CHAPTER XVI
CHRISTY FINDS HIMSELF A PRISONER
Christy Passford had not gone out of his uncle's house for anyparticular purpose; though he saw Percy, and joined him as he left themansion. He had visited Glenfield before, and he had some curiosity tosee familiar objects again. It was nearly dark, and he wondered wherethe major's brother was going at that hour.
"Where are you going now, Mr. Percy," he asked, as he approached theagent.
"I thought I would go up to the house and see my mother," replied Percy."Won't you go over with me? It is only a short distance."
"No, I think not: I don't care to go a great way from the house."
"It isn't above half a mile, and I am coming directly back again."
"I will not go as far as you are going, but I will take a little strollas far as the gate. Where is your brother now?"
"I suppose he is at the fort. If I thought he were about here, I shouldnot leave the steamer. He has got it into his head that I must join thearmy, and he will never be satisfied till I am there."
"He is certainly very much in earnest, judging by his conduct on boardof the Bellevite," added Christy.
"He pretends to believe that my not joining the army will be a disgraceto the family; but, if my father don't think so, Lindley need not worryhis head about the matter."
"Your brother seems to have a very strong will of his own," suggestedChristy.
"He will send me into the army in spite of my father and mother; and,for that reason, I don't mean to go where he can put his finger on me.Of course, the Bellevite is going into the Confederate navy."
Percy looked his companion in the face, as though he had been thinkingof something which would benefit his own case.
"You will have to ask my uncle about that," replied Christy, not willingto say any more than was necessary on this subject.
"There can be no doubt of it, and I would rather be in the navy than inthe army. I hope your uncle will be able to do something for me."
"I don't know whether he can or not. For aught I know, the steamer maybe sent to England, or to some other country," replied Christy, as theyapproached the gate, which was to be the end in that direction of hiswalk.
"At any rate, I mean to stay on board of the Bellevite; and I shall takemy chances of getting a position of some kind on board of her."
"What kind of a position do you desire?"
"I am willing to be one of the lieutenants, or something of that kind,"replied Percy with becoming condescension.
"One of the lieutenants!" exclaimed Christy. "Of course you know allabout handling a ship or a steamer."
"I can't say I do. In fact, I never went on the sea till I went toNassau with my father," replied Percy candidly. "But I can soon learnall about it."
"A nice lieutenant you will make! Why don't you apply for the positionof commander of her?"
"I am willing to take a subordinate position till I learn somethingabout the business."
"That's right! Be humble at first, and you will be great afterwards."
"I should have been willing to go into the army as a captain, or evenas a lieutenant; but I couldn't quite stand it to go in as a commonsoldier, while my brother made a beginning as a major."
"I think I will not go any farther, Mr. Percy," said Christy, as hehalted near the gate.
"Oh, don't leave me now, Mr. Pierson! We are half way to my father'shouse," Percy objected.
"I can't go any farther, for I may be wanted."
"You will be safe enough, Mr. Pierson, My mother is at home, and shewill be glad to see you."
"I think I will not see your mother to-night," added Christy, as heturned, and began to retrace his steps towards the mansion of his uncle.
Four Men Sprang in Front of Him (Page 183)]
They had halted in the road near the gate, and on both sides of it wasa thick undergrowth of small trees and bushes; and in the shade of thisfoliage it had become quite dark. Christy had not taken three stepsbefore four men sprang out of the thicket in front of him, all of themarmed with muskets, and wearing a uniform of gray. Two placed themselvesin front of Christy; while the other two rushed after Percy, who took tohis heels as soon as he saw them.
The gate was an impediment to the latter; and before he could get overor through it, the two soldiers had laid violent hands on him. He couldoffer no effectual resistance, and it was evident that he was frightenedout of his wits; for he looked and acted like the ghost of despairitself. The two men immediately tied his hands behind him; and, thoughthey did not use any undue harshness, they did their work thoroughly.
Christy was even more astonished than his companion at this sharpdiscipline. He did not regard himself as a fit subject for suchtreatment, and he could not understand why he had been subjected to it.He was not liable to do military duty, and Major Pierson could hardlythink of pressing him into the service of the Confederacy. His twocaptors were as prompt in their action as the two who had taken Percy,and his hands were also tied behind him.
"Good-evening, gentlemen," said Christy, as soon as the soldiers hadbound him, and then stood in front to take a look at him. "Don't itstrike you that you are indulging in rather sharp practice?"
