CHAPTER XXX
A FRIEND IN NEED
Captain Brentford had tried to bribe Major Deck Lyon into telling all heknew concerning the Union army's proposed movements, and had failed. Henow proposed to wring the information out of the major at the point ofthe pistol.
It was an alarming situation, and Deck was more than glad to hear thehoof-strokes of horses approaching. He felt the horsemen must beConfederate cavalrymen, but just now anybody was to be preferred tonobody, to step between himself and the cold-blooded spy.
"Get up and pass behind yonder bushes!" ordered Captain Brentford,hastily, for he, too, had heard the sounds on the road.
Deck arose, but did it very slowly. A long look up the narrow highwaybrought to view eight cavalrymen, riding at top speed toward them.
"Did you hear what I said? Get behind yonder bushes!" cried the spy,impatiently.
"I heard what you said," answered Deck, and all the while he was doing atremendous deal of thinking.
"Then why don't you obey me? Do you want to be shot?"
"Would you dare to shoot me, Captain Brentford?"
"I would, and I will, unless you get behind the bushes at once."
With slow steps the major moved toward the brush indicated. Nearer andnearer came the horsemen, until the leader was less than a hundred andfifty feet away. Then, without warning, Deck took to his heels, runningstraight for the cavalry, who were strung along in a column of twos.
Almost overcome with rage and chagrin, Captain Brentford raised hispistol. But the major had calculated well, and the spy did not dare tofire for fear of missing his mark and striking one of the cavalrymen. Inless than half a minute the opportunity for shooting was gone, for thecavalry halted with Deck in their midst, and the captain put up hisweapon and strode forward. As soon as he caught sight of the major, oneof the riders in the rear uttered an exclamation of astonishment, butthis failed to attract Deck's notice.
"Well, what does this mean?" demanded the leader of the cavalry, eyingDeck, sternly. "Are you a Union spy?"
"No, I am simply a prisoner of war, Major," answered Deck, noting theshoulder straps of the other. "Here is a spy," and he indicated CaptainBrentford.
"Hullo! Captain Brentford!" exclaimed the Confederate major. "Are you onbusiness in this neighborhood?"
"I just came through the lines, Major Collins," answered the spy,coldly, and Deck saw at once that for some reason there was no love lostbetween the two Confederate officers.
"And what of this man here?"
"I could not escape without him very well, so I brought him along. Ireported to Major Dowlney, and he said I might turn the fellow over tothe officers of Breckinridge's command."
"It is odd you are conducting him over the road on foot in thisfashion."
"I would like to put in a word of explanation, Major Collins,"interrupted Deck, who had listened closely to what was said.
"What is it you wish to say?"
"I would like to be placed under a regular guard of two or three men."
"For what reason?"
Major Lyon looked at Captain Brentford, who grew first red and thenwhite. He felt his position was a delicate one. An exposure of the spy'streatment of him might only cause him more trouble. Fortunately CaptainBrentford came to the rescue himself.
"I would be only too glad to turn the fellow over to you, Major Collins.He has caused me a great deal of trouble."
"And I do not deem that he has treated me as a prisoner should betreated," added Deck. "But I am willing to let the matterrest,--providing I can have another escort to the prisoners' camp."
Major Collins looked first at Deck and then at the spy.
"Has this man threatened you?" he demanded of the young Union officer.
"He was very anxious to get information out of me."
"I repeat, did he threaten you, Major?"
"He told me that I must tell him certain things or take theconsequences, and he had his pistol in his hand while he spoke."
"And you were as helpless as you are now?"
"I was."
"It is a falsehood!" burst from Captain Brentford's lips. "He wanted tobuy me off--offered me a thousand dollars if I would help him to getback over the river."
"I stand by what I said," went on Deck, his face flushing. "I haven't athousand cents to offer any one."
Major Collins looked from one to the other. Had he and the spy beenfriendly he might have sided with the man, but as there was no love lostbetween them, he was inclined to favor Deck. Moreover, he was a fellowwho could read character pretty thoroughly, and the young Unionofficer's open face appealed strongly to him.
"I will take charge of the prisoner, Captain Brentford," he saidquietly. "Surely if all is right, you will be glad to get him off yourhands."
"I am glad to be free of him," growled the spy, but his looks belied hiswords.
"I will detail three of my men to conduct him to General Breckinridge'scamp," went on the Confederate major.
"I will go along."
"That will not be necessary."
"All right,--please yourself. I presume I can turn him over to youimmediately."
"On the spot," was the quiet answer; and saluting stiffly, CaptainBrentford, scowling at both of the majors, withdrew, and walked rapidlyalong the road.
In a few words Deck told his story, Major Collins listening eagerly.Then three men were counted off to escort the Union officer to theprisoners' camp. Among the three was the man who had been so surprisedon first catching sight of Deck. Several times he was on the point ofspeaking to the young major, but each time he changed his mind.
The horsemen did not wish to spend any more time than was necessary inconveying Deck to the prisoners' camp, and so the leader told the majorto mount behind him. "It will be better nor running, and that is whatyou'll have to do if you remain on foot," he said.
The course of the four riders was along a side road and past half adozen plantations, the fields of which had been much cut up bydetachments of Wheeler's cavalry, operating in that territory. The manwho had Deck with him rode side by side with one of the othercavalrymen, while the fellow who seemed to have recognized Deck rode inthe rear.
