CHAPTER XII
THE GIANT
"Who's that? Who's that?" demanded the man in a voice which did notbetray any alarm. Indeed, the huge form seemed to loom even largerbefore Noel in the dim light. It was plain that the man was not in anyfear, and his deep, guttural voice produced a peculiar effect upon thelistening young soldier.
Noel glanced hastily about him, somehow fearful now of othersapproaching from the barns. He had heard numerous stories concerning thebowie-knives with which it had been reported many of the Southernsoldiers were armed. To the imagination of the young soldier not onlydid the size of the man who had halted before him seem to increase, butnow he was fearful of enemies approaching from the rear. With all hisheart he wished that he had never listened to the words of Nick. In hisalarm it seemed almost as if his cap was being lifted by his hair andcold chills were passing up and down his spine.
The strange man slowly advanced, and in a manner which still betrayedmore of curiosity than of fear came closer to the frightened youngsoldier and looked intently into his face.
"Who are you, sir?" he demanded coolly. "What are you doing out here atthis time of the night?"
"That's just what I was going to ask you," spoke up Noel, determined tobe as bold as circumstances permitted.
"Oh!" the giant replied in unchanged tones. "I thought I heard somedisturbance among the cattle and I came out to see if anything waswrong."
When the man spoke, he advanced as if he was about to pass the youngsoldier and enter the house. He was walking with a slow, calm, andalmost measured stride.
He had, however, gone but a few yards before he halted once more, andturning again toward the young soldier remarked in an indifferent way,"'T is a pretty evening, sir."
Noel was well aware that the evening was being far from "pretty." Thedarkness still was intense and the dampness which had followed the stormhad produced a chill under which the lad was shivering.
Taken aback by the cool assurance of the giant, when the man resumedhis walk, he had advanced halfway to the house before Noel again hailedhim. "Look here, my friend," he called; "I'm sorry to detain you, butthe captain might wish to see you."
"Well?" inquired the giant in a drawling tone.
"Who lives in this house?" demanded Noel.
"I do."
"Is this house frame or brick?"
"I don't know why it concerns you, but it's a frame house, not a brick."
"Are you the owner of this house?"
"I reckon I am."
"What are you doing out here this time of night?"
"I told you, sir, that I went out to quiet a disturbance among thecattle."
"Can you tell me where Mr. Hilton lives?"
"Yes, sir."
"Where does he live?"
"He lives here."
"Are you Mr. Hilton?"
"I reckon that's what my neighbors sometimes call me."
"Are you a Union man?"
"How does that concern you?" demanded the man, still without betrayingany signs either of fear or interest.
"Because I'm a Union soldier myself."
Still the interest of the man apparently was not aroused. Calmly heasked, "And what may you want of me if you're what you say you are?"
"If you'll take me into the house I'll explain to you." Noel glancedabout as he spoke, for the fear of men stealing upon him through thedarkness was still strong upon him.
"I reckon we can talk where we are," said the man at last.
"Well," said Noel, determined, now that he had revealed his identity,that he would venture to tell the rest of his story. "I came through thevalley from Harper's Ferry and was taken prisoner by some of theJohnnies, but managed to get away. I have been traveling all night longand am soaked through and tired and hungry, and if you're what Iunderstand you are, a friend of the Union cause, I hope you'll take meinto your house and let me dry my clothes and give me something toeat--"
"And bring a dozen bands of Confederates around me like hornets," brokein the man, though still he was not excited and was speaking in thecalm, deliberate tones which he had before used. "I have had troubleenough with my secesh neighbors. How do I know who you are or that youare what you tell me you are?" he demanded once more.
"You can see for yourself when we go where there is a light."
"I reckon you can come in," said the man at last; and eagerly Noelfollowed him as he led the way into the house.
As soon as they entered, the stranger seated himself near the door andbade Noel take a chair near him. A candle had been lighted and placedupon a rude table, and its beams enabled the young soldier to see moreclearly the strange man before him. In spite of his apparentindifference Noel was suspicious that he was more excited than he caredto have his visitor know.
"What's all this rumpus?"
Noel looked up as he heard the words shrilly spoken and saw a womanstanding in the doorway of a room which adjoined the kitchen.
"Who's this yo' have brought home, Jim?" she asked of Noel's host. Herwords plainly were disturbing. She was a short, stout woman. Her hairwas hanging down her back, and around her shoulders was a shawl whichreached almost to her knees.
Startled as Noel had been by the sound of her voice, he hastilyconcluded, as soon as he was aware of the response which the tall manmade to her words, that if he was supposedly the head of the house,evidently she controlled the head.
"That's just like yo'," she said tartly. "I've got all the mouths I wantto feed now, and yo' keep bringing people in here--"
"Sh-h-h, Sairy Ann. This yere man is a Union soldier--"
"How do yo' know he is?"
