CHAPTER XXIII--A QUESTION OF COURAGE
"What makes a hero?--An heroic mind, Express'd in action, in endurance prov'd."
--Sir Henry Taylor.
As they reached the door of the room under the stairs, however, theirhostess came into the hall. A frown contracted her brow at sight ofFairfax.
"This is folly," she exclaimed. "Boy, don't you know that Tarleton'stroopers are outside?"
"Yes; and they plan to go to Charlottesville after dinner to capture theAssembly," Peggy told her before the youth could reply. "Friend Fairfaxis to slip away to warn them."
"Come in here," she said drawing them into the dining-room. "Now,"speaking rapidly as she closed the door, "what is the plan? I may beable to help."
"We are going through the window of thy room to the grove where my horseis while thee gives them dinner," explained the maiden.
"Why, child, that won't do at all. They will leave a guard outside, ofcourse. You could not pass them. Let me think."
For a brief second she meditated while the boy and the girl waitedhopefully.
"Are you able to do this?" she asked presently of Fairfax.
"Yes," he answered. "Only devise some way for me to leave quickly. Everymoment is precious."
"You are right," she replied. "Now just a minute."
She left the room, returning almost immediately with two flowered frocksof osnaburg, and two enormous kerchiefs of the same stuff.
"These are what the mammies wear," she said arranging one of thekerchiefs about the lad's head turbanwise. "There, my boy! you will passfor a mammy if not given more than a glance."
"Thee will make a good woman yet, Friend Fairfax," remarked Peggysmiling as she noted that the youth moved with some ease in the skirts.
"Yes," he assented sheepishly.
"Follow me boldly," spoke the hostess. "We will pass through the yardfrom the kitchen to the smoke-house. If any of the dragoons call, mindthem not. Above all turn not your faces toward them. Go on to thesmoke-house, whatever happens. There is a back door through which youcan go down the knoll to the ravine. Follow the ravine westward to thegrove which lies back of the mill where the horse is. If you keep to theravine 'twill lead you into the road unobserved by any. Now ifeverything is understood we will go."
They followed her silently through the kitchen and out into the yard.The hostess kept up a lively stream of talk during the passage to thesmoke-house.
"I reckon we'd better have another ham," she said in a voice that couldbe heard at no little distance. "There are so many of those fellows.Aunt Betsy 'low'd there were more than a hundred, and I reckon she'sright." There were in truth one hundred and eighty cavalrymen, withseventy mounted infantry. "A few chickens wouldn't go amiss either. Theymight as well have them. The next gang would take them anyway." And soon.
From all sides came grunts of satisfaction, showing that the remarks hadbeen overheard by many of the dragoons, which was intended. Thesmoke-house was reached in safety, and the good woman led them to therear door.
"I'll keep them here as long as I can," she said, "if I have to cookeverything on the place. You shall have at least two hours' start, myboy. God bless you! It's a brave thing you are doing, but those men mustbe warned."
"I know," he answered. "And now good-bye."
"And do you stay in the grove until these British are gone, my dear,"she advised Peggy. "I will feel better to have you down there out oftheir sight. Jimmy shall come for you as soon as they are gone. Youwon't mind?"
"I shall like it," answered Peggy. "Come, friend."
"I will have to ride hard and fast, Mistress Peggy," said Fairfax. Whenthey reached the grove a few moments later he removed Peggy's saddle,strapped on a blanket, and unfastened the bridle. "It may be the lasttime you will see your little mare."
"I know," she answered. Winding her arms about the pony's neck she laidher head upon the silken mane, and so stood while the lad doffed theosnaburg frock and disfiguring turban. As he swung himself lightly toStar's back the girl looked up at him through tear-filled eyes.
"Friend Fairfax," she said, "thee is so brave. Yet I have laughed atthee."
"Brave? No," he responded. "'Tis duty."
"But I have laughed at thee because of thy shyness," repeated the girlremorsefully. "Thee always seems so afraid of us females, yet thee cando this, or aught else that is for thy country. Why is it?"
