[Illustration: A LITTLE UNION SCOUTBy JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS]

[Illustration: I drank in the melody with a new sense of its wild andmelancholy beauty (_Page 56_)]

A LITTLE UNION SCOUT

By

JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS

AUTHOR OF GABRIEL TOLLIVER, THE MAKING OF A STATESMANAND WALLY WANDEROON

_Illustrated by George Gibbs_

NEW YORKMcCLURE, PHILLIPS & CO. MCMIV

_Copyright, 1904, by_JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS

Published, April, 1904

Copyright, 1904, by The Curtis Publishing Company

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

I drank in the melody with a new sense of its wildand melancholy beauty _Frontispiece_

 Facing page

"He's tryin' to git away!" yelled Forrest in a voicethat could be heard all over the field 10

"I want you to catch this fellow and fetch him to me" 38

Whistling Jim ran into him head down like a bull 64

I was wild with remorse and grief 96

"If hate could kill you, you would fall dead from this horse" 110

The leader . .. Had an evil-looking eye 138

He had me covered 156

A LITTLE UNION SCOUT

I

A young lady, just returned from college, was making a still-hunt inthe house for old things--old furniture, old china, and old books. Shehad a craze for the antique, and the older things were the moreprecious they were in her eyes. Among other things she found an oldscrap-book that her mother and I thought was safe under lock and key. She sat in a sunny place and read it page by page, and, when she hadfinished, her curiosity was aroused. The clippings in the oldscrap-book were all about the adventures of a Union scout whose namewas said to be Captain Frank Leroy. The newspaper clippings that hadbeen preserved were queerly inconsistent. The Northern and Westernpapers praised the scout very highly, and some of them said that ifthere were more such men in the army the cause of the Union wouldprogress more rapidly; whereas the Southern papers, though paying ahigh tribute to the dash and courage of the scout, were highly abusive. He was "one of Lincoln's hirelings" and as villanous as he was bold. 

The girl graduate at once jumped to the conclusion that there was astory behind the old scrap-book, else why should it be preserved by herfather, who had been a Confederate soldier? This idea no sooner tookshape than she became insistently inquisitive. As for her father, thevery sight of the scrap-book awoke the echoes of a hundredexperiences--long and dangerous rides in the lonely night, battles, sharp skirmishes and bitter sufferings. 

The story, such as it was, took shape in my mind, and I am afraid thatthe young girl had small difficulty in persuading me to tell it. Memorybrought before me the smiling features of Harry Herndon, my life-longfriend and comrade, the handsome face of Jack Bledsoe, one of ourcollege mates from Missouri, and the beautiful countenance of hissister, Katherine Bledsoe. These and a hundred other faces camecrowding from the past, and the story was told almost before I knew it. 

When Harry Herndon and I went to the wars we were somewhat belated. Theexcitement of '61 found us at college, where we had orders to remainuntil we had finished the course, and the orders came from one whom wehad never dared to disobey--Harry's grandmother. And then, when we wereready to go, she cut in ahead of our plans and sent us to the West withletters to General Dabney Maury, whom she had known when he was a boyand later when he was a young officer in the regular army. 

We were not ill-equipped for two raw youngsters; we had Whistling Jim, the negro, three fine horses, and more money than I had ever seenbefore. We went to General Maury and were most courteously received. The Virginia Herndons--Harry belonged to the Maryland branch--wererelated to him--and he liked the name. We caught the barest glimpse ofservice at Corinth, and were fortunate enough to be in a fewskirmishes, where we distinguished ourselves by firing at nothingwhatever. 

In the course of a few weeks General Maury was made commander of theDepartment of the Gulf, with headquarters at Mobile, where we sawservice as clerks and accountants. For my part, the life suited mepassing well, but Harry Herndon fretted so that we were soontransferred to the command of General Forrest, who was sadly in need ofmen. As it happened, we had little difficulty in finding our man. Wehad heard that he was in the neighborhood of Chattanooga, giving hismen and horses a much-needed rest; but on the way news came to us that, in spite of his brilliant achievements in the field, he had beendeprived of the choicest regiments of his brigade--men whom he hadtrained and seasoned to war. After this mutilation of his command, hehad been ordered to Murfreesborough to recruit and organize a newbrigade. 

Toward Murfreesborough, therefore, we made our way, falling in with anumber of Forrest's men who had been on a brief visit to their homes inAlabama and were now returning to their command. As we shortlydiscovered, the Union commanders in Tennessee mistook General Forrest'smovement to the neighborhood of Chattanooga for a retreat; for, shortlyafter he moved in that direction, an ambitious Federal officer askedand received permission to enter Northern Alabama with a force largeenough to worry the Confederate leader if he could be found. Theorganization and equipment of this force required a longer time thanthe Federal commander had counted on, and by the time it was ready tomove General Forrest, with the remnant of his command, was on his wayto Murfreesborough. 

In some way--the sources of his information were as mysterious as hismovements--General Forrest learned that a Federal force was making itsway toward Northern Alabama, and he did not hesitate to give it hisattention. Within a very short time he had followed and overtaken it, passing it on a road that lay parallel to its line of march. Then itwas that the Federal commander began to hear rumors and reports allalong his route that Forrest was making a rapid retreat before him. Itwas stated that his men were discontented and that the condition of hishorses was something terrible. 

One day, along toward evening, the Federal commander went into camp inthe neighborhood of a wooded hill that commanded the approach from thesouth. He felt sure that the next day would witness the rout andcapture of the Confederate who had for so long harassed the Federals inTennessee. As he came to the hill he passed within a few hundred yardsof Forrest's men, who were concealed in the woods. The Federals wentinto camp, while Forrest, leaving a part of his command in the enemy'srear, silently passed around his right flank. 

Now, it happened that Harry Herndon and myself, accompanied byWhistling Jim and the companions we had picked up on the way, werecoming up from the south. It happened also that we were following theroad leading through the valley to the left of the hill on which theopposing forces were stationed. It was very early in the morning, andas we rode along there was not a sound to be heard, save the jinglingof our bridles. 

The valley had more length than breadth, and was shaped something likea half-moon, the road following the contour of the crescent. We hadproceeded not more than a hundred yards along the road within thecompass of the valley when a six-pounder broke the silence with a bang, and a shell went hurtling through the valley. It seemed to be souncomfortably near that I involuntarily ducked my head. 

"Marse Cally Shannon, " said Whistling Jim, the negro, addressing me, "what you reckon make dem white folks bang aloose at we-all, when weain't done a blessed thing? When it come ter dat, we ain't ez much ezspeaken ter um, an' here dey come, bangin' aloose at us. An' mo' dandat, ef dat ar bung-shell had 'a' hit somebody, it'd 'a' fetched sump'nmo' dan blood. "

Whistling Jim's tone was plaintive, but he seemed no more frightenedthan Harry was. Following the bang of the gun came the sharp rattle ofmusketry. We learned afterward that this firing occurred when theadvance guard of the Federal commander collided with Forrest's famousescort. We had no idea of the result of the collision, or that therehad been a collision. We had paused to make sure of our position andwhereabouts. Meanwhile, the little six-pounder was barking awayfuriously, and presently we heard a strident voice cut the morning air:"Go and tell Freeman to put his battery right in on that gun. I giveyou five minutes. "

"That's our man!" cried one of the troopers who had fallen in with uson our journey. Joy shone in his face as he urged his horse forward, and we followed right at his heels. In a moment we saw him leap fromhis horse and throw the bridle-reins to a trooper who was holding astring of horses. We gave ours to Whistling Jim to hold and ran forwardwith the man we had been following. 