"He told me so."
"Yo' can't believe everybody," said the woman. "Ever since all thistrouble with the secesh began, nobody can trust his best friend. If Ihad my way about it, I would put somebody in command of the Unionsoldiers that would do something. They wouldn't be runnin' at Bull Runthe way they did, and I reckon Pope led the way, too, and probably madebetter time than any of them. Before McClellan gets his eyes open, Ireckon the whole o' Maryland and Harper's Ferry, too, will run to joinLee's army. Pretty kind of men we have fighting for the Union! How doyo' know he is a Union soldier?" she repeated.
"If you'll hold the candle you can see for yourself, if there's any ofthe cloth of my uniform that will show through the mud," said Noelgood-naturedly.
In spite of her apparent harshness, the young soldier was convinced thatshe was not so unfriendly as her words at first implied.
Taking him at his word, the woman advanced, and holding the candle aboveher head looked keenly at the intruder. "Yo' don't look so dreadfuldeceitful," she admitted, "but a body never can tell. Fine featherssometimes make fine birds, and maybe yo' put on those clothes becauseyo' want to get into our house. Jim has the name of being a friend ofthe Union, but he's just about as lively as McClellan. I had to make himgo out to see what was the matter with the cattle. They are all right,are they, Jim?" she demanded, turning once more to the man who plainlywas her husband.
"Yas, Sairy Ann," he replied; "I reckon they got a bit restless endurin'the storm."
"Yo' didn't see any signs of men being around?"
"This is the only man I saw."
"Well, they will be here pretty quick, I reckon," she declared. "If thesecesh find out that there is a cow left on the place they will come forit. I reckon they have been here already. Jim isn't much of aprotection, except to look at," she added, turning again to her visitor.
Under other circumstances Noel would have laughed at her words, for thehuge Jim plainly was in full subjection to the little woman who wastalking so volubly.
"What did yo' stop here for?" she abruptly demanded.
"I have been running almost all night," explained Noel, "and I found anegro out here. He said that Mr. Hilton was a friend of the Union. Ithought morning would be here pretty soon and I didn't know just whereto go. I'm a stranger in this part of the country."
"Whare yo' from?" asked the woman.
"New York State."
"I reckon that's a right sma't way from here. Well, I won't turn yo' outif yo' are the first cousin to Beelzebub such a night as this. Are youhungry?"
"I am. But I won't disturb you. If you'll let me lie down here on thefloor, I'll wait until you have your breakfast."
"Yo'll do nothin' of the kind," said the woman brusquely.
"Do you want me to leave now?"
"Who said anything about your leavin'?" she demanded sharply.
"I did," said Noel.
"Well, I'm goin' to dry yo' out first. Yo' 're one mass of mud from headto heels. Yo' all go into that room," she added, pointing as she spoketo another little room that opened out of the kitchen, "and put yourclothes outside the door. I reckon I'll have to bake 'em, before I evercan get 'em clean."
The woman's friendliness was so manifest that in spite of his suspicionsNoel promptly decided to obey.
"Don't yo' be afraid," continued the woman, when Noel at last hadcarried out her directions, and had thrown his soaked and muddy uniformoutside the door, as she had suggested. "I'm goin' to look out for yo'.Yo' aren't much more 'n a baby, anyway. I wonder that your mother shouldever let yo' come so far away from home. Much good yo' can do, fightingthese secesh! Now, yo' get into bed and when I have your breakfastcooked I'll set it here by the door. Yo' can help yourself then, andafter yo' have had all yo' want, yo' get back into bed an' stay thereuntil I tell yo' to get up. I'm thinkin' the bed is about as safe aplace as yo' can find in these days. It's been nothin' but soldiersmarchin' up and down, back and forth, in and out, to and fro, for thepast week! They seem to be goin' about like old Satan and roarin' like alion seekin' whom they may devour."
The tall host whom Noel had followed into the house had remained seatednear the door throughout the interview. In spite of his indifferentmanner, the young soldier was startled when several times he wassuspicious that the man was listening for the approach of some one. Heglanced frequently toward the door, and there was an air of anxiety orexpectation in every movement he made. However, Noel had been so tiredand now was so refreshed by the simple food which the woman soonprovided for him that he dismissed his fears from his mind and soon wassleeping soundly.
He was awakened by the sound of voices in the adjoining room. It wasdaylight now and his bedroom was flooded with sunshine. It was, however,the conversation in the kitchen that chiefly interested the youngsoldier, and in a brief time he was keenly excited by what he heard. Helooked about the room for his uniform, but it was nowhere to be seen.
Meanwhile from the parts of the conversation which he overheard, he wasconvinced that the visitor was a soldier in the Confederate army.