"It's hard lines, Major, but I reckon you're bound for one of ourprisons right enough," observed the leader, as they trotted along.
"Fortune of war," said the young Union officer, as lightly as he could.
"But you don't like it?"
"To be sure not."
"Married?"
"No."
"That's one consolation--if you die on our hands," and the man laughedat what he considered a joke.
"I shan't die on your hands, if I can help it."
"Oh, I suppose--But I've heard a good many of 'em do die; can't standthis balmy Southern air."
"I think it is more likely they can't stand your poor food and foulprisons."
"Our prisons are about as good as those up North, I reckon, Major. I hada cousin die up in New York somewhere--Elmira I think they called thelock-up. Reckon he was about starved."
"I trust you are mistaken. It would not be fair to starve anybody oneither side."
At this the leader of the Confederate detachment grunted, and said nomore. But presently he grew tired of his load and turned to the manriding in the rear.
"Tom, supposin' you take the prisoner for a while?" he observed.
"Just as you say, Messinger. Is he bound tight?"
"Tight enough, I reckon."
"All right, come right along," said the man in the rear, and happy tothink he might continue to ride instead of walk, Deck transferredhimself from the rear of one horse to the rear of the other.
The man in front of him had spoken in a hoarse voice, as if he wassuffering from a cold, yet the voice appeared to be more or lessfamiliar. Deck tried, after mounting, to get a view of the cavalryman'sface, but it was kept away from him.
Inside of quarter of an hour the party began to climb a small hill. Theroad was winding, and lined wi
th brush and rocks. At the top of theeminence stood an old stone mansion, and here the road split into threetrails, one running straight on, and the others branching out at anglesof forty-five degrees. Between the centre road and that to the left,stood the house, while near the trail on the right was located a largecattle shed and corn-crib.
"I reckon we can stop here for something to eat," observed Messinger,turning to his two companions.
"If we can get it," answered the man who had been riding beside him.
"I will give a quarter in silver for a glass of milk," said Deck. "Themoney is in my left pocket. You might as well take a dollar bill if itcan be used here."
"It won't go--and I wouldn't tech it," cried Messinger. "Come on,Chador, and we'll see what we can get. Tom, you had better remain herewith the prisoner."
"Just as you say, Messinger. Don't you try to git away from me," thelatter words to Deck, spoken with great fierceness.
"If he tries to run for it, shoot him dead," ordered Messinger,carelessly, and dismounting, he walked toward the house, and Chadorfollowed his suit.
The two Confederates had scarcely disappeared than the man sitting infront of Deck turned his head so that he could look over his shoulder.
"Major Lyon, listen to me," he said earnestly. "You don't remember me,because I've let my beard grow, and I'm dressed differently from what Iwas when we met before. We met at McMinnville, where you risked yourlife to save mine, in a burning cotton mill. I am Tom Derwiddie, and Iswore that if ever I could do you a good turn I would do it. I reckonthat time has come. Do you want to get away, or rather, are you willingto take the risk?"
"Derwiddie!" gasped Deck, a flood of light bursting in on him. "Yes, Iwish to get away, if it can be done. But your duty--"
"Is to help the man as saved my life. You are not a spy, are you?"
"I am not."
"And if I help you to get away, you will try to get back to the Unionlines without delaying to pick up information."
"I will go as straight back as I can make it--I'll give you my word ofhonor, Derwiddie."
"Then I won't be acting wrong in giving you a free rein. Now to myplan--it's been in my head this last half hour. First, take my pistol."
"Yes, but you--"
"Now let me untie that rope on your hands," interrupted Derwiddie,cutting the prisoner short. "We haven't a moment to spare. They may comeback at any moment. Remember, you are to take all three horses."
"All three?"
"Yes, all three. So that they will have a job to follow you."
"But yourself?"
"I will fall into the road, knocked out by you."
"Do you mean to say you want me to knock you out?" demanded Deck, whothought that his newly discovered friend was "going it rather strong."
"I will do the deed, if you feel backward about it," answered TomDerwiddie, modestly.
"I certainly do feel backward, if that is what you are going to call it.You are by far too much of a friend to be touched."
"But I must be knocked out, or my record won't bear investigation, MajorLyon. Are you ready to gallop away on this horse?"
"Yes," answered Deck, promptly.
"All right, and don't forget to take those animals with you--at leastfor a ways." The Confederate hesitated. "If I give you the password,will you promise to use it only to get away on?"
"I will, and do."
The countersign was then given, and Derwiddie looked again toward thehouse. Not a soul was in sight.
"Give me a small crack on the forehead with that pistol!" he cried."Right there!" and he indicated the spot over his left eye, at the sametime scratching it sufficiently hard to draw blood. "Now, strike--andgood luck go with you!"
Deck understood, and with his heart in his throat, struck out lightly.As the pistol landed on Derwiddie's forehead, he threw up his arms andreeled from the saddle. Pretending to stagger for a moment, he finallypitched headlong on the rocks. He was far from overcome, but he lay likea log where he had fallen.
The drama was on and the major did not waste an instant in making thescene move along. Urging the horse to where the other animals werestanding, he gathered up the reins and placed one beast on either sideof him. Then, with his pistol ready for use, he started on a wild ridedown the trail leading past the corn-crib. He had covered less than ahundred and fifty yards when a cry from the house told him that hisflight was discovered.