We came right upon General Forrest--I knew him from the newspaperportraits, poor as they were. He was standing with his watch in hishand. He looked us over with a coldly critical eye, but gave us nogreeting. He replaced the watch in his pocket and waved his hand to abugler who was standing expectantly by his side. The clear notes rangout, and instantly there ensued a scene that baffles description. Therewas a rush forward, and Harry and I were carried with it. 

I could hear loud commands, and shouting, and the rattle of carbines, muskets, and pistols made my ears numb--but what happened, or when orwhere, I could no more tell you than the babe at its mother's breast. Icould only catch glimpses of the fighting through the smoke, and thoughI was as close to General Forrest as any of his men--right by his side, in fact--I could not tell you precisely what occurred. I could hearcries and curses and the explosion of firearms, but beyond that all wasmystery. 

I had time during the _mêlée_ to take note of the actions of GeneralForrest, and I observed that a great change had come over him. Hisface, which was almost as dark as an Indian's when in perfect repose, was now inflamed with passion and almost purple. The veins on his neckstood out as though they were on the point of bursting, and his blazingeyes were bloodshot. Above the din that was going on all around him hisvoice could be heard by friend and foe alike. I cannot even describe myown feelings. 

A courier rode up. He had lost his hat, and there was a spot of bloodon his chin. He reported that the Federals were making a desperateeffort on the extreme right. "He's tryin' to git away!" yelled Forrestin a voice that could be heard all over the field. "Tell Freeman totake his guns thar and shove 'em in right on top of 'em. We've got thebulge on 'em here, and we're coming right along. "

[Illustration: "He's tryin' to git away!" yelled Forrest in a voicethat could be heard all over the field. ]

And, sure enough, we began to find less and less resistance in front ofus, and presently I could see them running out into the valley, fillingthe road by which we had come. 

II

No pursuit was made at the time, and the Federals, finding that theywere not harried, proceeded in a leisurely way toward the river. Wefollowed slowly and at night went into camp, the men and horses gettinga good rest. Scouts were coming in to make reports at all hours of thenight, so that it was practically true, as one of the old campaignersremarked, that a horse couldn't whicker in the enemy's camp "but whatthe General 'd hear it sooner or later. "

Early the next morning we were on the road, and I had time forreflecting that, after all, war was not a matter of flags and music. The General was very considerate, however--a fact that was due to aletter that General Maury had intrusted to Harry Herndon's care. Wewere permitted to ride as temporary additions to General Forrest'sescort, and he seemed to single us out from among the rest with variouslittle courtesies, which I imagined was something unusual. 

He was somewhat inquisitive about Whistling Jim, Harry's body-servant, who he thought was a little too free and easy with white men. But heseemed satisfied when Harry told him that the negro's forebears formany generations back had belonged to the Herndons. We halted for alight dinner, and when we had finished General Forrest made a carefulinspection of his men as they filed into the road. 

We had gone but a few miles when we came to a point where the roadsforked. On one he sent a regiment, with Freeman's battery, withinstructions to reach the river ahead of the Federals and hold the fordat all hazards until the main body could come up. This done, we swunginto the road that had been taken by the Federals and went forward at asomewhat brisker pace. 

"I'm going to give your nigger the chance of his life, " remarkedGeneral Forrest somewhat grimly, "and he'll either fling up his handsand go to the Yankees, or he'll take to the woods. "

"He may do one or the other, " replied Harry; "but if he does eitherI'll be very much surprised. " General Forrest laughed; he was evidentlyvery sure that a negro would never stand up before gun-fire. A scoutcame up to report that the Federals were moving much more rapidly thanthey had moved in the morning. 

"I reckon he's got wind of the column on the other road, " the Generalcommented. "I allowed he'd hear of it. He's a mighty smart man, andhe's got as good men as can be found--Western fellows. If he had knownthe number of my men in the woods back yander he'd 'a' whipped me outof my boots. " And then his eye fell again on Whistling Jim, who waslaughing and joking with some of the troopers. He called to the negroin stern tones, and ordered him to ride close to his young master. "Weare going to have a little scrimmage purty soon, and a nigger that'sany account ought to be right where he can help his master if he getshurt. "

Whistling Jim's face, which had grown very serious when he heard hisname called by the stern commander, suddenly cleared up and becameilluminated by a broad grin. "You hear dat, Marse Harry!" he exclaimed. "I'm gwine in right behime you!" He reflected a moment, and thenuttered an exclamation of "Well, suh!"

About four o'clock in the afternoon the troopers under General Forrestcame in contact with Federals. This was in the nature of a surprise tothe Union commander, for there were persistent reports that Forrest hadpassed on the other road, with the evident intention of harrying theFederals at a point where they had no intention of crossing. So wellassured was he that these reports were trustworthy that he wasseriously considering the advisability of detaching a forcesufficiently large to capture the Confederate. He therefore paid smallattention to the attacks on his rear-guard. But presently the pressurebecame so serious that he sent a member of his staff to investigate it. 

Before the officer could perform this duty the rear-guard was compelledto retreat on the main body in the most precipitate manner. Then theattack ceased as suddenly as it began, and the Federal commanderconcluded that, under all the circumstances, it would be best to crossthe river and get in touch with his base of supplies. 

He went forward as rapidly as his troops could march, and he had afeeling of relief when he came in sight of the river. It was higherthan it had been when he crossed it three or four days before, butstill fordable; but as his advance guard began to cross, Freeman'sbattery, operated by young Morton, opened on them from the ambuscade inwhich it had been concealed. The thing to do, of course, was to chargethe battery and either capture it or silence it, and the Federalcommander gave orders to that effect. But Forrest, looking at thematter from a diametrically opposite point of view, knew that the thingto do was to prevent the capture of the battery, and so he increasedthe pressure upon the Federal rear to such an extent that his opponenthad no time to attend to the Confederate battery. 

The Union commander was a very able man and had established areputation as a good fighter. So now, with perfect coolness, he managedto present a very strong front where the rear had been, and he madedesperate efforts to protect his flank. But he was too late. Forrestsaid afterward that it was as pretty a move as he had ever seen, andthat if it had been made five minutes sooner it would probably havesaved the day. 

Just as the movement was about to be completed it was rendered uselessby the charge of Forrest's escort, a picked body of men, led by theGeneral in person. In the circumstances such charges were alwaysirresistible. Before the Federals could recover, the Confederategeneral, by means of a movement so sudden that no commander could haveforeseen it, joined his force with that which was supporting Freeman'sbattery and charged all along the line, bringing the eight andtwelve-pounders right to the front. No men, however brave, could standbefore a battery at close range, and the inevitable result ensued--theygot out of the way, and stood not on the order of their going. Theyfloundered across the river as best they could, and if they had notbeen American troops they would have been demoralized and rendereduseless for fighting purposes; but, being what they were, they showedtheir courage on many a hard-fought field as the war went on. 

