband and father. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -REVELATIONS OF A YOUNG GUARDSMAN - - -Dexter Lyon was very much perplexed by the situation of his uncle's -family in Barcreek; for he owned his place, which had cost five thousand -dollars, unencumbered; and about two years before he had received from -the estate of his deceased brother twenty thousand dollars in cash and -stocks. - -"Of course the story that your mother had not a dollar in the house is a -fiction, such as people who collect money, or don't want to pay it out, -often tell," said the young cavalryman, as he went to the post where he -had secured his horse. - -"Fiction? What do you mean by that?" asked Sandy Lyon, the expression on -whose face was very sad and discontented. - -"You didn't mean that what you said was true?" - -"What did I say that was not true?" inquired Sandy, looking at his -cousin as though he was in doubt whether or not to conceal the correct -answer to the question. - -"Everybody in Barcreek knows that your father has gone to Bowling Green, -and you said that your mother had not a dollar in the house," replied -Deck, studying the expression on the face of his cousin. "You didn't -mean that, did you?" - -Sandy looked at his cousin, and each seemed to be considering the -meaning of the other's looks. They were own cousins, and their homes -were not more than a mile apart; but they had not met for three months. -Politics, as the people of this locality generally called the two great -questions of the day, Unionism and Secession, had created a great gulf -between the two families. Judging from the threadbare and semi-miserable -condition of the two sons of Captain Titus, times had gone hardly with -the family. - -"I did not say that mother had not a dollar in the house," said Sandy, -after a long silence. - -"Orly said so, and you did not contradict him; so it is all the same -thing," added Deck. - -"I did say so; and I said it because it was just as true as -Breckinridge's long letter," said Orly earnestly. - -"That is not saying much for the truth of it," answered Deck, with a -smile on his handsome face; for he had the reputation of being a -good-looking fellow, especially since he had donned his uniform. - -"Well, it is true as that the sun shines in the sky," added Orly; and -there was an expression of disgust on his face. - -"But your father has plenty of money," suggested the young soldier. - -"No, he hasn't," protested Orly. - -"You are talking too fast, Orly," interposed Sandy reproachfully. - -"We may as well let the cat out of the bag first as last, for she will -scratch her way out very soon," replied Orly. "Mother will be glad -enough to see that two dollars when Sandy offers it to her." - -Just at that moment the blast of a bugle, or several of them, was heard -in the direction of the Cross Roads, the way Deck was going when he was -arrested by the cry for help from Pickford's house. - -"What's that?" asked Sandy, as though he was glad to have the subject of -the conversation changed, however it may have been with his more -impulsive brother. - -"It must be my company, or the squadron to which it belongs," replied -Deck rather indifferently. - -"How many companies have you, Deck?" asked Orly. - -"Only two yet, hardly enough for a battalion." - -"Where are they going now?" - -"Probably they are out for drill; and I must fall in as soon as the -companies come up," said Deck, as he mounted his horse and straightened -himself up in the saddle, as though he wished to present a proper -appearance before his cousins. - -But the battalion or squadron was still at a considerable distance from -him, and the young cavalryman could not help looking at the pinched -faces of his cousins; for though they had ostensibly embraced the cause -of Secession, he was full of sympathy for them. They looked as though -they had been poorly fed, if not half-starved; and when the time had -come for them to have new suits of clothes, they had not obtained -them. But if Captain Titus's family was without money, it could be only -a temporary matter, for he could hardly have exhausted his twenty -thousand dollars in stocks and cash, though it was well known that he -had contributed five thousand dollars for the purchase of arms and -ammunition to be used by his company of Home Guards, which had now moved -south to join the Confederate army. - -"As I said before, your father had plenty of money," continued Deck, -though he was not disposed to be over-inquisitive. - -"He had at one time," Sandy admitted; and it was plain from his manner -that he was not willing to tell all he knew about his father's financial -affairs. - -"I don't understand how your mother should be so short of money, Sandy; -but it is none of my business, and I won't ask any more questions," -added the cavalryman, as he whirled his restive horse about. "I thought -you and Orly went with the company to Bowling Green, Sandy." - -"We did; but we came back again," replied the elder brother. But there -appeared to be something to conceal in regard to their return. - -"There wasn't any fun in soldiering without any pay, and without even -half enough to eat, with nothing to wear," added the plain-spoken -younger brother. - -"You needn't tell all you know, Orly," interposed Sandy, with a frown at -his brother. - -"You needn't snap at me, Sandy; for I told you before I had had enough -of this thing, and I shall never join the company again," returned Orly -earnestly. "Do you suppose I can enlist in one of your companies, Deck?" - -"Shut up, Orly!" exclaimed Sandy very sternly. "You don't know what you -are talking about." - -"I'll bet I know what I'm talking about, and my stomach knows too," -retorted Orly. - -"Don't make a fool of yourself! You don't mean to turn traitor to your -father and the cause, Orly?" pleaded Sandy; but he appeared to be trying -to keep up appearances. - -"Hang the cause!" exclaimed Orly, as though he meant all he said. "My -father got me into the scrape, and he will get enough of it before he is -many months older." - -"Use your reason and common-sense," counselled the elder brother. - -"That's what we just haven't been using the last two years, and now I'm -going to use my reason and common-sense on my own hook. If you like -soldiering without pay or rations, Sandy, you can join the company again -as soon as you like; but when you catch me there, you will find a -Kentuckian without any eye-teeth," replied Orly, who was only two years -younger than his brother, and was considered the brighter boy of the -two; and his tones and his manner were vigorous enough to indicate that -he meant all he said. - -"You are acting like a fool to talk like that before your cousin, who is -an abolition soldier." - -"Before my cousin! His father and himself have been sensible from the -first; and I only wonder that Deck don't quote Scripture to us, and -gently remind us that 'the way of transgressors is hard;' for he can't -help seeing the truth of the proverb in both of us." - -"I didn't know that things had become particularly hard with you," said -Deck. - -"Orly is as wild as a goat, Deck. Don't mind what he says," interposed -Sandy. - -"Or what Sandy says," interjected the younger of the two. - -"Our company has not been mustered in yet, and of course we could not -draw pay or rations," added Sandy, who felt called upon to defend his -father and the "cause" from the implied censure of his brother. "Father -spent all the ready money he had to pay for rations and tents, and some -other things the Confederate government will furnish, and will pay him -back for all he has expended. That is the reason why my mother is so -short of money just now." - -"That's all very good as far as it goes; but I don't believe the -Confederate government has got any more money than the Bank of England; -and it will be a long day before father gets his money back. We were -nearly starved when we left the company." - -"But we did not desert, as some folks say we did," added Sandy, who was -in favor of putting the best foot forward. "Father sent us home when we -spoke of leaving, and he gave us a sort of furlough, in so many words. -If he could hear you talk, Orly, he would be ashamed of you." - -"As I have been of him more than once," said the younger in a low tone, -as though he did not feel fully justified in speaking in that manner of -his father, who had a gross failing, which had recently been gaining -upon him. - -Sandy heard the remark; and he was disgusted, though he could not deny -the justness of it. He had been ashamed of his father, but his inborn -pride did not permit him to say so outside of the family. If he had been -as plain-spoken as his brother, he might have informed Deck, who was the -only listener to the conversation, that the furlough had grown out of a -quarrel between Captain Titus and his older son. - -The captain had always been what is known as a moderate drinker, but the -habit had grown upon him after he went to Kentucky. Some of the Home -Guard had been shot at while engaged in foraging among the farmers for -food in the outskirts of the county-seat where the company was encamped, -and it became a dangerous pursuit, as even the commander of the company -would not authorize it; for in the status of the body it was nothing but -plundering. - -Sandy noticed that his father had his whiskey ration in increased -proportions, and he knew that it cost money. He and Orly were not half -fed, and the father lived on his favorite beverage. It provoked him to -wrath, and in a fit of desperation he spoke out to him as plainly as -Orly could have done it. The quarrel followed; and when Sandy declared -that he and his brother would leave the company, he had driven them from -his presence, and ordered them not to return. This was the furlough, "in -so many words," as Sandy put it. - -Perhaps the approach of the squadron of cavalry was a relief to Sandy -Lyon, for it put an end to the conversation of a disagreeable nature to -him. He realized the truth of nearly all that Orly had said in regard to -the desperate situation of the Home Guard, and the family of its -commander; but his pride was still superior to the groans of his -stomach. - -"Mother and the girls are going back to Derry as soon as she can get -money enough to pay the bills," said Orly in a low voice. - -"I am ashamed of you, Orly!" protested Sandy, who had heard the remark; -for the bugle of the battalion had ceased its blast at that moment. "You -have no business to tell family secrets like that." - -"Confound your family secrets!" exclaimed his brother. "I don't want to -quarrel with you, my brother, as father has done with Uncle Noah; but I -am not in favor of starving to death for the benefit of the Southern -Confederacy. You have too much family pride when it don't pay, Sandy. -You said that our sister Mabel should not go out to work in the family -of Dr. Falkirk, when mother said she might." - -"Dr. Falkirk might have got a nigger woman to do his housework, instead -of paying double wages to Mabel," replied Sandy. - -"That is nothing to do with the question. Mabel's wages have been all we -had to live on since we got home," returned Orly, letting out more of -the secrets of the family without any compunction. - -"I wish you would hold your tongue, Orly," added Sandy fretfully. - -"I said what I did for a purpose; but I shall have to stop now, for the -squadron is nearly here," replied Orly. "When can I see you again, -Deck?" - -"Almost any time when I am not at drill, or absent on an errand, as I -have been to-day. You will find me at the camp or the house," replied -Deck, as he rode forward to a point where he could fall into his -position in his company. - -"Why, there is Uncle Noah at the head of the column!" said Sandy, as the -squadron came near enough for him to recognize the familiar face of his -relative, even in the midst of his present unwonted surroundings. "He -looks like an officer." - -"He is what people have been calling him since he came to Kentucky, and -is now actually Major Lyon," replied Deck, whom the boys had followed. - -"But are you not an officer, Deck?" asked Orly. - -"Not at all; Artie and I are high privates. They wanted to make us both -sergeants; but after we had talked with father, we declined all -positions," replied Deck, as he fell into his place. - -It is time to give something of the history of the two families who had -emigrated to Kentucky, the family secrets of one of which had been so -freely revealed to Deck by the young Home Guardsman with Union -aspirations. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -SOMETHING ABOUT THE LYON FAMILIES - - -The town of Derry in New Hampshire had contributed fourteen persons to -the population of Kentucky, all of them by the name of Lyon. Colonel -Duncan Lyon had gone there as a young man, and had made a very handsome -fortune. But he died at the age of fifty, and bequeathed his property, -consisting of a large plantation, which he had named Riverlawn, because -it had a delightful lawn, with great trees scattered over it, though -after the English fashion with none immediately in front of the large -mansion, to his two brothers and the children of one deceased ten years -before his death. - -The elder of the two living brothers was Titus Lyon. He had removed to -his new home eight years before, and he appeared to be the black sheep -of the fourteen who had departed from their native town. He was a mason -by trade, and had done fairly well in his former home at his business. -He was one of those men who believed that fate or circumstances had -misused him, as he compared his worldly condition with that of his -eldest brother, who had departed this life leaving a fortune behind him; -or even of his other brother, who had always been a prosperous farmer. - -Titus had been informed by Colonel Lyon that there was an opening for a -mason in the village of Barcreek, near which he resided, though he had -not advised him to remove to that locality, and was really opposed to -his coming. His discontent with his condition had induced him to change -his residence to this far-off section of the country, probably with a -motive which he concealed from both of his brothers. He had a wife, who -was an excellent woman, belonging to a very respectable family, and five -children, three girls and two boys, the latter already introduced. - -The mason did tolerably well at his trade in his new home for a few -years, though it was not a business at which a fortune could be easily -made in that rural section of the country. It was not a prohibition -State, which seemed to make it all the worse for the head of this -family; for he had contracted the habit of drinking moderately when, as -a young man, he had been a stage-driver, and it had grown upon him in -his new home. - -Titus had not become a sot, or even a very heavy drinker, before the -death of his brother; but he regularly imbibed his whiskey, and to some -extent his habit affected his manners and his morals. He had always -appeared to be extremely devoted to the colonel, and even fawned upon -him, during his residence in Barcreek; and he was always kindly treated -and assisted financially when he needed help. - -Colonel Lyon died suddenly at the age of fifty. He had never been -married, and had no children to whom he could leave his property. About -a year before his decease he paid a visit of a month to his brother -Noah, the youngest of the three brothers, in his native town. The latter -was a substantial man, who held a very respectable position in the town; -he had been somewhat distinguished among his fellow-citizens, and had -been the incumbent of several town officers. - -Noah Lyon was forty years old at the time of his brother's death, with -a good woman for a wife, who was in every sense a helpmate to her -husband. They had two children of their own, a boy and a girl, Dexter -and Hope. Cyrus, a fourth brother of the Lyons, had lost his life in a -freshet in Vermont, where he had settled as a farmer; and his wife had -perished with him, leaving two small children, Artemas and Dorcas. He -had not left property enough to pay his debts; but Noah promptly adopted -the little ones, and for ten years he had cared for and supported them -as though they had been his own. - -Noah had suggested to Titus that he should take one of them to his home, -while he received the other in his own family; but his brother pleaded -the poor health of his wife for not doing so, and the little ones had -reached the ages of seventeen and fifteen when they were removed to -Kentucky. Noah and his wife treated them in every respect as their own -children, and no one could have asked a better home for them. They -called their uncle and aunt by the endearing names of father and mother. - -At the death of Colonel Lyon, the telegraphic message announcing the sad -event had been immediately followed by a letter from Colonel Cosgrove, -summoning Noah to the late home of the deceased. To the intense -disappointment of Titus, the Riverlawn plantation had been left to Noah, -with the fifty-one slaves, and everything connected with the place. -Titus had set his heart upon the possession of the estate; for it would -give him a generous support without manual labor. - -He was one of those men who contrive to believe in and expect what they -most desire. He had been his wealthy brother's neighbor for eight years, -and knew something about the estate. For this reason, and because he was -next in age to the deceased, he had come to believe that the place -belonged to him. The colonel had other views; for he realized that Titus -was not an entirely reliable person, was not much of a business man, and -his drinking habit was continually growing upon him. - -The eldest brother had, however, endeavored to make a fair division of -his property among his nearest of kin. He had given some legacies to his -personal friends, including his faithful overseer, who had served him -for many years. - -Then he had given Noah ten thousand dollars in consideration of the fact -that he had supported the children of Cyrus for ten years. To him also -he bequeathed twenty-five thousand dollars in trust for these children. -He had left the same sum to Titus, less a mortgage note given at the -time the mason had purchased his residence in the village. The will was -accompanied by an inventory of the entire property, indicating that the -colonel had figured up his resources, and endeavored to make an -equitable division among his legal heirs. - -With the will also came into the possession of Noah two letters, one -enclosing the other. The open one directed him not to sell any of the -slaves on the plantation, and the other was not to be opened for five -years. The sum of money left to his successor on the plantation, in -payment for the support of the niece and nephew of the testator, and the -disposition of the negroes, were the principal grievances of Titus, -apparently, though the real one had been the giving of the plantation to -Noah. In some of his moments, when he had rather overcharged himself -with whiskey, he had furiously assailed his innocent brother for what -the dead one had done in his will. - -Noah was a mild and peaceful man under ordinary circumstances, and he -did his best to preserve intact his fraternal relations with his angry -and discontented brother. Some discussion had taken place between them, -and Titus was as unreasonable as a mule. The subject rendered him -furious, aided by the whiskey, and the difference on this matter became -a decided rupture. - -Colonel Lyon had sometimes been charged with over-indulgence to his -negroes; and it was true that he had treated them as kindly as though -they had been hired servants instead of slaves, perhaps more so. The -"people," as they were often called on the plantation, after the manner -of a man-of-war, had not been valued in the inventory of the deceased -planter, and had not been mentioned in the document, any more than the -horses, mules, and cows. - -By this omission Titus believed that he had been cheated out of his -share of about thirty thousand dollars. Noah exhibited the open letter -of the colonel to him; but this only fanned his wrath. He appeared to -believe that his deceased brother had no rights in his own property, all -of which he had accumulated himself. He had nursed himself into the -conviction that he was the victim of a gross injustice, and he had -little patience, or even toleration, with his mild-mannered brother, who -had never spoken to the colonel about his will, or the colonel to him. - -This family quarrel owed some of its bitterness, on the part of Titus, -to other circumstances than the naked merits of the case, if there was a -shadow of justice in the charges of his brother against him. Noah had -not a particle of it in his composition; for he was a true Christian, -and returned good for evil so far as he was permitted to do so. The -political situation in Kentucky had complicated the relations of the -brothers. - -Titus had belonged to one party, while his brother was an earnest member -of the other; though with a very wide difference of opinion, one had -proved to be as patriotic as the other. Probably because Noah was -emphatically devoted to the Union, Titus had taken the other side of the -question in Kentucky, where all was excitement and turmoil from the -nomination of the candidates for the presidency. The agitation became -that of Loyalty and Secession. - -The governor had issued his proclamation in favor of the neutrality of -the State, and Home Guards were organized to enforce it. But it never -amounted to anything; for the majority were demonstrated to be Union -men, and appealed to the traditions of the past as the first State to -join the original thirteen. Captain Titus had become the commander of -one of these companies, on his promise to uniform and equip his men. He -had expended a considerable portion of the money he had inherited in the -purchase of arms and ammunition for his command, though he had never -been able to supply his soldiers with uniforms. - -He had sent to New York for an abundant supply of weapons and -cartridges, including two brass field-pieces, over a hundred -breech-loading rifles, and nearly as many revolvers of several sizes. He -intended that his company should be the best equipped in the region, and -his newly acquired wealth made him very extravagant. But the Union -forces had begun to show themselves in the State, and the loyal element -exceeded in numbers the Secessionists; so that it was necessary for the -commander of the Home Guards to take extraordinary precautions for the -safety of the war material he had purchased. - -With some difficulty he had moved the cases from the train at Dripping -Spring, carted them to a point on Bar Creek, from which he had conveyed -them to one of the numerous sink-hole caverns which abound in this part -of the State. He had carefully disposed of them, with the aid of his two -sons and some trusted neighbors, intending to give them out to his men -in a few days. - -An indiscretion on the part of his wife had given a hint of the -existence of the arms at Riverlawn, which an exploration of Artie Lyon, -the adopted son, had worked into tangible evidence of the place where -the munitions had been concealed. Noah believed it was a duty he owed to -his country to obtain possession of these arms. He had already been -warned by his brother that he was regarded as an abolitionist, and that -a mob, consisting mainly of the Home Guards, were agitating the question -of burning his mansion and driving him out of the county. - -When the loss of the arms was discovered, Titus became absolutely -furious, and, either with or without sufficient evidence, accused Noah -of stealing the property. A very enthusiastic Union meeting was held at -the Big Bend schoolhouse, and was attended by some of the most prominent -citizens of the county. The action of Major Lyon, as he had come to be -called very generally as a title of respect, in accordance with a -prevailing custom, in securing the arms was heartily approved by the -assembly. - -That very night the ruffians of the Home Guard, for such they were, -which included most of the baser element of the locality, had made an -attack on the plantation of Major Lyon, intending to burn and destroy -it, if not, as was hinted, to hang the planter to one of the big trees -on his lawn. But a few of his neighbors had rallied to his assistance, -and his negroes were armed with the confiscated weapons, and the attack -was an utter failure. - -Colonel Belthorpe, who had been a soldier in his earlier years, -commanded the defenders of the estate, and the mob marched to his -plantation to wreak their vengeance upon him by the destruction of his -property; but the same forces defeated them there, with many wounds, and -the loss of a few lives. - -At the Union meeting Major Lyon had proposed to raise a company of -cavalry. He had offered to contribute a considerable number of horses -for the service, and his neighbors had followed his example; and over a -hundred steeds were pledged. Letters had been written to the commander -of the Union army in Kentucky, relating to this project, and Lieutenant -Burke Gordan had been sent to organize the company; and he was followed -later by several non-commissioned officers to assist in the drill. The -ruffians had made an attempt to stop the enlistments at Riverlawn, where -the camp was located; but they had been beaten off. - -The recruiting had progressed very successfully; and instead of one -company, two had been organized during the next three months. Major Lyon -and his two sons had drilled and studied the military art in the most -determined manner; for they were enthusiastic in the support of the -government. The two companies, though hardly entitled to the name, were -called a squadron. The planter, in spite of his protest, was made the -major of the command; and he had become competent for the position. This -was the squadron which marched by the house of Swin Pickford while Deck -was talking with the two sons of Titus about the strait of the captain's -family in Barcreek village. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE DAY'S MARCH OF THE SQUADRON - - -It seemed to be almost a miracle that Noah Lyon had been transformed -into a soldier; and those who had known him in the State of New -Hampshire could hardly have recognized him. He had always been a -dignified, peaceable, and quiet man--the very antipode of a fire-eater. -At his former home he had been a justice of the peace, and was regarded -as a person of eminent gravity. - -His anger, if he was ever stirred by any such passion, was nothing more -than indignation. But he was not a milk-and-water man; and, gentle as -were his manners, he was an earnest man. He had never developed any -military ambition in his earlier years, though he was sorry he had not -done so when he found himself on the very border of the Rebellion. He -was still of the military age, and was a hearty and vigorous man at -forty-two, when he was called into the service. - -He was an earnest and determined patriot; and nothing but the need of -the nation could have induced him to put on a uniform, and drill -laboriously for months in preparation for his new sphere. He belonged to -the class who were said to make the best soldiers, because they went -into the field as high-toned men, with whom a principle was at stake. -Such soldiers had not been hurried into the camp by the excitement of -the times, or by any motive but patriotic duty. - -Sandy and Orly Lyon stood in front of Pickford's house, and observed the -approaching column of cavalry; but the most of their attention was given -to Uncle Noah. It was a very strange sight for them to see him in the -uniform of a soldier, riding at the head of the squadron. These boys had -drilled and marched with the Home Guards, and their father had military -aspirations, though he was a little past the military age. They could -not help contrasting the appearance of Major Lyon's command with that of -Captain Lyon's. - -Not all the Home Guards in the State were of the character of the -ruffians forming the company which had marched to Bowling Green, and who -had been the principal participants in the outrages and the ruffianism -in the vicinity of Barcreek. Some of the companies were composed and -officered by Union men, who did some of the first fighting in the State -when the Confederates fortified Cumberland Gap in the eastern section. -Such as these wheeled into the Union army, while those of the Secession -stripe promptly joined the forces on the other side. - -No doubt many of these Home Guards believed sincerely in the neutrality -policy, which was advocated by some of the best men in the State; but it -afforded thousands of ruffians the advantages of an organization for -plunder and outrage. But its day had gone by. Major Lyon insisted from -the beginning that it was a fraud; and, in spite of the action of the -governor, Kentucky adhered to the Union. It cost something there to be -true to the old flag, and the State deserves all honor for the struggle -it made against the breaking up of the Union. - -Major Lyon sat erect upon his horse, a valuable animal, which had been -his favorite since his arrival. There was nothing like vanity in his -expression, as might have been excusable at the head of such a fine -body of men; but he looked as he always did, earnest and determined, his -soldierly character resting more on his devotion to the cause than on -any other motive. He wore a felt hat, ornamented with a black feather, -which the mustering officer had prevailed upon him to adopt. - -The squadron was composed of rather young men as a rule, and they were -the sons of farmers and others engaged in business. They were -fine-looking men, and they had been diligently drilled by the officers -sent to Riverlawn for the purpose. Perhaps the commander was the only -real planter enlisted; for most of them in the vicinity were past the -age for active service, though they had done their duty in repressing -outrages and keeping the peace. - -Captain Gordon, who had been charged with the organization of the first -company, was in command of it, while Captain Truman, a young lawyer, -whose eloquent voice had been raised for the Union in the important -meeting at the Big Bend schoolhouse, was in command of the second; but -he had proved in the Riverlawn battle that he was a brave man, and would -make a good soldier. Tom Belthorpe, who had taken part in the defence -of Lyndhall and of Riverlawn, was first lieutenant of the first company; -while Major Gadbury, whose military title was one of courtesy, held the -corresponding rank in the second company. - -It had required a great deal of persuasion to induce the proprietor of -Riverlawn to accept the position of major. He was a man of character; -and some of the planters in the neighborhood, especially Colonel -Cosgrove and Colonel Belthorpe, convinced him that it was his duty to -the cause to take the place. He had proved to them, in the engagements -with the ruffians, that he had the material in his composition of which -reliable commanders are made. - -Deck Lyon had a tremendous reputation for courage and skill at Lyndhall; -for he had rescued both of the daughters of its owner from the hands of -the ruffians, who had captured them for the purpose of assisting in the -recovery of the arms the major had secured. When it came to the matter -of electing officers for the second company, Tom had advocated the -choice of Deck as captain, though he was only eighteen years old, to the -position. - -Of course the young man was elated at the idea of being elevated to such -a position before he had been tried in the service; but it did not seem -to be quite right to him, and he went to his father for advice. The -major promptly advised him to accept no position in the company. He was -too young to be the commander of a company, which might be ordered on -duty by itself. As his father pointed out to him the difficulties in his -way, Deck went to the other extreme, and declined to take a place even -as a non-commissioned officer. Artie Lyon liked the stand he had taken -so well, that he followed his example, and both remained privates. - -Deck and Artie did not forget the favorable mention of their names, and -they electioneered very zealously for the choice of Tom Belthorpe as -first lieutenant. In the case of the former, perhaps Deck was -unconsciously influenced by the fact that he had a very pretty sister, -who had manifested no little interest in him since he had attacked the -ruffian who held her as a prisoner. In fact, Tom had two pretty sisters; -but this fact affected Lieutenant Gadbury more than any other person. - -When the squadron had advanced a short distance, Major Lyon wheeled his -horse, and faced his command, who were marching as usual on the road by -fours. He had learned his lesson well at the camp; for the squadron had -been thoroughly drilled from the beginning, up to the point where the -"school of the battalion" had been their practice. - -"Battalion, halt!" he commanded, with a voice loud enough and clear -enough to be heard far back of the place where the order was given. - -Captain Gordon declared that he had not caught the major in a single -error or slip since he had begun to exercise the squadron. The command -was repeated by the subordinate officers, and the force came to a full -halt. Deck had stopped by the side of the road, to await the coming up -of his section, and his father called him as soon as he had halted the -battalion. - -The young man had been on a military errand for the major, rather than -for his father, who insisted that his two sons should fare precisely the -same as other soldiers of the companies. There was to be no favoritism -on account of relationship. Deck could not report the result of his -errand while the commander was marching at the head of his column, for -the new companies had not reached the free-and-easy stage which came -later. - -Deck saluted the major as though they had never met before in their -lives, and his father acknowledged it. Then the private reported the -result of his mission. - -"You have been making some stay at this house we are passing," continued -Major Lyon, as he glanced back at the two boys who were still standing -there. - -"Found a fight going on in the house, and I went in on account of a call -for help," replied Deck. - -"But that is Pickford's house, and no ruffians would attack him," -suggested the major. "Are these Titus's boys standing here?" - -"They are. Uncle Titus has a bill against Pickford for twenty-seven -dollars for building his chimney, and Sandy and Orly were trying to -collect it by force of arms." - -"I will hear more of that another time, Dexter," added Major Lyon, -cutting short the story. "I declare, I hardly knew those boys!" - -"They have had a hard time of it; but I must fall in," said Deck, as he -began to turn his horse. "I suppose you are out for a drill, father." - -"We are not; we are going on duty this time. General Buckner is -somewhere in this vicinity, and evidently intends to occupy Bowling -Green. Colonel Cosgrove came over to see me this morning. He says -Captain Titus's company have got into the Confederate army at last, and -have been supplied with arms of a poor quality, though not with -uniforms." - -"His men have been about half-starved while waiting, and that is the -reason why Sandy and Orly came home," added the young soldier. - -"Another time for that, Dexter. Are you all ready to march with your -company?" asked the major. - -"I have my sabre, carbine, and pistols; but I have no blanket, as I see -the rest of the men have." - -"You can be supplied from the wagon in the rear. But fall in," said the -major, as he prepared to resume the march. - -Deck galloped back to the section in which he belonged, where he had -only to take his place at the side of Artie, though inside of him, for -he was a trifle taller than his cousin. In the infantry, the tallest men -are placed on the right, which is always the head of the column, while -in the cavalry the tallest are placed in the middle. - -"What does all this mean, Deck? Didn't I see Sandy and Orly Lyon by that -house?" asked Artie. - -"They are there, whether you saw them or not," replied Deck. - -"Battalion, at ease, march!" - -In the infantry, when the order for "route step!" is given, the men need -not even keep step, and the formalities are relaxed in some other -respects. In the cavalry, in which the horses take all the steps, the -strain of precise position and movement is removed, and the soldiers may -make the best of their journey. Artie wanted to know all about his two -cousins he had seen at Pickford's, and Deck told him the whole story of -what had occurred there. - -"Is it possible that Uncle Titus's family are reduced to such a strait?" -demanded Artie, his pity and sympathy apparent on his face. - -"The boys say Aunt Meely and the girls are going back to Derry; and -that looks as though the family were very hard up," replied Deck. "And -Mabel has gone out to work in the family of Dr. Falkirk." - -"I think Sandy and Orly must be in a desperate situation when they try -to collect a bill with a gun." - -"I have no doubt of it; though Sandy tried to put the best face on the -matter, and said the part of the Confederate army that was to come to -Bowling Green had not got there yet, and that they will be all right as -soon as the company is mustered in. Orly speaks out loud, and tells all -he knows about the condition of the family. He wants to join one of our -companies." - -"Orly Lyon!" exclaimed Artie. "Why, he was one of the loudest -Secessionists in the village!" - -"He has got enough of it, working without pay or rations," added Deck. -"But where are we going, Artie?" - -"I'm sure I don't know; why didn't you ask your father, if you want to -know?" - -"Ask my father! You know better than that, Artie; for you are aware that -commanding officers don't tell what they are going to do till they get -ready to do it," returned Deck. - -"We are provided with ammunition and rations, and very likely we have -come out to-day in order to get used to carrying them on a march," -suggested Artie. - -"Not at all; for father told me we were out on duty to-day, though he -did not say what it was," replied Deck. - -The march continued all day long, and it began to look as though it -would extend into the night. About nine o'clock in the evening Major -Lyon called a halt at a point where a railroad could be seen in the -gloom of the night. The column had just crossed a bridge of considerable -length over a creek, and the position of the railroad indicated that it -must be bridged over the same stream. - -While the commander and his officers were trying to make out the -surroundings, half a dozen muskets were discharged from a covert of -trees; but fortunately none of the cavalrymen appeared to be struck by -the bullets. But it was evident that the time for action had come. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -THE LEADER OF THE SCOUTING-PARTY - - -As the squadron came to a region where Major Lyon was no longer familiar -with the country, scouts had been sent out ahead of the column to give -information in regard to any possible enemy. Confederate troops had been -reported from several different directions by those who had occasion to -travel about the State. As indicated by some of their operations, their -present policy was to destroy the railroad bridges, so as to prevent the -government from forwarding troops by them. - -General Buckner, or his forces, had destroyed one at Rolling Creek; but -he was supposed to be falling back upon Bowling Green, as regiments from -Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois began to reach this part of the State. It -was possible that the squadron might come in contact with some of these -forces; and the men were very anxious to find them. - -Sergeant Knox was at the head of the scouts. He was a man of forty-two, -a tall, raw-boned Kentuckian, whose enterprise and love of adventure had -led him into the region beyond the Mississippi, where he had been a -regular soldier, a hunter, a trapper, and _voyageur_. For some reason he -had become a strong friend of Deck Lyon, who was never tired of -listening to his stories of the regions beyond the pale of civilization. -He was a bluff, good-natured man with those who pleased his fancy; and, -though he was not bitter or revengeful, he was capable of being a -terrible enemy. - -Firing at a target was part of the regular drill of the cavalrymen in -camp, and Life Knox always put his ball inside of every other. His name -was Eliphalet, and he sometimes laughed at his parents for giving him -such a long name. Captain Gordon had had no little difficulty in -inducing him to sign his name in full on the enlistment papers. He had -abbreviated it to "Life," and declared that he had never signed anything -but that to any document in all his life. - -He was born and "raised" in Warren County, though he had wandered far -from it at an early age, after the death of his father and mother. He -had a brother who was a prosperous planter, and with him he had lived -the last two years of his life. When he came to Riverlawn to enlist, he -brought with him a long rifle, which was a load for an ordinary man to -carry. He was told that he could make no use of it in the army; but he -asked Deck to take care of it for him, and he put it in his room. - -It was occasionally brought out when the soldiers were firing at a -target, and Life produced the most surprising results with it. He was -pretty sure to hit the bull's-eye with it every time; for he had been -trained where his daily existence depended upon the accuracy of his aim. -He could bring down a squirrel as far as he could see him; and he always -insisted that the rifle had as much to do with the result as himself. -His shooting was observed with interest by the officers and men; and he -was called, not simply a good, but a remarkable, shot. He was a dead -shot to any living thing at which he aimed. - -Life Knox was a good-hearted man; but there was a sort of inborn -aristocracy in him which would not permit him to associate intimately -with all his comrades in the ranks, though he treated them well, and -spoke pleasantly to them. Deck was always respectful to him, and Life -had taken a decided fancy to him. When the tall Kentuckian was ordered -upon the scout, he took care that Deck should be one of the party. They -had ridden together all the afternoon, and Life had made the time seem -short to the young man by relating all the details of a fight with a -party of Indians. - -As the darkness of the evening came on, Life ordered his men to keep a -sharp lookout on all sides, and suspended his thrilling narratives that -his own watchfulness might not be impaired. The scouts were passing -through what appeared to be a plantation, though they could not yet see -any buildings. Suddenly the light of a fire flashed up at a considerable -distance to the right of the scouts in the road. - -"A fire, Life!" shouted Deck, as he discovered the glare of the first -flame that rose in the darkness. - -"Hush, little one!" interposed Knox. "Don't tell the neighbors about it, -for it might astonish them." - -"I don't believe there are any neighbors very near us," replied Deck in -a low tone. "But there is something going on in this vicinity." - -"We won't tell 'em, whoever's at work round here, that we are coming. By -the light of the fire I can see a mansion or farmhouse over yonder." - -As he spoke, the report of the half-a-dozen muskets, more or less, that -had attracted the attention of the main body of the squadron, was heard, -though the scouts were half a mile distant. The building of the fire was -possibly a signal for the discharge which had so soon followed it; but -no other connection could be suggested between them. - -"One man can always do better in lookin' inter things than a dozen," -said Life, as he was trying to connect the fire and the firing in a -reasonable manner. "Ride over towards that fire, Deck, and see what you -can see." - -"Be you uns soldiers, Mars'r?" asked a negro, coming out of a cornfield -at the side of the road, where the stalks had concealed his coming. - -"Of course we are, Cato," replied Deck, who was nearest to him. - -"Who done tole you my name, Mars'r?" asked the negro, whose surprise -seemed to have driven everything else out of his head. - -"I guessed at it. But what do you want? I told you we were soldiers," -added Deck. "Do you come from that house beyond the cornfield?" - -"Yes, Mars'r; but if you uns is soldiers, which side was you on?" -inquired Cato very cautiously. - -"Not gone, Deck?" asked Knox, riding up to him. - -"This contraband has just come out of the field, and belongs to the -house we saw in the distance. I thought he could tell me better than I -could see for myself what is going on here," replied Deck. - -"You are right, Deck." - -"But he wants to know which side we are on before he says anything," -added Deck. - -"Then he is a sensible nigger. Of course we uns belong on the Union -side; and when you catch Life Knox on any other side, you'll catch a -coon asleep," replied the sergeant, decidedly enough to satisfy any -doubtful person. "What's gwine on at that fire, Minky?" - -"Bress de Lod if you was Union sodgers! and my name is Cato!" exclaimed -the visitor, earnestly enough for a camp-meeting. "Dey is a hull -regiment of Sesh sodgers ober dar!" he added, pointing in the direction -from which the report of the firing had come. - -Without waiting for any further information, Knox called Lane, one of -the scouts, and sent him back to report what the negro said to Major -Lyon. He was directed to move slowly after he had gone the eighth of a -mile; for the enemy were at some point on the right of the road, and he -would get a shot if he disturbed them. - -"What are the Sesh soldiers here for, Cato?" asked Knox, as soon as his -messenger had gone. - -"Gwine to burn de bridge ober dar," replied the man, pointing in the -direction in which the structure had been made out in the gloom of the -evening. - -"Well, why don't they burn it, then?" - -"Dey done got oder business at de mansion-house, sar." - -"What other business have they got there?" - -"I reckon de story's as long as Uncle Zeke's sarmints; but de fust thing -is, dey's gwine to hang Mars'r Barkland to one ob dem trees, if he don't -tell whar he hide his money," answered Cato, as he gave a hurried -glance at the fire. - -"How many men are there at the house, or near it, Cato?" asked Knox with -deep interest. - -"I done count six on 'em." - -"Then we won't allow a Union man to be hung to a tree. Scouts, -attention, march!" called the sergeant hurriedly. - -With this order, Life dashed into the cornfield, closely followed by -Deck and the others. The harvest had been gathered in the field, and -there was nothing but the stalks that remained to obstruct the passage -of the squad. The fire was at the edge of a grove, on ground slightly -elevated, and not far in the rear of the mansion, which could now be -distinctly seen. In approaching it, the cavalrymen came to a spot less -elevated than the grove, where Knox halted to reconnoitre. - -"There's a lot of the villains coming from the house!" exclaimed the -sergeant, as he brought his horse to a full stop all at once. - -"They have about finished hanging Union men in our county," said Deck, -"and I don't believe they will hang this one here." - -"You can bet your horse they won't," added Life. "They can't see us -yet, and I think we had better fix things a little before we begin -business." - -"We obey orders, Sergeant. There's a knoll over on the right covered -over with trees." - -"I was looking at that; and we will move over there, and take a position -behind it, where they can't see us," replied Knox, as he led the way -through a hollow, which brought the party to it. - -The mansion-house was on the highest ground in the vicinity, though it -was not on a hill. The fire seemed to be plentifully supplied with wood; -for it burned brightly, and shed its light on the road leading from the -house to the grove. A group of men could be seen approaching the -elevation where the fire burned. They moved very slowly, and appeared to -have considerable trouble in making any progress at all. There was a -prisoner in the midst of the party, and he was very unwilling to move in -the direction indicated by his oppressors. - -While they were observing the spectacle, Cato joined them, for he had -followed the cavalrymen as rapidly as he could on foot. He evidently -belonged on the plantation, and knew all about the nature of the affair -in progress, though the sergeant was not disposed to listen to a story -as "long as Uncle Zeke's sermons." - -"Do you know what those villains are doing there, Cato?" he asked, when -the negro had recovered his breath. - -"Dey drag ole Mars'r Barkland ober to de tree, whar dey will hang him," -answered Cato promptly. - -"Then your master has plenty of money?" - -"I dunno, Mars'r; he neber tole me notin' about dat." - -"I s'pose not. Are the men who came to the mansion in uniform, Cato?" - -"No, sar; no uniform but de rags dey wear. Cap'n Tites is out at bof -elbows, and a nigger'd be 'shamed to wear sich a coat." - -"Did you hear what they said when they came to the house?" - -"Hear ebery word dey say, Mars'r, 'cause I waits on de table when dey -done took supper." - -"Then they had supper at the mansion?" - -"Yes, sar; dey was all half-starbed, and dey eat more'n twenty men, and -done drink whiskey enough to float a canal-boat." - -"Did that captain you spoke of drink whiskey, Cato?" asked Deck. - -"He done drink more as all de rest on 'em. Mars'r Barkland willin' to -gib dem de supper and de whiskey, but he don't want to gib 'em any -money. Cap'n Tites tell him he done got million money; but mars'r say he -don't hab none. Den de cap'n say he hang 'im to a tree if he don't gib -up de money." - -"That will do, Cato; I think I understand the matter now," said Knox, as -he changed his position so that he could get a better view of the scene -of action. "They have got nearly to the tree. It is about time to make a -move." - -The sergeant questioned the negro in regard to the road which led to the -rear of the house, and some other matters relating to the locality. Knox -was a strategist in a small way, as he had been obliged to be in -defending himself from Indians and wild beasts. In a moment he had his -plan ready to put into operation. - -"I count nine men there, taking in the planter," said he. "Cato says -there is a whole regiment camped in here somewhar. I don't believe it, -Deck; but we don't want to stir 'em up just yet. You will take Owens -and Fox, and ride round to that road Cato tells about, and I will go in -on this side. I'll do most of the job with my four; but I don't want 'em -to git off to their main body. Major Lyon'll tend to them." - -Deck started at once with his two followers, directed by Cato again; and -the negro went himself with all the speed of his legs. He came to the -road, which was simply a driveway over the plantation, and soon reached -the house. He was galloping his steed; but when he came to the house he -reined him in at the plaintive supplication of an elderly woman and a -young lady, whose face he could not see in the gloom of the evening. