CHAPTER XV
THE FLAG OF TRUCE
The long hard winter soon came on, and we retired to Valley Forge tosuffer and to bear what was far more deadly than the Englishbullets--the terrible cold and desolation of that dreary place. Cold,bitterly cold it was, as the wind came down from the mountains, sweptover the broad fields, pierced through our torn and tattered garments,and racked our frames with pain. And yet, terrible as the exposurewas, there stands out one bright day in all that dreary winter, oneday, one hour in which I forgot all the cold and the hardships andwould not have been elsewhere for anything in the wide world.
It was near the setting of the sun on one of the bleakest and coldestdays of the year. The sun itself was sinking behind the distant hills,and the sky was brilliant with its fiery javelins, which threw a luridlight across the cold gray heavens, the last protest of departing dayagainst the approach of the chill dismal night. The snow lay heavyupon the ground, and spread like a great white pall over the sins andsorrows of the world. Before us stretched the road, unbroken andtrackless; not a man had passed that way, for we stood guard at theoutpost, and the flicker of the foeman's fire could be seen sixhundred yards away, through the gloom.
"Lucifer, but it is cold!" said one of the guard, as he threw anotherrail on the fire and held his hands out over the flames to warm them.
"Aye; Old Nick himself would not be a bad acquaintance now--his smellof brimstone and sulphur might warm us up a bit," said another.
We were making the best we could of it, under the lee of a high bankby the side of the road, where we had cleared a space and stacked agood supply of dry fence-rails to feed the fire during the night. Thewind from the northwest swept over our heads, sheltered as we were bythe bank, and we would have defied the cold that crept ever upward butfor the rags and tatters that covered our frames. The men themselveswere cheerful, as they sat hugging the fire, and laughed and joked attheir hardships.
"I wonder if those Highland devils will bother us to-night?" askedone, for the Black Watch held the outpost down the road.
"They will be too busy warming their knees," came the reply fromacross the fire, and a laugh followed.
"Hello, what is that?" for the thud of hoofs was heard on the roadcoming from the camp.
"A flag of truce, by George!" said the sergeant. "Who on earth wantsto go through the lines on a night like this?"
The party, consisting of several troopers, an officer, and whatappeared to be a woman on horseback, was soon within hailing distance,and I heard Ringgold's voice call out:
"I say, Frisby, are you in charge here?"
"Yes," I replied. "What's up?"
"We have a prisoner here who wishes to go through the lines, but Idon't know whether you will permit her or not."
"Is she fair?" I asked. "For in that case she shall not pass unlessshe gives us a smile by way of tribute as she rides by."
"Not even if George Washington so orders, sir," said a voice that Iknew.
"By the saints, my lady!" I cried, and I was by her side in aninstant. "What brings you here, and why are you going within theEnglish lines?"
"Should not a daughter be with her father?" she asked.
"But those bloody English, with all their fine trappings and theirfeathers! Nay, my lady, you have been disrespectful to the ContinentalCongress, as I can vouch for. You are our prisoner, and I will not letyou escape thus, to smile on the wearers of his Majesty's uniform."
But she laughed quite merrily, and answered my threat with "LieutenantRinggold, pray ride on with the flag of truce."
"Dick Ringgold," I cried in my turn, "if you take less than tenminutes I shall be your deadly enemy for life."
"All right, old fellow." Dick rode on toward the enemy's campfire withthe bugler until he had gone about half the way, and then we heard theparley sounded and saw a stir in the opposite camp.
"Mistress Jean," said I, returning to the charge, "you are perfectlyheartless, and though I know the redcoats cannot help but fall in lovewith you, I warn you that if you smile on any one of them I shall gothrough the lines and seek him out, even into the heart of the cityitself, though I have to swing for it."
"You will never try anything so rash;" and now the laughter had gonefrom her voice.
"That I will, my lady," I replied, "for I would rather dance onnothing than know that you belonged to another."
"But you must not," said she. "You must not think of such a thing. Youmust promise me never to attempt it."
"Nay, Mistress Jean, that I cannot promise. It would drive me mad tostand here on guard all the winter night and see the lights ofPhiladelphia off there in the east; to know amid all the gayety andthe balls you reign supreme; to know I could not see you because ofthe miserable redcoats that guard the city. If they were ten timestheir number I would find my way through them to be once more at yourside, Mistress Jean."
Before she could reply the Highland officer broke in, for he hadridden up with Ringgold.
"Mistress Jean, it gives me pleasure to be the first to welcome you toour lines. Your father told us of your coming, and there has been arivalry between us as to who should be the one to escort you to thecity."
"That was kind of all of you; but how did you leave my father?"
"Well, and eager for your coming."
He was a splendid-looking young fellow, tall, broad-shouldered, andsomewhat bony, with a voice that rang frank and true. He was aHighlander, every inch of him, and carried himself with a free andgraceful carriage, and when I heard him tell Mistress Jean that he wasa Farquharson and an old ally of her house, I knew I had at last met adangerous rival. For, out of romances, it is not the villain, but thebrave and frank gentleman who is most dangerous to the peace of mindof lovers, for they see in him what they themselves most admire, andby which they hope to win their ladies' love.
"Lieutenant Ringgold, now," said Farquharson, "I am ready to receiveMistress Gordon from your hands, and to conduct her within our lines."
"Far more ready than we are to let her go," answered Dick gallantly;"but it is the fortune of war." And then the two officers saluted andthe exchange was made.
So Mistress Jean bade us all good-bye right prettily, and I, being onthe off side of her horse from the others, seized her hand as it hungby her side and kissed it several times. She at first did not withdrawit, and then, bending over, whispered, "Do not try to enter the city,for they will hang thee, and I would not lose so true a friend." Hereher voice was very soft and low. I kissed her hand once again and shewas gone.
We watched their dark shadows down the road to the Highland outpost,as they moved like great blots across the snow. I stood, I do not knowhow long, gazing after them, when Dick's hand was on my shoulder.
"Never mind, Frisby," said he, "we shall win the city in the spring,and then you may win her also."