When night fell we retired a mile or two from the river and went intocamp. Forrest was in high good-humor. He had accomplished all that hehad set out to accomplish, and more. He had emphasized the fact that itwas dangerous work for the Federals to raid Northern Alabama while hewas in striking distance, and he had captured army stores and securedhorses that were comparatively fresh. The most welcome capture was thearms, for many of his men were armed with flintlock muskets. 

He was very talkative. "That nigger of yours done about as well as anyof the balance of us, " he said to Harry Herndon. 

"I didn't see him at all during the fighting, " replied Harry, "but Itold him you'd have him shot if he ran. "

"Well, he went right in, " remarked the General, "and I expected him togo over to the Yankees. Maybe he'd 'a' gone if it hadn't been for thewater. "

At that moment we heard Whistling Jim calling, "Marse Harry! MarseCally Shannon!" I answered him so that he could find us, and he came uppuffing and blowing. A red handkerchief was tied under his chin andover his head. 

"Marse Harry!" he exclaimed, "kin I see you an' Marse Cally Shannon byyo'se'f? I done done sump'n dat you'll sho kill me 'bout. "

"Well, don't make any secret of it, " said I. "Out with it!" exclaimedHarry. 

"Marse Harry, I done gone an' shot Marse Jack Bledsoe. "

"Good Lord!" cried Harry. 

"Yasser, I done shot 'im, an' he's bad hurt, too. You know dat las'time we went at um? Well, suh, I wuz shootin' at a man right at me, an'he knock my han' down des ez I pull de trigger, an' de ball cotch himright 'twix de hip an' de knee. He call me by my name, an' den it comeover me dat we done got mix' up in de shuffle an' dat I wuz shootin' atyou. But 'twuz Marse Jack Bledsoe; I know'd 'im time I look at 'imgood. "

"Good heavens! Is he dead?" inquired Harry, his voice shaking a littlein spite of himself. 

"He ain't dead yit, suh, " replied Whistling Jim. "I got down off'n myhoss an' pick 'im up an' take 'im out er de paff er de rucus, an' denwhen you-all done des ez much shootin' an' killin' ez you wanter, Iwent back an' put 'im on my hoss an' tuck 'im ter dat little house byde river. Dey's a white lady dar, an' she say she'll take keer un' 'imtwel somebody come. Does you reckon any er his side gwineter come backatter 'im, Marse Harry? Kaze ef dey don't, I dunner what de name ergoodness he gwineter do. Dar he is, an' dar he'll lay. I'm done sick erwar ef you call dis war--you hear me!"

Harry said nothing, but I knew he was thinking of the fair Katherine, Jack's sister, and wondering if he would ever be to her what she was tohim. He had his face in his hands, and appeared ready to give way togrief. General Forrest turned to an orderly: "Go fetch Grissom here;tell him to come right away. " The surgeon soon came, General Forresttold Whistling Jim to lead the way, and we were soon riding through thenight in the direction of the river. 

III

A fine mist was falling, and the night was so dark that we would neverhave found our way but for a small dog whose inhospitable bark directedus to the cabin. The dog was so disturbed by our approach that a womanopened the door to see what the trouble could be. We found Jack Bledsoeon a pallet, and saw at a glance that the woman had administered suchremedies as common-sense and experience had taught her would allay thefever of a wound. He recognized us at once, and Harry could hardly keepback his tears when he saw his college chum lying helpless on thefloor. He supported Jack's head while the surgeon was examining thewound. 

"You are here sooner than I thought, " said Jack, gripping Harry's handhard, "but I knew you would--I knew it. And there is Carroll Shannon, "he went on, holding out a hand to me. "You never were very fond of me, Carroll, but I always liked you. "

I hardly knew what to say, and therefore I said nothing. I could onlytake his hand in mine and give him a grip that would tell him more thanwords could tell. "Don't worry, old fellow, " Jack continued, observingthe expression of grief and anxiety in Harry Herndon's countenance. "It's all owing to the way the cards fall. Some day your turn may come, and then I hope I'll be able to go to you. " His eyes were unnaturallybright, and his lips trembled with suppressed emotion. 

The tension was relieved by the woman, who looked at both the youngfellows, and then turned to the surgeon and asked almost unconcernedly, "Ain't war a hell of a thing?"

It was the surgeon who responded. "It would be hard to find a betterdefinition, ma'am. "

"I've saw lots wuss'n this, " she remarked, as if she would thus findexcuse for her sudden use of an expression that is rarely heard on thelips of a woman. 

"Why, yes, ma'am--a great deal worse. This is not a bad case at all. Nogreat damage has been done. He will be lame for some weeks--perhaps fora longer time. The ball struck the bone, glanced, and is now close tothe surface. "

In a few moments he had deftly extracted it, and the wounded man seemedto be greatly relieved. Medicine, strange to say, had been declared acontraband of war by the Federals, and the surgeon could spare but adriblet of quinine from his small supply; but he left some, and gavevarious directions with respect to the possible symptoms that mightarise. 

Just then the woman's husband entered the door. He was an emaciated, unkempt man, whose movements were in strange contrast with hisappearance. He was one of the most trustworthy of General Forrest'sscouts, but neither betrayed the fact that he knew the other. On thecontrary, the man was both angry and rude. "What'd I tell you, Rhody?"he exclaimed, turning to his wife. "I know'd they'd crowd us out'nhouse an' home ef they got a chance; I could 'a' took oath to it! Cuss'em, an' contrive 'em, both sides on 'em, all an' similar! They'd aslief make a hoss-stable out'n the house as not, an' I built it wi' mytwo han's. "

"An' what ef you did?" inquired the woman with some show of spirit. "Hit ain't sech a beauty that you kin brag on it. An' who made your twohan's? You made 'em, I reckon, an' nobody else could 'a' done it. "

The man made a gesture as though he could in that way weaken the forceof the woman's words, and he evidently knew when to speak, for he saidno more. On the contrary, sympathy shone in his eyes when he looked atthe wounded man. "Don't you worry, Bill; ef ther's any worryin' to bedone, leave it to me. It takes a 'oman to know how to worry right; an'ever'thing oughter be done right. "

"Can you get a boat across the river?" inquired General Forrest, turning to the man. He was somewhat doubtful until he caught theGeneral's eye, and then he thought that nothing would be easier. "Well, " said the General, "go across and tell the Yankees that there'sa wounded officer at your house and that he needs attention. Tell 'emthat General Forrest says they can get him whenever they send afterhim. "

"Is this General Forrest?" inquired Jack Bledsoe. "General, I hardlyknow how to thank you. I had just been dreaming of prison. "

The General made a deprecatory gesture, and was on the point of sayingsomething, when the man of the house spoke up. "Ef you're Gener'lForrest, " he said, "you'll be more than pleased to know that theYankees ain't never took time for to cook supper. After they hit thefurder bank they jest kep' on a-humpin', an' I don't blame 'em myself, bekaze 'twuz the only way wet men could keep warm. "

"It's up to you, Herndon; he's your prisoner. He ought to be in ahospital where he could be looked after, but I reckon he'll have tostay where he is for a while. "

"He won't put me out a mite ef he stays, " said the woman. "He'll becompany fer me when Bill is pirootin' 'roun'. "

General Forrest gave us permission to remain where we were for thenight. "We move at five, " said he. "Bill here will put you across andshow you which way to go when he has found your horses for you. " Justhow Bill would do that was a mystery, but we asked no questions. 

