CHAPTER V.
A Discomfited Rebel.
Archie stood his watch without seeing or hearing any thing of the rebels,and when he was relieved, at four o'clock, he aroused Simpson, Woods, andhis cousin, and after they had tied up their hammocks, and stowed themaway in the nettings, Woods went to the sergeant's room to obtain hisconsent to their proposed excursion. This was easily accomplished, andwhile they were filling their pockets with musket-cartridges, Frankproposed that they should go out and see what it was that had occasionedthe alarm during the night; so they leaned their muskets up in one cornerof the cabin, and ran out on the bank, and there, weltering in his blood,lay, not a rebel, but a white mule. He it was that, while feeding about inthe woods, had occasioned the disturbance in the bushes, and Frank's shothad done its work. The two men with muskets had existence only in thecorporal's imagination. Simpson burst into a loud laugh.
"A nice set of fellows you are," he exclaimed. "I shouldn't want youstationed at my gun in action."
"Why not?" inquired Frank.
"Why, because you can't tell the difference between a mule and a secesh."
Frank made no reply to this, for, although he was very much relieved tofind that it was a mule, and not a man, that he had killed, he was a gooddeal mortified at first, for he expected to be made the laughing-stock ofhis companions. But he consoled himself with the thought that he was notto blame. The corporal had said that he had seen guerrillas in the woods,and he had, as in duty bound, done his best to drive them away; besides,he would not have fired his gun had he not been ordered to do so.
"It's no matter," said Simpson, who noticed that Frank looked a littlecrest-fallen; "It was the corporal's fault."
"I know it," said Frank. "But that's poor consolation. I killed the mule,and shall probably be laughed at for it."
"What's the odds?" asked Simpson. "I've seen many a better man than youlaughed at. But let us be going, for we have a long way to walk."
They accordingly retraced their steps to the vessel, and Woods awoke oneof the corporals, who had volunteered to row them over into Kentucky. Thedingy, which was kept fastened to the stern of the Illinois, was hauledalongside, and, in a few moments, they reached the opposite shore. Ourfour hunters sprang out, and, bidding the corporal good-by, shoulderedtheir muskets, and disappeared in the forest. Woods, who was wellacquainted with the "lay of the land," led the way. Just at sunrise theyreached a ridge covered with hickory and pecan-trees.
"Here we are," he exclaimed, as he leaned on his gun, and wiped hisforehead with his coat-sleeve. "There are plenty of squirrels around here.But I'm hungry; we have plenty of time to eat some breakfast before webegin."
They seated themselves under the branches of some small hickories, andSimpson produced from a basket some salt pork, hard crackers, and a bottleof cold coffee. Their long walk had given them good appetites, and themeal, homely as it was, was eaten with a relish. After they had rested afew moments, they started off in different directions, to commence thehunt. As Frank walked slowly along, with his gun on his shoulder, he couldnot help thinking of the many times he had been on such excursions abouthis native village. What a change a year had made! The "Boys of Lawrence"were no longer amateur sportsmen. They were scattered all over thecountry, engaged in the work of sustaining the integrity of the bestgovernment on earth. Would they ever all meet again? It was not at alllikely. Perhaps some had already been offered up on the altar of theircountry; and if he should ever live to return home, there would be somefamiliar faces missing. In short, Frank was homesick. Finding himself oncemore in his favorite element had made him think of old times. He wanderedslowly along, recalling many a fishing frolic and boat-race he had engagedin, until a loud chatter above his head roused him from his reverie. Helooked up just in time to see a large squirrel striving to hide himselfamong the leaves on a tree that stood close by. Frank's gun was at hisshoulder in a moment, and taking a quick aim at the squirrel, he pulledthe trigger. But the old Springfield musket was not intended for fineshooting; for, though the shot cut the leaves all around, the squirrelescaped unhurt, and, running up to the topmost branch, again concealedhimself. While Frank was reloading, Archie came up, and stood leaning onhis gun, with rather a dejected air. "What's the matter with you?"inquired Frank.
"I wish I was down to the river," answered Archie.
"What would you do there? go fishing?"
"No, but I'd sink this musket so deep that no one would ever find itagain. It don't shoot worth a row of pins. If I was standing twenty feetfrom the side of a barn, I couldn't hit it, I wish I had my shot-gunhere."
"So do I," answered Frank; "I would very soon bring down that squirrel.I'm going to try him again;" and going around to the side of the treewhere the squirrel had taken refuge, he fired again, but with no bettersuccess. The squirrel, not in the least injured, appeared amid a shower ofleaves, and speedily found a new hiding-place.
"It's no use, I tell you," said Archie; "you can't hit any thing with thatmusket."
"It does look a little that way. But I must have that squirrel, if I haveto shoot all day. Haven't you got a load in your gun?"
"Yes; but I might as well have none. I can kill as many squirrels bythrowing the musket at them, as I can by shooting at them."
"Never mind, fire away--the ammunition doesn't cost us any thing."
"I know it; but another thing, this musket kicks like blazes. I had assoon stand before it, as behind it. But I'll try him;" and Archie raisedhis gun and blazed away. This time there was no mistake; the squirrel wastorn almost to pieces by the ball; and when the smoke cleared away, Franksaw his cousin sitting on the ground, holding both hands to his nose,which was bleeding profusely.