"We haven't any thing to do with the practice: all we have to do is toobey orders," replied one of the men.
"But I think you have mistaken your orders," suggested the prisoner.
"I think not: if we have, we will set things to rights at once," repliedthe man, who appeared to be the sergeant in command of the party. "Butour business is not so much with you as with the other young fellow."
Upon this, Christy was conducted to the gate, where Percy had not yetrecovered any of his self-possession. For his own part, he felt that amistake had been made, which must soon be corrected. He knew nothingof the wide difference of opinion which had suddenly become apparentbetween his father and his uncle, and he was sure that the latter couldsoon effect his release.
"This is an outrage!" exclaimed Percy, who perhaps felt that it wasnecessary for him to say something, now that Christy had come withinhearing distance.
"Perhaps it is, Mr. Pierson," replied the sergeant. "But that isn't anyof my business."
"You will be held responsible for it, sir!" protested Percy.
"Perhaps I shall; but I shall obey my orders," replied the soldierdoggedly.
"Who gave you your orders?" demanded Percy imperatively.
"Well, I don't belong to the class in catechism, and I don't answer allthe questions that are put to me."
"My father will have something to say about this business."
"He can say all he likes, but he need not say it to me; for I only obeymy orders, and I have nothing to do with giving them."
"What are you going to do with me?" asked Percy, when he found he couldmake nothing of the sergeant.
"I don't know what they will do with you; but I reckon they won'tshoot you, as they might a fellow whose father was not a man of someconsequence," replied the sergeant, as he ordered one of his men to openthe gate.
"Shoot me!" exclaimed Percy, evidently appalled at the bare possibilityof such an event.
"I reckon they won't do that," added the soldier.
"This is my father's plantation, and my mother is in the house,"continued Percy.
"She can stay there: we shall not meddle with her."
"But you are going to take me away from her."
"You look like a stout young fellow, and you ought to be able to getalong for a while without your mother," chuckled the sergeant. "Youbelong in the army; and I reckon you will have to go back to it, inspite of your mother."
"I don't belong to the army," protested Percy.
"Well, they call you a deserter, anyhow."
Percy seemed to be overcome by this statement, and Christy thoughtthere was something more of his story than he had told on board of theBellevite. It was possible, after all, that Major Pierson was not asmuch of a brute as be had appeared to be. But, if his companion w
as adeserter, he certainly did not come under that head himself, and hecould not understand why he had been arrested.
"I suppose you don't claim me as a deserter, do you?" asked Christygood-naturedly.
"I don't think they do," replied the sergeant, as pleasantly as he hadspoken himself.
"Then, why do you arrest me?"
"My orders were to arrest any person with Mr. Pierson; and that is allI know about your case, and I am very sorry to give you any annoyance.Things are a little mixed, and I hope they will soon get them levelleddown. If you don't object, we will march."
"I suppose you will march all the same, if I do object," added Christy."I was not aware that it was a crime here to be in the company of thatyoung man."
"I reckon I was ordered to arrest you as a matter of precaution; and Idare say they will let you return as soon as we report to the major,"said the sergeant, leading his prisoner through the gateway.
The other men took Percy by the arm; and, after they had closed thegate, they followed the road for a considerable distance, and thenstruck across the fields. Not far ahead, Christy saw many lights; andhe concluded that this must be the location of the mansion of ColonelPierson, the father of Percy, and for some reason best known to himself,the sergeant desired to avoid going very near it.
A march of a short distance farther across the field brought them to aroad, which they followed till they came to a wagon drawn by two horses.The animals were hitched at the side of the road, and no one seemed tobe in charge of the team. But the sergeant halted his party at thispoint; and, leaving the prisoners in charge of his men, he went to thewagon.
"Major Pierson," said he; but no answer came to his question, and herepeated it with no better success.
Then he mounted the seat in front of the wagon, and looked over into thebody of it. Then he reached over; and a moment later the form of a manwas seen to rise from a quantity of hay which filled the body.
"Is that you, Spottswood?" demanded the rising form.
"Yes, sir, I am here; and I have two prisoners. One of them is yourbrother, and I don't know who the other is," replied the sergeant.
"Are you sure that one of them is my brother?" asked the major.
"I am as sure as I can be, for I heard the other fellow call him Percytwo or three times before I stepped in front of them."
"Don't you know who the other one is?"
"I haven't the least idea. I arrested him as you told me, but I did notquestion him."
The major ordered him to put his prisoners into the wagon.