We called for Whistling Jim when General Forrest had gone, but he wasnowhere to be found. He had shown us the way to the cabin and thendisappeared. I judged that he was afraid Jack Bledsoe would upbraid himor that Harry would give him a scolding; but, whatever his reasons, hedisappeared when we went in the cabin, and we saw him no more till thenext morning. 

Harry and Jack talked of old times until the woman was compelled towarn the wounded man that it would be worse for him if he excitedhimself. But he talked away in spite of the warning. He talked of hissister Katherine, much to Harry's delight, and told of his ownsweetheart in Missouri. His colonel, he said, was very fond ofKatherine, but he declared that Kate still thought of Harry, whereuponthe young fellow blushed and looked as silly as a school-girl. 

Tom Ryder was the Colonel's name, and he had a sister Lucy. Miss Lucywas Jack's choice out of a thousand, he said. The main trouble withJack was that his sweetheart's sister, Jane Ryder, didn't like him--andso forth and so on, till I nodded where I sat, and dreamed of Katherineand Jane and Lucy Ryder, until someone took me by the arm and told methat it was time to be up and going. 

We delayed our departure on one excuse and another, until finally Bill, who was to be our guide, grew irritable; and even then we made afurther delay while Jack pencilled a note to his colonel, which Harrywas to take charge of as long as there was danger of his capture byroving bands of Federals, and then it was to be given to the guide, whothought he could insure its delivery. 

When we were ready, and could invent no further excuse, Harry turned toJack. "The war doesn't touch us, dear boy. Good-by, and don't fail toput in a good word for me when you go home. "

Jack Bledsoe's face brightened up. "That's so!" he exclaimed; "I can gohome now. Well, you may depend on me, Harry; but the two Miss Rydersare all the other way, and I'll be between two fires. Tell WhistlingJim I have no hard feelings. He has really done me a favor, if thingsturn out no worse than they are. "

We bade our friend good-by again and went out into the damp morningair, each with his various thoughts. I congratulated myself that minehad little to do with the troublesome sex. The fog, hanging heavilyover the river, shut out the sunlight. We had to take the guide's wordfor that, for we could see no sign of the sun. Indeed, it was so darkthat we had considerable difficulty in making our way. But when we wereon the other side, and had mounted the somewhat steep bank, the fogdisappeared and the sun shone out; and not far away we saw WhistlingJim and the horses. 

He hailed our coming with delight, for he had been waiting some time, and he was both cold and frightened. He took off his hat, as he said, to old King Sun, and he seemed to feel all the better for it; and weall felt better when our horses were between our knees. Even the horsesfelt better, for they whinnied as we mounted, and were for going at amore rapid gait than was necessary. 

We entered the scrub timber and went through it for half a mile ormore, and then suddenly came out on the public highway. The guidesuggested that we smarten up our gait, and we put the horses to acanter. I thought surely that the man would give out, but he merelycaught hold of my stirrup to help him along, and when we came to across-road, and halted at his suggestion, he showed as little fatigueas the horses--this man who seemed too frail to walk a mile. 

Here he gave us such instructions as seemed necessary, and was justabout to so-long us, as he said, when he paused with his hand to hisear. "I'll be whopped, " he exclaimed, "ef I don't hear buggy-wheels, an' they're comin' right this way. " With that he slipped into thebushes, and, though I knew where he was concealed, it was impossible tocatch a glimpse of him. 

There was a bend in the road about a quarter of a mile ahead of us, andwe waited expectantly, while Whistling Jim, with a cunning for which Idid not give him credit, pretended to be fixing his saddle-girth. As wewaited a top-buggy rounded the bend in the road and came bowling towardus. It was surprising to see a buggy, but I was more surprised when itsoccupant turned out to be a woman--a woman in a top-buggy, ridingbetween two hostile armies!

IV

The lady made no pause whatever, and apparently was not at allsurprised to find soldiers in the road ahead of her. She was not large, and yet she had a certain dignity of deportment. She was not youthful, neither was she old, but she was very grave-looking, as if she had seentrouble or was expecting to see it. Under any other circumstances Ishould have paid small attention to her, but the situation was suchthat I was compelled to regard her with both interest and curiosity. Almost in a moment my curiosity took the shape of sympathy, for therewas something in the pale face that commanded it. 

She was accompanied by a very clean-looking officer on horseback, andhe, in turn, was followed by a small escort of cavalry--I did not takethe trouble to count them, for my eyes were all for the lady; and itwas left to Harry Herndon to realize the fact that we were in somethingof a pickle should the officer take advantage of the position in whichhe found us. He saw at once that our capture was a certainty unless wetook prompt measures to provide against it, and he was quick to suggestthat we adopt the tactics of Forrest and ride at them if they made adisplay of hostilities. I had just time to shift my carbine to thefront under my overcoat and loosen the flap of my holsters when thelady drove up. We raised our hats as she came up, and made way for herto pass. 

But she did nothing of the sort. She brought her horse to a halt. "Good-morning, " she said, as cool as a cucumber. "You can't deceive uswith your blue overcoats; you are both rebels. Oh, I have heard more ofyou Southerners than can be found in the newspapers. "

"I'm sure we had no thought of deceiving you, " responded Harry with oneof his engaging smiles. "We are from the South, and you are from theNorth, of course. It may be that we are well met. "

"Oh, no! not this time. I have seen prisoners taken before, " remarkedthe lady with a little smile. 

"Then you'll not flinch to see them taken again, " said Harry veryboldly. "But I shall regret to put you to any inconvenience. "

I think the confident air of Harry saved us considerable trouble at themoment; but while he was putting on a bold front and trembling in hisshoes--as he told me afterward--I had my eyes on the lady. She lookedat me once, and turned her face away; twice, and frowned; thrice, andblushed. "I was afraid at first that you were a prisoner, " I remarkedin a tone that was intended to be apologetic, but the lady calmlyturned her head away and ignored me. 

"To what command are you attached?" inquired the Federal officer, verybrusquely. 

"We are serving under General Forrest, " replied Harry. 

"Why are you so far away from your command?" the officer inquired withreal curiosity. His tone was so puzzling that Harry hesitated aninstant--but in that instant a detachment of Forrest's troopers camearound the bend in the road. 

"Are we indeed so very far from our command?" I inquired. 

The troopers came rattling up, and the officer turned to the lady, somewhat ungraciously, I thought, with the remark that they had beenled into an ambuscade. 

This was so ridiculous that I laughed aloud, though I felt little likelaughing. "What amuses you?" the lady asked in some surprise. "I amsure I can see nothing humorous in our situation. "

"Perhaps you have heard ladies placed under such accusations before?" Isuggested. 