"You've killed the squirrel," he said.
"Yes," answered Archie; "but I hurt myself as much as I did him."
Frank was a good deal amused, and could scarcely refrain from laughing athis cousin's misfortune. He tried to keep on a sober face, but the cornersof his mouth would draw themselves out into a smile, in spite of himself.Archie noticed this, and exclaimed:
"Oh, it's a good joke, no doubt."
"If you would hold your gun firmly against your shoulder," said Frank, "itwouldn't hurt half so bad. But hadn't we better go on?"
Archie raised himself slowly from the ground, and they moved off throughthe woods. The squirrels were very plenty; but it required two or three,and, sometimes, as many as half a dozen shots, to bring one down.
At length, after securing four squirrels, their shoulders became so lamethat they could scarcely raise their guns; so they concluded to give upshooting, and start in search of Woods and Simpson, who had gone offtogether. About noon they found them, sitting on the fence that ranbetween the woods and a road. Simpson had three squirrels in his hand.
"We are waiting for you," he said, as Frank and Archie came up; "it'sabout time to start for the boat."
"I'm hungry," said Frank; "why can't we go down to that house and hiresome one to cook our squirrels for us?"
"That's a good idea," said Woods; "come along;" and he sprang off thefence, and led the way toward the house spoken of by Frank, which stoodabout a quarter of a mile down the road, toward the river.
As they opened the gate that led into the yard, they noticed that a man,who sat on the porch in front of the house, regarded them with a savagescowl on his face.
"How cross that man looks!" said Archie, who, with his cousin, was alittle in advance of the others; "maybe he's a reb."
"How do you do, sir?" inquired Frank, as he approached the place where theman was sitting.
"What do yees want here?" he growled, in reply.
"We came here to see if we couldn't hire some one to cook a good dinnerfor us," answered Frank.
"No, ye can't," answered the man, gruffly; "get out o' here. I never didnothin' for a Yank, an' I never will. I'd like to see yer all drove fromthe country. Get out o' here, I tell yer," he shouted, seeing that thesailors did not move, "or I'll let my dogs loose on
yer!"
"Why, I really believe he is a reb," said Archie; "he's the first one Iever saw. He looks just like any body else, don't he, boys?"
"If yees don't travel mighty sudden, I'll make a scatterin' among yer,"said the man, between his clenched teeth; "I'll be dog-gone if I don'tshoot some o' yer;" and he reached for a long double-barrel shot-gun thatstood behind his chair.
"Avast, there, you old landlubber," exclaimed Simpson; "just drop thatshootin' iron, will you. We're four to your one, and you don't suppose thatwe are going to stand still and be shot down, like turkeys on Thanksgivin'morning, do you? No, sir, that would be like the handle of a jug, all onone side. Shootin' is a game two can play at, you know. Come, put thatwe'pon down;" and Simpson held his musket in the hollow of his arm, andhandled the lock in a very significant manner.
The man saw that the sailors were not to be intimidated, and not likingthe way Simpson eyed him, he leaned his gun up in the corner again, andmuttered something about Yankee mudsills and Abolitionists.
"Just clap a stopper on that jaw of yours, will you," said Simpson; "or,shiver my timbers, if we don't try man-o'-war punishment on you. Now,Frank," he continued, "you just jump up there, and shoot off the oldrascal's gun; and then keep an eye on him, and don't let him get out ofhis chair; and the rest of us will look around and see what we can find inthe way of grub."
Frank sprang up the steps that led on to the porch, and fired both barrelsof the gun into the air, and then, drawing a chair to the other end of theporch, coolly seated himself, and deposited his feet on the railing; whilethe others went into the house, where they secured a pail of fresh milkand a loaf of bread. From the house they went into the wood-shed, wherethey found a quantity of sweet potatoes. They then returned to the placewhere they had left Frank.
"Come on, now," said Woods; "we'll have a tip-top dinner, in spite of theold secesh.
"Hold on," said Frank; "where are you going? I move we cook and eat ourdinner here. There's a stove in the house, and every thing handy."
The man was accordingly invited into his own house by the boys, andrequested to take a seat, and make himself perfectly at home, but to becareful and not go out of doors. They deposited their muskets in onecorner of the room; and while Archie started a fire in the store, Frankdressed the squirrels, and washed some of the sweet potatoes, and placedthem in the oven to bake. Woods drew the table out into the middle of theroom; and Simpson, after a diligent search, found the cupboard, andcommenced bringing out the dishes Frank superintended the cooking; and, inhalf an hour, a splendid dinner was smoking on the table. When the mealwas finished, they shouldered their muskets, and Simpson said to the man:
"Now, sir, we're very much obliged to you for your kindness; but, beforewe go, we want to give you a bit of advice. If you ever see any moreYankee sailors out this way, don't try to bully them by talking treason tothem. If you do, just as likely as not you'll get hold of some who won'ttreat you as well as we have. They might go to work and clean out yourshanty. Good day, sir;" and Simpson led the way toward the boat.