CHAPTER IX
MAJOR DECK LYON MAKES A PROMISE
"They are coming, Major!" shouted Captain Abbey, as the Confederateleader forced his cavalry on the charge. "What had we best do?"
"Draw--pistols!" shouted Deck, by way of an answer. "Give them a roundas soon as they turn the bend."
The command had hardly been given when the first company opened fire,followed by the second company, both wheeling to the left to let theother companies fire. By this time the Confederates were answering withtheir pistols; but, on account of their rapid riding, their aim waspoor, and the shots did but little damage.
The young major was a central figure in the combat, and more than onesoldier in gray directed his fire at him. But he escaped unharmed, tofind himself, two minutes later, faced by the Confederate leader,wearing the straps of a major also.
The fellow was all of six feet tall, heavy-set, with a black mustache,and beady black eyes, that somehow put Deck in mind of a rattlesnakeready to strike. He came on, giving the Confederate yell heard so manytimes before, and to be heard so many times afterward--a yell no pen candescribe, and one which arose, clear and full, above the clash of arms.
"Down you go!" hissed the major in gray, as he advanced upon Deck withhis sabre pointed, as if to run him through. His look was sufficient toparalyze any ordinary man; but Deck did not quail, having beenconfronted thus before. He spoke to Ceph, and the intelligent animalreared up, and came down on one side, and a sharp blow from Deck'sweapon caused the Confederate's sabre to fly from his hand.
The Confederate was astonished, almost dumfounded, for he had calculatedthat such a youthful commander would be "easy meat" for him. Withanother yell he swung his horse in a circle to avoid a second blow fromDeck, and then, pulling his pistol, aimed it at our friend's head.
But Lieutenant Fronklyn was in a line directly behind Deck, and he didnot intend that his commander should be shot down thus readily. As theConfederate leader's pistol went up, Fronklyn's sabre came down, and thefirearm fell to the ground, carrying with it three of the fingers whichhad clutched its handle.
"Good for you, Fronklyn!" cried Deck. "I owe you one for that!" And thenthe tide of the contest carried them apart.
Fully half a hundred of the Confederate horsemen were as daring as theirleader, and, while the others fell back and into the hands of the secondand third battalions of the Riverlawns, these continued to press forwarddesperately, hoping to force a passage by sheer might of will power.Truly, their bravery was worthy of a better cause.
The shock of battle was one of the heaviest Deck's battalion had everreceived, and for several minutes it looked as if the four companiesmust go to pieces. But the gallant major rallied his forces, and theConfederates were hemmed in so closely that they could neither advancenor retreat. Sabre blows fell thick and fast, striking fire in a dozenspots at once, and fully a dozen horses and riders went down in lessthan five minutes.
But the meeting, if sharp, was also short, and with himself and two ofhis officers disabled, the Confederate leader surrendered and thefighting stopped. Scarcely had Deck received word that the fight was wonthan Sandy Lyon rode up, as a special messenger from Major Belthorpe.
"The infantry are in the lower end of the hemp field," said LieutenantSandy. "Where is the colonel, please?"
"With Major Truman," responded Deck. "Does Major Belthorpe needreenforcements?"
"He says he can take the infantry if he is given two more companies."
"All right; tell him I'll be over as soon as I can get there," was themajor's answer.
He turned to Captain Richland, in charge of the second division of thefirst battalion, and left it to the third and fourth companies to takecharge of the prisoners, forty-two in number. This done, he took thefirst and second companies with him, and rode with all speed in thedirection his cousin had pointed out to him.
His arrival came none too soon, for Major Belthorpe was having his handsfull with the infantry of the enemy, and it looked as if they mightslip through his fingers. Finding a good position near the rise in thefield, Deck managed to drive them back toward a position they hadoccupied a quarter of an hour before. In the meantime word had reachedthe colonel and Major Truman, and the third battalion came up on agallop. A charge all along the line was made, and the Confederateinfantry was placed in full retreat. One company was captured, but theothers took to the stony ground beyond the hemp field, and under coverof darkness managed to make their way, along with a number of othertroops, to Rutherford Creek. They were hotly pursued by the second andthe third battalions, but the high water in the creek made fording outof the question, and the Confederates escaped on boats, rafts, andfloating logs.
As brilliant as had been Deck's services during the day, he was notcontent to let matters rest as they stood. Feeling that some of theConfederate forces might still be in the vicinity, he obtainedpermission to go on a scouting tour along the creek, taking with him hiscompanion of many such expeditions, Life Knox. The pair left the campquietly, although on horseback, and were soon out of sight and hearingof their comrades.
"It may be a wild-goose chase," said Deck, referring to what his fatherhad said concerning the expedition. "But if we return empty-handed,there will be no harm done."
"Just exactly my way of looking at it, Major," answered Life, to whomthe backwoods manner of talking was now a thing of the past. Deck hadtaught him how to speak correctly, and for this the tall Kentuckian wasexceedingly grateful. He often declared that it was Deck who had madehim fit to be an officer under Uncle Sam.
"General Sheridan is bound to uncover the enemy's full force," went onthe major, as he urged Ceph to make a sturdy leap over a strong runningbrook. "If we--hullo, what's this?"
He stopped short, as Ceph swerved to one side, almost unseating him.This movement, on the part of the intelligent horse, was so unusual Deckknew at once something must be wrong. "What is it, Ceph?" he questioned,patting the steed on the neck.
For reply the horse turned about and pointed his nose toward the meadowgrass which he had just trodden. The major leaped down and peered intothe semi-darkness.