"Miss Ryder knows I meant no such thing, " said the officer with someheat. 

"Is this Miss Lucy Ryder?" I inquired. 

"What do you know of Lucy Ryder?" the lady asked. 

"I know she has a sister Jane, " I answered, whereupon the lady blushedagain. "And I have heard that Miss Jane doesn't like a friend ofours--a young fellow named Jack Bledsoe, who is greatly in need ofsympathy at this time. "

"I like him well enough to go on a wild-goose chase in search of him, "the lady replied. "We had an idea that he had been left on thebattle-field. "

Harry, who had been consulting with our comrades who had just arrived, returned in time to overhear a part of this conversation. He fumbled inhis pocket and finally produced Jack Bledsoe's note. He lifted his hatas he handed it to the lady. She read it very calmly, and then passedit to the Federal officer who had escorted her: "You see, I amjustified in coming. "

"We sat up with Jack last night, my friend and I, " Harry remarked. 

"Well, you know the Bible tells us to love our enemies, " remarked thelady, dryly. 

"It was an easy matter to carry out the commandment in this particularinstance, for, with the exception of this gentleman here"--indicatingme--"Jack Bledsoe is the dearest friend I ever had. "

"I know you well enough, " the lady remarked with a smile. "You areHarry Herndon, and your friend there is Carroll Shannon, and the negrois Whistling Jim. Why, I know your grandmother, although I have neverseen her. "

"That doesn't help us now. How are we to find Captain Bledsoe?" askedthe officer. I could have slapped him for the tone he employed. 

"It is all provided for, " replied Harry Herndon, curtly. "All you haveto do is to hold on to the pommel of your saddle. There is anon-combatant here who will guide you. Bill!"

"I'm a-lis'nin' at ye, " responded the guide from the bushes. 

"This is one of the natives, " Harry explained. "His wife is taking careof Jack Bledsoe and he will have no difficulty whatever in showing youthe way. "

The officer thanked us ungraciously, though why he took that attitude Iwas unable to discover, and we were on the point of joining ourcomrades when the lady remarked: "You'll probably know me again whenyou see me, Mr. Carroll Shannon!" This was a rebuke, I knew, and itupset me not a little, but there was something in the tone of her voicethat sounded like a challenge, and I remarked that I should be sure toknow her. "Then call my attention to the fact when you next see me, "she cried as she touched up her horse. 

"With great pleasure, " I answered, raising my hat, and with that wewere off to join our waiting comrades. It seemed that General Forrestwas somewhat concerned for our safety, knowing that the country wasstrange to us, and he had sent William Forrest's company ofIndependents to watch the road for us so that we might come to no harm. While engaged in carrying out this order they saw the lady and herescort far ahead of them, and a detachment was sent to investigate, therest of the company remaining to see whether other Federals wouldfollow. Thus they came upon us in the very nick of time, for I judgethat the Federal officer would have held us prisoners, in spite of theinformation we had for him, for he was very gruff and surly. 

We reached the recruiting camp at Murfreesborough without furtherincident, and Harry and I soon settled down to the routine of dutiesthat fell to our share. Harry served General Forrest temporarily as acourier, while I was billeted with Captain Bill Forrest's company ofIndependents, sometimes known as the Forty Thieves, owing to theirability as foragers. 

I had time to ramble about in the woods, and I took advantage of itto explore the whole countryside in the neighborhood of the camp. Returning one day from a ride that was partly on business and partlyfor pleasure, I was informed that General Forrest had sent for me. When I responded to his summons he was reading a late copy of theChattanooga _Rebel_, and was evidently much interested in what he read. He handed the paper to me when he had finished, and pointed out anarticle that was printed under a great display of black type. 

A Federal scout, Leroy by name, and well known in both armies (so thenewspaper said), had entered General Bragg's lines under very peculiarcircumstances and had then managed to escape. Two pickets had beenfound bound and gagged. The whole story appeared to be absurd. 

It was stated, among other things, that the scout intended to turn hisattention to General Forrest. He directed my eye to this, and said hewanted me to take the matter in hand. I inquired how the correspondentknew the intentions of the scout. 

"Why, he guessed 'em, " replied General Forrest, "and he guessed right, too. I've got information from one of my men who is thick with theYankees that this chap will soon be nosing around here, and I want togive him the worth of his money. I don't want the other side to knowhow many men I've got, and I don't want 'em to know that my superiorofficer has refused to honor my requisition for arms and horses. I'dcut a purty figure with the Yankees if they know'd that some of my menhad muskets that were used in the Revolutionary War. If they found thisout I'd never whip another fight. And there's another thing: I don'twant to have it said that any Yankee scout can stick his nose in mycamp and not git it pulled. That's why I sent for you; I want you tocatch this fellow and fetch him to me. "

[Illustration: "I want you to catch this fellow and fetch him to me. "]

I tried hard to get out of the difficulty. I protested that I didn'tknow the scout from a side of sole leather. But the General said thatthis was one of his reasons for detailing me to perform this duty. Hesaid he would have given it to Jasper Goodrum, of the Independents, buteverybody in Tennessee knew Goodrum. 

"He was born and raised around here, " the General said, "and he's got atongue like a bell-clapper. Now, you're not much of a talker, and yourface gives you the look of a big baby that has got out of its mammy'syard and don't know how to git back. " I suppose I must have turned redunder this back-handed compliment, for he went on, "I wish I had athousand like you. I watched you that day on the hill and at the river, and you may put it down that I'll trust you anywhere. "

I tried to thank the General for his confidence, but he stayed me by agesture. He settled all the details that could be thought ofbeforehand, and, as I turned to go, he rose from his chair and followedme to the door. "If you have to shoot that fellow, " he said, "do it anddon't wait too long before you do it; and if you have to shoot two orthree men, don't let that stand in your way--charge 'em up to me. Butyou must catch that fellow; I want to string him up just to show thebalance of 'em that they can't fool with me. "

As everything had been arranged to my hand I was soon going about thecamp and the town arrayed in jeans clothes and looking like anythingbut a soldier. I had thought to surprise Whistling Jim, the negro, withmy garb, but, as it turned out, the surprise was mine, for that night, when I went to see whether the horses had been properly groomed andfed, I found the door of the stable unlocked. I was not only surprisedbut irritated. Both Harry Herndon and myself had tried hard to impressthe negro with the necessity of taking unusual precautions to securethe safety of the horses, for they had attracted the attention of thewhole camp, which was full of questionable characters, some of whomwould have answered to their names if Falstaff had appeared to call theroll of his ragamuffins. 

The key had been turned in the lock, but the bolt of the lock hadfailed to catch in the socket. It was plain that the negro thought hehad locked the door, but it was quite as plain that he had beencareless, and I made a resolution then and there to look after thesafety of the horses myself. I swallowed more than half of myirritation when I found that the horses were in their stalls, warmlyblanketed, and an abundance of food before them. I was on the point oflocking the door with my own key, when I heard the sound of approachingfootsteps. There were two men, civilians, as I judged, and one of themstuttered. Their conversation was of a nature to interest me. 