Over his face the red blood ran. He sat for the briefest secondregarding her with a puzzled air.
"To defend the country from the invader, to do anything that can be doneto thwart the enemy's designs, is man's duty," he said at length. "Butto face a battery of bright eyes requires courage, Mistress Peggy. Andthat I have not."
The words were scarcely uttered before he was gone.
The British were at the house, and some of them might stray into herretreat at any moment; the youth who had started forth so bravely mightfail to give his warning in time to save the men upon whom the welfareof the state depended; she might never see her own little mare again;but, in spite of all these things the maiden sank upon a rock shakenwith laughter.
"The dear, shy fellow!" she gasped sitting up presently to wipe hereyes. "And he hath no courage! Ah, Betty! thy 'Silent Knight' hathspoken to some purpose at last. I must remember the exact words. Let mesee! He said:
"'To defend the country from the invader, to do anything that can bedone to thwart the enemy's designs, is man's duty. But to face a batteryof bright eyes requires courage, Mistress Peggy. And that I have not.'
"Won't the girls laugh when I tell them?"
It was pleasant under the trees. An oriole swung from the topmost boughof a large oak pouring forth a flood of song. Woodpeckers flapped theirbright wings from tree to tree. A multitude of sparrows flashed in andout of the foliage, or circled joyously about blossoming shrubs. Fromdistant fields and forests the caw of the crows winging their slow wayacross the blue sky came monotonously. A cloud of yellow butterfliesrested upon the low banks of the ravine crowned with ferns. Into theheart of a wild honeysuckle a humming-bird whirred, delighting Peggy byits beauty, minuteness and ceaseless motion of its wings. And so thelong hours of the afternoon passed, and the westering sun was castinglong shadows under the trees before Jimmy came with the news that theBritish had gone.
"And wasn't that Colonel Tarleton in a towering rage," commented themistress of the dwelling as Peggy reentered the house. "He stormedbecause dinner was so late. And such a dinner. I'll warrant thosetroopers won't find hard riding so easy after it. Thomas Jefferson andPatrick Henry will owe a great deal to fried chicken, if they get warnedin time. It took every chicken I had on the place, and not a few hams.But it gave that boy a good start, so I don't mind. Do you think he'llget through, my dear?"
"Yes, I do," answered Peggy. "If it can be done I feel sure that FairfaxJohnson can do it. I must tell thee what he said," she ended with alaugh. "It hath much amused me."
"I don't wonder that you were amused," observed the good woman, laughingin turn as Peggy related the youth's speech. "Those same batteries havebrought low many a brave fellow. 'Tis as well to be afraid of them. Heis wise who is ware in time. Yet those same bashful fellows are ofttimesthe bravest. Methinks I have heard that General Washington was afflictedwith the same malady in his youth. And now let us hope that we will havea breathing spell long enough to become acquainted with each other."
Four days later a weary, drooping youth astride a limping little marecame slowly down the shady lane just at sunset. Peggy was the first tosee them, and flew to the horse-block.
"Oh, thee is back, Friend Fairfax! Thee is back!" she cried delightedly."And did thee succeed? How tired thee looks! And Star also!"
"We are both tired," he said dismounting and sinking heavily against thehorse-block. "But we got there in time. Governor Jefferson and hisfamily escaped over the mountains. Mr. Henry and others scattered toplaces of safety. They captured seven, bec
ause they heeded not thealarm, and lingered over breakfast. But not--not Patrick Henry nor ThomasJefferson."
He swayed as though about to fall, then roused himself.
"Look to the mare! She, she needs attention," he cried, and fell in anunconscious heap.
"And somebody else does too, I reckon," spoke the mistress of thedwelling, running out in answer to Peggy's call. "Jimmy, do you beginrubbing down that little mare. I'll be out to look after her as soon asPeggy and I get this boy attended to. Poor fellow! he has gone to thefull limit of his strength."