"A Confederate captain, seriously wounded or dead," he cried to Life."Poor fellow, he is hardly more than a boy," he went on, gazing on thepale, youthful face, along one side of which the blood had flowed anddried. "Perhaps we can do something for him," and he knelt over theprostrate body.
Life also came to the spot, and between them they raised the boyishcaptain up. As they did this, he opened his eyes and gave a gasp.
"Water!" he murmured. "Water!"
Plenty of water was handy, and filling his canteen, Deck gave thewounded one a drink and bathed his face, after which he started to bindup the injured head with his handkerchief.
"It's no use, I'm going to die," gasped the Confederate, not able tospeak above a whisper. "Are you--you Southern men?"
"We belong to the Kentucky troops," answered Deck.
"Yes; but what side?"
"We are on the side of the Union."
At this the youthful captain gave a groan. "Then I--I can't expectanything of you. Too bad! I wanted to send word to my sister--" A suddenspasm of pain caused him to stop speaking.
"We are not enemies, Captain, saving on the battlefield," said Deck,tenderly, for this case appealed strongly to his considerate heart. "Youcan rest assured that I will do all that I can for you--within the linesof my duty to the government."
"Will you? You--you look like an honest fellow--and you are young, likeme."
"The major is all right, Captain," broke in Life. "Trust him foranything he promises."
"I come from Chattanooga, where I lived alone with my sister Rosebel.She didn't want me to join the army, and we--we quarrelled--" Thecaptain gave something like a sob. "I joined the cavalry--ran away fromRosebel--and we--we quarrelled so hard I got mad and took the money--hidit away--down in the back cellar--in an iron pot--eight hundred dollarsin gold. If you will do a stranger and an enemy a kindness, go toRosebel,--
or send word--ask her to forgive--ask her--tell her I am sosorry--so sorry--" Again the captain broke off, and now his eyes closed.
"Let me give him a bit of liquor, Major," said Knox, and poured someinto his cup. The wounded youth took a swallow, and it gave himtemporary strength.
"Oh, Rosebel, if I could only see you again," he murmured. He looked atDeck searchingly. "You will go to her--or send word?"
"I will."
"Don't forget to say how sorry I am--how ashamed I was when I gotaway--not for fighting for my country--for the glorious stars and bars;but because I--I treated her so. She was always so good, since motherand father died."
"I will do all I can for you. But your name--I must have that," saidDeck. The captain had fallen back, and the eyes were becoming glassy."Perhaps he had better have some more liquor, Life," he cried.
"My name is Paul--my name is Pa--" The sufferer broke off short. In vainhe tried to speak. A shudder took possession of him, and he stretchedout--dead.
"Gone!" muttered the tall Kentuckian. "Too bad. And only a boy, Major."
Deck could not trust himself to speak. During the past two years he hadseen many men die, but no death had affected him like this. Two tearsstole silently down his browned cheeks.
"Didn't catch his name, either?" went on Life.
"No."
"Then how are you going to find that sister of his?"
"I don't know yet; but I will find a way--I must," was the firm answer.He felt that the dead Confederate had intrusted him with a mission thatcould not be ignored.
Ere now the dead had been left where they had fallen, but both Deck andLife felt they could not leave this boyish captain lying in the meadowgrass. Looking around, they found a trench dug through the meadow to thebrook, and in a dry portion of this they deposited the body, firstrelieving it of a watch, a pocket-knife, and a photograph of apleasant-looking Southern girl, presumedly Rosebel. The sods from thetrench still lay upon the banks, and with these and some loose dirt theycovered up the corpse. Then taking a long stick, Deck cut one end flat,and marked upon it with a heavy pencil,--
ROSEBEL'S PAUL LIES BURIED HERE.
The stick was stuck at the top of the grave, and silently they mountedtheir horses once more and proceeded on their way. It was fully tenminutes before either of them spoke again, and then the subject wassomething of an entirely different nature.
"Halt, Major!" It was Life who uttered the word, speaking in a whisper.The tall Kentuckian had discerned three forms moving before them in thedarkness.
Deck also saw them, and brought Ceph to a stop. The three forms were onfoot, but whether friends or foes they could not tell.
They had reached the edge of the creek, and above the spot was a patchof woods, while below was a long meadow, cut up into numerous brooks. Onthe opposite side of the creek was another patch of woods much denserthan the first mentioned.
"This is the spot, Leftenant," they heard one of the party of threeremark.
"Are you sure, Bolder?" came in a second voice. "Remember, you weremistaken before."
"Well, I'm not mistaken now," answered Bolder. "Here is the very tree Inotched."
"Yes, this is the trail," came in a third voice. "And I don't believethere has been a single Yankee around."
"I trust not, Peters. But we are not out of the woods yet--in more waysthan one. The raft may be gone, and fording this stream in such a floodas this is entirely out of the question."
"Oh, we could get over alone, Leftenant," answered the man named Bolder."But that wouldn't be getting over those cases of ammunition and thatfield-pi--"
"Hush," came in a warning from the lieutenant. "You don't know but whatsome of those hanged Yankees may be around here."
"That's true, though I didn't see any of 'em as we came along."
"Perhaps, Bolder, you had better make a circuit of the woods before weget to work," said the lieutenant, a moment later. "We don't want to besurprised at our task."
"As you say, Leftenant; Tom Bolder is here to obey Leftenant Blackrookevery time."
"Then go at once, and if you see anything alarming, give the whistlebefore agreed upon," rejoined Lieutenant Blackrook, as he and Petersmoved into the grove of trees.
In a moment more Bolder had started off, gun on his shoulder. His coursewas almost directly toward a clump of bushes behind which Deck and Lifehad sought shelter, and from which spot they had overheard all that hadbeen said.