They paused near the door of the stable. "This is the place where theykeep them, " remarked one of the men. "They are the finest horses in therebel army, and it would be a good job to run them into the Union linessome fine night. I know a man that would pay a cracking good price forthem. "

"But the nigger sleeps in there with 'em, " said the other man, "andwhat are you going to do about him?"

"That's as easy as picking up rocks in the road. A nigger will sell hisimmortal soul for ten dollars, and I'll git him to leave the door opensome night when he's got a job of jiggering on the peanner andwhistling with his mouth at the tavern in the woods. "

"But that's horse-stealing. "

"No, it ain't; it's turn and turn about. How many horses has oldForrest took from the loyal citizens of Tennessee? You couldn't count'em if you was to try. I'll give you three hundred dollars for themthree horses delivered at my brother's house--three hundred dollars ingold--and you'll have two men to help you. Don't you call that pickingup money?"

"An' whilst I'm a-gittin' the horses, what'll you be doing?"

"Ain't I told you?" answered the man with some display of irritation. "I'll be putting up the money, the cold cash. What more do you want?I've always heard that good money is good enough for anybody. "

They passed on, and I slipped from the stable, taking care to lock itbehind me, and followed them. 

V

I have never spent a more disagreeable hour than that which passedwhile I was engaged in following the two men for the purpose ofidentifying them. The weather was cold and the night dark, and therewere peppery little showers of sleet. The two left the town proper andturned into a by-way that I had travelled many times in my rambles inthe countryside. I knew that it led to a house that had been built fora suburban home, but now, in the crowded condition of the town, wasused as a tavern. It had attracted the suspicion of General Forrest andI knew that he had placed it under the surveillance of theIndependents. It was a very orderly public-house, however, and nothinghad ever occurred there to justify the suspicions of the General. 

The two men I followed could have reached their destination in lessthan twenty minutes if they had gone forward with the briskness thatthe weather justified; but there was an argument of some kind betweenthem--I judged that the stuttering man had no stomach for the part hewas to play as a horse-thief. At any rate, there was a dispute of somekind, and they stopped on the road at least half a dozen times to haveit out. One point settled, another would arise before they had gonefar, and then they would stop again; and at last, so dark did the woodbecome, and so low their conversation grew, that I passed within threefeet of them and never knew it until it was too late to betray theastonishment I naturally felt. 

I simply jogged along the path and pretended that I had not seen them. I went along briskly, and in a few minutes came to the tavern. The doorwas shut, the weather being cold, but I knew by the lights shiningthrough the windows that a hospitable fire was burning on the hearth. There was no need to knock at the door. I heard the jangling pianoplaying an accompaniment to the flute-like whistling of Harry Herndon'snegro. Remembering his carelessness, I felt like going into the tavernand giving him a frailing. The inclination was so strong that I held myhand on the door-knob until the first flush of anger had subsided. Itwas a very fortunate thing for me, as it turned out, that Whistling Jimwas present, but at the moment the turn of a hair would have caused meto justify much that the people of the North have said in regard to thecruelty of Southerners to the negro. 

The guests and visitors--and there were quite a number--made room forme at the fire, the landlord provided me with a chair and welcomed mevery heartily, taking it for granted that I was from the country andwould want a bed for the night. On the wide hearth a very cheerful fireburned, and the place reminded me somehow of home--particularly a bigrocking-chair in which one of the guests was seated. It had anupholstered seat and back, and the high arms were made more comfortableby a covering of the same material. It was a fac-simile of a chair thatwe had at home, and I longed to occupy it, if only for the sake of oldtimes. 

Among those who were taking their ease at this suburban inn was JasperGoodrum, one of my comrades. He was a noted scout as well as a seasonedsoldier. He looked at me hard as I entered, and continued to watch mefurtively for some time, and then his face cleared up and I knew thathe had recognized me. He was in civilian's clothes, and I knew by thatthat he did not care to be recognized. So I turned my attentionelsewhere. But in a little while he seemed to have changed his mind, and, suddenly rising from his chair, came to me with outstretched hand. 

It was a mixed company around the fire. There was a big Irishman, wholeaned calmly back in a small chair and smoked a short pipe. More thanonce I caught his bright eyes studying my face, but his smile was ampleapology for his seeming rudeness. He was as handsome a man as I hadever seen, and if I had been searching for a friend on whom to dependin an emergency I should have selected him out of a thousand. 

There was a short-haired man who was built like a prize-fighter. Hewore a sarcastic smile on his face, and his shifty eyes seemed to beconstantly looking for a resting-place. He had a thick neck and jawlike a bull-dog. I marked him down in my mental note-book as dangerous. There was a tall and pious-looking man, and two or three civilians whohad no particular points about them; and then there was a burly man, who sat with his hands in his pockets and did nothing but chew tobaccoand gaze in the fire, uttering not one word until some of the companyfell to discussing Captain Leroy, the famous Union scout. When Leroy'sname was mentioned the burly man was quick to join in the conversation. 

"There ain't a word of truth in all this stuff you hear about Leroy, "he said, and his manner was more emphatic than the occasion seemed todemand. "He's in the newspapers, and he ain't anywhere else on top ofthe ground. I know what I'm a-talking about. Leroy is the invention ofFranc Paul, of the Chattanooga _Rebel_. He as good as told me so. Hesaid that when he wanted to stir up talk and create a sensation he hadsomething written about this Captain Frank Leroy. He's a paper man andhe's able to do anything the newspapers want done. "

"You talk like you had gray hair, " said the man that looked like aprize-fighter; "but you're givin' away a mighty big secret. What areyou doin' it for? Say!"

"Oh, because I'm tired of all this talk about a man that doesn't liveoutside of the mind of a newspaper man. "

The big Irishman, who had been smoking and watching me with a shrewdsmile hovering about his mouth, began to chuckle audibly. He kept it upso long that it attracted the attention of the company. 

"What tickles you, my friend?" the burly man asked. 

"Maybe ye know Franc Paul?" he inquired. His countenance was aninterrogation-point. The man answered somewhat sullenly in theaffirmative. "Is there anny risimblance bechune him an' me?"

"Not the slightest in the world, " the man answered. 

"Thin ye'd have a quarrel wit' his wife an' she'd have all theadvantages, " said the Irishman with a laugh. "F'r no longer than thelast time I was at Chattanooga, Missus Paul says, 'It's a good thing, Mr. O'Halloran, ' she says, 'that ye're a hair's breadth taller than mebeloved husband, ' she says, 'or I'd niver tell ye apart. Only the sharpeyes av a wife or a mither, ' she says, 'could pick out me husband if hestood be your side, ' she says. "

"I must say, " remarked the pious-looking man, "that you gentlemen werenever more mistaken in your lives when you hint that there is no suchperson as Frank Leroy. I knew him when he was a boy--a beardless boy, as you may say. In fact, his father was my next-door neighbor inKnoxville, and I used to see Frank reading old Brownlow's paper. "

"Don't think ut!" replied the Irishman, and with that all joined in theconversation and I heard more of the perilous adventures andhair-breadth escapes of Captain Frank Leroy than you could put in abook. It seemed that his identity was a mystery, but he was none theless a hero in men's minds because his very existence had been calledin question; for people will hug delusions to their bosoms in the faceof religion itself, as we all know. 

