CHAPTER XXI
THE CARPET-BAG
Noel was conscious of a low cry from the man upon whom he had fallen,and then instantly each savagely clutched the other. There was astruggle, which was short and violent, and Noel found himself holding tothe ground the body of Levi, the sutler.
"Father Abraham!" ejaculated Levi. "Father Abraham! Let me up! Let meup!"
The surprise of Noel, when he discovered who his captive was, did notdetract from his inclination to laugh as he heard the exclamations ofthe little sutler.
Without rising and still holding his prisoner fast to the ground, Noelsaid, "What are you doing here, Levi?"
"You vill let me up and I vill leave so quick you shall not see me."
"Before you go I want to know what you're doing here. Were you spying onme?"
"Not von leedle bit. I deed not know you vas here. Father Abraham! Vot apinch you gif mine arm!"
"You want to be thankful it was only your arm, Levi. Now you tell mewhat you were doing here!"
"I vas chust stopping for to see vich vay the men vas going."
"What men?"
"Der men vot vas soldiers for the Johnnie Rebs."
"Did you find any of them?"
"Yes, I see some going up mit der road. Dey vas all gone, and den Istarts for der house over yonder for to sell somedings vot I carry inmine bag."
"I believe you knew I was here all the time."
"Nefer did I know you vas here. Father Abraham! I vish you vere not herenow. If you vill be gone I too vill go so fast you shall not see me intwo minutes."
Aware of the perils which recently had threatened him, Noel was notinclined either to prolong the interview or to compel his prisoner toremain longer on the ground. Grasping the little sutler by his shoulderNoel quickly yanked him to his feet, but without relaxing his grasp.
"Levi, what have you got in that bag?" he demanded.
"Somedings vot I sells to the vimmins ven der men vas gone off to thevar. Dot vos all. You shall belief mine vord. I chust carry somedingsvat cannot be had ven the armies vas so near by."
"Let me see what you have," suggested Noel, as, compelling his prisonerto advance with him he moved toward the bag which Levi had left on theground near the base of the straw-stack.
"No, I shall not do so!" screamed the little sutler. "You shall not openmine bag. It vas mine."
Noel's suspicions, greatly increased by the manifest alarm of thesutler, were almost strong enough to induce him to send his prisoneraway and appropriate the bag. From the expressions he already had heard,he was aware that Levi was playing a dual part, or at least he believedhim now to be in the employ of the Confederates.
Before he acted, however, he turned once more to his prisoner and saidsharply, "How long since you have been inside our lines?"
"I do not go in der lines of der Yankees," protested Levi. "Dey vassteal mine goots. Dey vas take vat vas not theirs. I lose more nor twohundred dollars ven you and dot Dennis tear mine tent and tip ofer minegoots."
The expression of hatred which appeared upon the sutler's face when hereferred to Dennis strengthened the conviction in the heart of Noel thathis prisoner certainly did not entertain any cordial feelings for theboys in blue.
Noel, boylike, unmindful of the justice of the little sutler'scomplaints, was greatly angered at the treachery of his comrade.
"How long since you have been in the Confederate lines?" he demandedsharply.
"I do not go dere either. I have tolt you vat mine peesness vas. I sellsmine goots to the peoples vat may be at home."
"All right, then," said Noel. "You let me see what is in your bag, andI'll believe you."
"I shall not trust von Yankee soldier!" screamed Levi. "You shall notopen mine bag. I haf already had mine droubles mit der Yankees. Deytears mine tent and tips ofer mine goots and steals vot vas mine. Ishall not open mine bag for you yet von leedle bit."
"Too bad," said Noel, more soberly. "Then I shall have to open itmyself, I suppose."
"No! No!" screamed Levi in tones still shriller. "Father Abraham!Father Abraham! I shall call for some helps!"
"Levi," said Noel abruptly, "I think I shall send you away and take yourbag myself."
"You shall not do so!" protested the sutler noisily. "You shall not takemine bag! It vas mine, I dells you! It vas not yours. You shall not haveit."
"Then let me see what there is in there."
"If I open mine bag von leedle bit, you vill take vot is not yours. Ihaf known you. You are von of dose Yankee soldiers. Dey tears mine tentand tips ofer mine goots and takes vat vas not theirs. I shall not gifyou von chance, not even one leedle bit of a chance."
"I'm sorry," said Noel, "but I'm afraid, then, that I shall have to takeit myself." As he spoke Noel moved as if he was about to seize the bag,and instantly the little sutler, rushing savagely upon him, began tokick and strike, and before Noel was prepared to resist the suddenonslaught Levi bit him severely on the hand.
Aroused by the sudden attack and maddened by the pain which Levi's bitehad caused, Noel flung the little sutler far from him and eagerlywatched him as he rolled over upon the ground.