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -A VERY OBSTINATE PRISONER CAPTURED - - -Deck Lyon's horse had been one of his father's best stock, and he had -been selected by Levi Bedford, the overseer, for his use. He was a very -spirited animal, and not every young fellow of eighteen would have felt -at home in a saddle placed on his back. As the ladies from the house -rushed forward to intercept him, Ceph, which was his abbreviated name, -was startled, reared, and faced the music, as he had been taught to do. - -"I didn't mean to scare your horse, sir," said the elder of the ladies; -"but for the love of Heaven, can't you do something for my husband?" -demanded Mrs. Barkland, as she proved to be. - -"Oh, save my father, if you can!" added the younger woman. "Oh, my -father! They are abusing him shamefully, and they have threatened to -hang him." - -"That is the business in which I am engaged; and, if you will excuse -me, I will attend to it," replied Deck, as he gave Ceph the signal to go -ahead again with his legs. - -"Do save him!" repeated the old lady, who wanted to talk some more about -the matter. - -But the young cavalryman waited to hear no more; and his horse went off -at a dead run, the other two following him as rapidly as their steeds -would permit, and he was several rods ahead of them. In a couple of -minutes he had reached a point which commanded a view of the place -chosen for the spectacle. The actors had evidently preferred to be at a -distance from the mansion, where the women could not interfere with -them, the better to carry their point with the owner of the plantation. - -They had the intended victim with a rope around his neck, and there -could be no doubt in regard to their purpose. One man had the other end -of the line, and was climbing a tree with it, to pass it over a branch. -Five men were on the ground, and their attention had already been -attracted by the approach of the horsemen from the direction of the -house; and they did not appear to have observed the others, with Knox at -their head, for they had passed behind a thicket of young trees on a -knoll. - -"Halt!" shouted one of the five men in a voice loud enough to be heard -half a mile. "If you come any nearer we will fire!" - -"Fire away!" yelled Deck with all the force of his lungs. - -But he reined in his steed; and Ceph obediently came to a full stop, -while he unslung his carbine, his companions doing the same without any -suggestion from him. They came up to him, and ranged their horses at his -side. The carbines were ready for use in a moment, and all three of them -were aimed at the five men surrounding the planter. The actors in the -tragedy very plainly did not like this demonstration; for they did not -fire, though all of them had aimed at the intruders on this side of -them. The distance was still considerable, and probably they had no -great faith in the arms in their hands. - -"Now we will go ahead, if you are ready, Fox and Owens," said Deck, -though he had no authority whatever to direct their movements. - -The speed and sagacity of Ceph appeared to have placed him in command of -the little squad, for his horse always kept away ahead of every other -when he was permitted to do so. Deck was a brave fellow; he seemed to -have no idea of anything like fear when he was required to face an -enemy; but his father, who thought his son was inclined to be reckless, -had carefully instilled into his mind the necessity of prudence. - -Knox had said that he intended to do most of the work on the present -occasion; but just now it looked as though the whole of it had fallen on -Deck's party. It was possible that he and his men had been entangled in -the bushes and young trees, or had come to some water they could not -easily pass. Deck led the way, and his companions kept close to him. The -man in the tree had passed the line over the branch, and thrown the end -down to the others. - -"Halt where you are!" shouted the man who had spoken before; and this -time his voice gave Deck a thrill which caused him to stop his horse. - -The two parties were not more than two hundred feet apart; and the -leader believed the speaker was his uncle, Captain Titus Lyon. This gave -him much to think of besides the identity of the commander of the -expedition upon which the squadron had fallen. It was evident to him -that the first work of the cavalry squadron raised at Riverlawn was to -be fighting the Home Guards, or "ruffians" as they had hitherto been -called. - -Deck was annoyed and disconcerted at the discovery he had made, and it -checked his enthusiasm; for the quarrel with Uncle Titus, which he -insisted upon carrying to extremes, was in the family. The forces at -Riverlawn had defeated and driven off him and his command three times, -and it was an old story. He had hoped and expected that the campaign -would present the war in a new aspect. - -It gave the young soldier his first lively impression of the results of -civil war. He was not at all inclined to shoot his father's brother; -though he was just as earnestly determined to do his whole duty to his -country, without regard to his relationship with any of the combatants -on the other side. They were there by their own choice, and were -responsible for the consequences. - -With his carbine ready for instant use, Deck rode forward very slowly; -and, more than at any time before, he wished Knox would arrive upon the -scene of action. Captain Titus could now be clearly identified; and he -had evidently made up his mind to proceed with the business in hand, as -only three men had appeared so far to interfere with the operation. He -had turned his attention from the intruders, and was talking to the -unfortunate planter he had captured in a brutal manner, and shaking his -fist frequently in his face. - -"Stand by the rope!" called he to the other men. "The fellow is as -obstinate as a mule, and we must make an end of him." - -"Aim at the men who are holding the rope," said Deck to his companions, -and the three carbines were promptly pointed at them. "This thing has -gone far enough!" continued he, addressing the principal actor in the -scene. - -"Who are you?" demanded Captain Titus, stopping long enough in his -operation to examine the intruders. - -"I don't want to shoot you, but if you proceed any farther with this -business we shall fire," replied Deck. - -Captain Titus was plainly astonished, if not confounded, when he -recognized his nephew in the uniform of the cavalry. He did not like the -looks of the three carbines pointed at his men. But Deck felt somewhat -ashamed of the delay he had made in relieving the terrified planter from -the extremity to which he had been reduced, and he decided to bring -matters to a head at once. Starting his horse, he dashed to the rope, -and seized it with one hand. - -"Fire at him!" yelled Captain Titus furiously, to two of the ruffians -with muskets in their hands. - -One of them raised his weapon to aim at Deck, who instantly fired at -him. He dropped his gun upon the ground, and grasped his right arm with -the left hand. The other man then raised his musket; but both of the -other horsemen fired at him at the same instant, and he dropped heavily -on the sod. - -The three cavalrymen reloaded their weapons, and were immediately ready -for the next move. The three men at the rope seemed to be appalled at -the fate of their associates, and released their hold upon it. A moment -later they began to skulk off in the direction of the grove. - -"Don't let them escape, Owens!" said Deck, to the one nearest to him. - -Both of them darted off at a gallop, and headed them off, driving them -back to the tree from which the rope was hanging. Again Deck seized the -line, and urged his horse up to the place where the planter was -standing. Reaching down from his seat in the saddle, he cut the cords -that bound the prisoner, and then directed him to remove the rope from -his neck. - -"I owe my life to you, young man," said Mr. Barkland, panting with -emotion and excitement. - -"I suppose you are a Union man, sir?" added Deck. - -"I am; and that is the reason why I am subjected to this outrage," -replied the intended victim. - -"What brought you here, Deck Lyon? Who sent you here to interfere with -my business?" demanded Captain Titus, confronting his nephew with a -savage frown. - -"We shall not allow any such business as this," answered Deck, who was -not at all inclined to parley with the captain of the late Home Guards, -now in the service of the Confederacy. "You and those with you will -consider yourselves as prisoners of war." - -"Prisoners of war!" exclaimed Captain Titus. "I reckon we ain't nothin' -of the sort. Do you mean to take six on us with only three?" - -"We shall not take the trouble to count your numbers. Mr. Barkland, you -can return to your house, for your wife and daughter are very anxious -about you. I hope you have not been injured, sir." - -"Only in my nerves," replied the planter, as he started for his mansion. - -At this moment Knox and his three men dashed upon the scene, to the -great astonishment of Captain Titus. - -"Well, Deck, is the business finished?" asked the sergeant, as he reined -up his steed. "We had to go about two miles to get here, and that is -what made it so late." - -Deck reported what had happened so far. The man who had dropped so -heavily on the ground was not killed; but he was bleeding from a wound -in the side of the head, and the ball had only stunned him. The other -man, with a bullet through his arm, was worse off. - -"This man who is in command of the company is my uncle, Captain Titus," -said Deck in a low voice to the sergeant. - -"What! Major Lyon's brother?" exclaimed Life. "I have heard all about -him, and he is a pesky troublesome fellow." - -"I don't want anything more to do with him, Life, and I wish you would -dispose of him," added Deck. - -"Do you want me to kill him? I can't do that; for"-- - -"Nothing of the sort!" interposed the nephew warmly. "Of course I don't -want you to do anything of the sort." - -"We have six prisoners of war, and we will march them down to the main -body," added Knox. - -The sergeant proceeded to form his prisoners in a single rank; but -Captain Titus appeared to have brought all his obstinacy and -unreasonableness with him, and he refused to take the place assigned to -him. - -"Where are you going?" demanded the prisoner, as though he still ruled -the roost, as he had doubtless done in his company. - -"None of your business where we are going," replied the sergeant. "If -you don't take your place I shall put you into it." - -"This thing won't last long, for my company will take a hand in the -business in the morning, and a battalion of Texan cavalry will make it -warm for you." - -"We are not talking about your company or any Texan cavalry. Will you -take your place in the line? That's the only question you have got to -settle," returned Knox. - -"I won't take any place!" replied the captain with a volley of oaths. - -"Swear not at all, my man," continued Life, as he seized the rebellious -prisoner by the back of his coat collar, lifted him clear of the ground, -and then brought him down in the place assigned to him. "Stay there!" - -"I won't stay there!" growled he, as he attempted to leave the spot. - -But Knox seized hold of him again, lifted him up, and slapped him down -across the pommel of his saddle, face down. - -"Any way you like, my man; but you are going with this crowd. Forward, -my men!" and he placed himself at the head of the squad, and started in -the direction of the road, in spite of the struggles of the prisoner. -But they had not reached the road where they had first seen Cato, when -the head of a column appeared in the act of turning into the field, -doubtless guided by Hart, the messenger who had been sent to report to -the major in command. - -Knox halted his little force, and threw his prisoner on the ground -without any ceremony, ordering Owens to take charge of him. The column -consisted of only the first company, the other having been sent to take -another position. Captain Truman had been ordered to hold himself in -readiness to cut off the retreat to the westward of the force which Lane -had reported upon. - -"What have you here?" asked Major Lyon, as he saw the six prisoners in -front of Knox's scouts. - -"Prisoners, Major; and I am sorry to say that your brother is one of -them," replied the sergeant. "They were about to hang the planter, Mr. -Barkland, who lives in the mansion yonder; but we saved him, and sent -him home." - -"My brother a prisoner!" exclaimed the major very sadly. - -He gave the order to march, and the first company proceeded towards the -planter's mansion. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -PREPARING FOR ACTIVE OPERATIONS - - -The discipline which Knox had administered to Captain Titus had taken -some of the obstinacy out of him, and he was willing to march with the -other prisoners. All of them had been engaged in the "Battle of -Riverlawn," as it was called, when the mob had been driven away from the -plantation. They were placed between a couple of ranks of troopers, and -no further attention was given to them till the company halted, a short -distance from the mansion. - -It was the camp for the night; and the horses were picketed, the tents -pitched, and a cordon of sentinels stationed around the whole. The -prisoners were provided for as comfortably as the soldiers, and the -major had an opportunity to inquire into the situation. He had reached -the point to which he had been ordered. The region in the vicinity of -the railroad bridge had been examined by a large body of scouts, and -nothing like an enemy had been discovered. A trio of negroes had been -seen, and they were always ready to tell all they knew to persons -wearing the national uniform. - -There was no military force near the bridge. After Knox had sent back a -messenger with the information obtained from Cato, that "a whole -regiment" was encamped at the right of the road, Major Lyon had sent a -couple of trusty men to examine the locality. These soldiers had crept -cautiously into the woods, and found the force indicated; but it -consisted of only a single company, as they could see by the light of -the camp-fires. They had no tents, and most of the men were lying about -on the ground. - -It was now evident that this was Captain Titus's company. They were -encamped near the railroad; but there were no bridges of any consequence -near them, and they had doubtless postponed the work of the expedition -till the next morning. Though the major had never even heard the name of -Mr. Barkland, the planter, his brother must have had some information in -regard to him, or he would hardly have visited his mansion and -attempted to extort money from him. - -Major Lyon did not care to meet his brother, for his conduct had been -explained to him, and he was in a bad frame of mind even for him; but he -ordered Knox to bring another of the party engaged in the outrage to his -tent. He had selected one who appeared to be a reasonable man, and his -manner was quite different from that of the captain. The major had seen -him before, but he knew nothing about him. - -"Do you belong to the company encamped in the woods farther down the -road?" asked the major. - -"How do you know there is any company there?" demanded the fellow, who -seemed to be somewhat surprised at the question. - -"I ask questions, but I don't answer them," replied Major Lyon with a -smile. - -"That's jest my case," replied the Home Guardsman with a capacious grin. -"I don't tell all I know every day 'n the week." - -"You don't know so much that you couldn't tell it as often as that," -added Captain Gordon, who was present at the interview, and thought the -major was more pleasant than the occasion required. - -"But I know sunthin' you want to know," chuckled the man. - -"Not at all; I know all about your company," said the major. - -"Then what did you ask me if I belonged to it for?" - -"Knox, this man thinks he knows too much, and you may take him away," -called the major to the sergeant, who stood at the door of the tent. - -"Oh, I'm willin' t' answer you," grinned the fellow. "I belong to that -company." - -"What were you doing up here, then?" - -"Cap'n Titus thought the man that lives on this plantation had more -money 'n he could manage, and he was willin' to help him take care -on't." - -"In other words, you intended to rob him." - -"I didn't intend nothin' o' the sort. I obey the orders of the cap'n. If -you want to know anything more about it, you'll have to ask him." - -"Is your company the only body of troops about here?" asked the major, -to whom Knox had reported what Captain Titus said about "Texan cavalry." - -"You'll have to ask the cap'n about that; for he didn't tell me all he -know'd." - -It was evident that the man knew nothing of any importance, and the -sergeant was directed to send him back to his quarters. At the entrance -to the tent a visitor was waiting, who proved to be Mr. Barkland, and he -was promptly admitted. He expressed his obligations for the important -service rendered to him, and commended the energy of the young man who -had been foremost in saving him from the fatal rope. - -"These ruffians must have known that you had your money concealed in the -house," suggested the major. - -"I haven't any great amount in the house," replied Mr. Barkland. "I have -a bank account in Louisville, and I had some money in the bank at -Munfordville; but there are so many marauding parties about in this -section of the State, that I took out the little I had in the latter, -and had it in the house." - -"Hardly a safe place in these troublous times," added Major Lyon. - -"Safer than that bank, I thought," said the planter, "I am a Union man -before anything else just now; and I think some Secessionist connected -with the bank spread the news about that I had withdrawn my money,--only -about thirty-five hundred dollars,--and the captain of this Home Guard -had heard it." - -"That was unfortunate." - -"It would have been for me if your company had not come along. About -dark half a dozen of them came to the house, and wanted to get some -supper, which I was willing to give them; for I never turn away any one -who wants something to eat. The captain wanted whiskey, and I gave it to -him; but it seemed to make him crazy, for he did not behave like a -gentleman." - -"That is apt to be the effect of whiskey," added the major, who was -thinking of its results in the case of his brother. - -"Then they told me I had money in the house, or the captain did; for -none of the rest of them said anything. I replied that I had no money -for them; and then the captain became abusive, and threatened me if I -did not give it up," continued the planter. "As I said, I am a Union -man, and I decided to let them hang me to a tree, as he threatened to -do, rather than give up my money to a lot of traitors, who would use it -to assist in pulling down the government I believe in. My wife and -daughter begged me to give up the money; but I was firm to the end, and -even when the rope was around my neck." - -"Your fate would not have been an uncommon one with Union men, -unhappily," added the major. - -"Could I see the young man that was foremost in saving me? I wish to -express my personal gratitude to him for the service; for he was a brave -fellow, and managed the affair well, or he would have failed. The -ruffians were six to three; but the young man hit in the right place -every time." - -"Who was he, Knox?" asked the major of the sergeant, who had listened to -the narrative while standing at the entrance of the tent. - -"It was Deck, Major," replied Knox, with a smile on his wiry face. - -"Send for him." - -Deck soon appeared in the tent; and the planter grasped his hand, -pouring out his thanks for what he had done. He desired to take him to -his mansion, that his wife and daughter might have an opportunity to -express their obligations to him; but Deck declined to go. - -"Now, Mr. Barkland, do you know of any other body of troops in this -vicinity?" asked the major, changing the subject of the conversation. - -"Nothing within my own knowledge, Major Lyon," replied the planter. -"Captain Tites and his men"-- - -"Captain who?" interposed the major. - -"Captain Tites; that is what the others called him, or, at least, the -name sounded like that." - -"Very well, Mr. Barkland, go on," replied the chief of the squadron. - -"They did not speak out very plainly; but they alluded to a body of -Texan Rangers, as they called them, as though they were somewhere in -this vicinity," the planter proceeded. - -"That captain spoke of them since we took him," said Knox. - -"I was just coming up to headquarters to report some information -obtained by Sergeant Decker at the road," interposed Deck. "He stopped -a negro on horse-back, who was going for a doctor. He said there was a -company of cavalry, or more of them, camped about three miles on the -road to Greensburg. He knew nothing at all about them." - -"It looks as though there was a considerable force in this vicinity," -added the major. - -"I have given you all the information in my power, Major Lyon, and I -will return to my house. If I can be of any service to you, call upon -me," said Mr. Barkland, as he took the hand of the commander. - -He left the tent, and Deck soon followed him, leaving the major and -Captain Gordon alone. On the table in the centre of the tent was a map, -which these two officers had been consulting when the guardsman was -brought in. On it the major had made several crosses with a red pencil, -indicating the location of the railroad bridge, which was believed to be -the objective point of Captain Titus's company, the camp of this force, -the mansion of the planter; and now he made another at the supposed -location of the cavalry camp of the enemy. - -"There is a prospect of some fighting in this vicinity by to-morrow," -said Captain Gordon, as he looked at the crosses on the map. - -"Colonel Cosgrove rode over to Riverlawn yesterday to inform me that -Captain Titus's company had left the day before, at an early hour in the -morning, marching on the railroad. He had just obtained some news, which -he considered reliable, to the effect that an order had come up for the -destruction of the railroad bridges," added Major Lyon, as he put his -pencil point on the road. "It was understood in Bowling Green that -General Buell was about to send troops to the southward, and this is an -attempt to break up the means of transportation by rail." - -"If there are any Texan Rangers about here, they must have been sent -from some other point," said Captain Gordon. "But we know where the -enemy are, and that is half the battle under present circumstances. The -cavalry and the infantry of the enemy are at least five miles apart." - -"Captain Truman has the infantry where he can put his hands on them in -the morning. His orders are to send Lieutenant Gadbury to the farther -side of the railroad, with half his company, and station the other half -behind this knoll, so that neither of them can be seen from the main -road, and to have both forces in position before daylight in the -morning. Neither force is to attack till the enemy begin operations upon -the railroad." - -"I wondered that you did not bag the whole of this company of Home -Guards while they were in camp," added the captain. - -"Under the name by which we know them, I am not quite sure of their -status; and I prefer to have them make a beginning, which will prove -them to be the enemies of the government," replied the major. "I gave -Truman the most explicit orders, and I have no doubt he will do his -whole duty. It is a part of my purpose to have the whole of Captain -Titus's company captured." - -The major put a good deal of stress on the name by which his brother had -been called, for he evidently did not like to pronounce his real name. - -"I think your plan of action will readily bring about such a result." - -"I put a low estimate upon the fighting character of the enemy in front -of Truman; but I have stood up before them, though I believe they are -better armed now than when they attempted to capture Riverlawn and -Lyndhall. Your company will be held in reserve for the Texans, if there -prove to be any." - -"I have no doubt, after all I have heard, that the information in regard -to them is correct," added the captain. "It appears from their locality -that they are likely to come to the railroad by the road which passes -Mr. Barkland's mansion." - -The major and the captain arranged a plan for the reception of the -Rangers, and then stretched themselves on their camp-bed, to obtain a -little sleep before the exciting events which were expected the next -day. At about midnight the sentinel awoke them, saying that the planter -desired to see the commander. He was admitted, and reported that two men -had just been to his house to inquire for "Captain Tites." One of them, -he said, was Lieutenant Lagger, in command of the company in the absence -of the captain. - -Major Lyon turned over and went to sleep again, satisfied that Buck -Lagger would begin operations in the morning. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE ACTION BY THE RAILROAD BRIDGE - - -It was hardly daylight the next morning when Major Lyon sprang from his -camp-bed. The first thing he recalled was the visit to his tent in the -night of Mr. Barkland. He thought it was rather strange that Captain -Titus had not brought his lieutenant, as it now appeared that he was in -reality, as he had been before only in appearance; for he was a ruffian -of the rudest stripe. - -Three months before he had attempted to shoot Levi Bedford, the major's -faithful overseer, as he drove past his house; and he had been his -brother's principal supporter in the attacks of the mob upon Riverlawn -and Lyndhall. He was just the desperado for such work as that in which -the commander of the Home Guards had engaged the evening before. - -"Sentinel!" called the major to the guard at headquarters. - -"Here, Major!" replied the soldier. - -"Send for Dexter and Artemas Lyon. Have them report at headquarters -mounted," added the major, as he proceeded to complete his simple -toilet. - -The "assembly" was not sounded that morning, lest the noise should be -heard in some other camp; but all the men had been called verbally, and -were getting ready for the business of the day. The troopers assigned to -that duty were watering the horses at a brook which flowed through the -plantation, and others were striking the tents. A number of pickets on -foot had patrolled the roads for a mile from the camp, but there had -been no alarm during the night. Deck and Artie promptly reported at the -major's tent as they had been ordered to do. - -"Good-morning, boys," said their father. "Do you know where the railroad -bridge over the creek is?" - -"I do," replied Deck. - -"I have a message for Captain Truman. You will find his company in two -divisions this morning, one on each side of the bridge, and both of them -are in concealment by this time in the morning. The captain is behind -the hill, just this side of the creek. Do you think you can find him?" - -"I know I can," replied Deck. - -"You must remember that he is keeping his men out of sight. My message -is for him alone. He is not aware that Captain Titus and his companions -at the mansion were captured last night. Whether the work will be -carried on by his first lieutenant or not, I don't know. This officer is -Buck Lagger; and I know that he will be glad to get the command of the -company, even for a short time. I believe he will begin the destruction -of the bridge early this morning; for, according to Levi Bedford, Buck -believes he is a bigger man and an abler captain than his superior -officer." - -"I have no doubt if there is any mischief to be done, Buck will do it as -soon as possible," added Deck. - -"But if he fails to do so, tell Captain Truman to move over to the camp -they occupied last night, and to keep his eye on the company. You will -also inform him that there is a company of Texan cavalry in camp about -three miles to the south-east of us, and they will probably be on the -move this morning," continued Major Lyon. - -"Texan cavalry!" exclaimed Deck. - -"Music somewhere here to-day," added Artie with a smile. - -"The first company will be between this enemy and the second company, -and you will tell Captain Truman to give no attention to them. Now go as -soon as possible," added the major; and the boys started on their -mission. - -The horses were in excellent condition, and the boys were pleased to -have something to do that brought them out of the ranks for a time. The -section of country which one could take in from the hill on which the -mansion of the planter was located, included the railway and two common -roads. South of the railroad, and extending in the same general -direction, was the road by which the command had marched from Riverlawn. - -The camp of the Home Guards was at the south of it, and half a mile from -it; for it appeared to have been a part of the purpose of Captain Titus -to conceal his force. The half-dozen shots which had been fired as the -troopers passed came from a party of strollers, it afterwards appeared; -and Buck Lagger, in charge of the camp, had not discovered the presence -of the cavalry from Riverlawn. - -At the point where Cato had been first seen, and who had given the -information in regard to the outrage at the mansion, the road to the -south branched off, or rather crossed the other at right angles. On this -one was the mansion of Mr. Barkland, and about three miles farther south -was the reported camp of the Texans. Deck had had no opportunity to -study the panorama of the region as it might be seen in the daytime from -the hill by the planter's house, for the darkness shut off his view. - -The camp of the first company was on the south road, and the boys rode -in the direction of the railroad bridge. The day was breaking in the -east, but it was not light enough to see distinctly the prominent object -in the vicinity. They could make out the hill where they expected to -find Captain Truman, but not the one on the other side of the railroad. - -"Hold on, Deck!" said Artie, when they came to the crossing of the -roads. "I hear a noise off towards the west." - -"It is the tramp of men's feet; but that is none of our affair," replied -Deck. - -"I have no doubt it is the Home Guards," added Artie. - -"I know it is; didn't father say they were to come over here to do their -work? We can report to Captain Truman that the enemy are approaching, -and he will be glad to get the information." - -Deck started his horse; but they had been directed to move with as -little noise as possible, and they could not hurry. They took the -cross-road, and the hill was on the right, and the railroad bridge on -the left of it. Leaving the road, they struck into the field, and moved -toward the station of the first half of the second company. - -"Who comes there?" called a voice from the grove that surrounded the -hill. - -"Friends," replied Deck. - -"Advance, friends, and give the countersign." - -"Riverlawn," answered Deck, giving the word that had been selected the -day before. "We have a message for Captain Truman from Major Lyon. Where -is he?" - -"Not far from here," replied Blenks, who was in charge of the picket -line. "I will conduct you to him." - -They found the captain seated on his horse, apart from his command, -eating his breakfast from his haversack. The men were all mounted, and -in readiness for immediate service, though they were standing at ease, -some of them taking their morning meal. - -"Good-morning, Deck," said Captain Truman, as he recognized his early -visitors. "You left your bunk in good time this morning." - -"We are the bearers of orders from Major Lyon," replied Deck, who was in -the habit of doing most of the talking, though Artie had a tongue of his -own; and he repeated all the orders and all the information with which -they had been charged. - -"Captain Titus a prisoner!" exclaimed the captain, when he had finished. -"Then it remains to be proved whether or not Lieutenant Buck Lagger will -execute the orders received by Captain Titus." - -"We heard them down the road as we came along," said Artie. - -"I have no doubt they will be at work within half an hour," added Deck. -"But we must hurry back, for our company will move farther to the south, -I think, judging from the message we brought to you." - -"But you can't go now, for you will meet the Home Guards by the time you -get to the south road. The ruffians would be glad to get a couple of -prisoners like you and Artie; for then Buck Lagger could exchange you -both for his captain." - -"Such an arrangement would not suit Buck Lagger at all," replied Deck. -"When Levi Bedford brought Buck to the fort at Riverlawn, after he -attempted to kill him on the road, the villain did not speak very -handsomely of his captain, but said he should soon be in command of the -company himself." - -"Be that as it may, you ought not to throw yourselves into the midst of -these ruffians," the captain insisted. "If they don't capture you, they -would take great pleasure in abusing you." - -"Mounted as we are, I think we could take care of ourselves against the -whole of them," answered Deck. - -The soldiers of the squadron had an utter contempt for the fighting -qualities of this company, and Deck and Artie shared it with the -others. But the captain protested so earnestly against their exposing -themselves to a needless peril, that they agreed to wait behind some -bushes near the south road till the company had passed. They would -gladly have learned something more in regard to the plan of the captain; -but he was as reticent as military men usually are, and kept his own -counsel. The messengers rode to the knoll covered with bushes which they -had observed near the road when they entered the field. - -"We shall have a chance to see something of this affair," said Deck, as -he stopped his horse at a point where the bushes would conceal them from -those passing in the road. - -"Do you suppose the first company will remain where they are for any -length of time?" asked Artie. - -"Father didn't say anything about that; but I imagine he will put the -company in a position to meet the Texans." - -"There they come!" exclaimed Artie. "They are just turning into the -south road. Buck Lagger looks big enough to be a brigadier-general." - -"But they are straggling along as though they were going to a picnic," -added Deck. "There are some of them half a mile in the rear." - -Then the boys observed two wagons drawn by mules, and the stragglers -appeared to be the guard for their protection. Buck Lagger led the -compact portion of his command, who were armed with axes as well as -muskets. The south road ran under the railroad bridge, and the Guard -halted there. The lieutenant lost no time in beginning his work. A -portion of the men went to work at the abutment, trying to remove some -of the stones in the wall, evidently with the intention of blowing up -the end of the structure when the wagons arrived with the powder. - -About one-half of the men were sent to the platform of the bridge, -climbing up the embankment a short distance beyond the wall. As soon as -they reached the wooden portion of the bridge, they began to pull up the -planks of the platform, and toss them over into the creek, a work which -would not at all interfere with the usefulness of the structure for the -passage of trains. These men were in so elevated a position that the -boys could distinctly see their operations. - -Then they heard the crack of a rifle, and one of the soldiers dropped -from the bridge into the creek. This single effective shot was followed -by a volley; and, though they could not be seen, it was clear that -Lieutenant Gadbury had led his command to the front, and they had opened -fire on the destroyers of the bridge. His men were good marksmen; for -not a few of them were hunters, and they had had abundant practice at -the camp. - -"They can't stand much of that sort of thing," said Deck, much excited -by what he saw. - -"Not they; they are coming down from the bridge now," added Artie. - -"Here come the rest of the company," exclaimed Deck, as Captain Truman, -followed by his fifty men by fours, dashed through the field at full -gallop. "I reckon I don't stay here any longer." - -"But the baggage-train of the enemy has not come up yet," suggested -Artie. - -"But I want to see what is going on, and we can't see anything in the -road from here, and that is where the fight is going to be," returned -Deck, who was far more excited than his brother. "I suppose Lieutenant -Gadbury is coming down to the bridge from the north, and now Captain -Truman is approaching it from the south. They will have it out there." - -Both divisions of the company halted at some distance from the enemy, -and began to pour a murderous fire into them, crushed as they were -between the upper and nether millstones. The plan of Major Lyon had been -carried out to the letter. The Guards returned the fire with all the -energy they could muster; but it was very soon evident that their -weapons were doing little harm to the cavalry. - -"This is little better than wholesale murder!" exclaimed Captain Truman; -and he sent the second lieutenant, with half his men, into the field, -with orders to charge the enemy in concert with him. - -This charge was made; and the enemy were ridden down by the horsemen, -till they cried out for quarter. Buck Lagger lay dead upon the ground, -with not less than a dozen others, while half the rest of them were -wounded. The victory was complete, and the cavalrymen were only sorry -they had not met a foe worthy of their steel. Eight of them were -wounded, two of them severely. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE ENEMY'S SCOUTS - - -The baggage-train of the Guards had seen from a distance that the battle -had begun, and they had halted in the road. They still blocked the way -for Deck and Artie; but they could no longer remain as spectators to the -exciting scene which had just transpired, and had ridden down to the -field of action; but the fighting had ceased. The cavalrymen were -picking up their wounded; and Dr. Farnwright, the surgeon of the -battalion, was attending to their needs. - -"Well, boys, this affair seems to be finished; and we made very short -work of it," said Captain Truman, as they rode up to the spot where he -was observing the labors of the men. - -"We have seen the whole of it, and now we are ready to return to our -company," replied Deck. - -"The road is clear now, and there is nothing to prevent your return." - -"The wagons of the enemy have halted in the road, and there seems to be -half-a-dozen men or more in charge of them," said Deck. - -"I will send a squad to bring them in," replied the captain, as he -called a sergeant near him, and directed him to take ten men and perform -this duty. "You will go with Sergeant Langford, boys, and I think you -will be all right." - -"Have you any message for the major, Captain?" asked Deck. - -"You have seen the skirmish yourselves, and you can report it as it was. -We were fired upon smartly for a time; but the muskets of the enemy were -of all sorts and kinds, and most of them good for nothing. We have eight -men wounded, two of them badly, and the rest slightly. Sergeant Langford -has just reported to me that the enemy lost eight men killed, and -fifteen wounded, some of them fatally. The rest of the command are -prisoners." - -Sergeant Langford appeared with his ten men, and the boys went with him -on their return to their company. It was not yet sunrise, and the -principal task of the morning had been accomplished; for the action had -lasted hardly more than a quarter of an hour. Lieutenant Blenks was -compelling the Guards to pick up and care for their own wounded, and to -bury their dead. The men were sulky, and the cavalrymen were compelled -to drive them to this duty. - -"It was sharp work for a few minutes," said Langford to the boys, after -he had called them to his side. - -"It was; but the thing was very handsomely done," replied Deck. "I think -these ruffians have had quite enough of it." - -"They are as sulky as a bear that has lost her cubs. They were not -willing to pick up their own dead and wounded, and wanted our boys to do -it for them; but a few slaps with the flat of the sabres brought them to -the point," added the sergeant. "I suppose the work in this quarter is -done now." - -"I think not. I doubt whether we have finished," replied Deck; but he -said nothing about the Texan Rangers, for he did not feel at liberty to -use the information he had obtained as a messenger. - -The wagons of the enemy had halted where the men in charge of them could -see what had happened at the bridge; but when the sergeant's squad -approached them, they brought their muskets to their shoulders, as -though they intended to defend their property. - -"Unsling carbines!" called Langford to his men; and they promptly obeyed -the order. - -But the baggage guard did not fire; for some one among them seemed to -have more sense than the others, and had interposed to prevent a useless -sacrifice of life. A dispute followed among them, and the sergeant -advanced upon them. - -"No more jaw!" interposed Langford. "Start your mules, and go ahead!" - -"Where are we going? We ain't no use over there now," said one of the -men. - -"You are no use anywhere! Start your teams!" added Langford, as he -slapped the last speaker with the flat of his sabre. "Shove them along, -boys!" - -"We ain't goin' over there; we'll turn round and go back where we come -from," added the spokesman of the party. - -"Are you all idiots?" demanded Langford. "Your wagons are wanted over at -the bridge, and that is where you are going." - -The troopers soon started the teams with a vigorous use of the flat -sides of their sabres. The guardsmen were disposed to resist; but they -were vigorously pushed forward, and when a fellow hung back, he was -gently pricked with the point of the sharp weapons. - -"I believe a good part of these ruffians are idiots, as Langford -suggested," said Deck, as he and Artie rode forward. "They don't seem to -understand that they are taking part in the war." - -"That's so," replied Artie, laughing. "If they find they cannot destroy -the bridge, all they have to do is to go back where they came from, and -call it square. But Langford has brought them to their senses." - -A smart gallop of a few minutes brought the messengers in sight of the -mansion-house of the plantation. The first company was not where they -had left it in the early morning; but they soon discovered a couple of -the men, who seemed to be patrolling the south road. - -"Where is the company, Yowell?" asked Deck, when they came within -speaking distance. - -"Behind the mansion. We were sent down to look for you," replied the -soldier. "Major Lyon was afraid something had happened to you." - -"We are all right. Have you seen any of the enemy up this way?" - -"Not a man of them. If you take this path it will bring you to the -house, and you will find the major there." - -The boys took the path indicated, and put their horses to their best -speed. When they came to the house, they were greeted in the yard by the -planter and his family, and the ladies poured forth their gratitude to -Deck for the service he had rendered the evening before. But the young -cavalryman could not stop to listen long to them. - -"Where is Major Lyon?" he asked, looking about him. - -"He is on the top of the house," replied Mr. Barkland. - -"Come up here, both of you!" shouted the major from his elevated -position. - -Giving the reins of their bridles to the orderly, who was there with the -commander's horse, Mr. Barkland showed them the way to a platform on the -roof of the mansion, from which a full view of the surrounding country -was obtained; only the railroad bridge was shut out by a hill. - -"What makes you so late, boys?" asked the major, as they presented -themselves before him. - -"The baggage-train of the enemy stopped in the road, with half-a-dozen -men in charge of it, so that we could not pass it without a fight," -replied Deck. - -"Has anything been done at the bridge?" asked the commander anxiously. - -"Yes, sir; the battle has been fought and won, and the whole company of -Home Guards are prisoners," replied Deck, giving the entire story all in -a heap. - -"That is good news, though I expected no other result. What was our -loss?" - -"None killed; eight wounded, two of them seriously, the others slightly. -The enemy's loss is eight killed and fifteen wounded, some of them -fatally," replied Deck, who had studied over the report of the fight he -was to make; and then he proceeded to give the details of the affair. - -This was in the beginning of the war, and before any battle of magnitude -had been fought, so that the action at the railroad bridge seemed to be -a considerable affair. The major listened with deep interest to all the -particulars. Doubtless he was pleased with the report of the result; -but he frequently raised the field-glass in his hands to his eyes as he -listened, and it was evident that he was more concerned in regard to the -approach of the enemy from the south. - -He put several questions to the boys, which were answered by both of -them, and fully informed himself in regard to the situation at the -bridge, which was about three miles distant from the mansion. - -"You will both return to the bridge; give my order to Captain Truman to -leave a sufficient force on the ground to guard the prisoners, to -dispose of the dead and wounded, and then to join me at this place with -all the men that can be spared," said the major. - -The boys saluted him, and hastened to obey the order. In a few minutes -they were galloping over the road again. On their way down the stairs -they met Captain Gordon on his way to the roof. He had been the -recruiting officer sent by the commanding general of the department to -organize the first company, and the major had used all his influence to -elect him to the office he filled himself. He had declined the position, -for he thought it better that the planter of Riverlawn should fill that -place. He had an apartment at the major's mansion, and they had been on -the most intimate terms from the beginning. - -"I have posted Lieutenant Belthorpe behind the hill," said Captain -Gordon, as he saluted his superior officer. "I have given him full -instructions." - -"I have just sent for Captain Truman and as many of the second company -as can be spared," replied Major Lyon. "They have beaten Captain Titus's -command, and captured the whole of them." - -"Can you make out any movement of the enemy to the south of us, Major -Lyon?" asked the captain. - -"Nothing yet. Everything is in readiness, I suppose, to carry out our -plan." - -"Everything; and the men are in fine spirits." - -"The only thing I fear is that the Rangers will take the other road to -the bridge," suggested the major. - -"But that would make the distance at least two miles farther," replied -Captain Gordon. "Can it be possible that the commander of the Rangers -has obtained information of our presence here, and of the result of the -affair at the bridge?" - -"I think not; and yet it is possible, for not many in command could be -so neglectful of all reasonable precautions as Captain Titus was." - -"If they come this way, we are all ready for them. I have scouts out to -the eastward of our position, who will report to us the passage of any -force by the east road, as they call it here," continued the captain. -"The Texans are not early risers, or we should have seen them by this -time. I will return to my company, and await further orders." - -The boys understood the necessity of haste, and in less than fifteen -minutes their foaming steeds brought them into the presence of Captain -Truman, to whom they delivered their message. He had already reduced -everything to a condition of order. The wounded had been removed to a -deserted shanty, probably used by the railroad workmen, and the -prisoners were surrounded by a guard of twenty men. All was quiet on the -ground, and the captain was glad to receive the order brought by the -messengers. - -Lieutenant Blenks had already been placed in command of the camp, and -the captain gave the order for Lieutenant Gadbury to have his men in -marching order at once; and twenty men from the second platoon were -added to their number. But Deck and Artie did not wait for this body to -move, but started at once on their return; for they were anxious to be -present in any engagement that might take place. They had little -compassion for their horses, fond as they were of them, and dashed down -the road at their best speed. - -"Hi!" exclaimed Artie, as they reached the cross-road. - -"What is it, Artie?" asked Deck, who was looking to the right. - -"Don't you see? There are a couple of mounted men wearing the gray!" -exclaimed Artie with energy. - -"What are they?" asked Deck. - -"What are they? It is as plain as a stone wall to a blind man after he -has stumbled over it, that they are the Texans who are expected over -here." - -"Are there only two of them?" asked Deck facetiously. "Your head is -level, Artie, and they are a couple of scouts who are feeling the way -for a bigger body further back." - -[Illustration: "One of the Texans tumbled from his horse."] - -Just at that moment a bullet whistled between the two boys; for the -scouts could have no difficulty in making out the uniform of the two -messengers. Both of them unslung their carbines; and, without -considering what consequences might ensue, both of them fired, Artie -delivering the first shot. One of the Texans tumbled from his horse, and -Deck aimed at the other; but he was less fortunate in his discharge, for -the remaining man still clung to his horse. Raising his carbine, he -fired. - -"I am hit," said Deck, as he held up his left arm. - -The man who had delivered his fire wheeled his horse as soon as he had -done so, and galloped back by the way he came. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -THE BATTLE BEGUN AT THE CROSS-ROADS - - -Deck and Artie Lyon were not veterans in military service; but on -several occasions during the preceding six months they had been within -the reach of flying bullets. They had not become hardened to the -whizzing, boring sound they make in their passage through the air, for -they carried wounds and death in their train; but they had considered -and talked about the chances of being hit, and fully realized the -possible consequences. - -"We are in the hands of the good Lord," Noah Lyon used to say; "and if -it be his will that we suddenly pass the portals that divide the seen -from the unseen, or that we languish for weeks or months upon the couch -of pain, we can only submit to the divine will; and all we have to do is -faithfully to discharge our duty to God and our country. God and our -country! Let this be our watchword, boys; and with it on our tongues -and in our hearts, we ought to fear no danger." - -Some appear to be brave in mere bravado, and the pride of many gives -them courage: but the bravest men are those who are earnestly devoted to -the discharge of their duty; for principle generates courage when it is -founded upon religious faith. It was in this firm reliance that the -father had schooled his sons. He was a faithful apostle, and they were -loving disciples. - -"Where are you hit, Deck?" asked Artie, full of anxiety in regard to his -brother, though he could see that he was not very severely wounded. - -"Right in the arm, half-way between the wrist and the elbow," replied -Deck with a smile; for the time had come for him to feel something of -what had only been talked about before. "It won't amount to much, though -it doesn't feel good." - -"Let me see it, and I will fix it up as well as I can," added Artie, as -he wheeled his horse till he was at the side of his companion. - -The noble steeds stood as quietly as though they understood what had -occurred, while Artie rolled up the sleeve of the jacket, and disclosed -the wound. The fond and devoted mother had provided each of them with a -bandage and a handful of lint, and she had even practised them in doing -up a leg and an arm. Artie wiped away the blood, and then applied the -lint, around which he wound the bandage, as he had been instructed. - -"It is not a bad wound, as you say, Deck, and I hope you will never have -a worse one," said Artie, as he pinned the end of the bandage. - -"Thank you, Artie, and you are quite a surgeon," replied Deck, as he -straightened out his arm. "That feels better, though it is still rather -warm. But we have business on our hands, and we can't fool away any more -time. What do you suppose the presence of those two fellows here means?" - -"There is only one thing that it can mean," replied Artie, as he -strained his vision to take in whatever might be seen in the direction -from which the two scouts had come. "There must be a body of cavalrymen -not far behind them." - -"I don't understand this business," added Deck. "Let's ride up the -slope, and then we can see the enemy if there is any there." - -"It won't take both of us to do that. We know, if everybody in the -company does not, that there is a company of Texan Rangers camped about -three miles from Mr. Barkland's plantation. From their odd uniform we -have a right to believe these two scouts belonged to that company. Very -likely the captain of it is up to some mischief; and if a part of the -force should come over here after Captain Truman has departed to join -our first company, they could undo all that has been done, burn the -bridge, and recapture all the prisoners." - -"That's so!" exclaimed Deck, taking in the argument of his brother, and -fully agreeing with it. - -"As you are wounded, I will ride up the slope, and see what is to be -seen, while you hurry back as fast as Ceph will take you to Captain -Truman, and tell him all about it," suggested Artie. - -"All right; go ahead!" returned Deck, as he wheeled his horse, while -Artie galloped up the slope, which was quite gentle for half a mile. - -When the latter reached the spot where the Texan had fallen, he saw that -he was not dead, though the blood was oozing from a wound in his -breast. His horse was quietly feeding on the bushes at the side of the -road; but Artie could not stop to do anything for his wounded enemy, -though his heart was big enough to do everything in his power. He rode -on at the highest speed of Dolly, as he called her, though she had had -another name before he made her acquaintance. He reached the top of the -hill, if it could be called such, and the spot commanded a view of the -country for several miles. - -It was not a plain which opened to him, for the prospect was bounded by -a range of hills several miles distant, the intervening space having a -sort of rolling surface. The first object that attracted his attention -was a horseman, riding at full gallop up a slope about a mile distant -from him. He concluded that he was the scout whose companion had fallen -from his horse when he fired his carbine. He must have stopped by the -way, or ridden more slowly than at present, or he would have been out or -sight in the time he had taken. - -Artie had halted on the crown of the slope, for it was useless to go any -farther. He could see the country for at least two miles; and it was -not prudent for him to proceed alone. He sat upon his horse considering -what he should do next. The only course left open to him was to return -to the south road; but if an enemy was approaching by the east road, as -the presence of the two scouts indicated, it was important that he -should ascertain the fact. - -He kept his eyes busily engaged in wandering along the whole horizon to -the east and south of him. If Captain Truman's command were not wanted, -it would be an error to detain them. On the other hand, the result of -the morning's work would be all undone if the enemy should advance after -the larger portion of the second company had been withdrawn. It was a -perplexing question for a boy of eighteen to settle; and he realized the -responsibility that had accidentally, as it were, fallen upon him. - -If he was not at the cross-road when Deck returned from his visit to the -camp at the bridge, Captain Truman would march his men up the slope, -when they might be needed in the vicinity of the planter's house. He -decided to compromise with the circumstances, and wait a reasonable time -for some evidence of an advance on the part of the Texans. The two -scouts had come from beyond the elevation where he stood; and unless -they were simply messengers or spies, there must be a force behind them. -As spies, they would not have appeared in full uniform. - -When he had waited perhaps ten minutes, he discovered something moving -over the top of one of the hills south-east of him. With the utmost -eagerness he observed the spot. He could not make out anything that -looked like a road. But presently the moving object became more definite -to his gaze. He wished he had his father's field-glass; but all he could -do was to watch and wait. In a few minutes more the moving object -resolved itself into a body of mounted men. They were marching along the -summit of an elevation, and he saw them begin the descent. - -While still in sight the troop halted, and Artie concluded that the -scout who had escaped had come up with them, and was making his report. -But he could not leave yet; for it was important that he should report -the strength of the enemy, as well as his actual presence in the -vicinity. The young cavalryman had a full view of the valley into which -the troop were descending; and as soon as they marched again he -estimated, and even counted, the number of men. - -The Texans did not compel him to wait a great while, for they resumed -the march at full gallop. They had been moving at a very moderate gait -when Artie first saw them. The report of the scout doubtless assured the -officer in command that a force of Union cavalry was located near the -bridge, and he was hurrying his men forward to meet it. Artie had seen -enough to assure him of the approach of an enemy, and he started on his -return to the cross-road. He had seen the whole of the force, and had -estimated its number at forty-four men in the ranks; for he had counted -eleven sections of four in each. - -Dolly had had quite a rest while he was observing the approach of the -enemy; and, as soon as he had obtained the facts, he was in a hurry. He -urged his steed forward at her best speed. He reached the cross-road -just as Deck appeared there; for the information he brought perplexed -the captain not a little in regard to his duty under the changed -circumstances, and he had been detained to answer a great many -questions. - -"Where is Captain Truman?" shouted Artie, as soon as he was within -speaking distance of his brother. - -"He will be here in a few minutes with his men," replied Deck, who had -also remained, to have his wound properly dressed by the surgeon. "Have -you seen the enemy, Artie?" - -"I have; and they are within a mile and a half of here now," replied -Artie. "They are advancing with all speed, and they will be here in a -few minutes." - -"Here is the captain," added Deck; and a minute later the troopers were -halted. - -"Here is Artie, Captain Truman; and he has big news for you," said Deck, -who appeared to have forgotten that he was wounded. - -"Your report, Artie," demanded the captain. - -"The Texan Rangers--at least, that is what I suppose they are--will be -here in ten or fifteen minutes, if they don't stop by the way." - -"Is it a large force?" asked the captain, with some anxiety visible on -his face. - -"Forty-four men, as I estimated them, besides the officers." - -"We outnumber them, then. But I am ordered to report at the planter's -house," said the officer, who appeared to be musing upon the situation. - -He was not an experienced officer; and his mind was charged with the -idea that the soldier must obey his superior officer, though his -intellect was broad enough, and he had read in his military books that -one in command of a force must use judgment and discretion. This was -what he was thinking of when he alluded to his orders, which he would -not have done if the boys had not been the sons of the major, and he was -on very intimate terms with them. - -"But, if you obey your orders, the bridge will be destroyed, and the"-- - -"I don't intend to obey them; I am not quite blind, my boy," interposed -Captain Truman, with a smile on his face. "Less than fifty men, you say, -Artie. I made up my mind, from what Deck said, that if there was a force -approaching from that direction, the enemy were divided, and were coming -to the bridge by the two roads." - -"There must be more than forty-four men in the whole company, besides -the officers," added Artie. - -"No doubt of it," replied the captain, looking about him. - -Then he called for Lieutenant Gadbury, and sent him, with thirty men, -back to the field where they had been concealed to await the attack of -the Home Guards on the bridge. Then he ordered the rest of the men, -about forty in number, to unsling their carbines, and formed them across -the south road. In a somewhat longer time than Artie had predicted, the -head of the enemy's column, arrived at the top of the hill, where they -halted. - -A couple of officers appeared in front of the troop, and seemed to be -surveying the situation. They could see the railroad bridge, and that it -had not been destroyed by another division of the Confederates. But they -could not see the camp that had been established at the side of the -structure, for it was on much lower ground. They could also see the -cavalry of Captain Truman, stationed about six feet apart, so that they -extended both ways on the crossing along the south road. - -The Union cavalry doubtless looked like a small force to the officers -who observed it. They had the reputation of being bold and brave men, -and the order to attack was not long withheld. The officer in command -led his men down the hill at full gallop, the men yelling like so many -demons; for, at this early stage of the war, the troops of the enemy had -acquired the notion that these hideous cries would intimidate their -foes; but they did not in this instance. - -"Now, my boys, this will be no fool's play!" shouted Captain Truman at -the top of his lungs. "These troopers are not Home Guards; and there -will be fighting, and no child's play. Stand up to it like men--like -Kentuckians, and, above all, like Union men!" - -The soldiers responded with a hearty cheer; and they kept it up till the -enemy were within gunshot range, where they halted. They were formed -across the road, but with only half-a-dozen men in a rank, so that they -were still clustered in a rather solid mass. In this condition they -delivered their first volley. One of the Union men dropped from his -saddle, and only one. If others were wounded, they said nothing. The -fire was promptly returned; but, so far as could be seen, with no -greater effect than that of the Rangers. - -The Union men, as ordered, continued to fire at will; and it was soon -evident that their carbines were superior to those in the hands of the -enemy, for they discharged at least twice as many shots. The report of -the muskets had brought the force of Lieutenant Gadbury into the rear of -the enemy, and both divisions of the company were pouring bullets into -them. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -A DESPERATE CHARGE ON BOTH SIDES - - -The Texan Rangers were formed in a rather compact mass, while the Union -line was considerably extended. Captain Truman had ideas of his own; -and, though he was not a martinet, he was disposed to follow strictly -the rules and precedents of military practice. His men could not very -well fire into forty-five men huddled together in a small space without -hitting some of them. On the other hand, the enemy might discharge a -volley into his force, placed about six feet apart, with comparatively -little effect. - -He was surprised to observe how few of the Rangers fell from their -horses at the first discharge of his men; but their practice immediately -began to improve, and as soon as the detachment of Lieutenant Gadbury -dashed into the road in the rear of the enemy, the fire became very -destructive. Many of the enemy were killed and wounded, and it looked -as though they would all be destroyed. - -The Texans were brave men; they were impulsive and reckless, and they -seemed to be perfectly satisfied that they could overcome the Union -cavalry, and carry everything before them. In a few minutes it was -evident to the captain of the second company that the officer of the -enemy had made a fearful blunder, led into it by his impulsive ardor. He -had conducted his men into the fight without sufficiently understanding -the situation, and without taking the trouble to feel of the enemy -beforehand. He had rushed blindly into the engagement with a feeling of -contempt for his foe, and with the belief that the Texan cavalry could -carry everything before them. - -In a few minutes he had discovered his mistake, as he saw his men drop -before the fire in the front and rear of his force. He had been beyond -the crown of the elevation in the road when Captain Truman stationed his -flanking party behind the knoll, where they could not be seen by the -enemy. He had recklessly regarded the force in front of him as the -entire strength of his foe. - -The Rangers were between the upper and the nether millstone, as the -Home Guards had been early in the morning; and it was only a question of -time when they would all be shot down. In the village of Barcreek, -Captain Truman had won a reputation as a chess-player among the better -class of citizens who were fond of the game. He had reached the -conclusion that warfare was to be conducted on similar principles, and -he was on the lookout for an opportunity to "checkmate" his antagonist. -He had fought the battle in the morning on the plan laid down for him by -Major Lyon. - -By dividing his detachment, and placing forty of them in front of the -Texans, and spreading them out so that they appeared to be even a -smaller force, he had tempted the attack in which the enemy were -suffering so severely. It was not in the power or the nerve of any body -of soldiers to stand up against such a deadly fire from their front and -rear. They must either be shot down or surrender. It evidently had not -occurred to the lieutenant in command of the Rangers to resort to the -last expedient to save his men; but he was plainly making a movement to -extricate them from the trap into which he had so inconsiderately led -them. - -"Attention, company!" shouted Captain Truman at the top of his lungs, as -he interpreted the movement of the enemy. "Close order, march!" - -The file closed up in a more compact mass. The command was given to -sling their carbines, and to draw their sabres; and it was given none -too soon, for the captain had correctly divined the intention of the -lieutenant on the other side of attempting to cut his way through the -force in front of him. - -"Can you make out what Lieutenant Gadbury is doing, Deck?" asked the -captain, who was rather near-sighted. - -Deck and Artie had both remained near the captain; and they had not been -idle or indifferent, but acted as volunteers in the second company. - -"His men are slinging their carbines, as the enemy have done," replied -Deck. - -"We are going to have some hot work, my boy. If you are ready to return -to the first company"-- - -"I am not ready to return, Captain Truman!" exclaimed Deck. "I think you -need all the men you can have, and I shall add one to the number. I have -not heard any firing to the south of us, and I don't believe the first -company has been engaged yet." - -"But I am somewhat concerned about our prisoners at the bridge. There -are a hundred of them, or very nearly that number. They must have heard -our firing, and Lieutenant Blenks may have his hands full. You can -render better service by looking after this part of the field," added -the captain. - -"Of course I am ready to go wherever I can do the most good," replied -Deck, who could not help wondering if the captain was not sending him -out of the way because he was the major's son. - -"You are wounded, and you can be spared better than some other man. Some -of our poor fellows have bitten the dust. Ride over to the bridge; and, -if Blenks is having no trouble with the prisoners, go over to the rear -of the enemy, and direct Gadbury to follow up the charge of the Texans." - -Deck saluted the captain, and dashed down the road towards the bridge -with all the speed the willing Ceph could command. It was a few minutes -that he required to reach the position of Lieutenant Blenks, who had -heard the firing, and had drawn up his men for any duty that might be -before them. No movement on the part of the prisoners was apparent to -Deck, and they were surrounded by a guard, with their carbines in their -hands; for the officer had ordered them to be on the lookout for any -demonstration. - -"I am sent by Captain Truman to ascertain the condition of the -prisoners," said Deck, as he saluted the lieutenant. - -"The prisoners are all right," replied the officer with a smile. "As -soon as I heard heavy firing I strengthened the guards around them; for -I thought they might want to take a hand in the fight over yonder. I had -a talk with the second lieutenant of the Guards, now in command, and he -told me that a company of Texan cavalry were to have connected with his -force here." - -"But the force we have engaged cannot be more than half the company; and -all of them must have known that at least one of our companies was in -this vicinity," added Deck. - -"The lieutenant, whose name is Condor, tried to induce Lagger to wait -till they had joined their forces before he meddled with the bridge; but -he refused to do so." - -"Buck Lagger desired to win his spurs while the captain of the Guards -was absent. But you need no assistance here," added Deck, as he wheeled -his horse. - -"None at all; we could ride these fellows down in two minutes. But their -arms are loaded into our baggage wagon, and they could do nothing if -they tried," replied the officer. - -The messenger galloped up the road and into the field by the side of the -east road. It was not cultivated, though it had been years before, and -was now overgrown in places by small trees and bushes. Behind these Deck -made his way to a point abreast of the enemy. He was in time to hear the -order to charge upon the Union cavalry at the foot of the hill. The -lieutenant had evidently delayed this order for some time; for when his -men ceased to fire, the Union troopers had followed their example, and -prepared for the decisive event of the conflict. The messenger rode into -the road and saluted the officer in command of the flanking party. - -"Captain Truman's order is that you follow up the enemy in the rear as -they charge down the hill," said Deck. - -"I am all ready to do that," replied the officer, as he pointed to his -men, who sat upon their horses with their drawn sabres in their hands. - -They were not more than two hundred feet from the Texans, and Lieutenant -Gadbury had already addressed some inspiring words to them. The other -division could be plainly seen at the foot of the hill, and both parties -were observing the enemy with the most intense interest. Judging from -the impetuous and reckless conduct of the Rangers, the conclusion had -been reached on both sides to charge the foe; for any other movement -would be turning their backs to the enemy. - -During the tacit suspension of the conflict, both combatants had -improved the opportunity to care for their wounded. Two of the men only -had been killed so far, but half a dozen of them had been wounded; for -the Texans had given most of their attention to those at the foot of the -hill. Of these six, four kept in their saddles, and refused to take the -rear. The wounds were dressed as far as possible, and Dr. Farnwright was -a busy man at his post on the cross-roads. - -Suddenly the officer in command of the Texans appeared in the rear of -his force, and made a furious gesture with his sword, pointing in the -direction of Gadbury's men. This was not what was expected of the -Rangers; and for the moment all the advantage was in favor of the enemy, -so far as numbers were concerned. - -"Fours, right about, march!" shouted the Confederate lieutenant. "Now -charge with all the blood there is in you! Ride them down, and use your -sabres like men!" - -The order was promptly obeyed by the Texans, who appeared to be under -excellent discipline; but they had hardly whirled around before the -watchful eyes of Captain Truman discovered what they were doing, and his -energetic shouts of orders could be heard by the force now in front of -the Rangers. In another moment the main body of the company were -spurring their steeds with all their might up the hill. Their sabres -were in their hands, and they were using them in urging forward their -horses. They came like a whirlwind, with the captain in advance; and -there was not a man among them who would not have been ashamed to be a -laggard under such leadership. - -It was well known that there were two or more companies of cavalry from -Texas in this part of the State, and they had excited an unwholesome -dread among the citizens by their desperate bravery and their reported -prowess. In the squadron of Riverlawn cavalry, as it was sometimes -called, the troopers had talked about them a great deal, and an -emulation had been created among them to measure sabres with them. They -had the opportunity on this occasion, and the pride of every soldier had -been roused to the highest pitch. - -Though the flanking division of the company was now outnumbered for the -moment, all the Union men looked upon the change of front in the enemy -as something like the appearance of the white feather, and they were -encouraged by this phase of the combat. Lieutenant Gadbury, as soon as -he saw the change of front on the part of the Rangers, was disposed to -take the bull by the horns. - -"Open order, march!" he shouted. "Sergeant Lingall, march half the -column into the field on the left, and strike them on that side." - -With the twenty men left to him, he gave the order to move forward at a -gallop, imitating the example of the Texan lieutenant in taking his -place in advance. No mercy was shown to the poor horses, which were -goaded with sabre and spurs to their highest speed. The two divisions -were rushing upon each other with a fury that promised a tremendous -shock when they came together. Deck had placed himself in the front -rank, and added one to the number reduced by death and wounds. - -He was not a full-grown man; but he was a stout fellow, and as brave as -a lion, which he had proved on some former occasions. Ceph, his -intelligent horse, fully seconded him. The rider selected the point -where he was likely to hit. It looked to him just as though the two -officers in command would meet each other, and have a pass with their -sabres, for which they had exchanged their dress swords. But the Texan, -before the onslaught came, had moved over nearer the left flank of his -force, in order to obtain a better view of his men; but he had started -to regain his former position just as the crash of the two bodies -ensued. He was directly in front of Deck, when Captain Truman shouted to -his men to stand up to the work before them, and not yield a hair while -the breath of life was in them. - -Ceph had been ridden a great deal by his master before he became his -war-charger, and he had trained him to some tricks in which the other -horses had not been drilled. One of these was to leap over a high bar. -As the young cavalryman saw the lieutenant of the enemy directly in -front of him, he drew his rein, as Ceph had been instructed; and the -steed stood up on his hind-legs, Deck clinging with his wounded arm to -his holsters. - -The gallant charger understood that he was to leap over the object in -front of him; but it was more than he could do, and he came down with -his fore-legs over the neck of the smaller horse of the lieutenant. The -horse went down, the rider upon him, and Deck gave a sharp thrust with -his sabre at the same moment. The officer was disabled at least, and -Deck dashed over him into the thickest of the fight. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -THE YOUNG HERO OF THE BATTLE - - -The steed of the officer of the Texans was a diminutive animal, and was, -perhaps, a mustang from Mexico, a tough little beast with nearly the -endurance of a mule. Ceph, in the exercise through which his young -master put him when they were alone by themselves, had leaped quite as -high as the backbone of the officer's steed; but it was under favorable -circumstances. In the furious conflict both the rider and the steed were -excited in the highest degree. - -Ceph had failed to leap over the back of the mustang, but he had brought -him to the ground, and the lieutenant upon him; for he could do nothing -for himself, and Deck made a vigorous use of his sabre the moment the -enemy was under him, as his gallant charger sprang from the wreck he had -accomplished, and dashed forward into the _mêlée_. - -If Deck had won no prize for his sabre drill, it was only because none -was offered. He was as quick as a flash in his movements, and had a -strong arm. The Ranger nearest to his officer when the latter went down -aimed a tremendous blow at the head of the young soldier, which would -have cleft it in twain if Deck had not parried it skilfully and -powerfully. In return, he inflicted the same kind of a blow upon his -assailant, whose horse carried him out of the affray when he ceased to -direct him, and he fell to the ground at the side of the road. - -The ringing voice of the Texan officer was no longer heard in the -furious strife, and the Rangers were fighting each on his own -responsibility. Captain Truman had brought up his men, and they had made -a tremendous onslaught. The ten men sent to the flank had done their -whole duty, and Deck found not a single one of the enemy who was not -engaged in a hand-to-hand encounter with a Ranger. The enemy were -surrounded, hemmed in, and discouraged by the fall of their brave -leader. They were also outnumbered, and one of them was often engaged -with two of the Union cavalrymen. - -The Texans had assuredly done all that could be done, and it was soon -evident that they were only defending themselves till they could work -out of the desperate _mêlée_. On the flanks, as they could detach -themselves from the struggling mass, they fled into the field on the -south of the road. Such a conflict could last but a few moments, for -there was not breath enough in the human body to keep up such a strain. - -An observer would have supposed that more than half on both sides had -been killed; yet very few had fallen to the ground, and fewer still had -come out of it without wounds of greater or less magnitude. The Texans -fought to free themselves from the embrace of the Unionists, as it were; -and as soon as they had worked out of the confusion, they fled at the -best speed of their half-exhausted animals. Some one among them had -taken in the lay of the country; and they all fled in one direction, -which was towards the road by which they had come from their camp. - -The battle was fought, and the Union cavalrymen remained in possession -of the field. Most of the men were at least spotted with gore, and some -of them looked as though they had been at work in a slaughter-house. -Dr. Farnwright had already begun his work at the side of the road. Three -of the company were silent and motionless, and the surgeon had -pronounced them dead. The wagons were sent for, including those of the -Guards, and the few who were severely wounded were sent to the hospital -the surgeon had established. - -Deck had received no additional wound; and the bullet injury did not -trouble him much, for he could handle his reins with the left hand -nearly as well as ever. Artie had received three cuts upon his sword -arm, but they happened to be all slight. In fact, the soldier who had -not been damaged to some extent was hardly to be found. Only five men -had been killed, nine wounded seriously enough to disable them. - -"You seem to be all right, Deck," said Captain Truman, when they met at -the camp. - -"I am, Captain, and ready for another fight when you bring it along," -replied the young soldier, laughing, and putting a bold face on the -situation. - -"Don't be too ambitious, my boy," replied the officer, shaking his head. -"You have been reckless to-day." - -"But I have come out all right; and I don't think I was any more -reckless than the rest of the fellows," added Deck. - -"You have fought like a veteran; and I think we owe more to you for the -result of the action than to any other single individual, though all the -boys behaved like heroes, and proved that they were the equals of even -the Texan desperadoes." - -"I don't think I did anything more than the rest of our fellows," -suggested Deck; and he was not in this matter indulging in mere bravado: -he really believed he had done nothing except what came naturally to his -hands, as others had done. - -"Then I must differ in opinion from you; but while I commend your skill -and bravery, I cannot wholly approve of the gymnastics in which you -indulged at the beginning of the charge, for it was simply -recklessness," said the captain very seriously. "It is your duty to -fight courageously, my boy; but it is also a duty you owe to your -country, as well as to your father and all the members of your family, -to save your life and limbs with honor if you can." - -"Haven't I done so, Captain Truman?" asked Deck, with a very cheerful -smile on his face. "I came out with hardly a wound after the bullet hit -me in the arm at the beginning. I have nothing but half-a-dozen -scratches to show for it." - -"You were excited to the highest pitch in the affair, and you have not -got over it yet. When you do, you will feel your scratches more. But I -hope you will not be so reckless another time, my boy." - -"I didn't know I was reckless. Lieutenant Gadbury fired our blood so -that I could hardly hold in; and I went in for all I was worth, and only -did the best I knew how," replied Deck, trying to cool off his heated -blood. - -"You didn't know you were reckless, my boy!" exclaimed the captain. "You -were a volunteer in the second company, and you advanced ahead of the -first rank with the lieutenant. That was a bold exposure; but what I -particularly refer to as reckless was your attempt to leap your horse -over that of the Texan leader." - -"I did not intend to leap my horse over him; but I went for that -officer. When I came up with him, and was going to use my sabre, Ceph -thought I wanted him to leap over him, for he and I have practised -together at that a great deal. He meant right; but I knew he couldn't -clear the horse, small as he was, to say nothing of the rider. Ceph came -down upon both of them, and I drove my weapon into the officer before he -had a chance to stick me. That was the whole of it." - -"If you were not trying to make your steed leap over the horse and -rider, I will acquit you of recklessness in that particular." - -This conversation occurred as they were moving back to the camp. The -wounded on both sides were put into the wagons, the lieutenant in -command of the Rangers among the others. He was badly wounded, and his -chance of recovery was small. Those the doctor pronounced dead were -placed by the side of the road, to be disposed of later. - -"How are you now, Artie?" asked Deck, as he rode up to his brother at -the camp, and looked at him with anxiety, to ascertain the extent of his -injuries, though he looked as rosy and vigorous as usual. - -"I'm all right, Deck, though I have a lot of scratches, and a cut on the -sword arm which is beginning to make itself felt," replied his brother, -quite as cheerfully as the other. - -"I didn't see you till the affair was about over," added Deck. "But you -were putting in the dry licks as though you felt that your time for work -was very short." - -"But I saw you just us soon as we started from the cross-roads, and I -did not expect to see you come out of it alive, Deck," replied Artie; -and he could not wholly conceal the admiration he felt for his brother -since he saw him take his place in advance of his detachment, and -vanquish the Texan lieutenant almost in the twinkling of an eye. "The -captain said you were reckless at the time of it." - -"He don't say so now." - -"You tried to leap your horse over rider and steed." - -"Ceph did that on his own hook; and I could not very well help following -his lead, as I was on his back, though I had nearly slidden off when he -mounted in the air. I am not badly damaged, and I am ready to return to -the first company; I am only waiting for the captain to write a note to -the major." - -"I am all ready to go back, though I should like to have Dr. Farnwright -dress the cut on my arm before I go," added Artie. "But he is too busy -with the men who are worse off than I am, and I will let it go as it is. -But here comes the captain with a paper in his hand. I suppose father -will wonder what has become of us." - -"He must have heard the firing in this direction. Perhaps he has been -fully occupied himself, or he would have sent more men over this way." - -No effort had been used to make prisoners of any of the Texans, for the -captain had his hands full. He was satisfied that Major Lyon expected -warm work where he was, for he would not have sent for the additional -force otherwise. The rest of the company with which he had been engaged -might be at no great distance from him, and doubtless this was the force -the first company was expected to encounter. - -"Here is the letter, Deck, in which I have given a hasty statement of -the action," said Captain Truman, as he handed him the paper, which -could hardly be called a letter. "I believe we have met a portion of the -enemy he expected to engage; and probably he is not in a hurry, for we -have heard no firing at the south of us." - -"We are all ready to go; but Artie has a wound in his arm which troubles -him, and there is no surgeon with the first company," interposed Deck. - -"Farnwright!" shouted the captain, as he saw that he had just finished -his attention to one patient and was hastening to another. - -The surgeon came promptly at his call, and proceeded to dress the arm of -the wounded soldier without his dismounting from his horse. - -"I wish I had no worse cases than that, my boy," said the doctor. - -"I am sorry you have, sir," replied Artie. - -"You will be all right in a few days, my young friend; and I learn that -you have both fought like Trojans, though I believe Artie did not try to -leap his horse over any Texan's head," added Dr. Farnwright, with a look -of admiration at Deck, who appeared to have won the laurel of the day on -the field. - -"Neither did I, Doctor. If any one tried to do a big thing, it was -Ceph," protested the hero. - -"Ceph? Who is he?" - -"My horse;" and Deck hastily gave his version of the daring deed, as it -appeared to be to those who had observed it. - -But the dressing of the wound was finished, and the young soldiers -started on their return to the camp of the first company. The excitement -of the morning had subsided, and they began to feel the wear and tear to -which they had been subjected. - -"We don't get such a morning's work as this every day in the week," said -Artie as they crossed the east road. - -"But I imagine we shall get some worse days than this has been," added -Deck. "We haven't seen the end of this day yet, and we may be in another -fight before noon. I suppose these Texan troopers have been sent over -here to destroy the bridges on the railroad extending to Louisville." - -"It isn't a great while since the Confederates were trying to keep the -road open," added Artie. - -"The situation has changed since that, and we are farther along into the -war. Then they wanted to keep this road open, so that they could bring -provisions down for the use of the armies of the enemy. Now they want to -destroy them, to prevent the United States Government from sending -troops for the invasion of the Southern States," replied Deck. - -The conversation the rest of the way was in regard to the events of the -day, filled up with surmises as to what the first company was doing. -When they left Major Lyon he was on the top of the planter's house, -surveying the surrounding country, wishing to obtain the first -intelligence of the approach of the enemy. Both of the messengers -wondered that he had not seen the coming of the detachment with whom the -second company had engaged; but they concluded that the road they had -taken led them beyond certain hills in that direction. - -When the boys reached the mansion of Mr. Barkland, Major Lyon was still -on the house, and shouted to them to join him at once. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE PERPLEXING MOVEMENTS OF THE ENEMY - - -The commander of the squadron had not yet become familiar with the -trials, doubts, and anxieties of military life in the midst of actual -fighting; and though he was as calm and resolute as ever, he seemed to -the boys to be greatly disturbed about something. Thus far all the -fighting had been done by the second company; but before this time Major -Lyon had confidently expected to be engaged with the cavalry which had -encamped three miles from the mansion of the planter. - -The reputation of the Texans had been spread over this portion of the -State; and they were regarded as terrible soldiers, real fire-eaters, -and he had by no means underrated them. He had made the most careful -preparations to meet them, and had sent the two messengers to obtain a -re-enforcement from the second company, which had successfully -completed its work at the railroad bridge, and could spare a portion of -their strength. - -Deck handed his father the letter from Captain Truman as soon as he came -into his presence. The major opened it without saying a word, for he -expected it to give him the information he had been so anxiously -awaiting. The firing to which he had listened, though it was so faint -that he could hardly make it out, had assured him that something not -laid down in his programme had been in progress. While he was reading -the hurriedly written communication, Deck and Artie busied themselves in -examining the region lying to the eastward of the mansion. - -"The road by which the Texans came must be just beyond that hill, a -couple of miles from us," said Artie, as they went as far as they could -from the major. "I know I saw them come out from behind it; for I sat on -my horse, on the highest ground I crossed, watching them for some time." - -"There's father's map," added Deck, pointing to the sheet which lay on -the railing that surrounded the platform; and then he went for it. "I -wondered father did not see this force from his high perch on this -house." - -The young soldiers spread out the map, and examined it very closely. -They readily found the planter's house, and then a road, nearly parallel -to the east one, passing over several hills. The high ground, as they -made out the locality with the aid of the map, was covered with forest, -as marked and as they could see with their own eyes. - -"They went behind that highest hill, and of course they could not be -seen from the top of this house," said Deck, as he restored the map to -the place where he had found it. - -"I wonder he did not send more messengers down, to ascertain what had -become of the force he sent for," added Artie in a low tone. - -"He was expecting an engagement with the Texans all the time, and had -prepared for it, so that he did not want to spare any of his men." - -Major Lyon had finished the reading of the letter, which had evidently -given him some trouble, for it was written on horse-back with a pencil. -He had not heard the conversation of the sons, so deeply had he been -absorbed in the perusal of the missive from the bridge. - -"It appears that you have had a fight near the bridge," said he, as the -boys approached him. "Both of you are very highly commended for your -courage and steadiness, and I am glad to hear so good a report of you. -And both of you have been wounded." - -"Only some scratches, father," replied Deck. "I got one in the beginning -of the action; but it has hardly troubled me at all, and I was able to -do my duty through the whole of it. - -"Deck was the hero of the day, and the whole company are talking about -him down at the bridge," said Artie. - -"But I did no more than my brother. I think we both did our duty, if -saying that is not vanity; and we had better let it go at that," replied -Deck. - -"We will let the matter rest till another time, at least," added the -major; "for I have something else to think of just now." - -Major Lyon took his field-glass, and directed it to the south, as he had -done all the forenoon, looking for the approach of the main body of the -Texans. He scanned the region in detail, but nothing was to be -discovered. Then he proceeded to question his messengers respecting the -action, especially in regard to the manner in which it had been brought -about. - -"There is something concerning the situation here which I cannot -understand," said he, with the same perplexed look he had worn since the -arrival of the messengers. "I expected your return about two hours ago." - -"We started to come back as long ago as that," replied Deck. "When we -came to the cross-roads we discovered two mounted scouts on the east -road approaching us. One of them fired, and I was wounded in the arm. We -returned the fire, and Artie brought down one of them. The other went -back the way they had come. I returned to the camp to notify Captain -Truman, and Artie followed the retreating trooper." - -Artie related his experience in looking for the Texans, and the result -of his search. Between them both they gave the details of the fight. - -"Captain Truman stated that his orders were to join you here; but it was -plain enough to him that the camp at the bridge would be captured if he -took his force away," said Deck. - -"He did quite right; and the approach of the Texan detachment in that -roundabout way put an entirely new phase on the situation," added the -major, looking down at the roof of the building, while his brow was -wrinkled by his active reflection. "We have been waiting since daylight -for the coming of the enemy down this south road." - -"Do they know the Riverlawn Cavalry is here, father?" asked Deck. - -"Of course they know it; for it appears that they send out scouts a long -way ahead, and they must have found out that we are here. I directed -Captain Gordon to send scouts out till he discovered where the enemy -were; and it is time we had a return from them." - -"I have a return from my scouts," said Captain Gordon, springing to the -roof out of the skylight at this moment. - -"Where are the enemy now?" asked the major anxiously. - -"They were breaking camp when my men left," replied the captain. "I sent -six men, the most intelligent in the company, in charge of Sergeant -Knox, who has performed his duty very faithfully." - -"He always does. Have your six men returned?" asked Major Lyon. - -"No, sir; Knox returned alone to report. He left Sergeant Sluder and -the other four as pickets in the road a mile and a half from here, to -report the approach of the enemy if they came this way." - -"But if they were breaking camp, why have we not heard from them before -this time?" demanded the major. - -"Some of the troopers that escaped from the fight on the east road must -have reached the camp by this time," interposed Deck. "Of course they -have informed the captain of the company what happened over there." - -"What fight?" asked the captain sharply, as he turned to Deck. - -The captain had to be informed of what the major had already learned. - -"This puts an entirely different complexion on the situation," said -Captain Gordon, when he had heard something about the fight with the -Texan cavalry. "That detachment of forty-five men were sent over to the -bridge. Now, the question is, What were they sent for?" - -"I have no doubt the Texan captain is aware of the presence of the -Riverlawn squadron in this vicinity. He has found the road here picketed -by our men. It looks to me as though this detachment was sent round by -that back road to take us in the flank and rear when the main body came -down upon us in front. They have been waiting all this time for them to -get a position," said the major, with less anxiety on his face than -before. - -"But those who escaped from the fight have now given him full -information that they were beaten off by our men," suggested Captain -Gordon. "They were preparing for a move of some sort; for Knox left his -horse in the road, and made his way through fields and groves, till he -was in sight of their camp." - -"Have you anything to advise, Captain Gordon?" asked Major Lyon. - -"I think I should attack them where they are," he replied. - -"I cannot agree with you, Captain," added the superior officer. - -"But we are losing time whatever we do," said the captain. - -"We will march immediately, and with all the haste we can, to the -cross-roads. Give your orders to that effect without any delay. Send -the prisoners first, with a proper guard," said Major Lyon very -decidedly. - -By this time Captain Gordon had acquired a great deal of respect for the -judgment of the commander, even in military matters; for he had proved -himself equal to the position in which he had been placed; and, mild as -he was ordinarily, he had shown that he had a will of his own. But the -captain proceeded to obey his orders without offering any objection, and -the major had not time to explain his plans in detail. - -"Captain Truman and his detachment are coming," said Deck, who had been -using his father's field-glass for his amusement, while he listened to -the conversation at his side. - -"Mount your horse, Artie, and give him my order to return to the -cross-roads!" added Major Lyon sharply. - -Artie departed on the instant, and Deck remained on the roof. He could -see from his lofty position all that took place in the vicinity. He saw -the six prisoners, including his uncle, Captain Titus, marched down the -slope with an escort of half-a-dozen troopers. The baggage-wagons -followed them; and the company was formed in the road by fours. Captain -Gordon had hurried the preparations to the best of his ability. - -"The pickets are coming in, Dexter," said Major Lyon, as he returned the -field-glass to the case slung at his side. "You can take your place in -the ranks, my son. Whether the pickets have been sent for, or are driven -in by the enemy, I don't know. We will see when we reach the ground." - -The young man followed his father down the stairs. In the lower entry -they met the family; and the planter expressed regret that they were -about to leave the vicinity of his house. - -"I have felt that I was protected from insult and depredation while your -command was here, and I am sorry to have you go," said Mr. Barkland. - -"I am afraid we should do you more harm than good if we remained," -replied the major. "If we stayed here it might produce a fight, and that -would imperil your family. I think the enemy will be too much in a hurry -to stop to molest you if they march by this road, as they may or may -not." - -"I had hoped to see more of your son who rendered such a great service -last night," said Mrs. Barkland. - -"And I wanted to see him very much," said the daughter. - -"They have no time to meet you at present." - -"But what is the matter with your arm, Mr. Lyon?" asked Miss Barkland, -when she discovered the extra bandage which the doctor had put on -outside of his coat. - -"I got a scratch; but it wasn't the cat that did it," replied Deck, -laughing. - -"Both of my boys have been slightly wounded to-day in the action down by -the cross-roads; but they are still able to do their duty, and I thank -God it was no worse," added Major Lyon, as he took the hand of the -planter. - -They all took the hand of Deck, and repeated their thanks to him. He -followed his father out of the house, in front of which they met Knox. - -"The enemy are moving down this road, Major Lyon," said the Kentuckian -as he saluted. - -"All right; give the captain my order to march at a gallop," replied the -commander, as he mounted his own horse. - -The column moved; and the major soon reached the head of it, where he -took his place by the side of the captain. - -"The enemy have started upon this road," said he. "Whether or not they -have sent another detachment around by that back road can hardly be -known till we find them there." - -"The captain of the Texan Rangers does not seem to have any contempt for -strategy, as was reported of him," replied Captain Gordon. "I have no -doubt his scouts informed him that the Riverlawn Cavalry were in camp on -the plantation." - -"And I have no doubt now, from the way things have worked, that the -detachment were sent round to take us in the flank. They don't seem to -have made any connection with Captain Titus's company, and did not -expect to find one of our companies at the bridge." - -There was some confusion ahead, and the company were thrown back. The -column had overtaken the prisoners and the baggage. The captain sent -forward an order for both to take the side of the road. The major saw -his brother drawn up with the others, and he shouted "Noah!" as he was -passing; but the commander took no notice of him. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -A LONG WAIT FOR THE ENEMY - - -The only feeling Major Lyon had in regard to his unfortunate brother was -that of sorrow. If he had been disposed to do so, he could not leave his -soldiers to converse with him, as Titus evidently desired; for he was -hurrying the first company forward in order to unite his forces and -secure a favorable position before the enemy in his rear could overtake -him. Doubtless Titus desired to make a request of some kind; perhaps to -be set at liberty, perhaps only to demand a ration of whiskey. - -The captain was so imprudent that he was as likely as otherwise to -reproach him, call him a thief, or something of that kind, as he had -done before, in the presence of his command. He had been captured in the -act of committing a dastardly outrage, as well as being in the military -service of the enemy. He was willing to extend to him every reasonable -privilege; but he was a prisoner of war, to take the mildest view of his -condition, and the major was not a man who could be conveniently blind -to an obvious duty. - -The first company proceeded on its rapid march, and in a short time -reached the cross-roads, where it was halted, with the head of the -column near the camp at the railroad bridge. Captain Truman hastened to -the major as soon as he halted, and the commander extended his hand to -him. - -"I commend you, Captain Truman, for the good work you have accomplished; -and I thank you for the skill, courage, and devotion with which you have -done your duty. But the enemy are in motion in this direction on the -south road, and we have no time for anything but preparation for the -immediate future. It is possible that a detachment of the enemy may -approach by the east road." - -"I have a picket stationed a mile up that road, and we shall have early -notice of any force coming from that direction, Major Lyon," replied the -captain of the second company, which had just been sent back by the -order of which Artie had been the bearer. - -"Very well. You have fought a severe fight, Captain; in what condition -are your men?" inquired the commander. - -"They are in excellent condition; for they have found that they are -fully the equals of the Texans on fighting ground, and they are ready -and anxious to meet the enemy again. We have buried our dead, and our -wounded are doing well." - -Major Lyon had carefully studied the face of the country for several -miles in the vicinity of the planter's mansion, from his elevated -position on the building, and had observed it for the present situation -as he rode down from the plantation. He had confidently expected an -attack while he was near the house of Mr. Barkland. He had arranged his -plan to receive the assault; and Lieutenant Belthorpe, with one-third of -the company, had been sent around through the grove to a position behind -a knoll, which would effectually conceal him from the enemy till the -time came for him to assail the Texans in the flank and rear. - -Captain Gordon had heartily approved this plan, and they had force -enough to carry it out successfully. Major Lyon regretted very much that -the issue had not come in the manner he had anticipated. The plan -of the captain of the Rangers had evidently failed because he had not -heard from the detachment sent by the hill road, as the natives called -it. He must have had some means of knowing where this flanking party -were, or he would have moved sooner. Probably a swift rider was to have -been sent back when the force reached the cross-roads; but they had not -got so far as that. His first news must have been the defeat of this -portion of his command. - -"Captain Truman, have you noticed a considerable knoll on the left of -the south road, just above the cross-roads?" asked the major. - -"I have; and I thought of posting my reserve under Lieutenant Gadbury -there; but I found it was too far off for the time at my command," -replied the captain. - -"Can it be reached without going by the south road?" - -"Very easily; by riding through this field, where we were posted this -morning, crossing the east road, and then through a valley, which will -conceal the force till they reach the shelter of the knoll." - -"How many men can you muster in your company?" - -"About eighty, if you are to remain in this vicinity; for ten or fifteen -will be a sufficient guard for the prisoners." - -"Then you will march your available force to the point indicated. I see -that you have hoisted the American flag on the railroad bridge," added -the major. - -"It is the camp flag, and I wanted it in the most sightly place I could -find," replied the captain. - -"It will answer a double purpose, then. Could you see it from behind the -knoll?" - -"Perfectly; we did not get the flag-pole elevated till half an hour -ago." - -"I shall send Deck to lower that flag, and remain by the staff till I -give him the signal to hoist it again. Then you will march to the south -road with all speed, and attack the enemy in the rear or on the flank." - -"I understand you perfectly, Major Lyon, and your order shall be carried -out to the letter," replied Captain Truman, as he saluted, and hurried -to his company, which had been formed in the field by the side of the -road. - -"Dexter!" called the commander, when he had found his son in the ranks. - - -Both of the boys had been used as messengers during the morning, and -this service had led them into the most dangerous positions; and both of -them had fought like heroes as volunteers while their company was at the -plantation. - -Deck came out of his place in the ranks, saluted his father, and -expected to be called upon for more messenger service, hoping it would -lead him into the thickest of the action, as it had before. - -"Do you see that flag on the railroad bridge, Dexter?" asked his father, -pointing at the ensign. - -"I do; and I take off my cap to it," replied Deck, suiting the action to -the word. - -"You will go to it and haul it down, my son." - -"Haul down the American flag!" exclaimed Deck. - -"As long as it is not for a surrender or the abandonment of the camp, -you need have no scruples about it," replied the major, with a smile at -the boy's objection. "You will obey the order, and you will remain at -the staff. When you see me wave my handkerchief three times in the air, -you may set your conscience at ease by hoisting the flag again." - -The commander made the signal over his plumed hat, so that the -messenger would be able to recognize it when it was given in the fight, -if there should be one, of which he was not altogether sure after the -disappointment of the morning. - -"I shall see that signal from the bridge if it is made three miles off." - -"Keep your eyes wide open after the engagement begins; for it is a -signal, really an order from me, of the utmost importance, and the -result of the action may depend upon it," added the major very -impressively. "I have called upon you for this service because I know I -can depend upon you, Dexter." - -"Of course I shall do my duty and obey my orders to the best of my -ability," replied Deck; but judging from the expression on his face he -was not pleased with the mission assigned to him. - -"You can go to the bridge at once; but you will not haul the flag down -till I make the signal agreed upon to you," added Major Lyon. - -"But, father, do you expect to fight this battle without me?" asked -Deck, with a very cheerful smile on his face; and he would not have said -as much as that to any other person, even as a joke. - -"You have made yourself the hero of the day, and perhaps you ought to -have a little rest," replied his father, quite as cheerfully as the son, -for he took the question as it was intended. - -"I don't exactly like the idea of squatting on that bridge, and looking -on while there is any fighting going on," continued the young soldier. - -"But the position to which I have assigned you is one of the most -important on the field. I can trust you to be watchful, while another, -interested in the action, might neglect his duty." - -"I have nothing more to say, father," replied Deck, as he rode off in -the direction of the bridge. - -Major Lyon had made his dispositions and issued his orders before he -spoke to his son. Captain Truman was galloping over the field towards -the east road, with sixty men, which was the number finally designated -for the service at the knoll. Captain Gordon had posted his men along -the roads and the adjoining fields. The baggage-wagons and the prisoners -had arrived from the plantations, and Captain Titus had an opportunity -to rejoin his company; but the glory of his military life seemed to have -passed away. He was treated the same as the rest of the prisoners, and -no one took any notice of him. He was not in good odor even in his own -company; for his men declared that he had deserted them the night -before. - -The enemy had not yet appeared; and even the pickets that had been -posted a mile down the south road had not been driven in, which would be -the first indication that hostilities were at hand. Those from the -second company who were scouting the east road had not been heard from; -and they had been ordered to proceed as far as a certain hill, where -Artie had first seen the detachment sent that way. - -Noon came, and the soldiers ate their dinner from their haversacks, and -the horses took their oats from the grass. It was a very quiet time, and -the Riverlawn battalion would have been glad to receive an order to -march upon the enemy wherever they could be found. They were impatient -for something to do, especially the first company, which had not yet -seen any fighting. - -Major Lyon improved his time as he took his lunch with Captain Truman, -in listening to a fuller report of the action on the east road. The -commander asked particularly in regard to the lieutenant who had fallen -under the onslaught of Deck Lyon. He had been wounded in the chest by a -ball, and he had gone down from a cut of the young soldier's sabre. He -had been stunned by the blow, and left on the field. But he had been -conveyed to the camp in the wagon with other wounded men, and the -surgeon had dressed his wounds. He believed he would recover. - -"I should like to see that man," said the major. - -"I saw him walking about the shanty hospital not long ago. I spoke with -him, and he is a very gentlemanly fellow. You can send for him if you -wish, Major. But it is time for me to join my company, as I sent the men -in charge of Lieutenant Gadbury; for I had to give some orders in regard -to the prisoners." - -"I will not send for him; but I will ride down to the hospital, which is -only a few rods from the cross-roads. Captain Gordon, I wish to have -some one near me to carry my orders, if need be," said the commander, as -Captain Truman rode off. - -"Your orderly?" asked the captain. - -"I prefer Artie Lyon; I have already sent Dexter on duty upon the -bridge. I am going down to the hospital; send me notice at once if any -movement is apparent." - -Artie was sent to him at once; but Deck had told him where he was going, -and he hoped he would not be sent to join him. He followed his father to -the hospital, where Dr. Farnwright received him. He asked for the Texan -lieutenant; and the surgeon pointed him out, seated on a log at the side -of the road. - -"This is Major Lyon, commanding the squadron," said the doctor, -introducing him. - -The officer rose from his seat, and saluted the major very politely. - -"This gentleman is Lieutenant Makepeace, of the Texan Rangers," added -the surgeon. - -"That does not sound like a Southern name," replied Major Lyon, and he -took the hand of the wounded officer. - -"I am a Northern man; but my home has been in Texas for seven years, -though I came from a New England State." - -"I regret to see you on the wrong side in this war, though I am sorry -that you have been wounded." - -"I don't know exactly how I came in this service; but I was very near -being elected to the captaincy of this company, though I am not a -Texan." - -"Who is the commander of the company?" - -"Captain Dingfield." - -"There comes the picket down the hill!" exclaimed Artie, who had -discovered half-a-dozen men running their horses down the descent. - -"Then I must leave you; but I shall see you again," added the major, as -he dashed up the road at full speed. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -THE AMERICAN FLAG ON THE BRIDGE - - -As Major Lyon rode out from the hospital he encountered Sergeant Sluder -pressing his horse to the best of his speed; but it was hardly necessary -for him to deliver the message of which he was the bearer, for there was -movement enough among the men to assure him that the enemy were -approaching, even if Artie had not seen the return of the pickets. - -The major waved his handkerchief three times above his plumed hat, and -the American flag came down at once on the bridge. Deck had not fallen -asleep at his post, though he found the situation very monotonous. The -sergeant reached the commander, and delivered a message from Captain -Gordon. The major had never been in a regular battle, only in the -affairs with the ruffians at Riverlawn and Lyndhall. - -In fact, there had been nothing in the present campaign which could -properly be called a battle. The second company had done all the -fighting so far. At the bridge a few shots had demoralized the Home -Guards; and though the action in the road had been severe, it was hardly -more than a skirmish. But the commander had proved before that he had -abundance of courage, though he had engaged in less actual fighting than -his two sons. - -Major Lyon reached the position of Captain Gordon just as the pickets -came in, headed by Life Knox. The men were all in position, and those of -the first company were eager for the conflict; for they had done -nothing, and rather envied their companions in the second company, who -had fought and won a victory against a portion of the enemy. They were -very much excited, and it would have suited them better if their captain -had led them in a charge at once against the Texans; for the most trying -position of the ordinary soldier is when he is in the presence of the -enemy, and is permitted to do nothing but wait; and they had been doing -that all day. - -"You have been driven in, Knox," said Captain Gordon, as the sergeant -saluted him. - -"Not exactly driven in, Captain," replied the Kentuckian with a cheerful -smile, as though events were not moving half fast enough for him. "The -Texicans are marching as though they were going to a funeral, and they -don't seem to be in no hurry to git here." - -"But you came down the slope as though you were not going to a funeral," -added the captain. - -"Where are the enemy now, Knox?" asked the major. - -"They are about half-way betwixt here and the mansion-house of the -planter. I didn't hurry up to tell you they were coming, but to let you -know that I had seen a force over on the road in the hills. I thought I -saw something moving; and I climbed to the top of the tallest tree I -could find, on the highest ground 'twixt here and the planter's house." - -"What did you see?" demanded the major. - -"I got a look through a small notch between two hills, and I saw some -cavalry pass along; but I reckon I saw only the tail end on 'em, for -they was out o' sight in two seconds, and I couldn't find nothin' more -on 'em. I knew then why the company wasn't in no hurry." - -"Then, I suppose we are in no hurry," added the major. "I see that -Captain Dingfield intends to carry out his plan as he laid it out for -this forenoon." - -"Who?" asked the captain. - -"Captain Dingfield, who commands the Texans; I learned his name from the -lieutenant who was wounded. I hardly supposed he would send another -flanking party by that road," replied Major Lyon, "This news calls for -some change in our plans." - -"I reckon that captain on the south road hain't got over fifty men with -him, if he has that," continued the sergeant. - -"How could you estimate the number, Knox," asked the captain. - -"When I am sent out scouting, I generally find out all I can," replied -the sergeant, who looked as though he felt that the correctness of his -information had been questioned. - -"We know you do, Knox; and we only want to know your means of arriving -at a conclusion, in order to judge of the accuracy of your report," the -captain explained. - -"I looked them over when I climbed the tree," continued the scout with -energy. "The force was just coming round a bend in the road down a hill, -and I counted in fours up to forty. I don't know how many scouts they -had out ahead, but I added ten to what I had counted." - -"I have no doubt you are quite correct, Sergeant," added the captain. "I -did not doubt your statement in the first place, and I was only curious -to know how you were able to make up your estimate." - -"I saw that six of you came down the hill together; have you left no -pickets in front of the company?" inquired the major. - -"The captain gave me nine men to scout the region over there, and six of -'em have come in, for I thought they might be wanted," answered Knox. - -"You knew that we had nearly two hundred men at this point," suggested -the major, who realized that the sergeant had something in his mind to -which he was slow to give utterance. - -"If this is a council of war, Major Lyon, I ain't in it, and I've told -all I know," replied Knox. "I have reported that the Texicans is divided -into two bodies, one on 'em comin' down the south road slower'n cold -molasses runs, and the other's movin' over the hill road; and I reckon -they ain't goin' to no funeral over yonder." - -"In other words, you think the two divisions of the enemy intend to -attack at the same time," added the major. - -"What be they goin' over that way for if that ain't what they mean?" -asked the Kentuckian in answer to the question. "But I don't feel sartin -that they mean to come down here by the east road." - -"What else can they do?" inquired the major, much interested in drawing -out the sergeant. - -"I don't reckon I'd better say anything more. I obey orders, but I don't -give none," answered Knox, who was evidently afraid of thrusting himself -into the counsels of his superiors. "Captain Dingbat"-- - -"Dingfield," interposed the captain with a smile. - -"Captain Dingfield sent them men over here to knock down and burn that -bridge; and I reckon he's go'n' to do it if he can." - -"And I am sent here to prevent him from doing it; and I shall do so if I -can. You may speak out loud, Knox, just what you wish to say," said the -major rather impatiently. - -"If you look at that map you had on the housetop, you will see that the -hill road crosses the east road, just as this south one does here. Ain't -that so, Artie? You have been over there, they say," said the sergeant, -appealing to the major's aid. - -"It does; I was up there some time this morning; but I don't know where -it leads to," replied Artie. - -"It stands to reason that it crosses this railroad somewhere within five -miles of this cross-road. That's the way the Texicans are coming down -here to destroy the bridge. I've said my say, and I hain't got nothin' -more to say," added Knox, wheeling his horse out of the circle that -surrounded the commander. - -"Artie, do you know where Captain Truman is posted with his command?" -asked the major in rather hurried tones. - -"I do not," replied the aid, as he had now practically become, though -the position was not regular for a private. - -The commander pointed out the knoll behind which the captain's force had -been sent. - -"Follow the east road till you can see behind that hill. Captain Truman -is there, and you can readily find him," continued Major Lyon. "Give -him my order to move his command out to the east road, and there await -further orders." - -Artie's steed was well rested after his several forenoon jaunts, and he -went up the slope of the road like the wind. Sergeant Knox had retired -from the immediate presence of the superior officers, afraid that he was -getting to be too forward for his rank. He believed that the force -moving by the hill road had been ordered to the railroad. While the -major was not disposed to accept his view in full, he intended to be -prepared for a movement of the kind suggested by the Kentuckian. - -"What do you think of the idea advanced by Knox, Captain Gordon?" asked -the commander. - -"Of course it is possible that he has correctly divined the intention of -the enemy," replied the captain. "But it would not be wise to ignore the -enemy in front of us." - -"I have no intention of doing so; for I have ordered Truman to the east -road, in readiness to act to the north of us, while we give our -attention to the enemy in front of us. We have men enough to annihilate -this force, if it is no larger than Knox states." - -"I believe he is entirely correct in his figures; and I am inclined to -have considerable confidence in his theory of Captain Dingfield's plan." - -"Probably we have double the force of the enemy in this vicinity; and it -would be a crying shame if the bridge were destroyed because we were -outmanoeuvred," said the major, with more than usual vigor in his -speech. "There is the structure within a quarter of a mile of us, and I -wonder if they intend to destroy it under our very eyes. But where are -the Texans in front of us? Even at a funeral march they ought to be near -enough by this time to send in our pickets." - -"It begins to look as though they were amusing us while they were making -arrangements to burn the bridge elsewhere," replied Captain Gordon, -quite as anxious about the situation as his superior. "Artie has made -quick work of his orders, for Captain Truman is half-way to the road, -just coming out from behind the hill." - -Major Lyon thought of Deck on the bridge in this connection, and looked -in that direction. The signal for Captain Truman's command to move into -the rear of the force advancing by the south road would not be needed. -If he deemed it advisable, he could send part of the first company to a -point near the road he had already selected. He rode to a place where -the ground was a little higher than where the conference had taken -place, and there made the signal above his plume upon which he had -agreed with Deck and the captain of the second company. He repeated it -till he had made it three times; and he could not help thinking what a -relief it would be to his son to be permitted to leave this solitary -post. - -"A cheer for the American flag, which will be hoisted on the railroad -again in a moment!" shouted Major Lyon to the soldiers near him; and the -word was passed along through the column. - -The cavalrymen were always ready to cheer the flag; and in a few moments -the eyes of the entire company were fixed upon the flagstaff on the -bridge. The major watched it with as much interest as any one present; -and he was ready to join in the cheer, and to lead it off. He waited -patiently for a couple of minutes, and then he wondered if his son had -gone to sleep at his solitary vigil; for the flag did not mount to the -proud position it had held before it was lowered. - -Major Lyon waited full five minutes, but no flag appeared. He could not -understand it after the careful charge he had given Deck in regard to -the importance of the position to which he had been assigned. It was -fortunate that the plan of receiving the assault had been changed; for -Captain Truman's command would have remained behind the hill, and out of -sight of the conflict, if there had been one, while his men were needed -in the road. - -As the hoisting of the flag was no longer needed as a signal, the major -was not inclined to say anything about his son's failure to do his duty; -for all his men might be needed at any moment to repel an attack on the -south road, and another on the east road. But he was very indignant, as -well as very much grieved, at Deck's neglect of duty; for it did not -occur to him that there could be any excuse for or justification of the -boy's conduct. - -Major Lyon used his field-glass diligently for some time, while he was -waiting for the appearance of the first company's pickets, as he had not -thought to do at first. With this aid he examined the top of the bridge -very closely; but he could see nothing of the absent soldier. It did not -enter his mind that anything could have happened to the young man, for -the bridge was a high one, and in sight of all in the ranks, and in the -camp on the shore of the creek; though the stream was large enough to be -called a river in any Northern State. - -Close by the flagstaff, over the abutment of the bridge, was a high -fence extending a short distance. Some thought it had been built where -the snow was troublesome in winter; others, that it was the side of a -shanty which had stood there, and only the roof and ends had been -removed. If Deck was not behind this fence, he was not on the bridge, -was the conclusion of his father. But a movement on the east road called -his attention away from the subject. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -THE EXPLOSION ON THE BRIDGE - - -The movement on the east road, where the fight of the morning with the -Texans had taken place, was occasioned by the simultaneous arrival of -the second company from behind the knoll, and the hasty return of the -pickets from the hill region. The former was there in accordance with -the order of which Artie was the bearer to Captain Truman; but the -latter event was the more important, inasmuch as it promised to reveal -the operations of the enemy, which had hitherto been concealed. - -The sergeant in charge of the picket reported in hot haste to the -captain of the second company, by whom he had been sent out; and a -moment later Artie was flying down the hill to the major, with the -substance, in a short sentence, of the intelligence brought in. The -commander had noticed the rapid movement on the road, though Captain -Truman had come out of the field half a mile from the cross-roads. The -pickets came at a furious gallop; for the sergeant, though not admitted -to the counsels of the officers, was intelligent enough to understand -the importance of his report. - -Major Lyon, though he had begun to be alarmed at the non-appearance of -Deck on the bridge, hastened back to the cross-roads, where Artie soon -rode up to him. The delay of the enemy on the south road was generally -understood to be caused by the non-arrival of an expected detachment -from the hills. The major knew what the report of the pickets would be -before it was brought to him; for his impression was that Life Knox was -correct in his interpretation of the intention of the enemy. The -disappearance of Deck confirmed his belief that operations had actually -commenced on the bridge. - -"The pickets report that a detachment of about fifty has marched north -by the hill road!" shouted Artie, as soon as he came within speaking -distance of his father. - -"Ride back; give Captain Truman my order to march his command to the -cross-roads!" added Major Lyon with more than usual energy, though he -was still as cool and self-possessed as he had been all day. - -Artie wheeled his horse, and in a moment he was running Miss Dolly up -the slope at a breakneck speed. - -"Captain Gordon!" called the major as he rode toward him. - -The captain dashed up to him on the instant. - -"Send Knox and his scouts to me!" added the commander. - -The Kentuckian and the men he had selected for the service in which he -had been engaged were at hand; and Knox saluted the major, in readiness -for any duty upon which he might be sent. - -"Ride to the bridge! Leave your horses below! Get up to the track with -all the haste you can make! Deck was stationed there to hoist the flag -at a signal from me, which I have made several times; but he does not -obey the order, and I begin to fear that something has happened to him," -said the major in hurried tones. - -"I'll find him if he is there!" exclaimed Knox, with an expression of -determination on his face. - -"I think you will find a small force of the enemy near the bridge, Knox. -Don't fall into any trap; I will have at least half a company up there -in a few minutes." - -"I will keep my eyes wide open, Major," replied the Kentuckian, as he -rode off towards the bridge. - -"Captain Gordon, send Lieutenant Belthorpe with half your company to the -bridge. Just beyond the camp he will find a practicable road up the -embankment. He will be in abundant season to receive the force -approaching by the hill road." - -The captain saluted his superior, and made no reply. It was evident -enough to the commander that Captain Dingfield had been on the alert, -and that he intended to destroy the bridge even in the face of, and -under the very eyes of, the Riverlawn Cavalry, of double his own -strength, though he might not be aware of its numbers. If Major Lyon did -not manifest his chagrin and annoyance at the present situation, he felt -it none the less. - -He realized that Captain Dingfield had been amusing him all day with the -prospect of a fight, while he was carrying out his plan for destroying -the bridge. It was all plain enough to him now, and he wondered that he -had not placed a guard on the bridge early in the morning. It looked now -like a serious omission; but he hoped it was not too late to remedy the -defect in his plan. What had become of Deck was a mystery he could not -fathom. - -After the hauling down of the flag, the major had been too fully -occupied elsewhere to think of the bridge, and he had not even glanced -at it till he made the signal. It had not occurred to him that the -structure could be in any danger while his squadron was in sight of it. -He watched the force of Lieutenant Belthorpe as they hurried by the road -to the point where they could ascend to the track, and he believed he -had done all that was necessary to save the bridge from destruction. - -Captain Truman was approaching the cross-roads with his company, and the -attack of Captain Dingfield might be expected very soon. It was -necessary to make a new arrangement of the troops. The major had already -formed his plan, and he wheeled his horse to join Captain Gordon and -give his orders. At this moment an explosion rent the air, which made a -great deal of noise, though it had not the volume of an earthquake. - -Major Lyon turned his head, expecting to see the bridge a wreck, with -the fragments of it flying in the air. He looked for Knox and his -companions, who had been ordered to climb upon the bridge without -waiting to ride around to the embankment. They had not yet mounted the -abutment, and were then securing their horses near the bank of the -creek. But the bridge was not a wreck, though some timbers and planks -had been elevated in the air; but most of the matter that was thrown up -appeared to be earth and stones. - -But where was Deck? Even with the pressure of duty upon him, he could be -excused for thinking of his son, who had so strangely disappeared. He -watched the movements of Knox and his men. If they had been a couple of -minutes later they might have been hurled from the high structure by the -force of the explosion. But he was greatly relieved when he saw that -they were not harmed, or at least not disabled; for he saw the tall -Kentuckian running with all his might to the abutment, followed by -his five men. They were all there, and they began to climb up the wall. - -[Illustration: "Sling carbines! Charge them!"] - -Something like a shout from the direction of the cross-roads attracted -the major's attention at this moment. Wheeling his horse again, he saw -the pickets rushing down the hill beyond which they had been observing -the enemy on their "funeral march." Their return could mean but one -thing, which was that Captain Dingfield's command were advancing. - -Lieutenant Belthorpe was hurrying his force to the embankment; and if -there were any Rangers there, he would soon confront them. Knox and his -companions had reached the top of the bridge, and all of them were -busily engaged about something; but the observer could not tell what it -was, though the appearance of several small volumes of smoke indicated -that the Texans had started several fires on the wooden structure. - -The head of the enemy's column had not yet appeared on the hill which -shut off the view of the planter's mansion, and there was time enough -for the major to make the dispositions of his force. Half of the first -company were left, and the whole of the second, except the twenty men -doing guard duty at the camp. The commander had in the neighborhood of -a hundred and twenty-five men on the spot; and with this force he could -soon annihilate the fifty troopers, more or less, who were marching to -the attack, or were supposed to be doing so. - -"Captain Gordon, take what is left of the first company, and make a -detour to that hill on the right of the road. It is nothing more than a -knoll; and you will attack them on the flank as soon as Truman engages -them in the road," said the major. - -"I was thinking of suggesting that as soon as you sent for Captain -Truman at the knoll on the other side of the road," replied the captain, -when he had ordered Gilder, his second lieutenant, to march the platoon -to the place indicated. - -"I have no doubt that explosion was the signal for the advance of -Captain Dingfield," added the major, as he looked back at the bridge, -where the sergeant and his men were still at work. - -"It looks so; and the Rangers must have had some men over near the -bridge who got up that attempt to blow it up. But it looks as though it -was a failure," replied Captain Gordon, as he rode off to join his -command. - -Captain Truman, with about seventy-five troopers, was at the -cross-roads, waiting for orders. The major directed the head of the -company to place the troopers in the road and at the side of it, with -their carbines unslung. The commander had sent Artie for a sabre; and he -had taken possession of it, indicating that he did not intend to be an -idle spectator to the conflict if his personal service was needed. - -"Can I take my place in the ranks where I belong, father?" asked Artie. - -"No, my son; I may want you at any moment to carry an order," replied -Major Lyon; and possibly he thought this might be the only son left to -him since the disappearance of Deck. - -"There comes the head of the column!" exclaimed Captain Truman. - -"Have your men all ready to fire, Captain," added the major. "But don't -be in a hurry to do so. I will give you the order." - -It was no longer a funeral march on the part of the enemy, for they were -forcing their steeds to the utmost. The captain was in front of his -platoon, and that was all the men he had. He had lost one lieutenant at -the first action, and probably he had been compelled to send the second -with the detachment by the hill road. - -"It looks as though they intended to begin with a charge," said Captain -Truman. - -"Perhaps the captain will change his mind before he has gone much -farther," replied the major very quietly. - -The soldiers acted as though they were very impatient. The major thought -the Texan captain was reckless, and was making use of fire-eating -tactics instead of cool military judgment. Possibly he expected to be -able to cut his way through the force in front of him, and join the one -he had sent to the bridge by the hills. - -Probably Captain Dingfield had not a little of the contempt for Northern -soldiers which pervaded the ranks of the Confederate army at the -beginning of the war. He was a brave and impulsive man, and doubtless -believed that a vigorous charge would drive the Riverlawn Cavalry out of -his way, as he would brush away the flies that annoyed him when he read -his newspaper. The fact that one portion of his company had been soundly -whipped and driven from the field appeared to have no influence over -him. - -"Now is your time, Captain Truman," said the major, who had waited till -the enemy were more than half-way down the hill. "Have your men take -good aim, and fire." - -The captain gave his orders with a vim which indicated his impatience to -begin his work. The carbines were all discharged almost as one, and the -road was filled with the smoke of the volley; but the breeze was fresh -enough to drive it away in a moment. At least seventy-five balls had -been sent into the midst of the fifty men, and the troopers had been -trained to do good work with their carbines. - -As the smoke cleared away, it was seen that a number of the Texans had -fallen from their horses, while others were reeling in their saddles. A -couple of minutes later another volley was heard at the right of the -road, and more of the cavalrymen went down. The major could not see the -command of Captain Gordon, but he had been prompt in the discharge of -the duty assigned to him. - -"Sling carbines! charge them!" said the major. - -The order was promptly obeyed, and the commander rode forward with the -captain of the second company. But in a minute more there was nothing -there to charge. What was left of the enemy suddenly wheeled their -horses and began a retreat in hot haste. If they had not done so not one -of them would have been left to contest the field in five minutes more. - -The first company were just breaking out of the field when the second -came up, and Major Lyon ordered the captain of the second to halt. -Riding forward, he directed Captain Gordon to pursue the discomfited -troopers, and capture them if he could. The fight was ended practically; -and it had been little better than a slaughter, all owing to the -reckless course of Captain Dingfield. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -THE CONFUSION OF THE DAY EXPLAINED - - -A single volley from each company of the Riverlawn Cavalry proved to be -enough to settle the affairs of the enemy in front. Major Lyon looked -about him in the road, and he was surprised to find but eight forms -lying on the ground. How so many bullets could have been fired into -fifty men with no greater loss of life seemed strange to him; but he was -just beginning to obtain his experience. The result did not prove that -only that number had been hit; for the number lying in the road did not -fully indicate the enemy's loss. - -Captain Gordon began a vigorous pursuit of the retreating enemy; but -they had the start of him by at least a mile, for he had met with some -obstructions in reaching the road after his men had delivered their -fire. Both the pursuers and the pursued disappeared behind the hill, and -there was nothing more that the second company could do. The major had -looked over those left upon the field, to ascertain if the captain was -among them; but he was not. - -"Captain Dingfield was a bold and reckless officer; and, as he rode at -the head of his troop, I wonder that he is not lying here with the -others who dropped from their horses," said Major Lyon, as he surveyed -what had not yet ceased to be a sad sight. - -"He was exceedingly fortunate to escape, though he may have carried off -with him half-a-dozen bullets in his body," replied Captain Truman. - -"Either he had no idea of how many men we have, or he intended to make -only a demonstration against us, to enable the force he had sent to the -bridge to finish their work," added the major. "The explosion seems to -have been the signal for him to advance; and I am inclined to believe he -intended only to prevent me from using my force to interfere with the -work of those he had sent for the destruction of the bridge. Fortunately -that matter had been attended to, and Belthorpe has men enough to -overcome that sent by the hill road." - -"I should say that Dingfield had been thoroughly and completely routed," -replied Captain Truman with more enthusiasm than the major could feel; -for the latter realized that the bridge had narrowly escaped destruction -in the very face of his squadron, and under their very eyes. - -"I don't know yet," he returned. "We can tell better about that when we -have ascertained the condition of the bridge." - -"We can still see it, and it does not appear to have suffered any very -serious injury." - -"March your company back to the cross-roads, Captain Truman. We shall -soon learn what more we have to do. The bridge does not appear to have -suffered much, as you suggest," added the commander as he rode down the -hill, with Artie at his side. - -"What do you suppose has become of Deck, father?" asked the young man; -and there was a look of great anxiety on his face. - -"I don't know, and I cannot conjecture," replied the father with a blank -look at the inquirer. "I saw him lower the flag as I had ordered him to -do. It did not occur to me that there could be any movement in progress -there then. For the next hour or more I had enough to think of near the -cross-roads, and I don't know that I looked at the bridge once in that -time; certainly not with the expectation of seeing anything there." - -"I can't understand it at all, father," added Artie; and he looked as -though the tears might easily come into his eyes, for they had been -together from their childhood, and had always been greatly devoted to -each other. - -They had never been known to quarrel with each other, though each was -rather tenacious of his own opinion. Deck was not his own brother, only -his cousin, though the fraternal feeling had always been as warm and -earnest as though they had been born of the same father and mother. -Since the troubles in the vicinity of Riverlawn had begun, and they had -served side by side in the fights with the ruffians, as well as in -drilling together for three months, the tie that united them had become -even more intimate. Artie was fearfully anxious in regard to the fate of -his brother; and his father was not less so, though he was more -successful in concealing his feeling. - -"I cannot understand it any better than you can," replied the major. "If -I had thought of his safety at all, I should have considered him as -more secure on the bridge than at the cross-roads, where we were liable -to confront the enemy at any moment. Dexter had been so forward in the -action on the east road, that I felt rather relieved to think that he -was in a safe place. I wished him to do his duty faithfully; but he rode -into the front rank of the company, being a volunteer, and threw -himself, horse and all, upon the lieutenant in command of the enemy." - -"I saw him do that myself, though Deck says Ceph tried to leap over the -officer's horse of his own accord," added Artie. "There must have been -some of the enemy's men on the bridge when we supposed there was no one -there." - -"For my part, I did not suppose anything at all about it, as I have said -before; but I am confident now there must have been some of the Texans -there, or men in their employ," continued the major. "It appears that -the farther abutment of the bridge had been mined, though the work must -have been done at the top. It seems to have been badly done, as though -the workmen were laboring under great disadvantages." - -The father and son could explain nothing; for they had nothing to base -their opinions on, the explosion and the smoke of the fires being all -the facts in their possession. Life Knox and his scouts had doubtless -obtained some information by this time which would enable them to -conjecture the fate of poor Deck. They continued on their way, with the -second company just behind them. There was nothing to be done, unless it -was to send a re-enforcement to Lieutenant Belthorpe, though it was -doubtful if he had encountered the enemy. - -As soon as Major Lyon and Artie reached the hospital they heard a -vigorous yell, which seemed to come from the guards in charge of the -camp. It was immediately followed by a hearty cheer from the second -company. Both father and son looked about them without being able to see -anything to call forth these cheers. - -"Up goes the flag, father!" shouted Artie, who had directed his gaze -where others were looking, and saw that the American flag had just been -hoisted on the pole upon the bridge. - -"Always a welcome sight, but more so now than usual," added the major, -as he raised his field-glass and directed it to the flagstaff. "I see -the tall form of Sergeant Knox at the halyards, and he has done this -thing. I pray that it may be the herald of good news in regard to -Dexter." - -"Do you suppose the flag means that he has found Deck, father?" asked -Artie, as a flood of hope flashed through his mind. - -"It is impossible to tell what it means; but the sergeant seems to be -climbing down the wall, and he will soon be here," replied the major. - -Artie started his horse, with the evident intention of going to the -bridge; but the major called him back, and directed him to wait where he -was till Knox joined them. - -"I may want you at any moment," said the father. "I have been using you -and Dexter as my orderlies, and I appoint you to that position now." - -"Is there any news from up above, Major Lyon?" asked the wounded -lieutenant, who had walked to the spot where the commander stopped his -horse. "I heard a volley a little while ago; has there been another -engagement?" - -"A very brief one," replied the major. "It was very soon decided, for -Captain Dingfield retreated as soon as he had received our fire." - -"Captain Dingfield!" exclaimed the wounded lieutenant; "that is not at -all like him." - -"It was the only thing he could do. He left eight of his men in the -road, where they dropped from their horses; and of course he led away -many others with bullets in their bodies. I should say that Captain -Dingfield had been a very reckless commander, and I was almost sure I -should find his body among the killed; but it was not there, and I -suppose he is still carrying it with him." - -"We did not expect much of any difficulty in this expedition, and we -were satisfied that we could ride over the Home Guards we heard had been -sent here to protect the bridges," replied Lieutenant Makepeace rather -languidly, for he had been severely wounded. - -"I have a squadron of United States cavalry under my command," said the -major proudly. - -"So I discovered this forenoon; not that you had a squadron here, but -that the troopers were regular cavalrymen; and I must say that no men -ever fought better, for my command were beaten and driven off in less -time than it takes to tell of it," added the prisoner with an attempt to -smile. "But two full companies were sent over here, though I have not -yet been able to find the other." - -"But the other company is here," said Major Lyon. - -"Where?" - -"There they are," answered the commander, pointing to the camp. "They -are prisoners of war now." - -"That accounts for it." - -"That company were Home Guards in the first of it, but now they have -become regular Confederate soldiers." - -"They have made a mess of this expedition." - -"I suppose you have a force over at the north end of the railroad -bridge, lieutenant," said the major very quietly, and not expecting the -prisoner would answer the question. - -"If there is, it has been sent there since I was wounded. Everything has -worked very differently from what we expected; for Captain Dingfield -talked the whole thing over with me. We have fought the battle, and lost -it. I suppose there is no harm in comparing notes after the affair is -finished." - -"I should think not; for I don't believe you can give me any -information that will be useful to me now," replied the major. - -"We ascertained that your company was camped near that plantation; and -we had no idea that you had more than one. We believed the company sent -from Bowling Green, which we have not seen yet, for we have not been -there, was posted somewhere on what is called the east road. Dingfield's -plan was to march down by the south road, use up your company near the -plantation, and then effect a junction with the infantry company for the -destruction of the bridge, which is said to be a matter of great -importance to the South." - -"I should say that it was; and my orders came from the general in -command to prevent it," interposed the major. - -"I was sent by Captain Dingfield round by the hill road, to attack you -in the rear while he took you in front. As I said, we had no suspicion -that you had another company of cavalry here. One of my scouts was shot, -and is in this hospital with me. The other came back to me. But he had -seen only two troopers; and I decided to push on, especially as I had -four bridge-builders with me." - -"Four bridge-builders!" exclaimed the major, "And what became of them?" - -"I was ordered to send them by the nearest road to the bridge; and I was -told, when I inquired on the way, that the hill road was the shortest -cut to it. They had a six-mule wagon with them, containing their tools, -tents, blasting-powder, and provisions. I came down the east road with -my force, while they continued on their way by the hill road. My force -was defeated as we approached the cross-roads, where I was to turn up." - -"I waited all the forenoon and some of the afternoon for Captain -Dingfield to attack me," said the major. - -"The bridgemen made us late in starting, and the mules delayed us for -hours on the road. Our surprise was in finding a whole company waiting -for us at the cross-roads, where we had anticipated no obstacle." - -The arrival of Knox prevented the major from obtaining any further -information from the obliging lieutenant; but later in the day he -explained his own operations to him. The capture of Captain Titus's -company early in the morning, and the superior force of the loyal -troops, had saved the bridge, though there was still an enemy to fight -by the force of Lieutenant Belthorpe. - -The account of the bridge-builders threw some light on the disappearance -of Deck Lyon. It was evident that they had attempted to destroy the -bridge; but when Knox reported to the major, he was compelled to -acknowledge that he had been unable to find him, or to obtain any -intelligence of him. But Deck had had a lively experience, and it -becomes necessary to return to him while engaged in his solitary vigil -at the foot of the flagstaff. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -INTRODUCING MR. BROWN KIPPS - - -Deck Lyon did not like the service to which he had been assigned on the -bridge. The importance of the duty, as laid down to him by his father, -did not make the situation any pleasanter. - -Though his conscience approved his conduct in taking the place without -attempting to avoid the service, it would have suited him better to -remain in the ranks, and have a part in the action which was soon to -take place, as officers and privates all believed. - -He had nothing to do after he had hauled down the flag,--at least, -nothing but watch his father, whose plumed hat was the only one of the -kind on the field; and he had no difficulty in keeping it in sight all -the time. He was not obliged to keep his eyes fixed on him every moment, -for he knew when to expect the signal to hoist the flag; and it would -not be given till the first company had engaged the enemy somewhere on -the south road, between the top of the hill and the cross-roads. - -He was all alone, and he could speak to no one. He had rolled up the -flag with the halyards still attached to it, and placed it at the foot -of the pole. He had been sitting on his horse all day, and for a time he -amused himself in walking up and down the bridge. It did not occur to -him that there was a human being anywhere near him except those who were -in the camp below, and they were some distance from him. He looked at -the prisoners, and the cavalrymen who were keeping guard over them. They -were not an interesting sight to him, for the former consisted mostly of -the ruffians whom he had fought in the field and in the schoolhouse. - -"Nothing to do, and nobody to help me," said Deck to himself, as he -seated himself at the foot of the flagstaff, with his legs dangling over -the bank of the creek below. The pole had been set up where it was most -convenient to fasten it, and the place was about ten feet from the -abutment. The bridge spanned not only the stream of water, but the -valley through which it flowed. - -This valley was crossed by the embankment to within forty feet of the -creek; and the south road passed under the bridge, close to the -abutment. The high fence, or side of the shanty that had stood there, -was on the solid ground, which had been filled in, and Deck was hardly -more than a rod from it. He had walked about here, and he concluded that -some kind of a building had stood there; for he found a temporary -workbench, which had doubtless been used by the bridge-builders. - -The signalman at the flagstaff was fully armed, as when he dismounted; -and when he seated himself on the plank of the bridge, his sabre had -nearly tripped him over the side of it to the ground below; but he was -very active, and he saved himself. In this position he observed the -occupation of the prisoners, who appeared to have no interest whatever -in the impending fight at the cross-roads. Some of them were playing -cards, to which they were more accustomed than to the routine of the -soldier; some were asleep; and a few were mending their ragged garments. - -They were not an interesting sight to the watcher on the bridge. Among -them was his Uncle Titus, who sat on a log in front of his tent. He -wore a disgusted look, perhaps because he was deprived of his usual -whiskey rations; for Major Lyon refused to allow liquor to be served to -any prisoner. He had chosen for himself, and had joined the Confederate -army. He considered himself a sort of family martyr, because his brother -had chosen to give his plantation to Noah instead of to him; and this -feeling largely influenced him in his political choice. - -Deck had only one wish, as he sat with his legs over the side of the -bridge, and that was that the enemy would speedily appear on the south -road; for then his father would give him the signal to hoist the flag. -When he had done that his mission would be ended, and he could hasten -back to his place in the ranks, in season, he hoped, to take part in the -action. The more impatient he became, the more vigilant was his scrutiny -of the plumed head of his father. - -Several times he thought, when any movement was made by the soldiers, -that the time had come. The minutes seemed to be longer to him than any -he had ever known before. He looked at his watch, after he had refrained -from doing so several times by the thought of his own impatience, and -he found he had been on the bridge only half an hour; though it seemed -to him that he had been there four times as long as that. But just at -that moment, and before he had restored the watch to his pocket, he -heard sounds which turned his attention in another direction. - -He heard footsteps near him. No one but himself had been sent to the -bridge, and the sound gave him a decided sensation. They came from the -north end of the bridge; and the high fence prevented him from seeing -the person whose tramp he heard. He was not alarmed; and he listened to -the footsteps, waiting for the individual to come out from behind the -obstruction. Then the steps were accompanied by the whistling of a tune, -as though the person was an idler, who had no other means of employing -his time. - -Deck Lyon was not a musician, though he had done some singing before his -voice changed. The whistling began to have an interest to him, and he -listened with all his might. The person was either a Union man or a -Secessionist; and the young cavalryman thought the air he selected must -give him some information on this delicate point. If he whistled -"Dixie," either from choice or from the force of habit, it would not be -difficult to determine on which side he had cast his political lot. - -On the other hand, if he piped "The Star Spangled Banner," "Hail, -Columbia!" or "John Brown's Body," Deck thought he should be more -rejoiced to meet him at this particular moment. Possibly the whistler -had not kept up with the times in his musical education, for he piped -none of the airs named; but presently the signalman recognized the notes -of "Yankee Doodle," which answered his purpose even better than any of -the melodies named. Secessionists had no taste for this ancient air at -just this time. - -The man appeared to have stopped behind the high fence, and did not -immediately reward the expectant waiter with a sight of his person. He -heard some blows with an axe or heavy hammer upon the planks underfoot; -then he resumed his whistling, which became more vigorous than artistic. -It was evident even to Deck that the performer had not been trained in -the art he was practising, but he seemed to be plentifully supplied -with wind, and he had just doubled the quantity of sound he produced; -and the melody intended was unmistakably "Yankee Doodle," and this was -the important point to the listener. - -Still, the whistler did not show himself; though he was hardly more than -forty feet distant from his audience, and seemed to be unconscious that -he had a listener. Deck wanted to see that man, but he persistently kept -his body corporate behind the obstruction to his view. Arranging his -sabre, so that it should not trip him up and tumble him off the bridge, -he sprang lightly to his feet. He stepped back a couple of paces, and -then obtained a full view of the piper, who certainly was not skilful -enough to have "played before Moses." - -He did not wear a uniform, and therefore he did not belong to the Texan -Rangers; for Deck had fought them, and knew how they were clothed. This -struck him as an important point; for he had made sure before he rose -from his seat that his carbine, slung at his back, was in condition for -instant service. His regulation pistols were in the holsters on his -horse; but he had supplied himself with a small revolver at Fort -Bedford, for there was a tendency with fresh recruits to overload -themselves with weapons on entering active service, and thousands of -dollars worth of such were thrown away when they became a burden. - -The stranger was dressed like a mechanic; and he seemed to be examining -the planking of the bridge, which is not usually a matter of vital -importance in such a structure for railroad purposes. The man stopped -whistling, and began to use a middling-sized sledge-hammer, directing -his blows at the heads of the spikes under his feet. Then he dropped the -hammer, and picked up an adze, with which he trimmed off the projecting -edge of a plank. Deck thought this was very strange work for a man to be -doing at such a time, and in such a place. - -But the mechanic was whistling a Union air; and this fact seemed to make -it all right, and prevented him from having a suspicion that all was not -right in the presence of the man on the bridge. The railroad in Kentucky -was a loyal institution, as it was a disloyal one farther South. Deck -therefore came to the conclusion that he was an employee of the company. -He decided to interview the stranger, and ascertain more precisely who -and what he was. - -In matters of military duty Deck was a close constructionist; and the -first question he asked himself was whether or not he ought to leave his -post, even to go a distance of forty feet. His sole occupation till he -received the signal to hoist the flag, was to watch for it; and he kept -his father's plumed hat in sight all the time. But he could see the -handkerchief when it was waved as well from behind the fence as at the -flagstaff; or, at most, he had only to step back a few paces to enable -him to command a full view of the expected battle-ground, and of the -hill behind which Captain Truman was posted with his command. - -He did not for an instant lose sight of his sole duty; but he walked a -few paces at a time towards the fence, and then looked back, to make -sure that he could see the plume of the major. As it was in sight all -the time, he continued to advance very slowly. When he reached the end -of the fence the centre of his watch was still to be seen, and nothing -seemed to be in progress in any of the roads visible from his position. - -Just at the moment when he was almost within speaking distance of the -mechanic, who had ceased to whistle, the latter picked up his tools and -moved to the other end of the fence, where he began to hammer the spikes -again. The man appeared to take no notice of him, or even to be aware of -his presence. Assured that he could see the skirmishers who had been -sent beyond the hill if they were driven in, he continued to advance -still farther, though he went to the middle of the bridge, where the -fence did not obstruct his view. - -Deck wanted to know more about the man with the sledge and the adze. The -flag was to be hoisted as a signal for the second company to attack the -enemy in the flank or rear, while the first engaged them in front. The -fight must begin before the signal could be required, and the signalman -would have abundant notice when the firing began that his services would -soon be required. The fence was less than a hundred feet in length, and -he had not far to go to confront the mechanic. - -Keeping the cross-roads in view till the fence shut it out, he made a -quick movement to the immediate vicinity of the workman, who was -hammering away with the sledge with all his might. He made so much noise -that he could not hear the steps of the soldier. - -"What are you doing here?" shouted Deck. - -The mechanic took no notice of him, and did not seem to have heard him. -He repeated his inquiry, this time a great deal louder than before. The -man stopped in his work, and looked at him with apparent astonishment, -as though he had discovered his presence for the first time. - -"I am fixing the bridge, don't you see?" replied the workman, as though -he deemed it a foolish question. "What are you doing here?" - -"I am on duty on the bridge," replied Deck. - -But he could not see the soldiers near the cross-roads, where his father -had been most of the time, and his conscience smote him as though he had -stolen the brood in a chicken-coop. He did not wait to say any more, but -he ran with all his speed till he reached a point where he could see the -plume of the commander of the squadron. - -"What's the matter? What you runnin' off fur?" shouted the mechanic. -"You needn't run; I won't hurt you." - -Deck thought this was rather cool from a man apparently unarmed, to one -with a carbine slung on his back, and a sabre at his side; but he judged -that the fellow aspired to be a humorist, for he looked as good-natured -as though he had just perpetrated a first-class witticism. But the -cavalryman did not halt till he reached the end of the fence, where he -made a careful survey on the field of the expected combat. He was too -busy just then to notice the man. - -"What is the matter, Mr.----? I reckon I don't know your name," said -the man; and the sound indicated that he had followed the other nearly -to the end of the fence. - -"They call me Deck, those who know me best," replied the trooper, -willing to humor the mechanic. "Now, who are you?" - -"My name is Brown Kipps; but most folks don't take the trouble to call -me anything but Kipps, Mr. Deck." - -"My front name is Dexter; Deck for short," added the soldier. - -"What is your back name?" - -"Lyon." - -"You look like a lion," added Kipps. "Won't you take a seat on this old -bench, and let us talk it over?" - -Deck declined the invitation. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -THE CONSPIRACY ON THE BRIDGE - - -Kipps appeared to be a good-natured man, and Deck declined to take a -seat on the bench with him simply because it would place him where he -could not see the signal when his father made it. The man did not seem -to be so intent upon driving in the heads of the spikes in the planks as -he had been, and perhaps he thought he had worked hard enough to entitle -him to a rest. - -"Jest come and take a seat here, Deck Lyons; you look all worn out, and -you need a little rest," said Kipps, as Deck placed himself at the end -of the fence. - -"I'm not all worn out, and I think I can stand it to keep on my feet a -while longer," replied the signalman. - -"Well, you must git tired luggin' them things round all day," persisted -the mechanic. - -"What things?" - -"Why, that shooter on your back, and that broadsword a-danglin' agin -your shins." - -"They are not very heavy, and not so much of a load as your -sledge-hammer and adze." - -"I'm used to kerryin' them; but I'll bet a day's pay that gun on your -back is heavier'n my hammer." - -"I don't bet, but my carbine is lighter than your sledge," replied Deck; -and it seemed to him as though the workman was trying to accomplish some -object, though he could not make out what it was. "Besides, I don't have -to lug my arms without any help, for I am generally on horse-back." - -"Have you seen Tom Lobkill about here in your travels on this bridge?" -asked Kipps, suddenly changing the subject of the conversation. - -"I don't happen to know Tom Lobkill, and I don't know whether I have -seen him or not." - -"Don't you know Tom Lobkill? I thought every man in Tennessee knew Tom." - -"That may be; but as I never put foot in Tennessee yet, I never happened -to meet him," replied Deck. - -"I reckon this is Kentucky," added Kipps, with a mild horse-laugh. "You -see, we fellers that work on the railroad don't allers mind jest what -State we're in, for we keep shiftin' from one to another all the time." - -"But I think you don't have to do much shifting between Kentucky and -Tennessee at the present time," suggested Deck. - -"Not as much as we did a while ago. If you hain't seen Tom Lobkill, did -you come across Lank Rablan in your travels on the road?" asked Kipps, -as he rose from his seat, and walked to the end of the fence, though he -still remained behind it. - -"I don't know him any better than I do the other fellow, and I haven't -seen him. You seem to have a good many friends about here, Brown Kipps." - -"Not a great crowd; there ain't but four on us, and t'other is Sykes -Wimble. I s'pose you hain't seen nothin' o' him, nuther?" - -"I don't know him," replied Deck, more curious yet to know what the man -was driving at. "What are you four doing about here?" - -"We are on the railroad." - -"So I supposed; and I suppose one of you is the president of the -company, and perhaps the other three are the vice-presidents," said the -cavalryman, quite as good-natured as his companion. - -"Well, no, not exactly; I ought to be the president of the company, but -I ain't," answered Mr. Kipps. "If I was, some of us bridgemen would get -better pay, and a chance to sleep nights some o' the time." - -"Then you are bridgemen; and I saw you knocking in the heads of the -spikes over there. I suppose you were sent down here to rebuild this -bridge if the enemy destroyed it." - -"That's jest what we are here for; but I don't reckon the enemy'll -destroy it this time." - -"I should say not." - -"But I was lookin' for my gang-mates, and I don't see what's become on -'em;" and Kipps looked about him as though he really wished to find -them. "I had to go down below to git a hunk o' t'backer out'n the wagon, -and the t'other three went down this way;" and the bridgeman produced a -great twist of the native weed, and bit off enough to load two pipes. "I -reckon you hain't seen nothin' on 'em, hev yon, Deck Lyons? I reckoned -they went over the creek." - -"I have not seen any of them, and no one has crossed the bridge since I -came upon it," replied Deck. - -"I rather think I can fetch 'em if they are anywhere round here," added -Kipps, as he took a whistle from his pocket and applied it to his lips, -producing three short blasts. "All on us carries one o' these, because -we sometimes get scattered on the work." - -The whistle seemed to be as potent as that of the boatswain on board of -a man-of-war, for one after another three men mounted to the bridge just -beyond the abutment on the farther side. Each of them had a pipe in his -mouth, and they came upon the track as though they were in no hurry. -They were dressed like Kipps, in workingmen's clothes, and one of them -was about six feet and a half high. All of them had axes in their hands, -but none of them seemed to be provided with firearms. - -"They weren't fur off, and they kept awful still, or I should have hearn -them," said Kipps, as they crossed the track and placed themselves -behind the fence. - -Deck wondered how they had secured a place down the embankment without -being seen by him; but his attention had been directed the other way to -the position of the squadron. But he realized that they could have -crossed the track some distance farther up the road, and walked down -from there under the shadow of the road-bed. - -"Well, boys, I reckoned you'd got lost, for I couldn't find nothin' on -you," said Kipps, as the men approached the end of the fence at which -Deck stood. "What you been doin', Lank Rablan?" - -"When you went down to the wagon, we uns dropped down the bank to have a -smoke, and we got to talkin' about this business round here," replied -the tallest of the three, who was about as lofty in his upper works as -Life Knox, and about as spare in his filling up. "We consayted that this -bridge was go'n' to get burnt up last night; but it's all here yet, and -I reckon them so'diers down thar's done a big thing." - -"We hain't got no job on our hands for to-day," said another of them. - -"What was it that the nigger told you, Sykes Wimple?" asked Lank Rablan, -who was the tall fellow. - -"He told me the troopers had captured the whole company sent here to -destroy the bridge; and there they be down there, guarded by the horse -soldiers," replied Sykes, pointing in the direction of the camp. "I -suppose this fellow is one of them," he added, pointing to Deck. - -"I am one of them," replied the signalman. - -"What company do you belong to?" asked Lank. - -"To the Riverlawn Cavalry." - -"You hain't had no fightin', I reckon." - -"Yes, we have; the second company defeated the force that came here at -daylight this morning, and captured the whole of them. The same company -had a brush with the Texan Rangers, and they all took to the woods, -except those that were killed or badly wounded. The hospital over there -is full of them. If you stay on this bridge long enough, you will see -more fighting over on the south road." - -The bridgemen looked at each other, and said nothing for a few moments. -Deck began to feel as though he was neglecting his duty; for he had been -giving his whole attention to the talk of the men, with only an -occasional glance at the troopers below. He looked again, and for the -moment he did not see the plume of his father. He had changed his -position, though it was not likely that he had gone far, and he began a -search for him with his eyes. He did not discover the major at once; for -he had moved a short distance up the south road, to give his orders to -Captain Gordon. - -While he was continuing his search, he was suddenly and violently drawn -backwards behind the fence. If the bridgemen did not talk together in -words they did by their looks. If any one had been regarding the scene -described, it would have been sufficiently evident to him by this time -that the bridgemen were engaged in a conspiracy, the first act of which -was to secure the person of the Union soldier who had been posted at the -flagstaff. But there was no one to observe what transpired on the -bridge. - -At a nod from Brown Kipps, Lank Rablan sprang lightly forward; and, -seizing hold of the carbine which was slung on his back, he dragged him -into the shadow of the fence in the twinkling of an eye. As soon as Lank -had drawn him within reach of the others, they all laid hold of him. -Deck struggled with all his might, and struck out right and left with -his fists till his hands were secured, each by a man, while the other -two held his body. The tussle was quickly finished, for the young -soldier could do nothing against four full-grown mechanics. - -Of course Deck realized that he was the victim of a plot prepared while -none of the operators were in sight. His first feeling was one of -humiliation that he had allowed himself to be captured at his post, or -so near it. He blamed himself for leaving the flagstaff; but probably -the result would have been the same if he had not left it, for a -distance of fifty feet would not have prevented the conspirators from -securing him where he was. - -The four ruffians who had carried out their plan appeared to be what -they claimed; bridgemen, for they were all provided with the tools that -are used in such work. But it was evident to him when the question came -to his mind, that they were not Union men, and could not be in the -employ of the railroad company, which was now a loyal institution, after -a violent discussion with its Tennessee stockholders. - -"Don't kick, my little man," said Kipps, who appeared to be the foreman -of the gang, whatever they were. "It won't do no good." - -Deck was painfully conscious of what the leader said; for the others had -taken his carbine and sabre away from him, and laid them on the bench. -With the slings of his firearm they were securing his arms behind him, -while Lank Rablan held him by the collar of his jacket. It occurred to -him then that the ruffians had not taken his small revolver from him, -and had not even discovered that he had one; but it might as well have -been at the bottom of the creek so far as being of any service to him in -that important moment, for his hands were both in possession of the -enemy. - -He had kicked with his long boots, and endeavored to bring his spurs to -bear upon the shins of his antagonists; but Kipps had strapped his sabre -belt around his ankles, thus depriving him of his only remaining natural -means of defence. While they were securing his arms behind him, which -their evidently intended to do with the greatest care, he was faced to -the position of his company. Then it occurred to him that he had one -resource left. His voice could not be tied up like his legs and arms, -and he could use that if nothing else. - -"Help! Help! Help!" he shouted at the top of his lungs three times. -"Below, there! Sentinels! I am"-- - -This was as far as he was permitted to proceed; for Kipps caught his -handkerchief from the opening of his jacket, and stuffed it into his -mouth. If any of the sentinels around the prisoners' camp heard him, -they could make nothing of the cries. If they looked about them, they -could see nothing on the surface of the bridge, even if the shouts had -not come from behind the fence. - -"No use, my little beauty!" exclaimed Kipps, as the two men completed -the operation of strapping his arms behind him. "They can't hear you -down below, and you only worry yourself, without doin' a bit of good. -Now be a Christian, and keep quiet like a little lamb, as you are. We -are going to be busy now for a little spell, and we shall have to fasten -you to the bench. Be easy, and amuse yourself the best way you can. You -can whistle 'Yankee Doodle' if you like, and I reckon you can do it -better than I did." - -It was no use to say anything, or to attempt to do anything. He was -tied to the bench, facing the track; and Kipps was considerate enough to -take the handkerchief from his mouth, and return it to the inside of his -jacket. The other three men had already hastened over to the place where -they had come upon the bridge, and disappeared. The foreman took his -carbine from the bench, and started to follow the others. - -"It would break my heart, my pretty dove, to have to shoot you with your -own piece; but if you make a row, I shall have to do it. If you keep -quiet we won't hurt you." - -Saying this, Kipps left him. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -THE OPERATIONS OF THE BRIDGE-BURNERS - - -Deck was alone, a prisoner, his ankles bound together, his wrists -strapped behind him, and his body made fast to the old bench against the -fence. He was not absolutely uncomfortable physically; for Brown Kipps -had extended some consideration to him, so that he suffered no pain from -the bonds which secured him. The fastenings were straps, taken from his -accoutrements; and they did not cut into his flesh, as cords might have -done if they had been tied too tight. - -All his pain was in the soul, which manacles are dramatically and -metaphorically said to pierce when the victim is a high-spirited person. -Deck had been captured at his post; and this fact humiliated him, though -a court-martial would have acquitted him of all blame. No one below -could possibly know that anything had happened to him, or a file of -troopers would have been sent to release him before this time. He was -almost in sight of his father and Artie; but they were busy watching and -waiting for the fight which all believed would certainly take place. - -But the prisoner was not left entirely without occupation other than his -needless and undeserved self-reproaches; for if any one was to blame it -was his father, who had placed him alone at such a distance from the -rest of the force, though no one suspected the presence of an enemy in -that direction. He had enough to do to observe the operations of the -bridgemen. The moment they had secured the prisoner to the satisfaction -of the foreman, the other three hastened to disappear over the -embankment. They were out of sight but a few minutes, and then one of -them returned, while the other two passed up to him several gallon cans. -By this time Kipps joined them; and a lot of small bundles of light -wood, such as is much used in the South in kindling fires, were tossed -up, and caught by the foreman. - -Deck understood that all these articles were combustibles, though he -could not make out the nature of some of them. All of them were left -where they had been received, on the platform of the bridge. It was -evident enough to the manacled observer that the structure was doomed, -and was to be burned in the very presence of the cavalry sent to protect -it. Deck twisted, squirmed, and struggled when he realized the -intentions of the bridgemen. - -It galled him to the inmost depths of the soul to think that the bridge -was to be destroyed before his eyes, and he had not the power to do -anything to save it. He did not believe he would be left to perish in -the flames, if they reached the place where he was secured, and he had -not a selfish fear. He was tempted to repeat the cries he had made -before; but the threat of Kipps to shoot him if he "made a row" -restrained him. It was folly to throw away his life; for he was vain -enough to believe it might be of some service to his country in its hour -of peril. - -When the men had finished passing up the material, which had plainly -been collected in this place for the destruction of the bridge, each of -them took a tin case under his arm, and they moved over to the shelter -of the fence where they had left their tools. They stopped there long -enough to obtain a couple of shovels and as many pickaxes, and then -went to the end of the fence next to the bridge. - -If the occasion had been less serious, Deck would have been amused at -the bridgemen's attempts to conceal themselves from the force below. -They worked like miners following a vein of ore deep down in the bowels -of the earth, as the witness had seen them in pictures, lying on their -backs, or curled up in a heap, using the pickaxe as they could. Between -the wall and the embankment the earth had settled so that there was a -considerable cavity. Two of the men worked in this hole for a while, the -others lying prone upon the ground and watching them. - -Then the four cans they had brought were deposited in the aperture, -Kipps adjusting and preparing them with his own hands. Deck did not -understand what they intended to accomplish by this operation, though he -concluded that they meant to blow up the abutment, and that the cans -contained powder or dynamite. Whatever the work was, it was soon -completed; and then the movements of the men became more amusing than -ever. They crawled about on their hands and knees, carrying the cans and -bundles of light wood. - -They unbound the packages of wood, arranged the little sticks in heaps, -and poured what Deck supposed was spirits of turpentine or kerosene over -them and on the planks of the structure. The work of preparation was -soon completed; for the men seemed to be skilled in the operation, as -though they had had experience in these details. They all crawled back -to the shelter of the fence, and straightened their backs again. - -"Now, my little lily of the valley, I shall have to put you under -marching orders," Kipps said, as he stopped before the prisoner. - -"What are you going to do with me?" asked Deck, though he hardly -expected a definite answer to the question. - -"I don't know, my butterfly; but I reckon you uns over there," he -replied, pointing to the soldiers below, "would make mischief for we uns -if we stay here a great while longer;" and he proceeded to release the -victim from the bench. - -"I judge that you intend to blow up and burn this bridge," added Deck. - -"The whole Yankee army couldn't save it now!" exclaimed the chief -bridgeman. "We uns, about two hundred so'diers along with us, was sent -over here to make an opening between these two hills; and if you think -we ain't go'n' to do it, why, you don't know Brown Kipps, that's all!" - -"I think I have been pretty well introduced to him," replied Deck, who -had become somewhat accustomed to the situation; and he thought he -should fare better with such a person as the foreman by being -good-natured than by growling and annoying him. "When you whistled -'Yankee Doodle,' I made up my mind that you were a true Union man, and -my heart went out to you." - -"I ain't much on 'Yankee Doodle,' and I could done better with 'Dixie;' -and I ain't none o' them carrion as whistles 'Yankee Doodle' for the fun -on't. It did well enough to still your nerves," said Kipps, as he -finished releasing the legs of his prisoner. "Now I want you to march up -to that place where you see the wagon standin' down by the side of the -railroad. You needn't keep step, nor nothin' o' that sort. I reckon the -cheese-knife and the shooter are too heavy for a young feller like you -to kerry, and I'll tote 'em for you," continued the bridge foreman, as -he began to examine the lock of the carbine. - -"You are very kind, Mr. Kipps," replied Deck. - -"That's me all over when you use me well; but, my little lion, if you -should take into that small coon's head o' yourn to be ongrateful for my -kindness to you, and make a row, or try to run away, I should have to -shoot you jest the same as I should a 'possum if I wanted a Christmas -dinner in the woods. Is this thing loaded with ball?" - -"Of course it is; it wouldn't be any better than a broomstick if it were -not," replied Deck. - -"I don't know as I see through this thing edzactly," said Kipps, as he -continued to study the mechanism of the lock. "I've got the cartridges, -but I don't see any ramrod. Won't you just show me how to work it?" - -"Teach you how to use a carbine to shoot me with!" exclaimed Deck, -trying to laugh. "You must excuse me, for that would be giving -information to the enemy in time of war, and I should be court-martialed -for it." - -"Jest as you like, Yank; but if there is one load in the pipestem, that -will be enough to put you out of the way of any court-martial. I reckon -I see into it now; you put the pill in here." - -"I haven't anything to say on that subject, Mr. Kipps; but if you -should happen to shoot yourself with it, that would save some Union -soldier the trouble of doing the job," added Deck. - -"But we uns hain't got no time to fool," said the foreman briskly. -"You'll let the cat out jest as soon as you see us by the wagon. You can -start things now, and open up the cat-bag as soon as you git 'em -started." - -"What's all that gwine on down below?" asked Lank Rablan, as he looked -cautiously by the end of the fence. - -"Well, what is it?" demanded Kipps impatiently. - -"They are all lookin' up hyer; and that feller with a squawrel's tail in -his hat is shaking a white rag over his head as though he'd lost his -senses, if he ever had any," Lank explained. - -"No matter what it is! Go to work, and hurry up, Sykes!" said Kipps in -vigorous tones. "Now, my little Yankee angel, jest move over to the -other side of the track, and march lively!" - -Sykes was already crawling along the bridge, lighting the fires he had -prepared. There were not more than half a dozen of them, and they were -soon blazing up, though in the bright sunshine they did not make much -show. Deck followed Lobkill and Rablan, as he was directed, while Kipps, -with the carbine in his hand, brought up the rear. The foreman changed -his plan when he found that the attention of the soldiers below was -directed to the bridge; and, still sheltered by the fence, the two in -advance left the level of the track, and made their way along the slope -of the embankment. - -Deck was ordered to follow them; but as his arms were still bound behind -him, he found it was a rather difficult matter to preserve his balance. -Kipps spoke to him quite savagely, perhaps believing he was making a -movement to slide down the slope to the field below. - -"If you think it is an easy matter to walk along this steep bank with -your hands tied behind you, just let Mr. Lobkill put you in the same -condition that I am, and see how you will get along," replied Deck, as -good-naturedly as before. - -"There may be sunthin' in that. Jest hold still a moment," said Kipps. - -Deck was glad enough to stop; for he was hardly able to keep on his -feet, as the earth slipped away under him. The foreman unstrapped the -fastening, and put the sling in his pocket, perhaps for the same use in -the future. - -"Now, little lovely, trot again; but don't you forget that I have got -the hang of this shooting-iron, and the ball can trot faster'n you can." - -The prisoner obeyed the order, and he was beginning to think that the -foreman was a tolerably good sort of a fellow, aside from his politics. -He followed his leaders; and he had now no difficulty in keeping up with -them, for he could retain his balance as well as any of them. In a short -time they reached the vicinity of the wagon, which stood in the field, -with the six mules that drew it there fastened to the pole. The -mule-driver was a negro, who was asleep on the grass by the side of the -vehicle. - -"Now, my little Yankee saint, we are all right, and in about three -minutes and three-quarters that bridge will go up the air; or some on't -will, and the rest on't will go the same way in smoke," said Kipps, as -he seated himself on a disused sleeper, and took a black pipe from his -pocket. "Don't you think we uns are right smart down this way?" - -"I suppose you are; - - 'For Satan finds some mischief still - For idle hands to do.'" - -"But Satan didn't find any for you uns in the ranks over yonder, fur -they've been idle all day," retorted Kipps with an explosive -horse-laugh. - -"But we whipped out a force of Texan Rangers over yonder, and I don't -believe they have done running yet," answered Deck. - -"Them Texicans is gwine to wipe you uns out 'fore they git done with -you," added Lank Rablan. "I consayt they see'd sunthin' on the bridge, -fur they was all lookin' that way when we left." - -"There comes Sykes, and I reckon he can tell us sunthin' about it," said -Kipps. "If anything's the matter down below there, I reckon we four had -better go down and lick the Yankees out of their boots." - -"Don't you do it, Mr. Kipps," interposed Deck. "They might hang you for -burning the bridge." - -"Wait till we hear what Sykes has got to say, and then"-- - -But the remark, brilliant as it might have proved to be, was interrupted -by the explosion which was heard on the south road, and which had been -the signal for Captain Dingfield to make the attack. - -"There goes your bridge!" exclaimed Kipps, looking at his prisoner with -a glow of exultation on his brown face. "Now I reckon you can see that -your Yankee cavalry couldn't save it." - -"I cannot see the bridge from here, and I don't know whether or not they -have been able to save it. Wait till we get further news, Mr. Kipps." - -"I reckon we don't stop here no longer, for we've done our work, and -that bridge is burning lively before this time," added the foreman, as -he shouted to the negro driver to hitch on his mules. - -In ten minutes more the bridgemen had loaded themselves in the covered -wagon, with all their tools and material. Deck was given a place under -the canvas, while the four men were seated at the forward end. The negro -started his team, and the prisoner had no idea where he was going. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -A NEW DISPOSITION OF THE FORCES - - -Major Lyon listened with the most intense interest to Lieutenant -Makepeace's statement in regard to the bridge-builders, as he called -them, though bridge-burners proved to be a more appropriate designation. -It was clear enough to him that his son had encountered these men; and -the disappearance of Deck appeared to be explained, though what had -become of him was still the vital question. - -Life Knox had returned alone, leaving his men to guard the bridge; and -if it had been in order for the sergeant to express an opinion on the -subject, he would have said that sentinels should have been placed on it -as soon as the company of Captain Titus had been captured. The major had -tardily arrived at this conclusion. As soon as he came to the vicinity -of the hospital, Knox discovered the plumed hat of the commander, which -Deck had watched all the time he was on the bridge. - -"I'm right sorry I don't bring you any good news of your son," said -Life, riding up to the commander, and saluting him as soon as he turned -away from the wounded prisoner. "The first thing we had to do was to put -out the fires, and then I went about a mile up the track to look for -Deck; but I could not find him." - -"Did you see anybody over there?" asked the major. - -"Not a solitary soul, Major Lyon." - -"The prisoner in the hospital, with whom I have been talking, said that -four bridge-builders, with a wagon and six mules, went over that way," -suggested the major. - -"I reckon they've been to the bridge, and set it afire; but none of them -was there when I come to it. If they had a wagon and six mules, they -left as soon as they'd done the job they come to do." - -"What was the condition of the bridge when you reached it, Knox?" asked -the major. - -"It was all afire, but it hadn't burnt much. If we'd got there ten -minutes later, nothin' could saved it; and we had to work lively as it -was." - -"But there was an explosion there." - -"That didn't amount to shucks. I reckon they stuck the cans of powder in -between the 'butment and the bankin', and it only blowed out a lot of -dirt, and knocked off a couple of stones from the top of the wall. They -brought half-a-dozen bundles of light wood with them, pulled them to -pieces, and then poured sperits turpentine over and all around 'em; for -we found the cans on the platform. The fires were blazin' lively when we -got there; but we poked the wood all off the bridge. We found some -barrels o' water they kept on the platform to put out fires, and it -didn't take long to make an end on't. That's all I know about it, -major." - -"But what do you suppose has become of Dexter, Knox?" asked the father, -concealing his feelings as much as he could. - -"The bridge-burners had gone when we got there, and I reckon they took -Deck with 'em," replied the sergeant. - -"I suppose there is no other way to account for his absence. Lieutenant -Belthorpe has been sent with half the first company to look out for the -enemy in that direction," added the major. "Return to the bridge, Knox, -and make sure that no further attempt is made to destroy it. The flag is -still there, and I see that you have hoisted it again. If you need any -assistance, haul down the flag as a signal to that effect." - -The sergeant hastened back to his post; and the major rode up to the -cross-roads, just in time to meet the scouts who had been sent up the -east road, coming down the hill at full speed. There were only two of -them; but they had left two others at the hill road. - -The pair of riders who came in as the major reached the cross-roads were -scouts; for they had been sent out with orders to go where they pleased -in the hills to obtain all the information they could, especially in -regard to the approach of any body of the enemy. They were not pickets -nor skirmishers, who are sent out to act on fixed lines. - -"We have just come from the hill road," said one of the scouts, as he -saluted the major. "A detachment of the Texans has just come down from -the hills, and all four of us retreated behind a knoll to see where they -were going." - -"And where were they going?" demanded the commander impatiently. - -"They kept on the hill road, going north." - -"How many of them were there?" - -"Forty-two, besides the officer in command, who had one arm in a sling, -and his head bound up so that he could not wear his cap." - -"That must have been the troop that we engaged on the south road," said -the major. "But how could they have got around to the point where you -saw them?" - -The scouts could not answer this question, and the commander sent them -back to the point from which they had come. The last he had seen of -Captain Dingfield's command was on the south road, retreating at the -best speed of their small horses. He had sent Captain Gordon in pursuit -as soon as his men were available. So far as he knew, there was no -highway by which the hill road could be reached short of six miles south -of the cross-roads, near the place where the Texans had camped the night -before. - -In order to have reached the position where they were reported to be by -the scouts, they must have found a way across the country. He opened his -map, and began to study it very diligently, to ascertain if there was a -road which he had failed to notice before. - -"More scouts coming in, father!" exclaimed Artie, who retained his -position near the field-officer, the only one present with the squadron, -for the regiment had not been fully organized. - -Major Lyon turned his attention in the direction of the east road. He -saw two riders galloping down the hill with all speed; and he folded up -his map, restoring it to his pocket. The coming of these men meant -something. The whole of the Texan company were accounted for, as half of -them had been sent to the north by Captain Dingfield, and now the other -half had been reported as having gone in hot haste in the same -direction. Had any re-enforcement been sent to the Texan cavalry? - -The major had no doubt the officer at the head of the troop reported was -Captain Dingfield. He had expected to find his body in the road after -the action, for he had been the most prominent person for the aim of the -men. The same bullet could hardly have hit him in the head and in the -arm, and it was plain that he had been wounded at least in two places. - -"Where is Major Lyon?" shouted the foremost of the two scouts. - -"Here!" shouted Artie, though it was a needless question, for the plume -of the commander distinguished him from all others. - -"Messenger from Captain Gordon," said the foremost scout, as he reined -in his foaming steed, and saluted the major. - -"Where did you see him?" demanded the commander. - -"On the hill road, where I rode half a mile at his side; for he was -chasing the enemy that went along just before, and Styles and Brehan -came down here to report them to you." - -"What is your message from Captain Gordon?" asked the major sharply. - -"He told me to tell you he had pursued the enemy without getting near -enough to fire at them." - -"But how came he on the hill road?" demanded the commander impatiently. - -"He told me to say to you that they had taken to the fields near the -planter's house, and, after a good deal of winding about, had come to -the hill road. When I told him we had seen the enemy, he wanted to know -how far they were ahead of him; and I told him as near as I could guess -they were about half a mile from him. That is all I know about it, Major -Lyon." - -"Where are Styles and Brehan now?" - -"We passed them on our way down, and I suppose they will stay at the -crossing till they get further orders." - -"Very well; return to your places in the company," added the commander, -as he proceeded to consider the information he had just received. - -The situation was clearly defined in his mind. One-half of the first -company, under Lieutenant Belthorpe, had been sent up the railroad; and -the other half, under Captain Gordon, was pursuing the enemy. Captain -Dingfield had sent half his force by the hill road to the north, and now -he was retreating in the same direction with the other half. But the -whole of the first company would come together somewhere in the vicinity -of the railroad, and then there would be another fight. - -The commander had with him at the cross-roads and at the camp the whole -of the second company, where they were not likely to be needed; for it -was evident that Captain Dingfield had left none of his force behind -him, as by this time he had realized the pressing need of all his men -farther north. It was plain enough to the commander that another action -was to be fought very soon, if it was not already in progress, though no -firing could be heard. - -"Artie, tell Captain Truman I wish to speak with him," said he, as he -took his map from his pocket again. It seemed to him that the seat of -the fighting had been transferred to the north a few miles. But the -bridge was still safe, and so far he had accomplished his mission. -Captain Truman had proved to be an excellent officer, though all in the -two companies had had no previous service in actual warfare; but they -had shown that the only thing they lacked was military experience, and -in that respect they were like a very large proportion of all the -officers in the field. - -"I was just coming to you, Major Lyon, when you sent for me," said the -captain, as he reined up his horse in front of the commander. "One of -my men has just informed me that there is a train coming down the -railroad from the north." - -"Artie," called the major, "hurry over to the bridge, and give Knox my -order to detain the train that is approaching till he receives further -orders from me." - -Artie did not wait an instant, but ran his horse down the road, calling -to the idlers and prisoners to get out of the way. He was fortunate -enough to find the sergeant where he could hail him from his horse, and -delivered the order. - -By this time the train was moving very slowly towards the bridge, and -Knox stopped it behind the fence which had done so much ill service in -concealing the bridgemen. In front of the engine was a platform car, on -which was a field-piece and half-a-dozen soldiers; but the messenger -could not stay to examine the provisions for the protection of the -train, which was doubtless a pioneer of another of more importance. He -reported to his father what he had seen. - -"The wounded and the prisoners have now become an incumbrance to me, and -I have decided to send them all back to our camp at Riverlawn," the -major began, as soon as Artie left him. "So far the enemy have failed -to destroy this bridge; but I have no doubt they will continue to -operate as they have begun, until they have disabled the railroad." - -"The one over the Green River in Hart County is likely to be the next -one threatened," added the captain. - -"That or some other. I have stopped this train because it affords me the -means of transportation for the wounded and prisoners. I shall place the -removal of them in your charge. You will have the train stopped where it -crosses the swamp road beyond Dripping Spring, and march those who are -able to walk to Riverlawn. Take the wagons of Captain Titus's company -with you, mules and all, and convey the wounded in them. How many men do -you require for this service?" - -"Twenty will be enough," replied Captain Truman, who appeared not to be -pleased with the service upon which he was ordered. - -The commander directed him to proceed with his arrangements at once, -communicating first with the officer of the troops on the train. In a -few minutes Lieutenant Blenks, in charge of the camp, who was to go with -the captain, had mustered the prisoners, while his superior was engaged -with the officer on the train. This gentleman was a quartermaster, with -the rank of lieutenant, who had been sent on a duty he did not explain; -but he put a veto on the plan of the major at once. He had to make some -observations near Bowling Green, and the train would return before -night. He suggested that Riverlawn was not a proper place to send the -prisoners or the wounded, and he proposed to convey them to Louisville. - -Captain Truman reported the result of his interview; and the major -accepted the compromise, and was better pleased with it than with his -own plan. The prisoners were marched to the railroad in charge of the -guard selected, and at dark the train took them on board. It was not -necessary for the captain to go with them, but the lieutenant was to -return as soon as possible with the soldiers. - -Not long after the train started, Major Lyon marched with all his -remaining force to the hill road, to form a junction, if possible, with -the two divisions of his first company. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -A DESPERATE DEED CONTEMPLATED - - -Deck Lyon was not at all satisfied with his situation in the wagon in -which he had been loaded with the tools and materials of the -bridge-burners; and from the bundles of light wood, cans of powder, -turpentine, and kerosene in the vehicle, this appeared to be the proper -name for the four men. With the men smoking their pipes on the front -seat, it did not appear to him to be a very safe position. - -The wagon would have been called a "prairie schooner" farther west; and -was of the kind used in Tennessee and North Carolina, and perhaps -elsewhere in the South. It had a high front and rear, with a sheer -between them like an ancient galley. It was provided with a canvas -cover; and the bows at either end carried it out about three feet beyond -the body, like an awning in front of a window. The driver rode on the -nigh wheel mule, with a long whip in his hand. He was a skilled -teamster, and did not soar to the refinement of reins, but did his -driving by word of mouth, and the application of the whip. - -Deck had no idea where he was, or where he was going, for he had not -studied the map of the present locality. He did not know where these men -had come from. Captain Truman was evidently unaware of their existence -in this section, or he would have set a guard over the bridge, after he -had captured it in the early morning. If the son had listened to his -father's conversation with the wounded prisoner, he would have learned -that the bridge-burners had been sent over with the flanking detachment -that had been defeated and driven off by the second company. They had -made their way to the vicinity of the bridge with their wagon, and had -watched for an opportunity to do their work. - -They had found the signalman in their way; and, doubtless, it had -required some time to arrange their plan for getting him out of the way. -Deck was alone, and was not a very dangerous opponent in himself; but he -could give an alarm by firing his carbine or otherwise, which would -bring an armed force to his assistance. It was necessary to resort to -strategy; and the proceedings of Brown Kipps to get the troublesome -signalman out of the way have already been detailed. If the young man -had had more experience of the ways of the world in general, and of the -methods of bridge-burners in particular, they would not have succeeded -so well. - -The combustible goods and other articles in the wagon seemed to have -been pitched into the vehicle at random; for they were not arranged in -anything like order, and everything was in confusion. It seemed to the -prisoner a piece of remarkably good fortune that he had not had his legs -and arms bound, as when he was first taken. He was only a boy, though a -stout one, and they did not seem to set a high estimate on his prowess -as a fighting character; for they had not seen him in the skirmish on -the east road, when he had given Lieutenant Makepeace the wounds which -had disabled him. - -The sabre and carbine which had been taken from him had been carelessly -thrown into the wagon, though they were within reach of the men. Deck -was a young man of too much enterprise to be mentally inactive in the -midst of his present misfortune, and the wagon had hardly started before -he began to consider his chances of escaping from the custody of the -four men. At the first glance he could see that the chances were all -against him. If it came to a fight, there was no chance at all for him; -and his inborn prudence did not permit him to think of such a thing as a -physical contest with a threefold odds against him. - -But he was not discouraged at the mountain of difficulty in front of -him, but proceeded to study the situation very carefully. It will be -remembered that his captors had neglected to take from him the revolver -he carried in one of his pockets; for, doubtless, it did not occur to -Kipps that he was supplied with such a weapon. Deck set a very high -value on the pistol in his present emergency. The trousers with which he -had been supplied by the government were not made with hip pockets, a -very serviceable improvement to the garment, not unknown even at the -beginning of the war. - -This kind of pocket was very useful to those who were in the habit of -carrying revolvers; but Deck's ingenuity had enabled him to provide for -the deficiency. He had arranged a sort of hook under one of the back -suspender buttons, about where the pocket would have been if the garment -had been supplied with one, so that he could readily produce the weapon -on occasion. He had a box of cartridges in his pocket, and the revolver -was fully loaded for instant service. - -His carbine and sabre lay on the merchandise behind the men, all of whom -were seated on a front seat under the projecting cover, and the wagon -was wide enough to provide close quarters for all of them. The canvas -could be drawn down so as to protect the contents of the body from the -weather; but now it was fastened up, so that the vehicle was open in -front. - -Deck thought he might work his way forward far enough to enable him to -reach his regular weapons; and at first he thought he would take this -step. If he succeeded in obtaining them, all the advantage he expected -to gain was in preventing his custodians from using them on an -emergency; for the revolver in his pocket was a more effective weapon in -the wagon. He looked over the miscellaneous loading of the vehicle, and -tried to find a place for each of his feet in his advance to the forward -part of the wagon. - -His survey of the ground was not at all satisfactory; for there was no -firm foundation for his feet. He must move noiselessly, or the attention -of his captors would be called to him. He could not expect to go three -feet without disturbing some of the articles; and his caution compelled -him to abandon the attempt to recover his arms. They were not essential -to his success in any plan he might adopt; and if Kipps discovered that -he was trying to escape, he would certainly have his arms tied behind -him again; and that might cut off all his chances. He was satisfied that -it was not prudent for him to attempt to reach and obtain his carbine -and sabre. - -Then a more desperate scheme occurred to him, and it seemed to be more -feasible than the other. He had his revolver; and, after a great deal of -practice with it, he had become quite skilful in its use. He had seated -himself on a box close to the rear curtains of the wagon when Kipps -committed him to his canvas prison. Though it seemed to him like -"fastening a door with a boiled carrot," he had seen the foreman adjust -and fasten a padlock on the curtains after he had drawn one over the -other. - -Doubtless this was done to prevent thieves from stealing any of the -stores in the vehicle in the night; but any enterprising robber, with a -sharp knife in his hand, could speedily make an opening in the canvas. -These men were not soldiers, so far as the prisoner knew; though perhaps -they were more effectively opposing the plans of the government than if -they had been, by destroying its facilities for the transportation of -troops and supplies for the suppression of the rebellion. They were -enemies as much as though they had worn the gray uniform. - -Deck sat on the box with his hand on his revolver. He could sit there, -and with the six bullets in his pistol he could shoot every one of his -captors, unless some of them fled before his fire. One of them might -seize and use his carbine; but he would have a barrel in his weapon -ready for him. This seemed to him to be the most promising scheme that -suggested itself, so far as mere success was concerned. It would rid -this vicinity of the State of four men who might do as much mischief to -the loyal cause as a whole company of soldiers, even if they were Texan -cavalry. - -Deck took the revolver from the hook inside his trousers, and assured -himself that all the barrels were charged. Then he looked the wagon over -again, and considered what he was about to do. Incidentally he asked -himself what the mechanics intended to do with him. Doubtless they would -hand him over to the military, and he would be sent to the South. It was -not a pleasant prospect, and he prepared to use his weapon. - -It was war in which his lot was cast; and the business of war was the -killing of men, and the more the better. He raised the weapon; but, in -spite of his reasoning, his soul revolted at the thought of the act he -had been ready to commit a few moments before. Brown Kipps had used him -as kindly as the circumstances would permit, and had not confined his -arms behind him when in his judgment it did not appear to require it. It -looked like a cold-blooded murder, and a cowardly deed besides, to shoot -these men in the back of the head. - -He believed that, if he committed the deed, the remembrance of it would -haunt him as long as he lived; and the Confederate prison was better -than such a black memory. He put the revolver in his pocket; and he felt -more like a Christian when he had decided not to be guilty of the -outrage to which he had been tempted. He wondered what his father, who -was a true Christian, would say when he related this incident to him, if -he ever saw him again. - -"Mr. Kipps," said he on an impulse which suddenly seized him. - -"Well, my little dandy, what now?" asked the foreman, as he turned his -head as far as his crowded seat would permit. - -"Don't you think you have carried me about far enough?" demanded Deck. - -"I reckon not jest yet. You are a Yankee soldier, and you may be wuth -sunthin' to us afore we get through with you," answered Kipps very -good-naturedly. "I reckon you uns down below there got some prisoners -out o' we uns." - -"No doubt of that," added Deck. - -"We know'd there had been a fight down there; but we don't know nothin' -more about it." - -Deck told him something more about it, including the fact that -Lieutenant Makepeace was a prisoner in the hospital. - -"You don't say so!" exclaimed Kipps, deeply interested in the statement. -"Makepeace brought us over here part of the way; and he's a right down -good feller, and I liked him better'n Dingfield. I'm sorry for him. Is -he in a bad way?" - -"I can't say how bad; but he has a bullet in his chest, and a sabre-cut -on the head," replied Deck. "Our surgeon is taking good care of him." - -"I'm glad you uns took care on him; and if you get hurt, we uns will do -as much for you," said the foreman. - -"But I have already done a great deal more than that for you; and you -may thank me that you four are not dead at this particular moment," -added the prisoner boldly, as he decided to adopt another method of -proceeding. - -"How's that, little sonny? I don't edzactly see it," answered Kipps, -standing up on the platform in front of the wagon, so that the other -three could turn round and see the prisoner. - -"Not ten minutes ago I had made up my mind to shoot all four of you, and -make my way back to my company," continued Deck, as he produced his -revolver, and held it up so all four of them could see it. - -At this moment the wagon went over some obstacle like a large log; and, -as the hind wheels descended from it with a heavy "jounce," Deck was -thrown forward, and only saved himself from a fall among the assorted -loading by grasping one of the bows. - -"We done com'd to de road, Mars'r Kipps!" shouted the driver, as he -stopped his team after a succession of yells at the mules. - -"Stay where you are, Jube!" called the foreman. "I want to know how my -life was saved, for one, afore we go any farther. What's the reason we -uns ain't not all dead, little 'possum?" - -"Because I didn't shoot you all," replied Deck, as he stood holding to -the bow with one hand, and the revolver with the other. - -"Do you expect, little po'k-eater, we uns should 'a' let you do such a -wicked deed as that?" - -"But I could have done it without asking your permission," replied Deck. -"I was sitting on that box, and I could have taken you first through the -back of your head; and if one of you had moved to resist, I could have -finished him in the twinkling of an eye. I don't like to boast, Mr. -Brown Kipps, but I am a dead shot with this particular revolver; and it -would have been ready for business again the instant I had disposed of -the second man. It fires six shots, and I had a chance to complete the -job, even if I missed my aim twice. Don't you see it?" - -"Where did you get that little shooter, Lyons?" - -"My name is Lyon; there is only one of us here. Of course I have had the -revolver about me all the time, and you were so considerate as not to -take it from me, simply because it did not come into your head to look -for it." - -"Why didn't you do the shootin' when you had the chance, little coon?" - -"Because I concluded that it would be mean and cowardly to shoot four -men in the back of the head, and that it would haunt me as long as I -lived." - -Kipps suddenly jumped over the seat, and began to make his way to the -place where the prisoner stood; but Deck pointed the revolver at him, -and commanded him to halt. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -THE SKIRMISH ON THE HILL ROAD - - -Brown Kipps leaped over the seat, and acted as though he was in a hurry -to reach Deck Lyon, after he had explained the desperate deed he had -contemplated; and the latter thought the movement indicated violence on -the part of the foreman. - -"Halt where you are, Kipps! Don't come any nearer!" exclaimed Deck; and -the revolver in his hand enforced his command. - -"Don't shoot, sonny! I only wanted to catch you by the hand, and shake -it with right good will," replied Kipps, as he halted where the carbine -and sabre of the young cavalryman were lying between his two feet. "I -b'lieve what you been tellin' on us; and I reckon it's right lucky some -on us on this front seat ain't all ready to be put in the ground." - -[Illustration: "Halt where you are, Kipps!"] - -"I assure you that I have told you the exact truth," said Deck, as he -dropped his revolver to his side. - -The moment he did so Kipps stooped as quick as a flash and picked up the -carbine. - -"Don't shoot, little one!" he continued, as the prisoner raised his -weapon again, ready to meet this new combination in front of him. - -Deck realized that he must act quick, and he was in the very act of -firing at the foreman when he spoke. He looked his opponent in the eye; -but the bridge-burner did not bring the carbine to his shoulder. He had -grasped it near the muzzle, and he held it with the stock hanging down; -but he proceeded no farther than this, and the revolver pointed at the -head of Kipps, ready to fire if he elevated the piece. He was in doubt. -The words of the foreman did not indicate that he meant violence; he -felt that he had chance enough to save himself by shooting his opponent -before he could bring the carbine to bear upon him. But perhaps this was -the most exciting moment in the lifetime of the young soldier. - -"Don't shoot, sonny!" repeated Kipps, still holding the carbine in a -position that rendered it entirely useless; and as he spoke he advanced -towards his prisoner. - -"Don't come any nearer, Kipps, or there will be a breathless body in -this wagon!" exclaimed Deck, with vim enough to convince the other that -he was in dead earnest. - -"I won't come no nearer, if you say so, Lyons. I was only go'n' to bring -this shootin'-iron and give it back to you, jest to show you that I was -right friendly-like to you; and I wanted to catch you by the hand, -'cause I believe you could 'a' killed some or all on us if you'd had a -mind to. I reckon we won't quarrel after you've held up when you mou't -have stuck some on us." - -"Drop that carbine, Kipps, and then I can better understand what you -mean," replied Deck. - -"That's what's the matter, is it? I was only go'n' to give it back to -you," protested the foreman, as he let go of the piece; and it dropped -upon the loading of the wagon. - -Deck lowered his revolver to his side; and Kipps climbed over the -bundles, boxes, tools, and cans, till he was within reach of his late -prisoner, for he seemed no longer to regard him as such. He extended his -big hand to the cavalryman, whose right still firmly held his weapon, -and he took the hand of the other with his left. - -"That's a right-down honest Tennessee fist, Lyons, and the gizzard -always goes with it," said he, as he squeezed the hand of Deck till he -was on the point of crying out with the pain of the cracking bones. -"There's that cheese-knife and shooter of yourn, and you can take 'em as -soon as you get ready. You're a Yankee; but you've sunthin' more'n a -rock for a gizzard." - -"There's my hand in yours, Kipps; it's the left, but that is nearest to -the heart," replied Deck, now fully trusting the Tennesseean, as he -thrust the revolver into his pocket, satisfied that he should have no -further use for it at present. - -"You've got a rayle Tennessee gizzard in your bowels, Lyons, and I like -you. If anybody wants to do you an ill turn, he's got to fight Brown -Kipps, sure," added the foreman. - -"And the rest on us," put in Tom Lobkill. - -"That's so," chimed in Lank Rablan. "We ain't none on us gone dead yet; -and if you hadn't got a gizzard tucked away somewhar in your bowels, -some on us mou't 'a' been on t'other side o' Jordan's swellin' flood." - -"Here's your tools, Lyons," continued Kipps, as he brought the sabre and -carbine to Deck. "Here's the trimmin's that goes along with 'em, and you -can rig yourself out jest as you was when I fust laid eyes on you." - -As he spoke he took from his pockets the belt, sling, and other articles -belonging to his equipment. Deck seated himself on the box again, and, -after he had adjusted them, he put them on. He turned his back to his -companions in the wagon, and restored his revolver to the hook where he -carried it; for he did not care to show them where it had been -concealed. - -"I suppose you don't intend to carry me any farther, Kipps," said Deck, -when he had fully accoutred himself for a march; and he hoped to be in -the ranks of his company within a couple of hours. - -With his companions, he believed the bridge had been destroyed, and that -his father had failed in the principal object of his mission, though he -had defeated the enemy in every engagement in which he had met them. - -"I reckon you can go jest where you like, and kerry that gizzard o' -yourn with you," replied Kipps. "I'm only sorry you're a Yankee, for -you've behaved handsome enough to be a Tennesseean." - -"I am equally sorry you are not all four Union soldiers, standing up -like true men for your country and its government," replied Deck. - -"I reckon we'd better not talk on that subject, for we can't agree, -nohow," answered the foreman, as he went to the front of the wagon. "Now -you can git out at this end, for t'other's locked." - -This was a happy conclusion of the whole matter; and Deck realized that -he had accomplished more by the course he had adopted than if he had -carried out his cold-blooded intention to shoot his custodians. He went -to the front, and Kipps assisted him to alight; for his weapons -interfered with his movements in descent. - -"Where are we now, my friends?" asked Deck, as he looked about him. - -"I don't know, no more'n a goose in a poke," replied Kipps. "We've come -some miles, more or less, from the railroad; and this is the road we -come down on. Where are we, Jube?" he demanded of the negro driver. - -"I reckon we's here, Mars'r Kipps," replied the driver with a grin from -ear to ear. - -"I reckon so too; but whar's here, Jupiter?" - -"Donno whar you be, Mars'r!" exclaimed the negro, who seemed to think -the foreman was joking with him. - -"I don't know whar I am, Jube; do you?" replied Kipps, looking about him -to identify anything in the surroundings. - -"I know for sartin; we done come dis way befo', Mars'r. Dis is jest de -place whar we done struck in de field to find de roleraid," replied the -driver confidently. "Dis wot de fo'kes here call de hill road." - -"But we didn't come over that log before." - -"No, sar; dis nigger runn'd ag'in it, and twis' it round." - -"I reckon we'd better camp here for the night, and wait for orders," -said Kipps, "You can go the way you come, Lyons." - -"I don't know that I can find my way," replied Deck. "I have been shut -up in your wagon all the way, so that I could see nothing." - -"You can foller the wagon-track, and that will fotch you out all right," -added Lank. - -But Deck was in doubt about returning to the railroad. He knew that -Lieutenant Belthorpe had been sent over to the railroad, and he had seen -the troopers ride up the embankment. He thought it strange that he had -not encountered his force; and he proceeded, Indian fashion, to examine -the road for horse-tracks in the sand. The sod was so tough that it bore -no indentation inside of the log; but in the road he found plenty of -horseshoe marks, and he proceeded to study them. - -They all indicated that the riders were headed to the south, or in the -direction of the east road, the latter of which led to the camp and -cross-roads. Was it possible that Belthorpe had returned to the camp? -This was what the marks suggested. Deck then walked by the log, and -found the track extended towards the north. He followed them for about a -quarter of a mile, and then he found where they began on the road. - -At this point he found the fence had been thrown down, and there were -plenty of horse-tracks in the cornfield which it surrounded. These led -up from the direction of the railroad. In the soft ground he found, on -the left of the great body of the marks, which indicated that the -detachment had marched by fours, the print of a bar shoe, often called a -round shoe. He was aware that Tom Belthorpe rode a horse shod in this -manner, for the steed had belonged in the stable of the planter of -Riverlawn. - -His investigation proved that not only a company of cavalry had come up -from the railroad to the highway, but that it was the force under -command of the first lieutenant of the first company. He returned to the -highway, wondering what had become of this detachment. But Deck did not -know that a portion of the Texan Rangers had come down the hill road, as -reported by the scouts of the squadron. He hastened back to the place -where he had left the wagon. As he approached it he saw two mounted -Rangers talking with the bridge-burners, or rather with the foreman of -them; and the other three were helping the driver to hitch on his mules, -for they had begun their preparations to camp there for the night. - -The two scouts turned their horses and rode away in the direction from -which they had come. Deck had halted when he saw them, and put himself -behind a big tree at the side of the road. But as soon as they rode off -at a gallop, as though they were in a hurry, he advanced. The -bridge-burners were all busy in getting the mules ready for a start. - -"You better make tracks with all your legs towards the railroad, sonny," -said Kipps earnestly. - -"What has turned up now?" asked Deck with interest. - -"Them men was the scouts of our company, and we are ordered to move to -the north with all the speed we can get out of the mules," continued -Kipps. "Our company, or a part on't, will be here soon; and I don't want -'em to ketch you, Lyons, for I can't do nuthin' for you if they get hold -on you." - -"All right, Kipps; and I am very much obliged to you for your kind -service. But where are you going?" asked Deck. - -"I don't know no more'n the dead. I'm to foller this road, and I hain't -the leastest idee whar it'll fetch out," replied the foreman, as he took -his place on the front seat, and Jube started the unwilling team. - -The driver plied his whip with cruel vigor, and the wagon soon -disappeared. Deck was perplexed. Belthorpe had marched up the hill road, -as indicated by the tracks of the horses, and the Rangers were marching -down the same road. How did it happen that they had not met, and a fight -had not ensued? He could not explain it. Just above him was a grove, or -a field covered with sparsely scattered trees. - -Deck was very anxious to ascertain the situation of affairs in this -section, and he hoped to be able to give his father some important -information when he met him. He placed himself behind a tree in the -grove. He had hardly secured his position before he heard the clatter of -horses' hoofs and the clangor of sabres in the road above him. In a -minute he obtained a view of them, and they were Rangers. They were -hurrying their horses as though they were engaged in some important -movement. - -The troops had not come abreast of the observer before he heard a -furious yell in the grove not far from him. The shout of "Riverlawn!" -was heard, with other yells; and a body of the Union cavalry dashed into -the road, and fired a volley from their carbines. - -"Sling carbines! Draw sabres!" shouted an officer; and Deck recognized -the well-known voice of Tom Belthorpe. Then they charged into the enemy -with a fury that promised to annihilate them in a very short time. - -Deck belonged in this portion of the first company; but he had no horse, -and he could not join in the charge; but he began to use his carbine. -The Texans fought bravely and desperately, and the two forces seemed to -be about equal. The interested observer saw one of his company topple -over from his horse, and the excited animal dragged him, with one foot, -in the stirrup, off the field. Deck caught the horse, and reduced him to -subjection with a vigorous arm. He released the soldier, who was -insensible, and placed him under a tree. Then he mounted the steed, and -dashed into the fight. - -He had hardly struck a blow with his sabre before he heard the clanging -of sabres some distance in the rear. At the head of it was the officer -in command, with one arm in a sling, and his head tied up with bandages. -They were Texan cavalry, without a doubt; and Deck called the attention -of the lieutenant to the fact. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -CAPTAIN DINGFIELD'S STRATEGY - - -The officer at the head of the approaching force, wounded in the head -and arm, could be no other than Captain Dingfield; but there was no one -present who knew anything about the brief action in which the commander -of the Texan force had been defeated, and from which he had made a very -hasty retreat. Major Lyon had sent Captain Gordon with half his company -in pursuit of the fleeing enemy; the passage of both the pursuers and -the pursued across the east road had been reported by the scouts at the -cross-roads. - -Deck had not been able to force his way into the thickest of the fight; -and, being near the side of the road, he was the first to discover the -approach of the second detachment of the enemy. The action was in -progress in a broad, open space in the road, where the trees had been -cut off from the land; and the ground occupied was partly in this -field. He could readily determine that Belthorpe had chosen this place -for the action because it presented more open space. - -Doubtless his scouts had reported to him the approach of the first -section of the enemy, and he had concealed his force in the grove to -which Deck had retreated to observe the movements of both parties in the -conflict. But he thought the lieutenant had made a mistake in delaying -his attack until the detachment of the enemy had advanced too far, and -he had thrown his men upon the rear instead of the flank. - -The lieutenant had less than fifty men, and the enemy fought with -desperate courage and determination. But his men were fresh; for they -had been moving leisurely about in quest of the foe, and had been -resting a short time in the grove, while the Rangers had ridden a long -distance. The arrival of the rest of their company would throw all the -advantage, both in position and numbers, over to the side of the enemy; -and Deck saw in an instant that the battle would be lost if it continued -under these unfavorable circumstances. - -"Lieutenant!" he shouted, flourishing his sabre to attract attention, -when he had approached as near as he could to the officer. - -Tom Belthorpe was using his sabre vigorously, and he had just smote to -the ground a trooper, when he heard the voice of Deck. He had not seen -him before, and was not aware of his presence. He concluded on the -instant that the son of the major was the bearer of an order from his -father; and he knew the young man well enough to understand that he -would not call him at such a time on an unimportant matter, and he rode -towards him. - -"What is it, Deck?" he demanded, full of the excitement of the conflict. - -"Yon are flanked and outnumbered!" shouted Deck; though in the noise and -fury of the action no one but the lieutenant heard or noticed his call. -"There is another detachment of the Rangers coming up the road. You are -beaten if you don't get out of it!" - -"I don't understand you, Deck," replied the officer, glancing at his men -still engaged in the furious strife. - -"There is a force of the enemy of at least fifty men coming up the road, -and in three minutes more they will fall upon your rear!" repeated -Deck, speaking as clearly as though he had been reading his piece in -school. - -"Where do they come from?" demanded Tom, as he looked back in the -direction indicated by the sabre of his friend, and they were the best -of friends. - -"I don't know anything at all about it," answered Deck impatiently. - -The fresh troopers of the lieutenant's command were driving the enemy -before them by the vigorous fighting they had put into the attack, and -they were somewhat superior in numbers. By the time Deck had given his -warning the enemy had been forced back to the point where the wagon had -emerged from the fields and woods. The lieutenant was obviously very -unwilling to give an order to retreat when victory was almost within his -grasp. It was the first action in which he had been engaged, and his -pride as a soldier was implicated. - -Tom looked again at the approaching re-enforcement of the enemy; and -then very reluctantly he summoned the bugler, and ordered him to sound -the call, "To the rear." It was given in the quickest of time; and the -faces of the troopers indicated their astonishment and chagrin at the -nature of the call, when victory was only a question of minutes. - -The men fell back; but the enemy were not disposed to follow them, and -perhaps believed they had gained a victory. They were facing down the -road, and they could not help seeing that a re-enforcement for their -side was approaching. The lieutenant in command reformed his men, but he -did not order them to charge upon their retiring foe. - -"I don't understand this business, Deck," said Tom Belthorpe, when he -realized that the officer in command of the enemy did not intend to -pursue him. - -"I don't understand anything beyond what I can see with my own eyes," -replied Deck. "I have just come over this region in a wagon, and I -advise you to retreat towards the railroad, if you will excuse me for -saying so." - -The lieutenant gave the order for his men to retire in the direction -indicated, and the officer and Deck followed them. - -"We were within two minutes of a victory, Deck," said Lieutenant -Belthorpe, still panting with the exertion he had put forth in the -combat. - -"But you would have lost it, and had the tables turned on you two -minutes later," replied Deck. - -"What next?" asked the officer, who, in his inability to understand the -situation, was perplexed and baffled. "I don't feel like running away -just as we were whipping those Texans." - -"But it is easier to run away before you have been whipped yourself than -it would be afterwards. I should judge that the force approaching is the -other half of the Rangers' company. There they come," added Deck, as the -furious riders seen in the distance halted in the road near where the -bridge-burners had proposed to camp for the night. - -Without consulting his friend and companion in regard to the expediency -of doing so, the lieutenant gave the order for his platoon to halt at -the moment when they had encircled one of the knolls so common in that -region. He and Deck were in the rear; and though the men could not see -the road, it was in full view from the position occupied by the officer. - -"I am not feeling like doing any more running away just yet," said Tom, -who was quite willing to forget that he was a lieutenant in the presence -of Private Deck Lyon. - -"They have halted, and there is no occasion to run away just yet; but it -is best to take the bull by the horns before he gores you," added the -private. "I think we had better rest under that big tree, and keep out -of sight till you get a better idea of this thing, Lieutenant." - -The suggestion was adopted, and they rode to a position under the tree -where they could see without being seen. - -"They have come together, and they don't seem to know where they are any -better than we do," said the lieutenant. "I should say they had had a -hard ride by the looks of their horses;" and the officer had looked at -the reunited company through a small opera-glass he carried in his -pocket, though the distance was hardly more than five hundred feet. - -"Hold on a minute, Tom!" exclaimed Deck, as he slid from his horse, and -fastened him to a branch. - -"What are you going to do now, Deck?" demanded the lieutenant. - -"I am going up there to find out what is going on," replied the private, -as he detached his sabre, and fastened it to his saddle. - -"But you will be picked up," suggested Tom. - -"If I am I will let you know; but I am determined to get posted, so that -I can give you reliable information," answered Deck. "But I obey your -orders; and, if you tell me not to go, of course I shall not." - -"Do as you think best, Deck," replied the lieutenant, who found it -difficult to realize that he was the military superior of his friend. - -Deck waited for nothing more. His carbine was still slung at his back; -but he had provided that the clang of his sabre as he walked should not -betray him. He had looked the ground over before that day, and knew -where he was locally, though he was ignorant of the positions of the -several bodies of troopers other than those before his eyes. He was on -the border of the grove, consisting of large trees, rather far apart. He -got behind the trunk of one of these, and then picked his way from one -to another, till he was within thirty feet of the officers in command -of the company. - -The lieutenant of the platoon which had done the fighting had ridden -away from his command a short distance; and when Deck first saw him he -was peering into the region between the railroad and the road, doubtless -anxious to ascertain what had become of the force with which he had just -been engaged. The man with his head tied up and his arm in a sling -called upon a sergeant to rearrange the bandage on his head; and he had -just completed his task when Deck reached the shelter of the tree he had -selected. The wounded officer, for such his uniform and shoulder-straps -indicated that he was, appeared to be ready for business. - -"Where is Lieutenant Redway?" he demanded very impatiently. - -"There he comes, Captain Dingfield," replied the sergeant at his side. - -The lieutenant hurried up his jaded steed, and saluted his captain. - -"I thought I saw a fight going on here," continued the commander of the -company, though Deck had never heard his name before. - -"So there was, Captain Dingfield; and a very sharp one at that," replied -Lieutenant Redway. "But we defeated the enemy, whipped them out of -their boots, and they fled like a flock of frightened sheep down that -opening;" and the reporter of this information pointed in the direction -in which Tom's command had retired. - -"If the Father of Lies, who is always swinging his caudal appendage over -the world in search of the biggest liars, should come here for one, -where could Captain Dingfield hide you, Lieutenant Redway?" said Deck to -himself; for it would not have been prudent to say it out loud. - -"Why didn't you follow them up?" demanded the captain, with some -indignation in his tones and manner. - -"Because you were in sight with the rest of the company; and I deemed it -my duty to wait for orders, especially as you had sent me directions to -hurry forward the bridge brigade," replied the lieutenant. - -"But I am closely pursued by a force in the rear; and it cannot be far -behind me by this time. How large was the detachment you fought, -Redway?" asked the captain, looking behind him at the road, as though he -believed his pursuers were close at hand. - -"About the size of my command; fifty men, I should say." - -"You ought to have wiped them out; and you have made a mess of it by not -doing so," added the captain. - -The two officers had withdrawn from the immediate vicinity of their men, -and chosen a place within twenty feet of Deck's tree, so that he could -hear them very distinctly. The conversation was exceedingly interesting -to him, especially the fact in regard to the pursuing force. - -"I acted upon my best judgment." - -"I had a rough fight in the road, on my way to the bridge, and I have -hardly forty men left, while the Yankees will have a full company when -the detachment behind me comes up," added the captain, who was evidently -in a contemplative mood. "The force you whipped must be at no great -distance from this road." - -"I think they will keep on running for the next three miles," said -Redway. "I went up the road to look for them, but I could see nothing of -them." - -"But we shall be outnumbered if we let the two parts of this company -come together. I have found that they fight like Texans. If we meet the -whole of them together, we shall be whipped, as Makepeace was. There is -only one thing to do. Form the whole company in column by fours, and we -must go back and beat our pursuers, before they get as far as this," -said Captain Dingfield, suddenly becoming very animated and energetic. - -Deck concluded that the time had come for him to leave his retreat; and -he felt that he had not lost his time in carrying out the plan he had -suggested. But it would be safer for him to retreat in five minutes more -than at that moment. He looked on while the Rangers formed, and saw them -march on their present mission. He had not a very high opinion of the -strategy of Captain Dingfield; and if his subordinate officer had given -him correct information, perhaps he would have adopted a different -course. - -The Rangers could no longer see him, and he broke into a run as soon as -they had gone. He found everything as he had left it, and he proceeded -to report his intelligence to Lieutenant Belthorpe. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -SUNDRY FLANK MOVEMENTS ARRANGED - - -Captain Dingfield, with the portion of his company with which he had -attacked Major Lyon near the cross-roads, where he had been badly beaten -at the first assault, had fled across the country, and was continuing -his flight along the hill road. Doubtless he did not intend to fight a -battle at the point mentioned, but had made the attack immediately after -the explosion on the bridge to occupy the attention of the force there -until his men had completed the destruction of the structure. - -He appeared to have discovered that the squadron of cavalry he had -encountered was not so easily annihilated as he had believed they would -be by his invincible Rangers. On the contrary, he found his troop in a -difficult situation, with a superior force near him. Doubtless he had -read in what manner Napoleon I. defeated an army of superior numbers by -taking it when divided into two parts, delivering battle to each in -turn. - -Captain Gordon, with half his company, had been sent in pursuit of him, -but had been somewhat delayed in his movements. Captain Dingfield had -united the two portions of his company after the skirmish of one of them -with Lieutenant Belthorpe, who was believed to have retreated to the -railroad. - -Deck Lyon had listened to the interview between the captain and -lieutenant of the Rangers, and fully understood their plan. As soon as -the company had departed on their mission to annihilate the detachment -of Captain Gordon, he hastened back to the big tree where he had left -Lieutenant Belthorpe. Tom had just crossed swords with the enemy for the -first time, and had fought like a lion; but he was nervous in regard to -the situation. He had no superior officer near him, and he felt the -responsibility of his position. - -"Well, Deck, what next?" he asked, before the young soldier could get -within talking distance of him. - -"There is work for you," replied Deck; and though he knew precisely what -ought to be done, he was very careful not to suggest anything. He did -not wish to overstep the line of his duty as a private, though he and -the lieutenant were on the most intimate and familiar terms of -friendship. He hurried his steps; and in as few words as possible he -related all he had seen and heard. - -"Then, Captain Dingfield has gone out with his whole company to -intercept Gordon?" said the officer. - -"Precisely so; and I don't know what force Captain Gordon has with him," -added Deck. "The Rangers believe your command has retreated to the -railroad, and are well out of the way." - -"We will convince them to the contrary very soon," said Tom with energy, -and darted off at the best speed of his horse for the knoll where he had -left his men. - -Deck restored his sabre to its place, and mounted his horse. He was -ready to return to the ranks; but Tom called him, and he took his place -at the side of his friend. The lieutenant asked him a great many -questions; for the troop could not move at their best speed on account -of the trees and bushes. - -"I suppose we have nothing to do but follow and pitch in when we find -the enemy," said Tom, when they came out on the hill road. "We can't see -anything of Dingfield's company yet." - -"He has not got over the top of that hill we see ahead, and is in the -valley this side. Neither of us has been over this road, and we know -nothing at all about it," replied Deck, careful not to wound the pride -of his officer. - -"Why don't you speak out, Deck, and tell me what you are thinking -about?" said the lieutenant somewhat impatiently. "You keep in your -shell as tight as a Baltimore oyster. You did not hesitate to tell me -what you had in your sconce when we were fighting that detachment in the -road." - -"I only intended to give you the information that Dingfield's company -was coming, and would then outnumber you," replied Deck. - -"You advised me to retreat, and I did so, for I saw that you were -right." - -"But you are my superior officer, and my business consists in obeying -your orders," replied the private with becoming humility. - -"None of that, Deck! We will keep up all the forms and ceremonies; but I -want you to be Deck Lyon, while I am Tom Belthorpe, when we are side by -side as we are at this moment. I say all we have to do is to ride ahead -till we find the enemy, and then pitch in. Is that your idea, Deck?" - -"With all due deference, Tom, it is not," replied the private. - -"Confound your deference!" exclaimed the lieutenant. "I asked your -advice, and you mumble about forms." - -"I will speak as plainly as I know how to speak. If you show yourself to -Captain Dingfield, he will run away if he can. He has been badly -punished to-day, and he can't stand much more of it. When he finds -himself pinched between Captain Gordon and yourself, I don't believe he -will feel like cutting his way out." - -"But he outnumbers Gordon just now," Tom objected. - -"Of course you will not let Captain Gordon suffer," continued Deck. "If -you will allow me to say it, I will suggest what I should do if I were -in your place." - -"Allow you! Confound you, Deck! Didn't I ask you point-blank what you -would do?" demanded Tom. - -"We are moving at a dog-trot now, and that is just right. Before we get -to the top of that hill yonder in the road, I should halt, and send a -scout ahead to report on what there is to be seen," said Deck. - -"All right! I detail you as the scout," answered the lieutenant very -promptly. - -"Then I will leave you. If I raise my cap over my head, hurry up. If I -make no sign, come along leisurely," added Deck, as he urged his steed -to a gallop, and dashed ahead. - -Just then he wished he had Ceph; but he had left him hitched near the -bridge when he ascended it to take in the flag, though the horse he had -was not a bad one. How far in the rear of Captain Dingfield's company -Captain Gordon had been he had no means of judging. Deck reached the -summit of the hill over which the road passed. He reined in his steed, -and walked him till his own head was high enough to see over the crest -in front of him. - -Captain Dingfield's company was not in sight. Not more than half a mile -ahead of him was another hill, beyond which the enemy had disappeared. -He took off his cap and waved it in the air above his head. Tom could -not help seeing it; and his command were immediately galloping towards -him. Deck did not wait for them, but ran his own horse till he reached -the summit of the second hill. Here he halted again. There was a third -hill, and probably one every mile or half-mile; for this was the hill -road. - -Captain Dingfield had not hurried his men, and Deck discovered his force -on the lowest ground between the two hills. He had halted there, and the -men appeared to be watering their horses. Deck was sorry he had not a -field-glass. He fell back a short distance, so that his horse should not -be seen by the enemy, hitched him to a sapling, and returned to the top -of the hill on foot. After examining the location of the enemy as well -as he could, he concluded that a road crossed that upon which both -forces were moving, though he was not sure. - -Returning to his horse, he mounted again, and descended the hill a few -rods. The lieutenant had reached the top of the first hill, and Deck -waved his cap again. As soon as Tom reached the spot where the private -was, he halted his command. He hastily informed his officer that the -enemy were at the foot of the hill on the other side. - -"I must not lose sight of them for long," said Deck. "I will go ahead -again, and make the same signal for you to advance." - -"But you expect there will be a fight, don't you, Deck?" asked the -lieutenant. - -"There will be if Captain Dingfield don't run away by a road I believe -extends through the valley. I think the captain of the Rangers is -waiting for Captain Gordon to come upon him in this place. I will keep a -lookout for our men," replied Deck, as he rode up the hill again. - -The private was a very enthusiastic soldier; and he thought it would be -a capital idea to bag the Rangers, and make prisoners of the whole -company. It would be a feather in Tom Belthorpe's cap, and he would have -been glad to place it there. He hitched his horse again, and then -climbed a tree. Some of the hills in the vicinity were cultivated, and -some were not. From his elevated perch he discovered a farmhouse on the -road, of whose existence he had not before been confident. He had no -doubt of the fact now. - -There was a cornfield on the left of the road where he was, but at some -distance from it. Between this tilled land and the hill road was a -considerable extent of wild land, covered with hillocks, and the whole -of it overgrown with small trees and bushes. Near the place where the -platoon had halted, Deck perceived a practicable passage through the -tanglewood; and he went down the tree in a desperate hurry, to the -imminent peril of his limbs, though he reached the ground in safety. - -A glance at the summit of the third hill assured him that Captain Gordon -was not yet in sight. Slinging his carbine, and buckling on his belt, he -hastened to the lieutenant, and, without any unnecessary manifestations -of deference, stated the plan he had brewed in the top of the tree. - -"I should like to see the whole of that company bagged, Tom," said he, -as he led the way to the opening he had seen. "I should like to see you -do it, I am only afraid Dingfield will escape by that road, and I should -like to have you block his way in that direction." - -"But if we shut up that road against him, we shall leave the hill road -open to him," replied Tom. - -[Illustration: "What are you uns doing here!"] - -Deck bit his lip, for he had not thought of this; for he was not a -full-fledged strategist any more than his officer. - -"You are right, Tom; and that is the end of my scheme," added Deck. - -"Not a bit of it, Deck. Why not compromise on your idea; send half our -force across the cornfield, and leave the other half to take care of -this road? I like that idea," said Tom with enthusiasm. - -"You would have but twenty-five men to hold this road against the whole -of Dingfield's company," said Deck. - -"But we don't intend to move till Captain Gordon is here to take a hand -in the game," answered Tom. "You will go with Sergeant Fronklyn to the -cross-road, and I will stay here. As soon as I see the rest of our -company coming down the hill, I will strike the enemy in the rear, while -the captain goes in on the front. You will sail in from the by-road as -soon as you hear the firing, Deck. That is fixed. Now have deference -enough for your officer to hold your tongue, and obey your orders." - -"I am as dumb as a dead horse," replied Deck. - -Both of them were laughing; and Deck hastened to a place where he could -see over the crest of the hill, while the lieutenant divided his force -for the two undertakings. In a few moments all was ready, and Tom joined -his friend. - -"It is time we were moving," said Deck. - -"All is ready for you; and Fronklyn will take counsel of you when -necessary," replied the lieutenant. - -"Don't show yourself on the top of the hill, Tom; for that might let the -cat out of the bag," added Deck. - -The scout, as Deck considered himself for the present, joined the -detachment detailed for the by-road, and led them into the wild region, -Fronklyn remaining some distance behind him. The enemy were in a deep -hollow, and the guide soon assured himself that the detachment could be -neither seen nor heard by them. The sergeant advanced in response to his -signals. A spur of the hill concealed them, and they galloped across the -field, from which the crop had been harvested. He guided the force to a -point beyond the farmer's house. Leaving the sergeant and his men where -the buildings shut off the view of the hill road, Deck rode cautiously -to the other side of the house. - -"What you uns doin' here?" asked the farmer, showing himself from behind -his barn. - -"We are attending to our own business, and it wouldn't be a bad idea for -you to do the same," replied Deck, who did not like the looks of the -man. - -"I reckon you uns is Confedrits," he added. - -"You are out of your reckoning." - -"There's some more on 'em over to the brook. I reckon I'll go over, and -let 'em know you're here," suggested the farmer. - -"If you do, you will get a bit of lead through your upper story," -replied Deck, as he rode on. - -He had hardly started his horse before a volley was heard in the -direction of the hill road. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -THE ENEMY'S BATTLE WITH THE MUD - - -The sound of the volley did not come from the top of the hill, and -Captain Gordon would not have been so simple as to waste the powder and -balls in the carbines of his men at an impracticable distance from the -object of his attack. Lieutenant Belthorpe must have seen his force as -soon as he reached the top of the hill; and no doubt he had hurried to -join in the attack at the right moment, so that it could be made in the -front and rear at the same time. - -But plans do not always work precisely as they are arranged beforehand. -Deck turned his steed as soon as he heard the volley, and hastened back -to notify the sergeant; but Fronklyn had heard the discharge, and -marched on the instant. For a non-commissioned officer, he was decidedly -a man of parts, though he had not been in a fight till that day. - -"Hurry up, Sergeant! I think we shall have warm work over on the hill -road as soon as we can reach it. They are firing lively now on both -hills," said Deck, as he took his place by the side of the officer. - -"We are all ready for it; and the men were as mad as a bull in a swarm -of hornets as the recall was sounded back there a while ago, when they -were licking the enemy out of his boots," replied Fronklyn. - -"They are likely to get enough of it now," added Deck, as they galloped -forward at the best speed they could get out of the horses. - -But the firing suddenly ceased, and there was a noise ahead other than -the sounds of battle, which attracted the attention of Deck and the -sergeant. It was the clang of sabres and the rattle of accoutrements, -and the sounds came from a less distance than to the hill road. - -"What does this mean?" asked Deck, as he reined in his horse. "Halt your -men here!" he added, as he obtained a full view ahead. - -Fronklyn promptly accepted the suggestion, and gave the order; but he -did not understand the reason for making it. The cross-road extended -through the wild region over which the detachment had passed farther up -the hill. In this part of it the surface was more irregular than above; -on the left was a meadow, through which flowed the brook that crossed -the main road. Just ahead of the force the road wound through a narrow -pass, between lofty pinnacles of rock. - -From a point in the road Deck had obtained a glance across the meadow at -the cross-road near the main highway. There he saw the Rangers -retreating vigorously, and coming directly towards him. He could not -quite understand this change in the programme, as laid down by -Lieutenant Belthorpe and himself. But it did not take him long to -explain the situation to his own satisfaction, whether correctly or not. - -Captain Gordon's men had made the attack with a volley from the -carbines. As soon as Tom Belthorpe heard the report, he dashed down the -hill to have a finger in the pie; for his men were eager for the affray. -Captain Dingfield had seen them coming, and probably mistook the force -for a much larger one, and ordered a retreat by the cross-road. -Doubtless he had chosen to await the attack of Captain Gordon in this -locality on account of this convenient outlet. The enemy had not waited -for a charge, and neither of the detachments from the two hills had -reached the brook. - -Deck hurriedly stated the situation to Sergeant Fronklyn. Then he -pointed out the narrow pass in the road, which would conceal the men for -a few moments. He advised him to advance to it, and then fall upon the -head of the column as it entered the narrow passage. The officer gave -the order to advance, and with it a few ringing words of encouragement. -Fronklyn placed himself at the head of his men, with Deck near him, and -they dashed into the pass at a breakneck speed. The enemy had not yet -reached the narrow defile. - -The troopers had their carbines all ready for use, and the sergeant -halted them at a point where they could see the Rangers as they -approached. At the right moment he gave the command to fire, and the -report was the first intimation to Captain Dingfield that an enemy was -in front of him. As soon as the Union soldiers had discharged their -pieces, they were ordered to sling their carbines, and draw their -sabres. - -"To the charge! March!" shouted Fronklyn. - -The volley had been a surprise to the Rangers, and they were evidently -staggered as some of their saddles were emptied. Captain Dingfield was -not at the front of his company; for the danger was supposed to be in -the rear, and he was as brave a man as ever sat on a horse. Of course he -could form no idea of the strength of the force in front of him, and he -must have realized that he had fallen into a trap. If he had not been -prudent before, he was so now, for the bugler immediately sounded the -recall. - -Sergeant Fronklyn did not wait to see what Captain Dingfield would do, -or where he would retreat. He led his men forward, and they charged -furiously upon what had been the right of the column. The Rangers -defended themselves with vigor and determination for a few minutes, and -the accounts of three of them were closed for this world. The next thing -that Deck saw, for he made a business of knowing all that was going on -around him, was a column of cavalry fleeing across the meadow. - -The captain of the Rangers, from his position near the rear, had -evidently found a means of escape. Deck fought with his sabre as long as -there was one of the enemy near him; but as fast as the Texans could get -out of the _mêlée_ they fled to the rear. The pass was so narrow that -the Union troopers, few as there were of them on the by-road, had not -room enough to do themselves justice. But Fronklyn urged them on, and -drove them before him, till he heard the clashing of arms in front of -him. - -Both Captain Gordon and Lieutenant Belthorpe dashed into the narrow -road, and followed up the enemy, till the last of them had taken to the -meadow. When the ground was examined later, it was found that there was -only one narrow causeway by which the descent to the low ground could be -made; and the Rangers covered and defended this pass till all of their -number had left the road. It was in vain that the fresh troopers pressed -forward from the hill road, for the way was blocked against them. In the -inability of the captain and the lieutenant to bring their numbers to -bear, the combat was on equal terms. - -The Rangers defended themselves bravely and skilfully. There were a -number of hand-to-hand struggles with which there was no space for the -interference of others. But it looked as though the Texans had leaped -from the frying-pan into the fire; for they had gone out but a short -distance from the by-road before their horses began to mire; for the -ground proved to be very soft. Several of the Texans were obliged to -dismount, and pull their steeds out of the mud. - -Captain Gordon had pressed forward, and engaged the rear of the -retreating column; and he was about to order a pursuit, when he -discovered the enemy was sinking in the mire, and that the meadow was no -place for horses. It was located all along the wild region; and, -doubtless, some of those sink-holes and caverns which abound in this -part of the State existed in this section of wild land. But the captain -was not willing to permit the escape of the enemy. - -Deck Lyon was reasonable enough to abandon the idea of "bagging the -game;" for the Rangers could now hardly be regarded as an organized -military company. The meadow proved to be nothing but a quagmire, though -the farmer appeared to get the hay from it, as there were two stacks of -it on the field; but he had to take the occasion when the ground was -frozen to obtain his crop. By this time the Texans were scattered all -over the meadow, wandering about in search of more solid ground. - -It would have been easy enough to shoot down the whole of them; but -Captain Gordon was too chivalrous a man to murder the defenceless -fellows. A few of them had crossed the brook, and were ascending the -hill on the other side. A number of them were making a road of the -bottom of the little stream, which seemed to be composed of sand washed -in from the hills. - -The first company were at ease all along the by-road, watching the -movements and the struggles of the enemy; and no doubt Captain Dingfield -wished he had fought it out, or surrendered on the hard ground. The -night was coming on; and even if the Texans extricated themselves from -their pitiable condition, they must be so demoralized that they could do -no further mischief till they had rested and recruited from the effects -of their battle with the mud. - -"What are them men doin' in there?" asked the farmer, who wandered as -far as the causeway, when it was safe to do so, and there encountered -Deck, whom he had met before. - -"They are trying to get out," replied Private Lyon. - -"They can't do it!" exclaimed the native, who indulged in much profane -speech. "They'll make a cemetry of the whole medder. It's nothin' but -muck in there till you git to the bottom on't, and that's where them -fellers will go. I had a colt git in there, and all on us couldn't git -him out; and I reckon his carcass is lyin' on the bottom now. They've -sp'ilt my medder," continued the farmer; and he heaped curses on the -unfortunate troopers, who were tearing up the soft sod at a fearful -rate. - -The native had picked up the three horses of the troopers who had been -killed in the affray, and they were some compensation for the damage -done him in the meadow, which looked as though it had been ploughed up. - -"Isn't there any way for those men to get out of that quagmire?" asked -Captain Gordon, as he encountered the farmer. - -"I don't know o' none," replied the man in a surly tone, "If they was -only Yankees, I'd like it better." - -"I like it better as it is," replied the captain. - -He knew of no way to extricate the troopers from their plight. It was -the dry season of the year, and probably there was less water and less -mud than in the wet season. The bodies of the horses seemed to be -resting on the sod, with their legs wholly plunged in the soft soil. The -riders had dismounted, and attacked two stacks of hay on the field, and -were placing it in front of their animals. It afforded a better -foundation for them than the oozy turf; and a couple of them were -already standing on their legs. - -The darkness was gathering rapidly, and Captain Gordon gave the order -for his men to form in column; and then he marched them out to the hill -road. He was satisfied that the Texans would escape from their miserable -plight, though it might require many hours for them to accomplish it. -They had already begun to build a sort of causeway of the hay, to -connect with the solid one by which they had fled from the fight. The -hay was of a coarse quality, abundantly mixed with weeds and bushes, and -it appeared to be substantial enough to support the horses. - -It was evident to the captain that the entire force of the enemy could -be easily captured as they came off the meadow; but it might require the -whole night to secure them. The first company, now united, marched to -the hill road, and halted in a field which had been selected before for -the camping-ground. The men proceeded to feed themselves and their -horses. A half-dozen scouts were left on the by-road to watch the mired -Texans. They had built a great fire to afford them light, and continued -their labors. - -A portion of the field where they had encamped consisted of a grove of -big trees, such as the company had frequently seen. The baggage-train -had been left at the bridge, and the men had no tents, but they were -provided with overcoats and blankets; and thus protected from the cold -of the chill night, it was not accounted a hardship to sleep on the -ground. Sentinels surrounded the camp, and two scouts had been sent out -in each direction on the hill road. - -"Scouts coming in from both ways!" shouted the sentinels in the road; -and the word was carried to the guard quarters. - -The captain was immediately informed. As Deck happened to be in the -detail for guard duty, he had been stationed in the road, and it was his -voice which first announced the return of the scouts. Captain Gordon, -who had stretched himself under a tree for a nap, hastened to the road -to ascertain the cause of the alarm. - -"Where are the scouts, Deck?" he asked, as he confronted the sentinel in -the road. - -"They have not got here yet," replied Deck, as he saluted the captain. -"I saw them at the top of the hills, coming in at full speed." - -"But there is no enemy in this vicinity, except the Texans in the -quagmire," added the captain. - -"I know of none, Captain." - -The two scouts came in almost at the same moment, before the captain and -the private could discuss the situation, and reported a detachment of -cavalry approaching from either direction. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - -AT THE CAMP-FIRE NEAR THE ROAD - - -As Captain Gordon suggested, there was no enemy in the vicinity with the -exception of the Texan Rangers, half buried in the mud. The approach of -cavalry from both directions, and in the darkness, was rather an -alarming announcement; and if the scouts had not been close by, he would -have ordered the long roll, and prepared for defence. The camp-fires -were blazing near the road, and a weird light was cast upon the scene. - -"Well, Beck, what is your news?" demanded the captain, as the scout -saluted him. - -"A detachment of cavalry was coming up when I left the top of the hill," -replied the trooper. - -"What were they?" demanded the captain impatiently. - -"I don't know, Captain; we could not make them out in the darkness," -replied the scout; and he was the one who came from the south. - -"How many were there of them?" - -"We looked at them as they came down the hill, and Wilder and I reckoned -there were about fifty of them. They had a wagon train behind them." - -"Very well, Beck. What have you to say, Layder?" asked Captain Gordon, -turning to the scout from the north. - -"My report is just about the same as Beck's; though the detachment comes -from the other way. But they didn't have no baggage-train." - -"Did you make out how many there were, Layder?" - -"We made out about forty of 'em, Captain; we could not see very well, -and there may have been more of 'em." - -"Return to your mates, and ascertain, if you can, who and what they -are," added Captain Gordon. - -Deck Lyon had something to say, but he did not feel like saying it. He -was perfectly satisfied that there would be no fighting with the -approaching detachments. He had been reasoning over the situation, and -he had formed a decided opinion. He had heard the train on the railroad, -both when it went down and when it returned about dark; but he knew -nothing about the events which had transpired at the camp by the bridge. -The only fact that bothered him was that the detachment from the south -had a baggage-train. - -"Well, Deck, what do you make of it?" asked Captain Gordon, as he halted -in front of the sentinel. - -"The two detachments are the second company of Riverlawn Cavalry," -replied Deck without any hesitation; for this was the decided opinion he -had reached. - -"What makes you think so, Deck?" asked the captain with a smile. - -"Except the Texans in the mud, there is no other cavalry in these parts. -That's the first reason. The second is, that Major Lyon sent half the -first company under Lieutenant Belthorpe up the railroad, and he can -have heard nothing from this force since; and he would naturally get a -little anxious about it. The third reason is, that he sent you and the -rest of the first company in pursuit of the Texans. If you have not -sent any messenger to him, I shouldn't wonder if the major had worried a -little about you, Captain," said Deck. - -"I sent no messenger to him; I could not spare a single man, for I was -liable to meet the whole company of Texans," added the captain. "But I -think you are right, and the same suggestions came to my mind." - -Half an hour later the same scouts returned to the camp, and reported -that the captain and Deck were correct in their suppositions. In a -quarter of an hour more the second company rode into the camp. Major -Lyon was with the detachment from the south. The moment he saw Deck, he -leaped from his horse as lightly as his son could have done it, and -grasped both of the hands of the sentinel. - -"I am glad to see you again. Dexter!" exclaimed the father. "I have had -a deal of worry over your disappearance, and I was afraid I should have -to send bad news to your mother and your sister." - -"No use of worrying about me, father," replied Deck, still holding the -hand of the major. "I have had considerable experience to-day, but I -have worked through it all." - -"But what became of you?" asked the anxious father. - -"I was captured by the bridge-burners, and I was only sorry that I could -not prevent them from setting the bridge afire. I suppose it was all -burnt up, and your business here is all a failure." - -"Not at all, my son; the bridge was hardly damaged at all, and a train -has been over it twice since they tried to burn it. But I will see you -later," added the major, as he pressed the hand of his son again. - -Captain Gordon was considerate enough to relieve the sentinel from duty, -and he went with his father to the nearest camp-fire. The wagons were -driven into the field, and a few minutes later the headquarters tent was -pitched. Stools were placed before the fire, and all the commissioned -officers of both companies were sent for. It looked like a council of -war, though the object of the meeting was to receive the reports of the -officers. For the first time since the arrival of the squadron, the two -companies were united. - -Captain Gordon, as the senior, was called upon first for his report; and -he recited it at length, ending with the skirmish at the cross-roads -near the camp. Lieutenant Belthorpe described his wanderings with half -the company, including his brief engagement with the Rangers. - -"I feel as though I should be mean if I failed to inform the officers of -the squadron how much service Deck Lyon has rendered to me since I found -him on the road," said Tom. "We are not on parade just now, and I -suppose I may say it." - -"Dry up, Tom!" exclaimed Deck, loud enough to be heard by the speaker, -though hardly by the others. - -"Not just yet, Lieutenant," interposed the major. "I don't understand -how you happened to meet Dexter in the road; for the last he told me of -himself was that he was taken prisoner by the enemy. I should like to -hear his narrative first, for it may throw some light on other matters." - -Deck was admonished by his father to tell the whole story, without any -omissions; and he related his adventure from the time he had first seen -Brown Kipps. He explained how he had been duped by that worthy -Tennesseean, and in what manner he had been tempted to shoot his four -custodians through the back of the head. - -"I hope you didn't do it, Dexter," interposed his father, before he had -come to the sequel of the affair. - -"I did not, father; for I feared the deed would haunt me to the last day -of my life, be it long or short," replied Deck. "It looked like -cold-blooded murder to me." - -The assembled officers applauded him vigorously with their hands; and -the young soldier was glad to receive this testimonial of his officers, -for to him it seemed to settle the moral question involved in his -action. - -"I do not believe in carrying on the war upon peace principles; but I do -believe that soldiers should not become assassins," added the major. - -The officers likewise applauded this sentiment of their commander. - -"We are ready to hear you now, Lieutenant Belthorpe, as I know how -Dexter came into your path. It is important to remember that the -bridge-burners, with their wagon and supplies of combustibles, -proceeded to the north by the hill road. Go on, Lieutenant." - -Tom Belthorpe described the action with half the Rangers under -Lieutenant Redway, and the interposition of Deck when he discovered the -approach of the other half of the Rangers. He had retreated rather -against his will by Deck's advice. - -"I think his advice was good, if he is my son," added the major. - -"No doubt of it; you would have been pinched between the two portions of -the Confederate force, and outnumbered nearly two to one," added Captain -Gordon. - -"I was quite satisfied in regard to the wisdom of the advice, badly as -we desired to fight out the action, as soon as I had a chance to think -of it," continued Tom. "Then Deck did a very neat piece of spy-work, -which enabled us to follow the enemy without being seen or heard. The -whole of the Rangers had come together, and they outnumbered Captain -Gordon's command. It was Deck's suggestion to strike across lots, and -reach the by-road; but I did not follow it in full, and divided my -force, so that the Texans should not retreat by the way we came." - -"And when you came down the hill with hardly more than twenty men, the -Texans took fright, and retreated up that by-road, where they were -received by Sergeant Fronklyn," added Captain Gordon. "This caused them -to seek a new avenue of escape; and they plunged into the quagmire, -where they are now." - -"What you say of Deck leads me to indorse his conduct in the action on -the east road this morning," said Captain Truman, who had said nothing -before; and he proceeded to describe what the young man had done in that -affair. - -"Pleasant as it is to hear such excellent reports of the behavior of my -son, I must add that his brother has behaved equally well, though he has -not had the opportunity to distinguish himself except in doing his -simple duty," said the major. "But I have more important business than -this, for I received new orders before I left the camp at the bridge. I -am required to assure the safe passage of trains on the railroad first; -but it appears that the State has been invaded in the south-east, or is -liable to further invasion in that direction. - -"The worst feature of this aspect of the situation is that hordes of -guerillas have been turned loose upon us; and even now they are engaged -in their work of plundering and destroying the property of Union men, -not to speak of the outrages committed upon the citizens. These -guerillas, or some of them, take the name of 'Partisan Rangers.' Indiana -and Ohio troops are moving in the direction mentioned; but the enemy are -still busy there. 'The Confederate cavalry,'" continued the commander, -reading from a letter he had taken from his pocket, "'scoured the -country in the vicinity of their camp, arrested prominent Union men, and -destroyed their property.' This is the situation for a hundred miles -east of us; and I am ordered to check these raids of the guerillas with -all my available force. - -"I am ordered to move without any unnecessary delay, and I shall march -to-morrow morning. I expect a company of Union Home Guards here by -to-morrow; and I shall be obliged to leave Captain Truman and half his -company; but as soon as he is relieved by the infantry company, he will -rejoin the squadron." - -"We have been unable to make out that there is any Confederate force in -this vicinity, with the exception of the Rangers who are just now -struggling with the mud in the bog meadow near us," said Captain Gordon. - -"How many of them are there?" asked the major. - -"I am sure I don't know," replied the captain. - -"I counted eighty-one of them, including Captain Dingfield; but some few -of them had escaped through the mud to the hill on the other side of the -bog," said Deck, who was always doing some useful work when he found a -chance. - -"As many as that; perhaps half a company is not force enough to leave -with you, Captain Truman," suggested the major. - -"Quite enough, Major Lyon; for we should have to act mainly on the -defensive," replied the captain of the second company. "My men have -fought the Texans once to-day; and though they are brave and daring -fellows, they are not such terrible bugbears as they have been -represented to be. But infantry can guard the bridge better than -cavalry." - -"The infantry will probably relieve you by to-morrow. If the Texans, -with their bridge-burners, were out of the way, I need leave no force," -added the major. - -"But we can put them out of the way very easily," suggested Captain -Gordon. - -"Do you mean to shoot them down as they stick in the mud there? We are -not murderers, Captain," replied the major sternly. - -"I meant nothing of the kind," returned the captain with a blush. "I -could have ordered my men to do that before it appeared that the action -was finished." - -"Pardon me, Captain; I know you are not a murderer." - -"They are stuck fast there, eighty-one of them, according to Deck's -figures; and we can make prisoners of them as they get out of the bog, -as I think they will before morning, for they have hit upon an effective -plan." - -"It would take one of our companies to capture them, and to dispose of -them as prisoners, so that we should gain nothing," replied the major, -vetoing the plan at once. "The Union Home Guards may be here early in -the morning, for they have had time enough to make the march." - -The meeting closed; and officers and privates were tired enough after -the long day to wrap themselves in their blankets and sleep. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII - -A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE - - -The night passed without any alarm. The sentinels were relieved at -regular intervals, including the two who patrolled the by-road. The -latter complained, when others were put in their places, that they might -as well be asleep in the camp, for they could see nothing of the Texans. -There was only one place where they could obtain a view of them when it -was light enough for them to see anything. - -The night was unusually dark, for a heavy mass of black clouds had -rolled up from the west, promising a smart shower. The Rangers had -extinguished their fires at an early hour in the evening, for what -reason the guards were unable to determine; but the fact was suspicious, -and they redoubled their vigilance. The last that had been seen of the -bemired troopers, they were building the causeway of hay to unite with -the one of solid rocks and earth built by the farmer to obtain access -to his hay-field. - -This causeway was believed to be the only possible way to get on or off -the meadow. Captain Gordon had made a survey of the locality in person, -and had gone up the road as far as the house of the farmer, the only one -in the vicinity. He had met the native in his walk, and had questioned -him with all the skill he possessed in regard to the surroundings; for -the fellow was not disposed to give any information. The only statement -of any importance he could drag out of him was that the causeway was the -only way by which the Texans could leave the meadow. The captain could -see none himself, though he believed from his manner that the man was -lying to him. - -The place looked as though there had been an immense sink-hole there at -some remote period in the past, which had been filled up by the wash -from the hills around it. This flow had brought down quantities of dry -leaves and other vegetable matter; and this, with the growth of rank -grass and weeds decaying on the spot, had formed what is called a bog in -Ireland, and a peat meadow in the Northern States. - -There was fuel enough in it to supply a village for a hundred years; but -wood was so plentiful in this region that it would not pay to cut, dry, -and carry it to more solid ground. Whether the captain was satisfied or -nor with his investigations, he could obtain no further information. The -meadow seemed to be surrounded with rocky formations; though his -knowledge of it, obtained in the darkness, was very imperfect. But he -and his men had seen the troopers laying the causeway of hay to the one -of earth, as though they believed this was the only avenue of escape. - -The two sentinels extended their beat as far as the farmer's house. -After nine o'clock in the evening its windows were dark, and the people -within appeared to have retired. But the big dog of the native did not -retire with the rest of the family, and he made a rude attack upon the -guards every time they approached the house. About midnight he had -assailed one of the men so furiously that he was obliged to defend -himself with his sabre; and the brute was so badly wounded that nothing -more was seen of him. His dead body was found the next morning near the -house; and the farmer was as furious as the canine had been, though he -had a proper respect for carbines and sabres. - -When the guard was relieved after midnight, all was quiet on the meadow, -and it was believed that the troopers had taken to their blankets. One -of the sentinels declared that he could hear them snore; but this was -doubtless a camp-fire exaggeration. They watched the causeway, as they -had been instructed to do; and certainly none of the Texans came out -that way. One of them proposed to explore the space between the by-road -and the position of the troopers; but the other insisted that such an -enterprise would result in certain death, for no doubt the enemy had -sentinels whose carbines were loaded with ball cartridges. - -So far as the guards could report, there was no change at the by-road -during the night. The headquarters tent had been pitched, and Major Lyon -had been up half the night studying his maps, and repeatedly reading the -written orders he had received, as well as a mass of newspaper cuttings -which had been sent with them. The latter were, for the most part, -accounts of outrages committed by Confederate cavalry of companies of -"Partisan Rangers," and of bands who were not provided with even the -doubtful authority of the insurrectionary government. - -Before daylight in the morning Major Lyon was on his feet; for he felt -that he was loaded with a heavy responsibility. He was charged with the -protection of the railroad bridges in the vicinity, though he was to be -immediately relieved from this duty to enable him to assist with the -more vigor in suppressing the guerillas and other predatory bands. -Artie, now his orderly, slept in the tent with him, and he was sent to -have "The Assembly of Buglers" sounded; and this is the call for the -troopers to appear on the parade. - -There was a commotion at the guard quarters; and before Artie had roused -the bugler from his slumbers, he was called by the officer of the day. -Was Major Lyon awake? He was, for he had called his orderly. - -"Inform him at once that the sentinel from the by-road reports the -disappearance of the enemy in the bog," said the officer. - -As soon as he received the information, the major hastened to the guard -tent, where the sentinel who had brought the news was detained. The -trooper repeated his information to the commander. It was hardly light -enough in the bog to see anything, but he and his mate had satisfied -themselves that the Rangers had all disappeared; but of how or where -they had made their escape he had no knowledge. - -"Did you hear no noise of any kind?" asked the major. - -"Nothing at all; it was as still as a tomb all the time I was on guard," -replied the sentinel. "We were not sure they were gone till we walked -out a piece on the meadow, and found the hay, of which they had made a -road to solid ground; but it did not lead to the causeway." - -"Where did it lead?" demanded the major. - -"In the direction of the farmer's house; but we did not follow it, for -it was decided that I should come up to the camp and report what we had -found out." - -"Who was with you, More?" asked the officer of the guard. - -"Bunch; and he was to follow the hay-road after I left him," replied the -sentinel. - -Major Lyon was very prompt in deciding upon his action, and the first -company was soon in line, and ready to march. Deck belonged in one of -its ranks, and Artie was in close attendance upon the commander. As the -former had conducted the detachment "across lots" the afternoon before, -the major sent for him; and the two young soldiers rode side by side -behind their father, who had Captain Gordon at his side. - -"It seems that we are to have a long tramp of it after this; and we are -not likely to be at home Christmas or Thanksgiving this year," said -Artie, as the column descended the hill to the by-road. - -"Wherever we may be, it looks like a lively time ahead; for things seem -to be very much mixed in the State," replied Deck. - -"How do you suppose the Texans got out of the mud-hole, Deck?" - -"I don't know; but I have no doubt the farmer who lives near it and owns -the farm helped them out of it. He is a surly fellow, and I saw that he -was a Secessionist when I met him." - -"What do these two darkies want?" asked Artie, pointing to a couple of -colored men, who were running down the hill from the northward as though -their very lives depended upon their speed. - -"Probably they are messengers who have come from the vicinity of the -bridge by the same route I did," replied Deck, as he noticed that one -of them was flourishing what looked like a letter in the air. - -The two men reached the brook before the column turned in at the -by-road, and had a chance to catch their breath before the officers came -up to them. They had probably seen the column come out from the camp, -and had hurried to intercept it before it turned into the highway they -saw ahead; and it was probable that they were familiar with the -locality. - -"W'ich o' you uns is Mars'r Major Lyon?" asked the man with the letter -of the first one he met, who happened to be Deck. - -"The one with the plume in his hat," replied the private. "Where do you -come from, Cæsar?" - -"From de souf road; more'n a t'ousand so'diers dar. De man wid de feder -in his hat," replied the negro, as he rushed forward to the major and -delivered his letter, with a jumbled speech, of which the recipient took -no notice. - -Major Lyon drew up his horse at the side of the brook, his sons -remaining with him, while the column continued on the march. He tore -open the envelope, and read the epistle written with a pencil. - -"Be'n a-lookin' fo' you all night, Mars'r," said the bearer. "De gin'ral -done gib me de letter 'fo' dark, an done tell me to find you. Done tramp -seben miles on de roleraid; but we done couldn't found you." - -"Where did you sleep?" asked the major, who was evidently pleased with -the information contained in the letter. - -"In a swotch-house," replied the messenger, who was very much confused, -and his small stock of English was badly mixed. "In a swotch-house on de -roleraid." - -"He means a switch-house," laughed Deck, who could not see why the -fellow upset his words so badly. - -The major read the missive a second time, and then took a sort of -portfolio from his pocket, and hastily wrote a reply to it, which he -folded and pinned together in the absence of an envelope. - -"How did you find us this morning?" asked the major. - -"We done find de hoss-tracks an' de wagon-tracks, an' we follers dem." - -"Here's a dollar for your service; but don't spend it for apple-jack, my -boy," said the major, as he handed a couple of half-dollars to the -messengers. "You may go to the camp yonder, and get something to eat, if -you like, before you return." - -The men were grateful; and the one who received the money gave half of -it to his companion. The major and his orderlies hurried forward, and -found that Captain Gordon had halted the company at the causeway, where -the inquiry must begin. - -"The Home Guards arrived at the bridge last night, and the captain of -the company reports to me as directed. I have written out what -information I have to give him, and you will send a couple of your men -to deliver the paper." - -Two troopers were despatched at once as the bearers of the order. It was -possible that the men might encounter some of the Rangers who had -escaped from the other side of the meadow; and they were cautioned by -the major to be on the lookout for them, and to return as soon as -possible. They departed at a gallop, which promised a speedy return. - -"One thing is plain enough: the Texans did not come out of the mire by -this causeway," said the major, as he turned his attention to the -question under consideration. - -"The sentinels were here all night," replied Captain Gordon. - -"But we can easily discover where they did escape," added the commander -as he dismounted, indicating that he intended to conduct the inquiry -personally; and Deck and Artie followed his example. "Detail ten men to -go with us, dismounted, and you will go with us, Captain." - -Deck and Artie were directed to go ahead as guides. They descended the -causeway, and came to the sod that covered and concealed the mud -beneath. The turf was strong enough to support men on foot, as had been -seen the afternoon before in the movements of the Rangers. But the hoofs -of the horses cut through it, and they were mired as soon as they -advanced, though some of them wallowed a considerable distance before -they gave up the struggle. - -The meadow was nearly round in form, and about half a mile in diameter. -The orderlies, as both of them soon came to be called, advanced safely, -though they were compelled to avoid the places where the Texans' horses -had cut up the sod and brought the mud to the surface. The material of -the hay causeway, which had at first been extended in the direction of -the solid one, had been removed; but leading from the brook, towards a -point above the farmer's house, they saw the one that must have been -used by the Rangers. - -The two haystacks seen the day before had been entirely removed, and the -road built of it was about a foot deep of hay. The officers and the ten -men followed the guides; and the hay causeway conducted them to an -inclined plane built of old boards and planks, which the party mounted, -and came to a field near the road. The mysterious disappearance of the -Texans was fully explained. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX - -THE RIVERLAWN CAVALRY CHANGES BASE - - -The first thing Major Lyon did when he reached the road, and the -disappearance of the Texans was no longer mysterious, was to take from -his pocket his map of the county. He found the hill road, and the one -where they stood. - -"If the sentinel who reported that he could hear the Rangers snore in -the bog told the truth, the enemy got some rest last night," said the -major, addressing Captain Gordon. - -"But he did not hear them snore; that was absurd," replied the captain. -"If they had been snoring, he could not have heard them; for they were -at work too far from him. If he heard anything, it must have been the -bubbling of the brook; but probably it was all in his imagination. But -what is the point in regard to the snoring, Major Lyon?" - -"If the Rangers worked all night, and did not get any sleep, they are -too tired and sleepy this morning to make a long march," replied the -commander. - -"Then you think they have camped at some place not far from us?" asked -the captain. - -"I only think it is possible they have done so. Captain Dingfield -appeared to be badly wounded, from all reports; and I doubt if there is -as much strategy in his brain to-day as he had yesterday. I shall not -make a business of pursuing him." - -"It would be a good thing for this part of the State if he could be -cleaned out entirely, bagged, and his company sent to Louisville as -prisoners," suggested Captain Gordon. - -"No doubt of it; but it would be hardly consistent with the orders I -have just received for me to delay in this section to carry out your -idea. We are more needed elsewhere than here." - -"Then we are to march on a sort of roving commission to the eastward, -where the Confederates are breaking through from Tennessee, it appears." - -"It amounts to that, though my orders are very explicit," replied the -major, as he led the way back to the narrow pass where the company had -been halted. "The situation here is not so bad as it was. We have saved -the bridge; and the Home Guards which arrived there last night are -described as consisting of good men, who will be mustered into a -Kentucky regiment as soon as circumstances permit; and Captain Woodward, -who commands it, is an old soldier, and likely to be made a colonel." - -"Then the bridge will be safe." - -"It can be better defended by infantry than by cavalry alone; both would -do better than either. Captain Dingfield and his bridge-burners have -been sent to the north, and I have no doubt he intends to join them -there. To follow him would keep me some days, if not a week, from the -more pressing duty assigned to me," reasoned the commander. - -"I understand it better now," added the captain. - -"I have been informed that troops have been sent to the vicinity of -Munfordville, in Hart County, where the railroad bridge has been partly -destroyed, though a temporary structure has been built to replace it. I -think Dingfield means to go there, and complete the work others failed -to finish." - -"I hope we shall find the guerillas, or whatever they are; and I believe -our boys will soon make an end of them," said the captain with -enthusiasm. "Your orders permit you to go where you please, Major." - -"They do; for it was not possible for those charged with the protection -of the State to inform me definitely where the guerillas were to be -found, as they are continually changing their locality, though I have -some papers to aid me. I am not a little surprised at the confidence -placed in me by my superiors, who send me on a mission with no definite -instructions." - -"All the details of the fights at Riverlawn and its vicinity are known -to them; for I have taken care that they should not be ignorant in -regard to you." - -"But I have just become a soldier," added the major modestly. - -"Then it runs in the blood, and it has got as far down as Deck," said -Captain Gordon, laughing, as they came to the company. - -The party mounted, and rode back at a gallop to the camp. The cooks of -the company had prepared an unusually good breakfast, which was disposed -of with a relish, stimulated by three days' feeding from the haversacks -of the troopers. As soon as it was finished, the order was given to -"break camp;" and, as it had been hardly more than a bivouac, the work -was speedily accomplished, and the two companies were soon in line. - -While these preparations were in progress, the major was studying his -county map. What little baggage had been taken from the wagons was soon -loaded again. There was little for the officers to do, after the orders -had been given. - -"We are about ready to march," said Captain Gordon, approaching the -commander, who had seated himself on a log near the road. - -"I am all ready," replied the major, as he glanced at Artie, who was -holding his horse near him. "Of course Dingfield followed this by-road, -which will take him to another by which he can reach Munfordville, if he -is going there. We will take the same road; and if the Rangers are -resting themselves in camp after the fatigues of the day and night, we -may have a chance to pay our respects to them." - -"I should like one more slap at them; for they ran away so rapidly that -I did not get a fair hit at them," added the captain. - -"But they are brave men, and we outnumber them two to one. Truman says -they fought like tigers on the east road." - -"That is true, and that is the reason I should like to meet them again; -for I believe there is not a braver or more reliable body of men in the -Union army than the Riverlawn Cavalry; and I am not a Kentuckian -either." - -"Neither am I by birth, though I am by adoption; and I am precisely of -your opinion in regard to our men," added the major as he mounted his -horse; and his orderlies did the same. - -Deck was at home again in the saddle; for Ceph had come to the camp with -the second company. After the prisoners at the bridge had been disposed -of, the wounded had been cared for by sending them in one of the -captured wagons to Riverlawn, consigned to the care of Levi Bedford; for -a hospital had been established there for the wounded in the battles -with the ruffians. - -The column moved down the road, and turned into that which the Rangers -had used in their escape. As the right of the line approached the house -of the farmer, that worthy presented himself before the officers; and he -appeared to be mad enough to swallow half-a-dozen Yankees. Possibly he -thought the squadron had started in pursuit of the Texans. - -"I want to know who's ter pay me for that dog o' mine some o' you uns -killed last night," he broke out, walking along by the side of the major -and Captain Gordon. "That critter was wuth a hund'ed dollars, and that's -what I want you uns to pay me before you go any furder." - -"Are you a loyal citizen of the United States?" asked Major Lyon. - -"I'm nothin' o' that sort!" replied the native, who began to heap curses -and maledictions on the government. "The' ain't no United States! She's -done busted all to pieces!" - -The major made no reply, and had not even stopped his horse. The fellow -followed him; but he took no further notice of the irate Secessionist, -rather to the amusement of Captain Gordon and others within hearing. But -the farmer was soon tired of addressing one who treated him with silent -contempt, and seated himself on a stump to observe the procession. - -Two skilful scouts, one of whom was Life Knox, had already been sent -forward to search for any indications of the camp of the Texans. The -squadron soon reached another road running through a valley. The major -had learned from his map that it connected with the east road in one -direction, and the hill-road in the other. - -The column halted to wait for the return of the scouts. Knox and his -companion soon appeared, and reported that he had followed this road to -its junction with the hill-road, without seeing anything of the enemy. - -"They ain't within ten miles of here," added the Kentuckian. "I got so I -know the tracks o' them Texas hosses, and I follered 'em five miles. -They don't want nothin' more o' the Riverlawn Cavalry." - -This information settled the point so far as the Rangers were concerned, -and nothing was seen of them, though they appeared in some skirmishes -farther north. The Indian craft of Knox had proved to be very useful, -and he was a great favorite with both officers and men. The march was -resumed; but the events of the next two days on the road are not of -interest enough to be reported. At the end of this time the squadron -were in the territory described in the orders of the commander, and -active work was expected. - -Just before sunset the battalion halted on the outskirts of a small -village, and went into camp there. The American flag was hoisted on a -pole planted for the purpose, in order that the inhabitants of the -vicinity might make no mistake in regard to the character of the force. -Not only the negroes and loungers to be found in every village flocked -to the camp, but some of the influential citizens appeared on the -ground. The guard kept them outside of the lines. A person on -horse-back, who had the air and manner of the genuine Kentucky -gentleman, attracted the attention of Major Lyon, who was desirous of -obtaining information on the spot in regard to the sentiments of the -people. - -"Who is the gentleman on horse-back?" he asked of a well-dressed negro, -who looked like an intelligent man; for the commander suspected that he -was a Secessionist, though he had no reason for supposing that he was -such. - -"That is Colonel Coffee, sir, the biggest man in these parts," replied -the colored man. - -"How does he stand on the war question? Do you happen to know?" -continued the major. - -"Yes, sir," replied the man with a smile; "everybody within twenty miles -of this village knows which side Colonel Coffee is on, sir." - -"Well, which side is he on?" demanded the commander, who saw that the -gentleman was approaching him. - -"He's a Union man all over and all through; and the people are trying to -get up a Home Guard to protect his place--that's the one you see on the -side of the hill. We expect the gorillas down here." - -"You have named them well, my friend," added the major with a laugh. "Do -you know where there are any of them?" - -"No, sir; they are like flies, and don't make nests anywhere. I reckon -Colonel Coffee wants to speak to you, sir; for I suppose you are an -officer of this company," added the man, who retired at the approach of -the great man of the locality. - -The magnate of the county rode up to the major, and saluted him with -courtly grace; and though the latter was not brought up in a -drawing-room, he was as polite as the occasion required. - -"I am exceedingly happy to see that flag hoisted over a body of military -in this county," said the colonel, with a cheerful smile, as he pointed -with his riding-whip at the emblem of the Union. - -"I am very glad to be where there are those who appreciate the flag," -added the major. - -"I am only sorry that you will find so few of them in this -neighborhood," returned the dignified Kentuckian. "We are threatened by -roving bands of plunderers to the east and south of us, and for the last -week I have expected to walk away from my place by the light of my -burning house. I live in that one on the side of the hill." - -"I hope we shall be able to put an end to this state of affairs at once, -Colonel Coffee," replied the major. - -"You know my name," said the magnate with a smile. - -"I asked it of that negro." - -"He is the village barber, and a very intelligent man. May I ask whom I -have the honor to address?" inquired the colonel. - -"Major Lyon, in command of a squadron of United States cavalry," replied -the officer. - -"I am very glad to see you, Major, personally, and especially to see you -at Greeltop; for we are greatly in need of efficient protection," -returned the colonel. "I have heard all about you before." - -"I am equally happy to meet you, Colonel Coffee; for I am at present in -urgent need of full information in regard to the condition of affairs in -this section." - -"I shall be pleased to have you dine with me, and we can talk over -matters at our leisure in my library." - -Major Lyon excused himself from the dinner, and invited the colonel to -his tent, which had been set up by this time. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX - -THE MAGNATE OF GREELTOP'S VISIT - - -The cavalrymen had been duly drilled in all the details of forming a -camp; and in a short time the tents were pitched, the pickets set up for -the horses, and the cooks were busy in preparing supper. The -headquarters tent was the first to be arranged, as soon as the major had -indicated its location. Colonel Coffee was invited to take a camp-stool; -for they do not have sofas and armchairs in a camp. - -"I have been pleading with the officials for the last two weeks to -attend to the security of this region," said the colonel, as he seated -himself. "I have wondered every day during the last week that Greeltop -has not been sacked, and all our houses burned down; for there is a -great deal of Union sentiment in the place." - -"Then the place must be particularly liable to an assault from the -guerillas," suggested the major. - -"We have tried to form a Home Guard here for the protection of the -village, and we have a little band of about twenty men; but most of our -young and middle-aged men have left the place to enlist in the loyal -army, so that we have not much stock of which to form a company. But our -little band keep a picket of five or ten of their number in the -outskirts of the village, to warn us of the approach of an enemy." - -"We shall soon relieve them of that duty." - -"Our men are not soldiers, for they have had no training; but they are -made up of fighting material. Though I am sixty-five years old, I belong -to the company; and I have just returned from patrolling the region to -the eastward of us." - -While he listened to the visitor, Major Lyon had spread out his map, -which included the locality; and with the assistance of the colonel he -obtained a clear idea of the surface of the country, the first requisite -for a military commander. While they were still busy over the map, the -sentinel at the entrance to the tent drew aside the curtain, and saluted -the commander. - -"A messenger in a great hurry to see Colonel Coffee," said he. - -"Admit him," replied the major promptly. - -A gentleman dressed in a black coat with a standing collar to it, -encircled with a belt, in which was secured a pair of navy revolvers, -entered the tent, out of breath with excitement of running. - -"The Rev. Mr. Elbroon, Major Lyon, one of our Home Guard," said the -colonel as soon as the clergyman appeared at the entrance. - -There was nothing clerical in his appearance except the standing collar -of his coat; and the revolvers especially belied his profession. - -"The Lord be praised for his great mercy!" exclaimed the minister, as -soon as he could get breath for utterance. - -"What is the matter, Joseph?" asked the magnate of Greeltop very -familiarly. - -"The guerillas are coming!" exclaimed the reverend gentleman. - -"Where are they?" asked the colonel, as coolly as though he had been in -command of a regiment for years. - -"They are coming down by the mountain road back of your mansion!" -gasped Mr. Elbroon, who was evidently very much alarmed, and could -hardly speak in his fatigue and excitement. - -"Sentinel!" called the major sharply. - -The man appeared at once. - -"Where is Captain Gordon?" - -"He is close by, Major." - -"Ask him to come to my tent." - -"Sit down, Joseph," said the colonel, giving his stool to his friend and -his fellow-soldier, it appeared. "You don't gain anything by blowing -yourself out." - -"But this is no time to sit down," replied the excited minister, though -he took the proffered seat. - -Captain Gordon appeared immediately. - -"A raid of guerillas on the place, Captain! Have the first company ready -to march in three minutes!" said the commander in hurried tones. - -The captain retired in haste, without asking any questions; and a moment -later the bugles were heard sounding the assembly. The major buckled on -his sword, and sent out an order for his horse. - -"Thank the good Lord that the military have come at last!" exclaimed -Mr. Elbroon, as he crossed his arms on his breast, and looked up to -heaven in earnest prayer. "But we are wasting time, Colonel; and I am -afraid we shall see your beautiful mansion in flames before we can get -there." - -"If we do, it will go up in a good cause," replied the magnate, with a -smile on his dignified face. "I can afford to lose it better than some -of the poor people of the village could their houses. But cool off, -Joseph; you are still all in a flutter." - -"I will try to do so," replied the clerical soldier, "I saw them coming -when I was on the top of the mountain. I hurried my poor horse till he -broke down under me; and I had to run on foot the rest of the way." - -"Rest yourself, Joseph. If you saw the guerillas from the top of the -mountain, there is no hurry; for they will not reach my house this -half-hour," added the colonel. - -"You shall have another horse, my reverend friend," interposed the -commander, as he ordered the sentinel to send for a spare steed. - -"Now, Joseph, where were the guerillas when you saw them?" inquired the -magnate. - -"They were on the Cliff Road, just coming around the bend." - -"That is four miles from my house, and five from here," continued the -colonel. - -"But I have been a long time coming here," suggested Mr. Elbroon. - -"Excuse me, Colonel Coffee; I should like a little more definite -information in regard to the road by which these guerillas will approach -the village," interposed the commander. - -"I don't think they will approach the village at all, Major Lyon. I have -not the remotest doubt that my mansion is their objective point; and -they will first plunder that." - -"We will take care that they don't do anything of the sort. Have you any -idea how many there were in the company you saw, Mr. Elbroon?" - -"I could see them marching along under the cliff; I should say there -were not less than fifty of them," replied the clergyman. "I did not -wait to count them, but hurried to the village, where I inquired of -everybody for Colonel Coffee. The barber told me he was here." - -"Company formed," reported the sentinel at the door. - -"We are ready now, gentlemen," said the major, as he passed out of the -tent, followed by the others. - -"The spare horse ordered, Major," said the sentinel, as he led him up. - -The clerical gentleman was invited to mount this animal, which had been -ridden by one of the men killed; and the colonel mounted his own steed. -The commander took his horse, which was led by Deck, while Artie had -brought up the spare steed. The animal was a higher-spirited beast than -the parson had been in the habit of riding, and Artie had to take him by -the head to prevent him from running away; for he was one of the colts -of the Riverlawn planter's stock. - -"My orderlies will ride with me," said the major; "I may want them. -Captain Truman, you will have the second company in marching order, in -case I send for them, though I don't know what this affair will amount -to; and you will leave a guard at the camp if you are called away." - -The order was given to Captain Gordon to march. The commander led the -column at full gallop, with the colonel at his side, and the orderlies -in the rear of them. In less than a minute they came to a road turning -off at the left, leading in the direction of the magnate's mansion. It -was situated on the side of a hill, and near the top of it. The -elevation was elliptical in form, and the loftiest part was not more -than sixty feet high, at the summit of which was a Chinese pagoda, -painted in gaudy colors. - -There was a valley behind it; for the major could see the tops of some -tall trees, whose roots must be far below the top of the elliptical -hill. Beyond it were what the colonel called the mountains, though -probably not one of them was more than five hundred feet high. The -column followed the road into which it had turned till it came to -another; and here the major ordered the captain to halt his company. - -"Here is another road, Colonel Coffee; and it passes behind the hill -which you call Greeltop," said the commander. - -"Precisely so," replied the magnate, who thought the major had acquired -a very good knowledge of the locality when he had been there hardly more -than an hour. - -"Captain Gordon, you will go that way with half your company, and -Lieutenant Gilder will follow me," said Major Lyon. "The road through -the valley unites with the one from the mountains, by which the -guerillas must approach the village. You will move cautiously as you -come near this road, and halt there till you hear firing on your right." - -"You can hardly call it a road through the valley, though the captain -can get through without any difficulty," interposed the magnate. "It is -all a grove, but the ground has been cleared off." - -"Dexter, you will call Knox, and scout the road ahead of us. Don't let -the enemy see you, and obey the orders of the sergeant," continued the -major, as the first platoon rode off. - -Life Knox was called from his place in the ranks, and the order of the -commander given to him. It was the kind of duty the sergeant liked; for -he was more at home there than in following military forms; though he -was a faithful and obedient soldier, and his captain wished he had a -hundred more like him. - -"Here we go again, Deck," said the sergeant, as they galloped up the -road, by the entrance to Colonel Coffee's estate. "Your pa does well to -send me along with you this time, and not leave you alone as he did on -that bridge." - -"But I can take care of myself, and I did that time; for I came back -like a bad penny," replied Deck. - -"You managed fust-rate, my boy; and if you live to be as old as the -white-haired owner of this place, you will be a brigadier-general; and I -hope I shall be an orderly sergeant under you." - -"You are a good deal more likely to become a brigadier-general than I -am, though I may get to be a corporal some time. You may be -major-general; for you understand war much better than most of us." - -"That can't never be, Deck. I hain't got the eddication to be anything -more than a non-commissioned officer," said Knox, shaking his head, and -hurrying on his horse. - -"It wouldn't be just the thing for a brigadier-general to say -'eddication,'" replied Deck. - -"What would you call it? I didn't pay much attention to my eddication -when I was a young cub, and have been sorry for it ever sence. What do -you call it, Deck?" - -"Ed-u-ca-tion." - -"But I can't say it like that." - -"Yes, you can. You have a brother named Edward, and you call him Ed when -you speak of him. Now say this, Life, 'Ed, you can.'" - -"'Ed, you can.'" - -"Good! Now say, 'Ed, you, Kate,'" which was the name he had given the -mare he rode. - -"'Ed, you, Kate.'" - -"Exactly; and it is just as easy to say 'educate' as 'eddicate.' Try -it." - -He did it as well as though he had been to college. - -"You will be a brigadier-general if you keep on; for you know more now -than half of them who pronounce their words correctly," added Deck, -reining in his horse as they came to another road. "This is the one we -are to follow, I think." - -"I reckon 'tis; and we won't edicate--ed-u-cate--no more jest now." - -"I don't see anything of any guerillas yet." - -"They hain't got along," replied Knox, as he reined in his horse and -looked about him. - -There was something peculiar about the place which attracted the -attention of the Kentuckian. The road passed through a round open -space. On one side was a broad gateway that led by a winding driveway to -the front door of the colonel's mansion. - -"This would be a nice place to meet them gorillas," said Knox, as he -looked about him. "Now get in there, Deck," and he pointed to the open -gateway, and led his mate into it. "You hold Kate while I look inter -this thing afoot;" and he slid from his horse to the ground. - -He followed the road, concealing himself as much as possible in the -shadow of the trees. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI - -LIFE KNOX ON THE MOUNTAIN ROAD - - -Life Knox contrived in one way or another to keep his tall form out of -sight of any person who happened to be in the vicinity of his -operations. Deck Lyon had told him the nature of the present enterprise, -so that he understood perfectly the work in which he was engaged. When -he reached the east end of the valley, behind the colonel's mansion, he -was aware that Captain Gordon, with Lieutenant Belthorpe's platoon of -the company, was posted here; but they were so well concealed, in -accordance with the orders, that he could not see them, or even the -pickets sent out by the officer. - -It was nearly dark, and Knox thought it was time for the enemy to -appear, if they intended to accomplish anything that day; but it -occurred to the Kentuckian that they "chose darkness because their deeds -were evil." He could neither see nor hear anything that indicated the -approach of mounted men. He walked up the gentle declivity of the -mountain road, and found a country better adapted to his work than -nearer the village. He found one of the knolls which abound in this -region, and he cut his way through the brambles and bushes to the top of -it; for he saw that it commanded a view of what was called the Cliff -Road, though he did not know it by this name. - -The marauders had passed the cliffs, and had halted on a little hill in -the road, evidently to make their final preparations for the assault -upon the village. He counted twenty-eight mounted men,--for the -guerillas were not more than a hundred yards from him,--and there was a -considerable number of men on foot, among whom the scout noted two or -three negroes. He looked upon them with interest, and had an excellent -opportunity to observe them. The mounted men seemed to be engaged in a -discussion which became warm, judging from the gestures of some of those -engaged in it. - -Knox made up his mind that these ruffians were not regular troops, -though they might be one of the "Partisan" bands, of which he had heard -something from Deck. The men on foot appeared to be vagabonds and -"bummers," eager to share in the spoils of the expedition. The colonel -and the clergyman were perfectly confident that the mansion of the -former was the objective point of the Partisans. They knew it would be -rich in plunder, which was doubtless the sole purpose of the marauders; -for they could do nothing in this manner to advance the cause of the -Confederate States. - -Knox had a distinct method of treating the present problem; and though -he commanded nothing, he thought he could bring it about. If he had been -in communication with one of the principal officers of the squadron, he -would have stated his plan to him. He had observed a portion of the -ground not seen by the others, and could easily divine the intended -movements of the commander of the guerillas, if there was any such -personage among them. They had begun to move; and Life thought it was -time for him to do the same. He descended the knoll, and took a position -by the side of the mountain road, in a clump of bushes. - -He had hardly taken a favorable place to observe the approach of the -brigands, when he discovered a couple of men approaching from the town, -mounted and armed. They were hard-looking ruffians, and the sergeant did -not like the appearance of them. He had but a moment to consider, and he -did his thinking on the double-quick. The guerillas could not be aware -that a squadron of United States cavalry had just arrived at Greeltop. -If they had known this fact they would not have come; and if informed of -it now, they would take to their heels, and make the dust fly till they -reached a safe retreat. - -The two mounted men coming from the village looked ugly and reckless -enough to be brigands; and Life promptly concluded that they had heard -of the approach of the marauders, and were going out to warn them of the -presence of the troops in the place. Each of them carried an old -flintlock gun, which might have seen service in the time of Daniel -Boone, and had a package strapped on behind his saddle. Possibly they -belonged to the band of mounted men, and were going out to join them -with the important news they had obtained. - -"Where are you uns bound?" demanded Knox, breaking out of his covert, -and planting himself in the road in front of them. - -The Kentuckian was as prudent as he was brave; but if these brigands -were permitted to proceed, the business of the Riverlawn Cavalry would -be ended in this immediate locality for the present. The enemy before -him were two to his one; but he did not appear to take this fact into -consideration. - -"Who are you?" shouted the foremost of the pair in a ferocious tone, as -though he expected to frighten the stalwart inquirer, and with a volley -of oaths which startled the Kentuckian, who, maugre his varied -experience, was a high-toned man morally, and never used any profane -expletives. - -"I am in command of this road jest now; and no one, not even Gov'nor -McGoffin hisself, could pass out the way you uns is go'n'," replied -Life. - -"I reckon we uns is gwine out," replied the spokesman of the pair. - -"I reckon not," added the sergeant, as he seized the bridle of the -fellow's Rosinante, whisked him around, pointing him to the village, and -giving him a slap to set him going. - -If the brigand had any bad blood in his veins, this decided action was -sufficient to make it boil; and he brought up his old flintlock, and -began to point it at the "commander of that road just then," and would -no doubt have put some of the contents of the rusty barrel through his -head or chest, if Life had waited for him to do so. He did not; and he -did not even take the trouble to unsling the loaded carbine at his back, -but, reaching up, seized the brigand by the throat, and dragged him from -his horse, planting him very solidly on the ground. - -The ruffian seemed to be as powerless as an infant in his grasp. Knox -then snatched the gun from his hands; but the man, clinging to it, came -up with it. The sergeant shook him off as he would a fly, and he fell -all in a heap on the ground again. Life tossed the weapon over the fence -into the bushes. The brigand sprang to his feet, and with a long knife -in his hand rushed upon his herculean assailant. - -Knox bestowed a blow on the arm with the blade at the end of it, which -was heavy enough to break the bone; and the weapon dropped in the road. -Then he seized the brigand by the throat again, and batted him over the -head with his iron fist, causing him to drop limp and senseless on the -ground. The other ruffian, who did not seem to be so desperate a -character, looked as though he were paralyzed by the vigorous treatment -of his companion; but he had by this time recovered enough of his -self-possession to think of his own safety; and he attempted to run by -the Kentuckian, in the direction of the guerillas. - -"You're go'n' the wrong way, Chopsticks," said Life, seizing the bridle -of the horse, and bringing him up with a shock which nearly unseated the -rider. "You're bound for the village, and that's the way your go'n'," -continued Knox, as he unslung his carbine, standing in front of the -horse. - -"I want to go the other way; and I reckon you'll git hung to one o' -these big trees for what you've jest did," said the second ruffian. - -"I ain't go'n' to hang jest yet; and you're go'n' back to the village -whether you want to or not," replied Knox. "If you move without leave -from the commander of this road, a ball from his carbine will worry its -way through that head o' yourn." - -[Illustration: "The ruffian seemed to be as powerless as an infant in -his grasp."] - -As he spoke, the sergeant wrenched the gun from the hand of the -ruffian, and tossed it after the other. He seemed to be enjoying the -little scene in which he was the principal actor, and he was as unmoved -as though he had been taking his coffee and hard-tack at a camp-fire. -The horse of the disabled brigand still stood within reach; and, picking -up his first victim, he laid him, face down, across the saddle, as he -would have done a bag of grain. Then he led the steed, with his load, to -the side of the uninjured ruffian, and handed the rein to him. - -"Now you can go back to the village where you kim from, and take this -load of carri'n with you. If you feel as if you wanted to jine that band -of ruffins as is comin' this way, the lead from this little piece will -ketch you." - -He hit the horse of the rider a slap with the breech of his carbine, and -started him on his way. The sergeant was not a reckless man; though for -the sake of the old flag he worshipped he would have attacked any six -men that assailed it. He had time now to look out for the business of -his mission, though the scene described had occupied but a few minutes -of his time. Taking the side of the road, he walked a short distance in -the direction of the mountains, when he heard the tramp of the horses -of the ruffian band. - -A moment later he saw the head of the column appear at a bend in the -road; and it was time for him to begin his retreat. Taking to the bushes -in the field, he made his way back to the valley where Captain Gordon -was posted; but he could see nothing of him. He was in no hurry, and he -walked a short distance into the valley. One of the pickets showed -himself then; and Knox sent word to the captain that the guerillas would -arrive in about fifteen minutes. - -Then he returned to the road, and followed it as long as he could see -the column of brigands approaching. He came to a bend in the highway; -and there he discovered the ruffian with the "load of carrion" on the -led horse, with Deck interviewing him. - -"You don't want nothin' o' that piece o' rot, Deck!" he shouted to his -mate on the scout. - -"But he says he and his friend have been nearly killed by the ruffians -that are coming to take the village, and been robbed of their guns," -replied Deck, when the sergeant came up to him. - -"He is a liar, and so is the feller that is takin' a nap on the hoss. I -did all the mischief that was done to them; for they was go'n' to tell -the cutthroats yonder the last news from Greeltop, and I thought it -wasn't best for them to go that way. Drive on, Be'lzebub!" said the -sergeant, as he gave the horse a slap; and he went on, dragging the -"load of carrion" along with him. - -"Have you seen anything of the guerillas, Life?" asked Deck. - -"Seen the whole on 'em; and I wish we had a meal-bag big enough to hold -the whole on 'em, and I'd put 'em into it; but I reckon we shall bag the -whole on 'em, if we hain't got no sack." - -"How many of them are there, Life?" - -"I reckon them two swinktoms I sent back belonged to the gang; and if -they had j'ined the rest of the crowd, it would 'a' made thirty mounted -men," replied Knox. "But they've got as many more without hosses or -mules. They're a jolly lot o' rag'muffins. You'll see 'em in a few -minutes; but I'll ride back and tell the major about it. You stay here, -and keep out o' sight; for we don't want any of the blocusses to see one -of our uniforms, for that would sp'ile the stew all to onct." - -Knox arranged this matter with Deck while he was mounting his horse. He -went off at full gallop down the slope, and turned into the road that -led by the front of Colonel Coffee's house. He found the second platoon -of his company posted a short distance from the corner. He saw the major -and his party, including Mr. Elbroon and some other citizens of the -place, and dashed up to them with a grand flourish, saluting his -commander as he did so. Life was in high feather, and thought it in -order to make a proper impression upon the spectators, of whom not a few -had gathered near the spot, perhaps expecting to see a battle. - -The sergeant reported to the major, who had withdrawn himself from his -friends, giving the number and present location of the advancing gang; -but no one else was permitted to hear him. - -"I reckon I oughtn't to say nothin' more, Major Lyon; but I'm afeerd -some o' them blocusses will git off; and it would do the whole crowd -good to hang 'em higher'n Haman." - -"We will attend to the hanging, if there is to be any, after the fight; -but if you have any suggestion to make, Knox, I will hear it," replied -the commander. - -"I left Deck squarin' the great circle round the corner; and he'll let -you know jest as soon as the gang comes in sight." - -"We will attend to them as soon as we get the opportunity," added the -major rather impatiently. - -"I'm afeerd you won't hit 'em jest right; for I believe you can bag the -whole on 'em. That circle's a holy good place for a fight, and"-- - -"Station yourself at the corner, Knox, and make a signal when it is the -right time for the platoon to advance," interposed the commander, who -thought the Kentuckian was making a long story of it. - -"Good, Major!" exclaimed Life, who had the matter as he wanted it now; -and he dashed off for the corner. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII - -THE SKIRMISH IN THE GREAT CIRCLE - - -Probably the leader of the marauders hurried the march of his followers -as the Falstaffian column approached the village, in order to prevent -the news of their coming from being circulated too soon. At any rate, -Deck came down the slope at the best speed Ceph could make some time -before the sergeant expected to see him. - -"Coming, be they, Deck?" inquired he when Deck reined in before him. - -"They are hurrying up, pounding their horses with their heels and the -butts of their guns," replied Deck. "I don't believe there is a nag in -the procession that can make over six miles an hour." - -"Have they left the blocusses on foot behind?" - -"No; but I fancy they are about out of wind by this time, for they are -running to keep up." - -"All right, Deck. I have seen your pa, and you can go down and tell him -all you know; for I am posted here to signal him when the right time -for him to move has come." - -Deck obeyed the order; but he had nothing special to report, except the -nearer approach of the ruffians. He fell back when he had said what he -had to say, and watched eagerly for the signal from the sergeant. He was -to keep near the major, to carry his orders if any were to be sent out; -but this would not prevent him from taking part in the fight. Even his -father had provided himself with a sabre, which he was ready to wield in -the conflict if occasion required; not otherwise. The carbines of the -platoon had been unslung, and the men were in readiness to fire a volley -when the time came. - -"There is Knox's signal, father!" exclaimed Deck, as the major had -turned away to answer a question of the colonel. - -The commander had seen the sergeant waving his cap very vigorously at -the corner. The time had come. The colonel and the clergyman, with those -surrounding them, were the only ones who were excited. The platoon was -as steady as though it was to march to a prayer-meeting. - -"Gallop--march!" said the major to Lieutenant Gilder, who was in command -of the body. - -Both the magnate and the minister had provided themselves with rifles, -and insisted upon doing their share of the fighting, though Major Lyon -assured them that he had force enough to handle double that of the -enemy. The lieutenant gave the orders in detail, and the command was off -in a moment. The major rode on the flank of the platoon, and the -citizens followed him. Deck kept at the side of his father. Artie was -with the captain; and his office was to carry any report or information -to the major, if the circumstances should require. - -We prefer to look through the eyes of Deck at the scene that followed. -As soon as he reached the corner, somewhat in advance of the body of the -company, he discovered the enemy. The mounted men were riding at the -best speed of the miserable animals on which they were mounted; and very -soon they reached what Knox called "the great circle," which was laid -out to set off the grand entrance to Greeltop, the name of the estate of -the colonel; and the village had taken its designation from the stately -mansion and grounds. Before they reached this arena, they set up a -series of frightful yells, evidently intended to intimidate the people -of the village, and make them believe that the imps of the infernal -regions had all broken in upon them at once. - -The avenue was very wide, and the platoon resolved itself into "company -front" at the command of the lieutenant. This was the first view the -enemy had of the Union force waiting for them. The body advanced at a -gallop, till the officer reduced the speed, and then formed them in a -double rank. Lieutenant Gilder gave the orders in detail, which resulted -in a volley, before which half-a-dozen saddles were emptied. - -"Sling--carbine!" shouted the lieutenant before the smoke enabled the -men to see what execution they had executed. "Draw--sabre!" - -As the smoke rolled away the enemy was seen to be badly broken up, and -the leader was using his best efforts to rally his undisciplined -soldiers. But his men had fired as soon as they saw the troopers in -front of them, and two of the latter had been wounded. The volley had -hardly been discharged by the portion of the company in front of the -marauders, when Captain Gordon was seen at the head of his men. He drew -them up in such a position as to avoid sending the bullets into the -midst of the other portion of his company. - -Another volley followed from his men; and more of the wretches in front -of them dropped from their saddles, or fell over if they were not -mounted. A panic seized the enemy; and the major ordered his lieutenant -not to charge upon the guerillas in accordance with the usual programme -of the squadron. - -"Dexter!" called the commander. - -"Here, Major!" replied the orderly promptly, as he saluted the -commander, with his drawn sabre ready for the charge. - -"Ride around the flank of the enemy as quick as you can, and give -Captain Gordon my order not to charge till I send him word," said the -major. "Be careful of yourself, and return if you find the passage -dangerous." - -It did not look like a perilous undertaking to the father, or he would -not have sent his son with the message. The action had come to look like -a mere butchery to him, and he was not willing to engage in any inhuman -slaughter. Deck dashed along the front of the company; for there was a -space of at least a hundred feet between them and the enemy. The -unmounted men were crushing in a mass to get behind the horses; for they -expected another murderous volley. - -Deck forced his horse into the broad gutter; for Ceph was more inclined -to leap into the crowd of guerillas, as he had been trained to do. He -saw the captain several rods from him, and he urged his steed forward to -reach him. His uniform seemed to be a hateful sight to the banditti; and -a couple of them rushed in front of him to intercept his passage. One of -them raised his musket to fire at him; but the intrepid trooper struck -it down with his sabre. The other did not attempt to shoot him, and -probably his gun was not loaded. Both of the men kept their places in -front of him, and were trying to beat him down with their clubbed -weapons. - -This was just the sport for Ceph; and, at the right signal from his -rider, he made a spring into the air, with the evident intention of -leaping over the obstacle in front of him. At the same time Deck made a -vigorous use of his sabre, and hit the foremost of the men in the head, -which caused him to spread himself out on the ground. Ceph went clear -over the other, and the rider gave him a blow with the weapon in his -hand as he did so. - -Ceph went flying the rest of the way; and the guerillas did not attempt -to stop him. The young horseman had a good chance to see the condition -of the enemy at a glance. The footmen had hemmed in the horses in their -efforts to escape the expected bullets; and there was no question in his -mind that the horde had already been effectually defeated. If the -sergeant's big bag had been ready, they were all ready to go into it. - -"Good Heaven, Deck!" exclaimed Captain Gordon, rushing up to him with -all the speed of his horse. "Did you cut through the enemy?" - -"Not exactly, Captain," replied Deck. "I am here to deliver to you Major -Lyon's order not to charge the enemy without a special order to that -effect." - -"I haven't given that order yet, for the enemy are about crushed -already; but I intended to follow up the charge of the rest of the -company on the other side. But I saw you, Deck, engaged against two men -in front of you only a few minutes ago; and I was about to order the -platoon to charge in order to rescue you. I thought the first company -had lost one of its best soldiers then." - -"But I have come through all right, Captain," added Deck, laughing at -the excitement of his officer. "Ceph always does me a good turn when I -get into a tight place, and he did this time." - -"There come some more of the men from the other side of the house," -added the captain, as he pointed to the way the orderly had come. - -Deck looked, and saw Life Knox, with a dozen troopers, rushing along the -gutter through which he had come; but the guerillas did not attempt to -molest them, for they were formidable enough to have beaten the whole -squad of the enemy, even before they had lost a man. - -"Major Lyon sent me after you, Deck," said the sergeant, as he stopped -his horse in front of him. "You had a narrow squeak of it that time, my -boy." - -"No, I didn't, Life; what's the use of making such a to-do about -nothing? I'm all right," replied Deck, who thought his father and the -rest of them were treating him like an infant. - -"But your pa was tearing his hair like a mother that had lost her baby, -to think he had sent you into such a tight place," added Knox. "He would -'a' sent the whole company after you in two minutes more. But you are -safe, and I thought you'd gone to feed the worms sure." - -"The worms will not dine on me just yet. I am going back now to my place -on the other side of the enemy," said Deck. "You can come when you get -ready, Life." - -As he spoke he wheeled his trusty steed, and intimated to him that he -was ready; whereupon Ceph made a spring, and darted off at a breakneck -speed. - -"Hold on, Baby!" shouted the sergeant, calling him by a name he had used -before, to which Deck did not object as long as the Kentuckian did not -treat him like an infant. "We uns kim over to escort you back!" - -"Obey your orders, Life," returned the furious young rider, without even -looking behind him. - -Knox started after him with all the hurry there was in his steed; but -there was hardly a horse in the squadron that could run as fast as -Ceph, for he had been trained to this branch of his equine profession as -a racer. But none of the guerillas were disposed to meddle with him -again; and perhaps the two who had attacked him before had mistaken his -intentions. He rode into the presence of the major, saluted him -gracefully; and the cavalrymen who had witnessed his encounter broke out -in a cheer. - -"Captain Gordon replied that he did not give the order to charge, -because he was waiting for you to begin on this side of the enemy," said -Deck. - -"Thank Heaven that you are safe, Dexter!" replied the father devoutly. - -"Heaven and Ceph," added the young hero. - -The father was busy just then, and he said no more. As soon as Deck had -started with his message, Major Lyon realized that the action would -become a slaughter, and he was anxious to stay the flow of blood. He was -not willing to cut down the men in front of him with the sabres of his -soldiers; for they appeared to be helpless, as much from panic as from -the want of proper arms. - -"Do you surrender?" he shouted at the top of his lungs, directing his -voice to the mass of the wretches gathered in the centre of the great -circle. - -No one answered him, and probably no one heard him. He ordered -Lieutenant Gilder to move his men forward very slowly. This officer was -in front of his troopers; and he led the way as directed, the major -remaining on the flank. - -The lieutenant raised his white handkerchief on his sabre, and waved it -in the air to indicate his peaceful intentions. When he had gone half -the distance to the enemy, he halted the platoon. - -"Do you surrender?" he shouted at the top of his voice. - -The answer was the discharge of half-a-dozen muskets by the mounted -guerillas who held the front of the mass. Lieutenant Gilder dropped from -his horse to the ground; and something like a confused cheer went up -from the men who had fired the volley. Sergeant Knox was the next in -command; and, pushing his horse to the front, he waved his sabre in the -air. - -"Draw--pistol!" he cried. "Ready--aim--fire!" - -The pistols were all ready for use, and the men fired them into the -front rank of the enemy, which seemed to contain all the fighting -ability there was left in the band. They were reloading their old guns; -but some of them did not live to complete the operation. Dr. Farnwright, -who had been near the major, rushed forward, and Knox sent two men to -assist him. Regardless of the danger of the position, the surgeon rushed -to the front to attend to the lieutenant. - -"Platoon--charge!" shouted the sergeant, afraid that the work of the -doctor would be impeded by the senseless operations of the mob. - -The troopers, with the sergeant in front of them, darted at the mass of -banditti in the circle; but they fell back only to precipitate -themselves upon the command of Captain Gordon behind them. At this -moment Major Lyon ordered his bugler to sound the recall. The soldiers -fell back only a very short distance in obedience to the signal, and -they had hardly struck a blow. They held the enemy where they were. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII - -CAPTAIN STINGER THE FIRE-EATER - - -As soon as Dr. Farnwright reached the prostrate form of Lieutenant -Gilder, he shook his head as he glanced at the major; for the advance of -the platoon had left them in the rear. He examined his patient, who had -passed beyond human aid. The ball had struck him in the chest, and had -doubtless penetrated his heart. His body was borne to the rear. Major -Lyon was sad; but the loss of the noble young man did not affect him as -it did the sergeant, for there was nothing revengeful in his nature. - -Knox was disposed to annihilate the rabble in front, of him; but he was -an obedient soldier, though he had ordered the discharge of pistols -without orders; for the firing of the ruffians, and especially the fall -of the gallant lieutenant, seemed to render any commands unnecessary. -The major directed him to move his platoon forward, and he kept on the -flank himself as he did so. - -Half-a-dozen of the enemy attempted to run by the troopers on the side -of the colonel's house, where Deck had passed the mob; and the sergeant -ordered a file of his men to arrest them. Only two of them had a musket -in their hands, and one of them had a sword at his side. Major Lyon -observed the movement, and ordered the man with the side arm to be -brought to him. Most of the soldiers thought the commander was too -tender of such a horde of ruffians; but he regarded it as little better -than murder to shoot or cut down the enemy, now entirely in his power. - -The man wearing the sword appeared to be of a better class of citizens -than the majority of the freebooters. He wore a neat business suit, and -was rather small in stature. He held his head up with something like -dignity in his bearing, and bestowed frequent glances upon his -companions in arms whom he had deserted. The five others were put under -guard where they were captured, and informed that they would be shot if -they attempted to escape. A couple of soldiers drove the one called for -over to the commander. - -"Who and what are you?" demanded the major, without any savagery in his -voice or manner. - -"I am Lieutenant Garbold; and I am second in command of the force in -front of you," replied the prisoner civilly enough. - -"And you have deserted your companions in arms?" added the commander. - -"Yes, if you choose to call it by that name; but Captain Stinger and -myself disagreed, and I was not willing to stand there and be shot down -by about three times our own number," replied Garbold. - -"Are you and the other man provided with commissions from any source?" - -"Not yet; but we claim to be in the service of the Confederate States of -America, waiting for our commissions, and for our men to be mustered in. -We belong to the regular service." - -"Hardly," added the major, with something as near like a sneer as he -could gather about his mouth. "You will excuse me if I regard you simply -as unorganized freebooters, land pirates. Your mission is to rob and -outrage the citizens of this village; and the ringleaders ought not to -object to being hung on the first convenient tree." - -"We don't rob nor injure any true citizens of Kentucky," replied Garbold -rather sullenly. "As to hanging any of us, we are willing to die in the -good cause; and two Yankee officers will swing for every one of us you -serve in that way." - -"That question can be settled later in the day, and our business is with -the present moment," added Major Lyon with becoming dignity. "Who -commands that rabble in front of us?" - -"Captain Jeruel Stinger." - -"Upon what did you disagree with him?" - -"To explain my own action, and not to gratify your curiosity, I will -answer the question," replied Garbold, who evidently intended to be as -"gamy" as one who had run away from his command could be. "I was not in -favor of standing there and allowing our men to be butchered after -resistance was useless. I said as much to Stinger, and I told him I -should step out." - -"You were sensible," replied the major. "I am not disposed to sacrifice -your men if it can be avoided. Is Captain Stinger still of the same -mind?" - -"I presume he is. He is an out-and-out fire-eater; and there is no more -reason in him than there is in a mule." - -"The night is coming on, and we have no time to trifle with the -question. If you will return to Captain Stinger with a squad of troopers -under a flag of truce, I"-- - -"Me!" exclaimed Garbold. "Stinger would shoot me at sight. I will not -go. I had rather be hanged by the enemy than shot by my friends," -interposed Garbold. - -"Then the loss of any more of your men must rest on your shoulders, and -not on mine. Take him away," replied the commander. - -Major Lyon was still unwilling to charge upon the rabble; for they had -ceased to fire their rusty firelocks. It was getting dark, and something -must be done. He called Deck, and gave him a mass of instructions, which -the orderly took in without any repetitions, for Captain Gordon. Colonel -Coffee volunteered to conduct the messenger though his grounds to a gate -near the position of the other portion of the company; and Deck -delivered his message. He was rather sorry he was not permitted to -proceed as he had before; for he had abundant confidence in his ability -to take care of himself. - -The commander rode up a bank at the side of the road, where he could see -over the heads of the enemy as soon as his son returned to him. A moment -later he saw Captain Gordon deploy a line of skirmishers, which extended -entirely across the broad avenue, with another rank behind them. Both -advanced in slow time, with none of the fury of a regular charge; but it -was soon evident that they "meant business." - -Captain Stinger seemed to be confused, and failed to understand the slow -movement of his foe, and gave no orders. At the same time, and in the -same manner, Sergeant Knox led his men forward; and the "fire-eater" in -command of the rabble could not help seeing that his command was to be -pinched between the two approaching bodies of troopers. Life kept -himself well in advance of his skirmishers; and possibly he felt more -like a brigadier-general than ever before in his life. He watched the -enemy with the eye of an eagle ready to swoop down upon his prey. - -Captain Stinger evidently realized that if his men fired in either -direction, the troopers would charge upon them, and it would be but the -work of a minute or two to slaughter the whole of them. He was seen to -make a gesture to a man who was preparing to fire without orders, and -the ruffian refrained from doing so. He plainly knew not what to do, -since there was nothing he could do. But when the front rank of Knox was -within twenty feet of him, with the sergeant ahead of it, he seemed to -be unable to "hold in" any longer, and unslung the rifle at his back. - -Knox saw that he was to be the first victim of the irate fire-eater; and -he jammed his heels into the flanks of his spirited steed, the animal -making a long spring, which brought him up with the front line of the -enemy. Still pressing the steed forward, he upset two or three men, and -brought up, when the horse could go no farther, alongside the captain. - -The doughty sergeant did not wait to trifle with any weapons, but, -leaning over, he seized the captain by the collar of his coat, dragged -him from his horse, and placed him across his holsters. Bending over his -victim, he held him in his place by the pressure of his body, while he -wheeled his horse, and made his way out of the crowd. - -"Take 'em that way!" he shouted to the men. - -But there was hardly one of them who had the physical strength to -accomplish such a feat, though they soon grappled with the guerillas, -and dragged them out of the _mêlée_. The men on the other side of the -enemy resorted to the same sort of tactics, which was not laid down in -the regular manual for the instruction of the cavalry. - -Captain Stinger was not a model Kentuckian physically any more than his -lieutenant; if he had been, Knox could hardly have handled him so -conveniently. The pressure of the sergeant's chest upon his backbone had -a tendency to tame him; but he was trying to get at some weapon -concealed upon his person. Knox had his pockets under command, and took -two revolvers from them, which he thrust into his breast. He had his -sabre dangling by the tassel knot at his right wrist, while he held the -reins with his left hand. His right was at liberty to seize the pistols. - -He hurried his horse to the place where the guards had the six prisoners -in charge. There he hurled his victim to the ground, and ordered the men -to look out for him, and not let him escape, if they had to put a bullet -through him. The sentinels were all mounted; and, as the last prisoner -had been disarmed, there was no danger that he would run away. - -Knox returned to his command; but, as he expressed it, "the fun had all -gone out of the guerillas," and it was hardly necessary to drag out any -more of them, for they were all as tame as sick kittens. The men had -secured about a dozen of them, taking them to the guard-house, as they -called the locality of the captives. The major had followed up the -movement, and he could not refrain from laughing at the novel tactics of -the first sergeant. - -He directed Knox to fall back with his men, and sent Deck to the captain -to drive the remaining freebooters before him. The ruffians moved before -them at the order of the officer. They were halted in the middle of the -square, and there disarmed, those who had not thrown away their weapons. -While the commander was observing this ceremony, a trooper rode up, and -saluted him. - -"A message from Captain Truman," said the cavalryman as he did so. - -"What is it?" demanded the major, fearful that the second company had -been attacked by a superior force, and needed a re-enforcement. - -"A messenger came from a place called Plain Hill, saying that a band of -mounted men was approaching the village, and they feared the place would -be plundered," replied the messenger. "Captain Truman has just marched -for the place, leaving only a guard at the camp." - -"All right; his action is approved, and I hope he will get there in -season to capture the enemy, as we have done here," replied Major Lyon, -as he looked about him for Colonel Coffee and Mr. Elbroon. "Where is the -colonel, Dexter?" - -"He is looking over the prisoners as they bring them in," replied Deck. - -The major rode over to him. Most of the prisoners were tame and -submissive; but the fire-eater and his lieutenant were figuratively at -swords' points: and it was fortunate for one or both of them that they -had been disarmed, for the former had pitched into the latter with his -fists, and the guards had been obliged to pull them apart. - -"That Captain Stinger wanted to be sent to Congress before the war; but -the people wouldn't do it. He is a politician, and a mischievous cur," -said the colonel, when he saw the major at his side. - -"Put him in irons, or tie his arms behind him, Styles," said the -commander, addressing the sergeant of the guard, "if he don't behave -himself. I have a message from the camp, Colonel Coffee," continued he, -turning to the magnate of Greeltop. "Where is Plain Hill, sir?" - -"Five miles to the south of us, Major; a village about the size of -Greeltop. Any news from there?" inquired the colonel with decided -interest. - -"Captain Truman, of our second company, whom I left at the camp, has had -a message from the place, to the effect that a band of guerillas were -approaching the place; and he marched at once with all his company but a -camp-guard." - -"Good!" exclaimed the magnate. - -"Heaven be praised!" added the reverend gentleman with a gun in his -hand. "It is a mercy that your company was at hand." - -"Good! I say," almost shouted Captain Stinger. "Heaven be praised that -Vinegold is getting there! Our prayers will all go the same way!" - -The fire-eater was near enough to hear what the major said. - -"I only hope he will burn every house in the place," added the captain. -"There is not such another nest of traitors in Kentucky, unless Greeltop -is the other." - -"Who is Vinegold, Captain Stinger?" asked the commander. - -"Major Vinegold is a man after my own heart," answered the prisoner. - -"If he is your friend, you will be likely to see him before morning," -added the major, as he turned away. - -The prisoners were placed in the centre of the united company, and -marched to the camp just as the darkness was beginning to gather on the -landscape. All the people in Greeltop were in the roads, and greeted the -soldiers with applause and cheers as they marched by them. The officers -and most of the privates were loaded with bouquets on the way. - -Several times the magnate, who returned to the camp with the troopers, -began to tell the commander something about Plain Hill; but the cheers -he was obliged to acknowledge prevented him from giving attention, and -the subject was delayed to another time. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV - -THE RE-ENFORCEMENT FOR PLAIN HILL - - -It was not strange that the loyal people of Greeltop were grateful to -their deliverers. Reports of similar occurrences within twenty or thirty -miles of them had fully informed them of the nature of such raids, -doubtless with many exaggerations; but they had every reason to expect -more severe treatment than most other places, for the residents were -Unionists to a greater extent than in other villages in that section. -The magnate was an intensely loyal citizen, and he had largely built up -the place. - -Colonel Coffee was a Kentuckian, born in the county where he now lived; -but he had not amassed his million there. His father had been a planter, -and left a moderate fortune to his children at his death. With his share -the colonel had gone to New York, and embarked in business. This had led -him to China, where he had made his million when he was fifty. He -retired, purchased the plantation which had been his father's, and -another. He built the elegant mansion where he now resided. - -His partner, equally wealthy, had retired at the same time, and had -purchased another, five miles from it. He had married the sister of the -colonel, and they had always been strong friends. The China merchant had -built up Greeltop, and his brother-in-law had done the same for Plain -Hill. Both of them had lived on the other side of the globe a large -portion of their lives; and when they saw the American flag at the port -of Hong-Kong, it meant more to them than if they had seen it every day -of their existence. One of the effects of foreign travel, or a foreign -residence, is to make American citizens love their own country all the -more. - -The influence of these two men, with the liberal expenditure of their -money, had built up the villages, and increased the population of the -surrounding region, so that they were in condition to establish a city -government, which is done on a small number of inhabitants in the South. -This was the substance of what Colonel Coffee wished to tell the -commander of the squadron of cavalry; especially that Mr. Hasbrook, the -magnate of Plain Hill, was his brother-in-law. - -Both of them were loyal men; and their example, as well as their -positive efforts, had kept alive the Union sentiment of the -surroundings. This loyalty of the people had aroused the enmity of the -Secessionists of the neighboring counties. They were in especial danger -when the guerillas and partisan hordes began their work of pillage and -outrage. - -The people of each of these places had raised a small Home Guard. The -magnates had provided them with excellent arms, and they served rather -as a police than as a military body. Most of the young men had gone into -the army on one side or the other; and fifty men in both villages was -the most they could organize. For two weeks the inhabitants had been -dreading a raid; and day and night mounted patrolmen had surrounded both -places. Probably the existence of the body of Home Guards had had some -influence in preventing an assault. - -The column of cavalrymen reached the camp, and the prisoners were -disposed of. Colonel Coffee was very anxious to obtain further -information in regard to the raid upon Plain Hill. Lieutenant Blenks was -in charge of the camp, with only ten men; for the first company was not -far distant, and there was no considerable body of Confederate troops -within twenty-five miles of the village, according to the best -information to be obtained. - -"What do you know about this attack upon Plain Hill, Lieutenant?" -demanded Major Lyon, as the officer saluted him on his arrival. - -"Very little," replied the lieutenant, as he took a paper from his -pocket, and handed it to the commander. "This note was brought here by a -negro, who had run his horse all the way, I judged by the looks of the -animal." - -"'The enemy are down upon us--within four miles of us.--HASBROOK,'" the -major read from the paper, which was not a sealed letter. "It is -addressed to you, Colonel Coffee," he added, as he turned it over and -saw the name on the outside. - -"It has come to the right place," replied the magnate. - -"Who is Hasbrook?" asked the commander; for he had not yet heard the -story of Plain Hill. - -"He is my brother-in-law, standing in about the same relation to Plain -Hill that I do to Greeltop." - -"The negro that brought the paper is still here," said the lieutenant. - -The man was sent for at the request of the colonel. Major Lyon directed -Captain Gordon to have all the horses fed, and to let the men have their -suppers as soon as possible. Captain Truman had marched with nearly the -whole of his company half an hour before, and must be near his -destination by this time. The major and his companions had dismounted, -and retired to the headquarters tent. - -"It is you who have brought this message, is it, Clover?" asked Colonel -Coffee, as the man was shown into the tent by a sentinel. "This man is -Hasbrook's steward," he added, turning to the commander. - -He was a mulatto of rather dark shade, was well-dressed, and looked like -an intelligent person. - -"I brought the paper, sir," replied Clover. "Mr. Hasbrook sent me over -with it, and told me to carry it to your house; but when I came to this -camp I asked the soldier in front about it, and he sent for the -officer. When I found the camp was of a Union company, I asked the -captain to read the note, and he did so." - -"You did well, Clover; to have gone to my house would have delayed the -relief," added the magnate. - -"The company started off at full gallop, and I stopped to see you," -continued the steward. - -"But what do you know about the approach of the guerillas, Clover?" -asked the colonel impatiently. - -"I don't know anything, sir. One of the Home Guards came to the mansion -with the news that the guerillas were coming, and he sent me off with -the best horse in the stable. I run him all the way, and I hope I have -not hurt him." - -"No matter if you have. If the second company is like the first, they -will bag the whole of the villains," said the colonel. - -"The Home Guard were all mounted and gathering in the square when I -left. They said there was a hundred men coming down on the village," -Clover concluded. - -Major Lyon had ordered supper for his party to be brought to his tent. -It was camp-fare, but he invited the colonel and the clergyman to join -him. - -"Do you suppose there is any danger of another invasion of Greeltop -to-night from the north, Colonel Coffee?" asked the major, as the party, -including Deck, were hastily disposing of the meal. - -"Certainly not. I am of the opinion that the two raids upon our villages -were planned to take place at the same time, so that neither of them -could send its Home Guard to the assistance of the other. Your coming, -Major Lyon, was most opportune." - -"It so happens. Dexter, tell Captain Gordon to detail ten men from his -company to remain in the camp under command of Lieutenant Blenks, and -have the rest of his men ready to march as soon as they have finished -their supper," said Major Lyon. - -"Then you propose to go to Plain Hill, Major?" asked the colonel. - -"I have no doubt Captain Truman has force enough to protect the place; -but I desire to capture as many of the ruffians as possible," replied -the major. "Who is the captain of your Home Guard?" - -"I am," replied the colonel with a smile. - -"Then I wish you would order them to this camp, and relieve my men of -the duty of guarding our prisoners." - -"It shall be done at once. Mr. Elbroon, will you attend to this matter?" - -"Certainly. Do you go to Plain Hill, Colonel?" replied the clergyman. - -"I desire to look after the safety of my sister and her children." - -"And I need the assistance of the colonel to show me the way, and point -out the localities in the town," added the major. - -Mr. Elbroon mounted his horse, and hastened to the armory of the local -force. The first company had formed in the parade. Colonel Coffee had -taken a fresh horse while near his residence. The commander and his -orderly mounted their horses. - -"Lieutenant," said the major, addressing the officer of the camp, "it is -remotely possible that this place may be attacked in my absence with the -company. If such should be the case, you will make a bonfire on the -knoll the other side of the road, and I think we shall be able to see -it. Have it ready to light whether it is needed or not." - -The horses had been watered and fed, and they were in fair condition, -though they had been on the march all day. The commander led off at a -smart gallop, and the company kept up with him. Life Knox was in -temporary command of the second platoon. The column moved too rapidly -for any connected conversation, and in half an hour was approaching -Plain Hill. - -"What can that mean, Colonel?" asked the major, as they reached the top -of a hill, where a brilliant light suddenly flashed upon them. "Can it -be that the ruffians are burning the houses." - -"Possibly; I don't know: but they have not yet fired Hasbrook's mansion, -for I can see it on the top of Plain Hill," replied Colonel Coffee; and -his tones indicated the anxiety he felt. - -"You know the place, and perhaps you can tell from the direction where -the fire is located," added the commander. - -"It appears to be right in the square." - -"And what and where is the square?" - -"The village is just the counterpart of Greeltop; for Hasbrook and -I laid it out together. You can see his mansion on the top of the hill. -The square is on the level in front of it, with the houses all around -it." - -"Then perhaps they are burning these houses," suggested the major. - -"I think not. There is not volume enough in the blaze for a burning -house, much less for several of them." - -"And where is the road by which the guerillas will or have arrived at -the place?" - -"It comes in on the east end of Plain Hill, behind Hasbrook's house. I -think they would burn his mansion first; but they cannot approach it in -the rear with horses. There are about thirty men in the Home Guard here, -and there will be a fight before any houses are burned," said the -colonel very decidedly. - -The column descended the hill from which the light of the fire had been -seen, and dashed up another, which brought them into the village. Then -it was ascertained that a bonfire was blazing in the square, and that -the houses were all safe. - -"Who comes there?" demanded a man with a musket in his hand, as the -company reached a broad avenue which appeared to be the principal -street of the village. - -"Friends!" returned the major. - -"Who is it?" demanded the colonel. - -"Walkall," replied the man, who evidently recognized the magnate of -Greeltop. - -"All right, Walkall; this is another company of United States cavalry. -Where are the enemy?" - -"Behind Mr. Hasbrook's mansion. They have halted there; but we are all -ready for them." - -"Where is the company of cavalry which must have arrived an hour or two -since?" inquired the major. - -"I don't know just where the troopers are now; we turned over everything -to Captain Truman, and he is managing the matter," replied Walkall. "He -stationed me here to report if an enemy came in on the Greeltop road." - -Captain Gordon had been ordered to halt the company. Deck was sent with -the sentinel to find the captain of the second company, and the first -was to remain at the corner. They followed the road leading to the home -of the magnate, which crossed the principal avenue of the village, and -came to another, parallel to it, along the rear of the square. At this -point they were challenged; and it could be seen by the light of the -fire that sentinels were stationed all along this street. - -"Who comes there?" demanded the sentinel. - -"Messenger from the major of the squadron, directed to find Captain -Truman." - -"Can't pass here," added the sentinel decidedly. - -"Where is Captain Truman?" asked Deck. - -"I don't know no more'n the dead." - -At this moment a trooper rode up, and recognized the messenger. - -"All right, Deck; you can pass, but the other man cannot," said the -cavalryman, when he had stated his business. - -Deck thought the captain had adopted some singular strategy. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV - -SURROUNDED AND TOTALLY DEFEATED - - -"What does all this mean, Withers?" asked Deck, as the trooper conducted -him inside of the grounds of Mr. Hasbrook. - -"I don't know anything at all about it; you must ask Captain Truman," -replied Withers with a laugh. "He's got a big head, and I reckon he -knows what he is about. But how come you over here, Deck?" - -"I came over with the first company; and I have a message for Captain -Truman from Major Lyon." - -"All right; and he will be glad to see you. He will not let a single -person come up the hill, or a single one go from the house. He's got -some strategy on his brain." - -"Have you seen the enemy, Withers?" - -"I have not; but the cap'n appears to know jest where they are." - -They followed the handsome driveway up a hill; and the light of the -bonfire enabled Deck to get a view of the surroundings. When they had -reached an elevation of about fifty feet, the summit was a plain, very -nearly level, in the middle of which stood the mansion. This was -evidently where the name of "Plain Hill" came from. Before the door of -the house was a mounted sentinel, and there were others on the hill. - -The elevation was sprinkled over with large trees, and at the west end -of the mansion was a considerable grove of them. In front of this shady -place there were two sentinels. - -"Advance, friends, and give the countersign." - -"Barcreek," replied Withers. "This is Deck Lyon, with a message from the -major." - -One of the sentinels conducted them to the heart of the grove, where -they found the whole of the second company. The arrival of the messenger -was duly reported to the captain, and he was ushered into his presence. -He was seated on his horse, ready to move at any moment. - -"Is that you, Deck? I am glad to see you, though this visit is very -unexpected," said he. - -"The first company is down at the avenue in front of the square, with -Major Lyon, who desires a report from you in regard to the condition of -things in this village, and especially as to the locality of the enemy," -continued the orderly, delivering the substance of his message. - -"Come with me, Deck, and I will give you my report verbally; for I -cannot see to write," added the captain, as he led the orderly to the -south side of the hill. "Do you see that little knoll not fifty rods -from us?" - -"I see it." - -"It is covered with trees, and the enemy are concealed among them. One -of my men has been over there, and reports about seventy-five guerillas, -and I am very anxious to bag the whole of them." - -"No doubt of it, as we did the other company of them." - -"I supposed you would; but I haven't the news. Just now, Deck, this -company in front of us are waiting for the one that swooped down on -Greeltop. I suppose they were to clean out that village, and then come -over here and finish up this one." - -"It was not much of a swoop; and we have every one of them, from Captain -Stinger down to the vagabonds who followed the mounted men on foot, -under guard at the camp. But how do you know that they are waiting for -the other gang, Captain?" asked Deck. - -"I captured a messenger of the leader of this horde, scared him out of -his wits, and he told me all about it," replied the captain with a -smile. "The only thing that I am afraid of now, is that the leader of -this gang will not bring on his men, so that I can bag them. Mr. -Hasbrook, who lives in this house, has sent down for some one who will -take the place of this messenger, and inform the captain of the ruffians -that a force of mounted men has just come up the Greeltop road." - -"I will do that myself," replied Deck promptly. - -"You, Deck!" exclaimed the captain. - -"I should like the fun of it; and I could not do my country any greater -service than in helping out the capture of that gang of -ruffians." - -"But it would cost you your life if you were discovered. They would hang -you like a dog. No, no, Deck! Your father would never forgive me if I -sent you on such a perilous mission." - -"My father believes that I ought to do my duty; and I believe so also. -Where is the fellow you captured? I might borrow his clothes, and they -wouldn't know me from Jeff Davis in the dark. Let me hear the fellow -speak, and I can imitate his voice; and I will promise to come back all -right," pleaded Deck, who was very anxious to undertake the mission. - -"No, no, Deck! I cannot send you on such an errand. I gave Mr. Hasbrook -a pass to go down among the Home Guards, and he may find a man to do the -business," said the captain very decidedly. "If he does not find some -one who is better acquainted with this vicinity than you are, Deck, we -will look the matter over again, if your father will consent that you -should go." - -"If the bagging of those ragamuffins depends upon your plan, I think he -will consent," added Deck. - -"But you must return to your father with my report, and I will explain -to you my plan to capture the enemy." - -When he had done so, Deck returned to the great road, and reported -everything to the commander, informing him why the movement was -delayed. He stated the plan of the captain to send a man disguised as -the messenger or spy of Captain Vinegold. The major did not like the -plan, and utterly refused to have his son undertake such an enterprise. - -The young soldier was disappointed; but he did not rebel against the -decision of the commander, who was also his father. Later in his career, -when he had a couple of gold bars on his shoulders, he rendered some -important service of this kind; for he was even more fond of an -adventure than the average boy. - -"Colonel Coffee, is there any other road than the one by which we have -come from Greeltop that leads to the south?" asked the major, after he -had digested the report sent by his son. - -"There is, and a better one than that by which the ruffians came," -replied the magnate. "As nearly as I can make it out, the enemy are -concealed not more than half a mile from this cross-road; but you could -not get to them without going at least three miles." - -"That is not a great distance for mounted men. Is the distance about -three miles?" - -"It will not vary half a mile from it." - -"Have you your watch with you, Dexter?" asked the major. - -"I have, sir; I never leave it in the baggage-wagons," replied Deck. - -"What time is it now?" continued the major, as he consulted his own -time-keeper. - -"Ten minutes past seven," answered Deck, after he had held his watch up -so that he could see the face by the light of the fire in the square. - -"About right. How long will it take you to reach the spot on the hill -where the second company is posted?" - -"Ten minutes." - -The major had taken a piece of paper from his pocket, and by this time -had written something on it to which he had signed his name. - -"Is there any open place at the end of the hill where the captain is, to -the right of the grove?" - -"I don't know; I did not look about me much," replied Deck. - -"The west end of the hill is a bare rock," interposed Colonel Coffee. - -"On this paper I have written, 'Obey the verbal orders sent by Dexter -Lyon.' That is all, except the captain's name and mine. Tell Captain -Truman to prepare a fire, a large fire, on the rock at the west end of -the hill, ready to light. Can the enemy see what he is doing, Colonel?" - -"Not at all; the fire in the square sends no light beyond the grove." - -"In precisely thirty minutes from the time you reach the top of the -hill, Dexter, tell him to march upon the enemy, leaving a man to light -the fire ten minutes later. Let him attack them vigorously," said the -commander. "Do you understand it all, Dexter?" - -"Understood." - -"Then hasten to the hill." - -The major had taken the colonel and his son one side for this -conference, so that no other person should know anything about it. Deck -ran his horse; and this time the sentinel did not stop him, for his -character was known. As a last word, his father had directed him to -remain with the captain. - -Before the messenger reached the hill, the company was moving along the -road to the west, with the magnate as a guide. By his advice the company -marched slowly for the first half-mile, in order to avoid making any -noise which the enemy could hear. Then they galloped at the best speed -of the horses. At the end of twenty minutes they were near the knoll on -which the guerillas were concealed. The major ordered the captain to -halt here, and they waited for further events. - -They had not long to wait, for the fire on the rock flashed up with a -brilliant light; and it was evident that Mr. Hasbrook had assisted in -preparing the fuel, and that no little pitch and light wood had been -used. Captain Truman, as the illumination indicated, was in the road, -and marching to the south; while the first company had halted, facing to -the north. - -"Mr. Hasbrook must have robbed his woodshed of most of its contents," -said the captain, who had taken Deck under his wing. - -"All his house and stable servants were lugging wood to the rock; and -they must have piled up about a cord of it, Captain," replied Deck. - -"The fire not only serves as a signal, but it gives no little light on -the subject before the house," replied the officer. - -Skirmishers had been sent out ahead. The place where the enemy was -concealed was a wooded knoll, according to the description given of it -by a scout; and by the light of the huge bonfire it was in plain sight. -Twenty men had been sent out on this service under Sergeant Fronklyn. -When he came near enough, he opened fire upon the knoll, the object -being to draw the enemy from his covert. - -"The fire sheds its light for the benefit of the enemy as well as for -our side of the question. Like an impartial judge, it serves both -parties alike," said the captain. "The skirmishers will bring them out, -and that is all we want. So far as our operations are concerned, I think -the enemy must be in perfect darkness; for I have not permitted a single -one of the town's people to come this side of the square." - -"They have waked up now," added Deck, as a volley of musketry came out -of the grove on the knoll, which was quite near the road. - -"I hope they will not recognize the uniforms of the skirmishers," -continued the captain. - -The main body of the company had slowly followed the advance all the -time, and the crisis of the affair was at hand. The captain reasoned -that the guerillas could not be aware of the combination made by the -major, or they would have retired; and they were likely to mistake the -skirmishers for the Home Guards, if they did not make out the uniform. -After the volley from the knoll, the enemy made a sortie from his -position, and rushed furiously upon the assailants, firing at will all -the time. - -Captain Truman gave the order for his men to charge the foe; and the -troopers darted ahead at full gallop. They could see the uniforms of the -skirmishers, and for a moment there was a hot hand-to-hand fight, for -the enemy were plucky enough for the occasion. But if the company could -distinguish the uniforms of the skirmishers, so also could the enemy by -this time; and they could see that the road between them and the village -was full of troopers. - -Major Vinegold could not help seeing that he was caught in a trap, and -his bugle sounded the recall. Doubtless his guerillas saw the situation -also; for they were not slow to obey the signal. They detached -themselves from the conflict, and retreated. The voice of Captain Gordon -could be heard above the din; and the enemy was headed to the south at a -gallop. Doubtless the guerilla commander was astounded to find himself -confronted by a company of cavalry in full uniform, instead of a band of -Home Guards. - -The signal-fire on the rock of Plain Hill had done its perfect work, and -the first company had moved forward slowly, with skirmishers in front, -and soon came upon the retreating enemy. Captain Gordon charged upon -them, and they fought bravely on both sides. Doubtless the commander of -the guerillas was appalled when he discovered another company in front -of him. Probably he was outnumbered three to one. He fought like a tiger -himself, but his men began to break into the fields on either side. The -officers soon stopped this means of escape by extending their lines -entirely around their hapless foe. - -"Do you surrender?" demanded Captain Truman. - -"Never!" yelled Major Vinegold, in front of his company. - -Deck dashed at him as he made this emphatic reply, and their sabres -flashed fire. Ceph made one of his furious leaps, and the commander of -the enemy sank to the ground as his rider struck a desperate blow. - -"We surrender!" shouted the second in command. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI - -MAJOR VINEGOLD OF THE GUERILLAS - - -The second in command of the guerillas was a more sensible man than -Major Vinegold, who appeared to be a fire-eater, like Captain Stinger; -and when resistance was utterly hopeless, he announced his surrender in -a voice loud enough to be heard a long distance, and neither side struck -a blow afterwards. Deck Lyon appeared to have delivered the last -sabre-stroke; for as soon as his lieutenant saw his chief topple from -his horse, he uttered the words that ended the conflict. - -"You gave the finishing touch to the fight, Deck!" exclaimed Captain -Truman in a loud voice, so that all the company could hear him. - -"Three cheers for Deck Lyon!" shouted an enthusiastic trooper; and they -were given. - -Of course Deck blushed; for he was a reasonably modest young man. He had -not made up his mind to do "a big thing," but simply to do his duty; -and he was doing it like any other member of the company when his -opportunity was presented to him. Major Vinegold was the bone and sinew -of the fight on his own side; and when the young cavalryman saw him -disengaged for the moment, he urged his horse forward to cross swords -with the commander. - -Ceph's training seemed to be a part of his being; and when he was -pressed up to him, he rose on his hind-legs for a spring. An indifferent -rider could not have kept his seat in the saddle; but Deck had trained -himself and his steed to the manoeuvre, and each supplemented the -action of the other. The rider leaned forward, grasping the forward horn -of his saddle with the rein hand, while he kept his sabre in readiness -for use in the right. In the present instance, while the animal was in -this flying attitude, Deck struck at the head of his adversary; and the -shock carried him from his saddle to the ground. - -"Ceph deserves three cheers quite as much as or more than I do," said -the young rider, while the company were waiting for further orders. - -"He would not appreciate the compliment," replied the captain. - -"Halloo, Artie!" exclaimed Deck, as his brother dashed into the presence -of the captain. - -"Bully for you, Deck! We heard the company cheering you; what mighty -deed have you done now?" demanded the messenger, for such he was, from -the major, as he saluted Captain Truman. "It is Major Lyon's order that -you proceed to disarm the prisoners, as they are doing on the other -side." - -"Order understood," replied the captain. "You can tell the major that -Deck gave the finishing touch to the fight, Artie;" and he described the -fall of Major Vinegold, and the immediate surrender that followed. - -Artie hastened back to headquarters; and the captain formed the -guerillas near him in line, and took from them all their arms. The major -had ordered a large fire to be started at the side of the road, and the -scene was already well lighted. The prisoners had been formed in line in -the same manner on the south end of the battle-field, and their arms -taken from them. On the road, and beside it, seven men lay silent and -motionless; and perhaps there were others on the wooded knoll. - -The squadron had not had a man killed, though about a dozen had been -wounded; and Dr. Farnwright and his assistants were attending to them. -Among the prisoners the men were binding up the wounds of each other. -The form of the fire-eater commander lay where he had fallen; and Deck -saw him move as he was about to report to the major. He felt more -interest in this man than in the others; and he dismounted from his -horse. - -Ceph was as fond of his master as a kitten of the child that pets it; -and there was no need to secure him, for he would have stood there all -night. Deck was even more devoted to him than he was to pretty Miss Kate -Belthorpe, which is saying a great deal. He had fed him on dainties, and -made him his constant associate in the months when he was drilling. Ceph -was very intelligent, and seemed to understand his master's humor as -though he had been human. - -The rider went to the fallen guerilla. He was not dead. He had been -stunned, and was just coming to his senses. By the light of the fire -Deck could see that his head was covered with blood. Looking closer, he -found that his left ear had been smitten entirely from the side of his -head. The sabre appeared to have struck him sideways, giving the blow -that stunned him, and then glancing off so as to take the ear with it. -If the blade had struck him fairly, it would have split his head open; -as it was, his brains were saved at the expense of his ear. - -"How do you feel, Major Vinegold?" asked Deck in sympathetic tones,--for -a wounded or dying enemy was no longer a foe to him,--as he took the -handkerchief of the sufferer from his pocket and bound it over his head, -so as to cover the wound. - -"I'm better, I think," replied the major, as Deck assisted him to sit -up. "Have we licked that Home Guard?" - -"There is no Home Guard here. You have been fighting with a squadron of -United States cavalry, and your successor in command has surrendered." - -"Strivers is a coward!" - -"We were nearly three to your one; and your lieutenant was no coward, -but a brave fellow, and a sensible man." - -"Who's we?" - -"I am a loyal soldier, and the one that gave you your wound," replied -Deck. - -"You!" exclaimed the major. "Then what are you doing with me now?" - -"I am trying to assist you, if I can. I have bound up your wound, and -our surgeon will soon be able to attend to your case." - -"Give me a drink of brandy out of your flask," added the wounded man -faintly. - -"I have no brandy; but here is some fresh water; for I filled my canteen -at Plain Hill," answered Deck, as he presented it to his patient. - -He drank freely; and perhaps it did as much good as the same quantity of -brandy would have done. - -"I feel better now," said the major, as Deck assisted him to his feet. -"Where is my horse?" - -"But you are a prisoner now. If you will give me your sword and pistols, -it will save you from any further annoyance," replied Deck. - -"A prisoner!" he exclaimed bitterly. "Strivers surrendered." - -"To three times his own force; and he could not do otherwise," added the -Union soldier very gently. "He would have murdered his own men if he -had fought any longer." - -"I cannot help myself," continued the major, as he unbuckled his sword -and gave it to his conqueror. "I did not do it. Strivers did it; and I -am much obliged to you, young man, for striking me down before it was -done." - -Dr. Farnwright dressed his wound; Deck found his horse, then assisted -him to mount, and placed him in the rank with the other prisoners. The -dead were ranged in a field, with two more found on the wooded knoll. - -"Well, Dexter, you have been playing the hero again, have you?" said the -major, when he rode that way. - -"Ceph and I have been doing our duty, and Major Vinegold is the -sufferer, father. I couldn't help doing what I did," replied Deck. - -"And he ended the fight!" exclaimed Captain Truman with enthusiasm. "If -he had his proper reward he would be made a captain on the spot." - -"A captain at eighteen!" exclaimed the major, who was somewhat -conservative in his ideas. "There is no authority here to make him a -captain, even if it were desirable, as I think it is not. Don't spoil -the boy, Captain Truman." - -While they were waiting for the arrangements for the march to be -completed, Deck told his father about his interview with the fallen -leader of the guerillas; and it ended in introducing the major to him. - -"I am sorry you are wounded, my friend," said the commander. - -"Why do you call me your friend?" asked the prisoner, apparently -astonished. "You are not just our idea of the Yankees." - -"On the battle-field we are enemies, and we do our best to kill each -other; but here we are friends, and we do what we can to save each -other. I am glad my son assisted you." - -"He is the one-eared man's friend for life, except on the battle-field, -though he struck off that ear." - -It was quite evident that he was not such a fire-eater as Captain -Stinger. But the column was ready to move. It was but a short distance -to the village; and when they arrived there, they found the fire in the -square burning even more vigorously, and all the houses lighted. They -were received with tremendous cheers, in which the ladies joined, while -they flourished their handkerchiefs in the absence of so many of the -male population. - -The news of the battle and victory had been brought to the village by -Colonel Coffee; and the two magnates had provided a bountiful collation -for the soldiers, though it was in the small hours of the night. The -troopers were petted by the ladies, and Deck was a hero of the first -magnitude. The work of the day and night was finished, and the people -and the soldiers slept after their fatigues, while a portion of the Home -Guards guarded the approaches to the place. - -The prisoners were marched under a strong guard to a railroad town, and -sent to Louisville. All was quiet at Greeltop and Plain Hill, and no -further attempt was made to molest these places. The discipline -administered to the guerillas was severe enough to put an end to their -operations in that part of the State. The squadron remained three weeks -in camp at Greeltop, occasionally sending out detachments where they -were needed. - -Later in the year it was ordered to Munfordville, where a sharp little -battle was fought, in which the Riverlawn Cavalry had an opportunity to -meet again the old enemies, the Texan Rangers. It was while at this -place that a huge envelope came by special messenger, with other orders, -directed to "Mr. Dexter Lyon, Care of Major Noah Lyon." His father gave -it to him, and Deck opened it, wondering with all his might what it -could contain. It was a lieutenant's commission, and the recipient would -not have been more astonished if the sky had fallen upon him. - -The two captains in the squadron had been the principal movers in -obtaining the commission. They had a paper recommending it signed by -every member of the first company; but the business had been done while -the command was waiting at Greeltop, fearful that Major Lyon would veto -or discountenance the measure for family reasons, or because he thought -his son was too young to be "A Lieutenant at Eighteen." With the -commission came a furlough for two weeks, to enable him to prepare for -his new duties. - -Deck was astonished and confounded to find himself an officer; for he -had never sought such a position, and honestly and sincerely believed -that he had done only his duty, like every other private in the ranks. -He was overwhelmed with congratulations by the members of both -companies, and especially by the two captains. - -"It hasn't come any sooner than I expected it, Deck," said Life Knox, as -he grasped the hand of the young cavalryman. - -"I don't think I have deserved it," protested the recipient of the -commission. - -"Ask Miss Kate Belthorpe," chuckled the Kentuckian, _par excellence_. - -"She is not a military character, and don't understand the matter," -replied Deck with a very heavy blush. - -"She stuck to't that you ought to been made cap'n o' the fust company. I -didn't think so then, but I think you ought to be made a lieutenant as -you have been." - -"I don't see why I was selected for this place; for I am appointed -second lieutenant of the first company, in place of poor Gilder." - -"Everybody else can see it if you can't. Who brought Major Vinegold to -the ground? Who served Lieutenant Makepeace in the same way? And"-- - -"Ceph!" exclaimed Deck. "Don't say anything more about it, and we will -call it square;" but the tall and wiry cavalry sergeant was as fond of -Deck as though he had been his own son. - -The young lieutenant procured his uniform at Munfordville; and when he -put it on, the whole of both companies cheered him, and the ladies -declared that he was the handsomest officer in the squadron, which was, -perhaps, saying much, for Captain Gordon was a remarkably good-looking -man. - -Deck was going home for a part of his furlough; for his father wished -him to do so. He talked with his son full two hours before his -departure, giving him instructions about the plantation, and especially -about the family of Captain Titus Lyon, then a prisoner somewhere. - -Of course his mother and sisters were extremely glad to see him, and -were prouder of his uniform than he was himself. Levi Bedford actually -hugged him; and the fifty-one negroes treated him as though he had been -an angel from the realms of bliss. Orly Lyon still desired to join the -Riverlawn Cavalry; and even Sandy had been so far cured of his Secession -tendencies as to be of the same mind. - -Mrs. Noah had provided for the family of her husband's brother. She -consented, in the absence of her husband, that her boys should enlist on -the right side. The major had sent money for her to return to her father -in New Hampshire, if she still desired to go there. When Lieutenant Lyon -returned to Munfordville, Sandy and Orly went with him, wearing the -uniform of the squadron. - -During his absence the command had been ordered to Somerset; and about a -month later had their first experience in a considerable battle at Mill -Spring. But our story for the present is told; and another volume will -relate the experience of Deck as an officer. His service was not -confined to his duty in command of a platoon, but an abundant -opportunity was given him to gratify to some extent his inborn desire -for stirring adventure in the service of his country, as will be found -in "A LIEUTENANT AT EIGHTEEN." - - - * * * * * - - - OLIVER OPTIC'S BOOKS - - ALL-OVER-THE-WORLD LIBRARY - - Illustrated Per Volume $1.25 - - - FIRST SERIES - - - A MISSING MILLION or The Adventures of Louis Belgrave - - A MILLIONAIRE AT SIXTEEN or The Cruise of the Guardian-Mother - - A YOUNG KNIGHT ERRANT or Cruising in the West Indies - - STRANGE SIGHTS ABROAD or A Voyage in European Waters - - - SECOND SERIES - - - THE AMERICAN BOYS AFLOAT or Cruising in the Orient - - THE YOUNG NAVIGATORS or The Foreign Cruise of the Maud - - UP AND DOWN THE NILE or Young Adventurers in Africa - - ASIATIC BREEZES or Students on the Wing (in press) - - -"The bare announcement of a new series of books by Oliver Optic will -delight boys all over the country. When they farther learn that their -favorite author proposes to 'personally conduct' his army of readers on -a grand tour of the world, there will be a terrible scramble for -excursion tickets--that is, the opening volume of the 'Globe Trotting -Series.' Of one thing the boys may be dead sure, it will be no tame, -humdrum journey, for Oliver Optic does not believe that fun and -excitement are injurious to boys, but, on the contrary, if of the right -kind he thinks it does them good. Louis Belgrave is a fortunate lad, -because, at the age of sixteen, he was the possessor of a cool million -of dollars. No one, not even a young boy, can travel without money, as -our author well knows, therefore he at once provided a liberal supply. -Louis is a fine young fellow with good principles and honor, so he can -be trusted to spend his million wisely. But he does not have entirely -smooth sailing. In the first place he has a rascally step-father whom he -had to subjugate, a dear mother to protect and care for, and the missing -million to find before he could commence his delightful travels. They -are all accomplished at last, and there was plenty of excitement and -brave exploits in the doing of them, as the boy readers will find. The -cover design shows many things--a globe, the Eiffel tower, mountains, -seas, rivers, castles and other things Louis will see on his -travels.--_Current Review._" - -LEE AND SHEPARD Publishers Boston - - - _OLIVER OPTIC'S BOOKS._ - - THE BLUE AND THE GRAY - -Illustrated. With Emblematic Dies. Each volume bound in Blue and Gray. -Per volume, $1.50. - - * * * * * - - AFLOAT - - - TAKEN BY THE ENEMY - - WITHIN THE ENEMY'S LINES - - A VICTORIOUS UNION - - ON THE BLOCKADE - - STAND BY THE UNION - - FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT - - * * * * * - - ON LAND - - - BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER - - IN THE SADDLE - - A LIEUTENANT AT EIGHTEEN - - _Other volumes in preparation_ - - * * * * * - -The opening of a new series of books from the pen of Oliver Optic is -bound to arouse the highest anticipation in the minds of boy and girl -readers. There never has been a more interesting writer in the field of -juvenile literature than Mr. W. T. Adams, who under his well-known -pseudonym, is known and admired by every boy and girl in the country, -and by thousands who have long since passed the boundaries of youth, yet -who remember with pleasure the genial, interesting pen that did so much -to interest, instruct and entertain their younger years. The present -volume opens "The Blue and the Gray Series," a title that is -sufficiently indicative of the nature and spirit of the series, of which -the first volume is now presented, while the name of Oliver Optic is -sufficient warrant of the absorbing style of narrative. "Taken by the -Enemy," the first book of the series, is as bright and entertaining as -any work that Mr. Adams has yet put forth, and will be as eagerly -perused as any that has borne his name. It would not be fair to the -prospective reader to deprive him of the zest which comes from the -unexpected, by entering into a synopsis of the story. A word, however, -should be said in regard to the beauty and appropriateness of the -binding, which makes it a most attractive volume.--_Boston Budget._ - -"Taken by the Enemy" has just come from the press, an announcement that -cannot but appeal to every healthy boy from ten to fifteen years of age -in the country. "No writer of the present day," says the Boston -_Commonwealth_, "whose aim has been to hit the boyish heart, has been as -successful as Oliver Optic. There is a period in the life of every -youth, just about the time that he is collecting postage-stamps, and -before his legs are long enough for a bicycle, when he has the Oliver -Optic fever. He catches it by reading a few stray pages somewhere, and -then there is nothing for it but to let the matter take its course. -Relief comes only when the last page of the last book is read; and then -there are relapses whenever a new book appears until one is safely on -through the teens."--_Literary News._ - - - - -Transcriber's Note. The punctuation and spelling are as printed in the -original publication. The oe ligature has been expanded. The character -Vinegold is referred to as both 'Captain' and 'Major' in the original -version of this book. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of In The Saddle, by Oliver Optic - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE SADDLE *** - -***** This file should be named 40430-8.txt or 40430-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/4/3/40430/ - -Produced by David Garcia, Sue Fleming and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Kentuckiana Digital Library) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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