The door of an inner room was open, and I could hear a conversationgoing on. One of the participants was the stuttering man, whose voice Ihad heard before the stable-door, and at a moment when I thought thatmy movements would attract no attention I took advantage of the freedomof a public-house and sauntered aimlessly into the room as if I had noparticular business there. I saw with surprise that the chap who hadproposed to steal the horses was one of the merchants of the town atwhose store I had occasionally traded. In the far end of the room, reading a newspaper by the light of a small fire, sat a slip of ayouth. He wore a military cloak that covered his figure from his neckto his top-boots. 

I saw that he was not so absorbed in the paper that he failed to make anote of my presence in the room, and he shifted himself around in hischair so that he could get a better view of me, and still leave hisface in the shadow. Near him sat a motherly-looking woman of fifty. Shewas well preserved for her age, and wore a smile on her face that wasgood to look at. The youngster said something to her in a low tone, andshe immediately turned her attention to me. Some other words passedbetween the two, and then the woman beckoned to me. I obeyed thesummons with alacrity, for I liked her face. 

"You seem to be lonely, " she said. "Have a seat by our little fire. This is not a guest-room, but we have been so overrun lately that wehave had to turn it over to the public. " She paused a moment and thenwent on. "You are over-young to be in the army, " she suggested. 

She had turned so that she looked me full in the face, and there was akindly, nay, a generous light in her eyes, and I could no more havelied to her in the matter than I could have lied to my own mother ifshe had been alive. "I do not have a very hard time in the army, " Ireplied. 

"No, I suppose not, " she remarked. "You are one to make friendswherever you go. Few are so fortunate; I have known only one or two. "

There was a note of sadness in her tones that touched me profoundly. The cause I can't explain, and the effect was beyond description. Ihesitated before making any reply, and when I did I tried to turn itoff lightly. "I never saw but one, " I answered, "on whom I desired tomake an impression. "

"And who was that?" the woman inquired with a bright smile of sympathy. 

"You will think it a piece of foolishness, " I replied; "but it was alady riding in a top-buggy. I had never seen her before and neverexpect to see her again. "

The youngster clutched his paper in his hand and turned in his chair. "The light is detestable, " he said. "Please throw on a piece of pine, mother. "

"You can't read by such a light, " the woman replied. "Put your paper inyour pocket and read it to-morrow. " Then she turned to me. "If you arein the army, " she said, "why do you wear such clothes? They are notbecoming at all. " She had such a kindly smile and betrayed such afriendly interest that it was not in human nature to suspect her--atleast, it was not in my nature to do so. 

"Why, mainly for comfort, " I answered; "and while I am wearing them Iam having my uniform, such as it is, furbished up and cleaned a bit. Ihave a few days' leave, and I am taking advantage of it in this way. "

"I wish my son here would take advantage of his short furlough to wearthe clothes he used to wear, " she remarked, and her tone was sosignificant that I could but regard her with a look of inquiry. Isuppose the puzzled expression of my face must have amused her, for shelaughed heartily, while the son, as if resenting his mother's words, arose and swaggered to the other end of the room. 

We had more conversation, and then I returned to the public room. Someof the guests had retired, but their places had been taken by others, and there was a goodly company gathered around the fire. I found thebig arm-chair unoccupied, and, seating myself on its comfortablecushion, soon forgot the wonder I had felt that the woman in the nextroom had known me for a soldier. I had accomplished one thing--theidentification of the prospective horse-thief--and I satisfied myselfwith that. As for Leroy, I knew I should have to trust to some strokeof good fortune. 

The comfort of the rocker appealed to me, and, with my hands on itsarms, I leaned back and, in spite of the talking all around me, wassoon lost in reflection. Through long usage the upholstering on thearms of the chair had become worn, and in places the tufts of moss orhorse-hair were showing. I fell to fingering these with the sameimpulse of thoughtlessness that induces people to bite theirfinger-nails. Suddenly I felt my finger in contact with a small roll ofpaper that had been carefully pushed under the leather, and then Iremembered that the last occupant of the chair was the short-hairedman--the man who had the general appearance of a prize-fighter. 

Now, it had occurred to me in a dim way that this man might beidentical with Leroy, and I suspected that he had left in the chair acommunication for some of his accomplices. I determined to transfer theroll of paper to my pocket and examine it at my leisure. But no soonerhad I come to this determination than I imagined that every person inthe room had his eyes fixed on me. And then the problem, if you cancall it so, was solved for me. 

A stranger who had evidently arrived while I was in the next roomappeared to be regarding Whistling Jim with some curiosity, andpresently spoke to him, inquiring if he was the negro that played onthe piano. Whistler replied that he could "sorter" play. "If you areWhistling Jim, " I said, "play us a plantation tune. I heard a man saythe other day that the finest tune he ever heard was one you played forhim. It was something about 'My gal's sweet. '"

The negro looked at me hard, but something in my countenance must haveconveyed a warning to him. "I 'member de man, suh; he say he wuz fumCincinnati, an' he gun me a fi'-dollar bill--a green one. "

Without more ado, he went to the piano and plunged into theheart-breaking melody of--

 "_Yo' gal's a neat gal, but my gal's sweet-- Sweet-a-little, sweet-a-little, sweet, sweet, sweet! Fum de crown er her head ter de soles er her feet-- Feet-a-little, feet-a-little, feet, feet, feet!_"

Naturally all eyes were turned on the performer, and I took advantageof that fact to rise from the rocking-chair with the roll of paper safein my pocket, and saunter across the room in the direction of thepiano. Leaning against a corner of the ramshackle old instrument, Idrank in the melody with a new sense of its wild and melancholy beauty. The room in which I stood seemed transformed into what it never couldbe, and the old piano shed its discord and was glorified by themarvellous playing of the negro. 

The foolish little song runs along for several stanzas, simulating thesound of dancing feet. Alternately the negro sang the air and whistledthe chorus, but whether he did one or the other, the effect was thesame. The silly song struck the home note and sent it vibrating throughmy brain so invitingly that I was almost sorry that Whistling Jim hadplayed it. 

I returned to earth when he ceased playing. He looked hard at me whenhe had finished, but I did not glance at him. At the other end of thepiano, leaning against it, and apparently lost in thought, was theyoung fellow I had seen in the other room. His cloak was thrown backfrom his throat, and the red lining gave a picturesque touch to hissmall, lithe figure. His face was partly in the shadow, but I could seethat his expression was one of profound melancholy. He aroused himselfat last, and, looking toward me, said with a smile that had no heart init, "If all the negroes in the South are so gifted you must have ahappy time down there. "

"So it would seem, " I answered, "but this negro is an exception. Hetells me that he learned to play while his old mistress was away fromhome looking after her plantation interests. He can whistle better thanhe can play. "

"He has great gifts, " said the lad, "and I trust he is treatedaccordingly; but I doubt it, " and with that he turned away from thepiano with a snap of thumb and finger that sounded for all the worldlike a challenge. He turned and went swaggering across the room, andseated himself in the rocking-chair of which I have spoken. In a word, and with a snap of the finger, he had thrown mud at the whole South, and with no more excuse than I should have had had I made an attack onthe North. Yet curiosity, and not irritation, was uppermost in my mind. 