Almost as nimbly as a monkey the sutler leaped to his feet, and insteadof trying to run from the place started once more fiercely at his enemy.
Noel was prepared for the attack now, and as Levi ran savagely upon himhe thrust out his right foot and, at the same time giving him a hardpush, sent him once more sprawling upon the ground. This time he did notwait for the sutler to recover from his fall but at once advanced andseized his carpet-bag.
The sight of his possessions in the hands of Noel again proved too muchfor Levi's feelings. In a thin, piping voice he screamed, "FatherAbraham! Father Abraham! You shall not steal from mine bag. It vas notyours. You vas like some of dose Yankee soldiers. Dey tears mine tentand tips ofer mine goots and takes vot vas not theirs. I shall shoot!"
Startled by the threat, Noel glanced keenly at Levi, who was almostbeside himself with rage, to see if any weapons were upon his person. Hehad not thought of the sutler as one who would carry firearms of anykind. The man was undersized and was lacking in physical strength. Noelhad never thought of him other than as a weakling and one who mightobtain his way by deception rather than by force. The thought that hemight be armed was startling, and before the man could act Noel leapedforward and, seizing him again, threw him upon the ground, where hesatisfied himself that no pistols were in his possession.
"You go back from here the way you came," ordered Noel as he swung hisprisoner in his arms and, giving him a violent push, sent him in thedirection he had indicated.
But Levi was not to be so easily turned aside from his purpose. Oncemore he leaped toward his tormentor, who now had taken the carpet-bag inhis hands and stood facing him. Screaming, chattering, lamenting, Leviwould have been a pathetic object under other circumstances. But Noelwas so thoroughly convinced that in the bag which he held in his handshe would find something of value to the leaders of his army that he wasdetermined now to investigate the contents and compel the little Jew togive it over.
Levi's screams of impotent rage and his childish attempts to compel Noelto relax his hold upon the bag were alike without avail. At last theyoung soldier said more sternly to the angry sutler, "Levi, if you knowwhen you are well off you'll leave this place as I told you. Now, go!"
There was something in Noel's voice that caused Levi to heed thecommand. Tears were coursing down his cheeks and his two little fistswere working very much after the manner of a pump-handle when he saw theexpression on the face of his captor, and, aware that further effortswould be useless, he abruptly turned away and, without once glancingbehind him, sped swiftly toward the fork in the road from which he hadcome.
For a brief time Noel watched the man as he sped across the field, andthen suddenly, aware that his own problems were sufficient to demand hisentire attention, he turned toward the house in the distance.
He had expected to learn from Levi the dire
ction in which the Uniontroops might be found, but his sudden determination to investigate thecarpet-bag, as soon as he discovered that it was not heavy, had changedhis plans. Levi was gone and if he possessed the desired information hehad taken it with him.
And yet Noel Curtis was aware that his own predicament was such that ifother bodies of the Confederate cavalrymen should soon pass along theroad, Levi would be able to inform them of what had occurred. If hissuspicions were correct, that the contents of the carpet-bag were ofconsiderable value, there would be an added incentive for the littlesutler to rescue them.
Perhaps Noel's decision to start toward the house which he saw in thedistance was formed simply because it was the only place within sightwhich indicated the presence of people. His own plight now was such thathe keenly felt the need of food and drink. No little streams were nearhim, and as for food there were no indications that the shallow soilitself had produced any of late.
His determination once fixed, Noel, with the carpet-bag firmly graspedin his hand, moved swiftly across the field toward the distant house.
Twice he stopped and looked back to see whether or not Levi had held tohis course. Once he saw the little sutler, but he was moving steadilytoward the fork in the road. The second time Noel looked he was unableto see the man anywhere. Concluding that Levi had sought the littlebuilding in which he himself had found shelter a short time before,Noel's efforts increased, and he ran swiftly toward the place he wasseeking.
When Noel drew nearer the house he was aware of the aspect of neglectand even of dejection that was manifested by every living object withinhis sight. The two dogs, which came out of the building as soon as theywere aware of his approach, were mangy and spiritless. Even the fewchickens in the yard seemed to be affected by the general air ofdesolation. The fence was broken in many places, the gate was lying flatupon the ground, and as for paint or whitewash, it had been long sincethe house or barns had seen anything of that kind.
The young soldier halted a moment to make certain that no enemies werenear the plantation. Satisfied that his fears for the time were withoutfoundation, and still holding firmly to the carpet-bag which he hadtaken from the little sutler, Noel boldly approached the kitchen door.His purpose now was merely to obtain food, and then to push forward onhis way to rejoin the army from which he had been separated so long.
Advancing boldly, he rapped loudly upon the door, which sagged likeeverything else about the place. All these things were forgotten,however, when he looked into the face of the person who answered hissummons.