His conduct was so puzzling that I determined to have another taste ofit if possible, and so discover what he would be at. So I went back tothe fire and took a seat close to his elbow, while Whistling Jim passedaround his hat, as was his custom when he played for company. He heldit out to all except the young fellow and myself, and then returned tothe piano and played for his own amusement, but so softly thatconversation could flow on undisturbed. 

I had a good look at the lad, and liked him all the better. His facehad in it that indescribable quality--a touch of suffering or ofsorrow--that always draws me, and I thought how strange it was that heshould sit there ignorant of the fact that a word or two would make mehis friend for life. I had a great pity for him, and there arose in methe belief that I had met him before, but whether in reality or only ina dream I could not make out. It was a foolish and a romantic notion, but it nibbled around my mind so persistently that I turned my gaze onthe fire and fell into reflections that were both teasing and pleasing. 

While thus engaged I suddenly became aware of the fact that the youngfellow was fingering at the worn place on the chair-arm. Conversationwas going on very briskly. The genial landlord, who had joined thegroup at the fire, was relating to a listening and an eager guestanother story of the almost superhuman performances of the Union scout, Leroy, when suddenly the lad arose from the rocker and began to searchthe floor with his eyes. He had had the color of youth in his cheeks, in spite of the swarthiness of his skin, and I had admired thecombination--your light-haired man is for everything that has a touchof the brunette--but now he had gone white. 

As he stooped to search under my chair, I jumped up and drew it backpolitely. "Pardon me for disturbing you, " he said; "I have lost apaper. "

"Is it of importance?" I inquired, endeavoring to show an interest inthe matter. 

"You would hardly think so, " he replied. "It involves the safety of awoman. " I regarded him with unfeigned astonishment, and he, in turn, looked at me with a face as full of anger and disappointment as I hadever beheld. 

"Why, you young rascal!" I exclaimed; "what do you know of me that youshould speak so? For less than nothing I'll give you a strapping andsend you to your daddy. "

"You couldn't do me a greater service. He is in heaven. " You mayimagine my feelings, if you can, when, as he said this, he turnedtoward me a countenance from which all feeling had died out save thatof sadness. If he had plunged a knife in my vitals he could not havehurt me worse. "Well, sir, " he insisted, "proceed with your strapping. "

"You are more than even with me, my lad, " I said, "and I humblyapologize for my words. But why should you be so short with one whocertainly wishes you no harm?"

"I am unable to tell you. You seem to be always smiling, while I am introuble: perhaps that is why I am irritable. " He looked at me hard ashe resumed his seat in the rocker, and again I had the curious feelingthat I had met him somewhere before--perhaps in some sphere of formerexistence. Memory, however, refused to disgorge the details, and Icould only gaze helplessly into the fire. 

After a little the lad hitched his chair closer to mine, and I couldhave thanked him for that. He drew on his glove and drew it off again. "Will you shake hands with me?" he inquired. "I feel that I am all toblame. " As I took his hand in mine I could but notice how small andsoft it was. 

"No, you are not all to blame, " I said. "I am ill-mannered by nature. "

"I never will believe it, " he declared with something like a smile. "No, it is not so. "

Before I could make any reply, in walked Jasper Goodrum, of theIndependents, and, following hard at his heels, was the man who had theappearance of a prize-fighter. This last comer appeared to be in astate of great excitement, and his brutal, overbearing nature wasclearly in evidence. He walked across the room to my lad--I was nowbeginning to feel a proprietary interest in him--and seized him roughlyby the arm. 

"Come 'ere!" he said, and his voice was thick with anger. "You've gotmore'n you bargained for. Come into the next room; you better had! Say, ain't you comin'?" He tried to pull the lad along, but the youngsterwas not to be pulled. 

"Don't touch me!" he exclaimed. "Don't you dare to put your hands onme. You have lied to me, and that is enough!" The short-haired man wasalmost beside himself with anger, and I could see that the lad would beno match for him. He was not at all frightened, but when he turned hiseyes toward me, with a little smile, I saw the face of Jane Ryder, thelittle lady I had seen in a top-buggy on her way to carry aid to JackBledsoe. And instantly I was furious with a blind rage that stung melike a thousand hornets. 

I rose and slapped the ruffian on the shoulder in a way that would haveknocked an ordinary man down. "You dirty brute!" I cried, "say to mewhat you have to say to the lad!"

VI

The man regarded me with an amazement that soon flamed up into anger. His under-jaw stuck out ferociously, and the veins on his neck andforehead were swollen with indignation. Before he could say anythingJasper Goodrum intervened. "This is partly my affair, " he said to theshort-haired man, "and you'd better leave this countryman alone. "

"You're wrong, " said the man; "it is not your affair. How can it bewhen I don't know you?"

"Still, " insisted Goodrum, "you'd better not bother the countryman. You'll git yourself in trouble. "

"Trouble!" he snorted. "Say! that's what I'm after. He's waded into thecreek and he can't git out without wettin' his feet. " Then he turned tome, his eyes full of venomous rage. "Say! what do you take me for?" Hecame closer and stuck his ugly mug near my face. 

My reply was made with an exceedingly willing mind. I struck him on thejaw with my open hand and sent him reeling. He recovered his balancealmost instantly and made at me with a roar of rage and pain, but henever reached me, for Whistling Jim ran into him head down like a bull. The result was a collision that put the man out of business and knockedall the fight out of him. He lay on the floor and rolled about in anagony of pain, and the negro stood over him, apparently waiting for afitting opportunity to put in the finishing touch, but his hard headhad done the work for the time being. 

[Illustration: Whistling Jim ran into him head down like a bull. ]

I judged that the ruffian had friends among the guests, but when Iturned to keep an eye on them the room was clear. Even the landlord hadretired. The lad was standing by my side, and my impression is that hewas holding me by the sleeve of my coat. I turned to him, and I wasmore certain than ever that he was either Jane Ryder or her brother. But it was only when she spoke again that I was sure--for not even atwin brother could simulate that round and singularly mellow voice. "Iam afraid you have made matters somewhat hard for me, " she said, somewhat sadly, "and heaven knows that I have had trouble enough forone night. "

"Well, you will have no more trouble here, at any rate, " I said. 

"I'd feel easier if I were sure of that, " she remarked. 

"Be assured, " I answered. "When I leave this house you will go with me. I propose to take you to your friends, if you have any in theneighborhood; otherwise you go with me. You shall not stay here forthat ruffian to abuse and misuse you. "

"I'll go with you as far as the door if only to thank you for theunnecessary protection you have given me. There are many things thatyou do not understand. "

"And many that I do, " I replied as significantly as I dared. "I want nothanks, and you shall not remain in this house to-night. That issettled. " She made a birdlike movement with her head and shoulders, looked me up and down, and smiled, but she saw that I was in earnest, and the smile left her face. 

"Where shall I go?" she asked. 

"Anywhere but here, " I answered. "Anywhere away from that, " I pointedto the man on the floor. He had raised himself to a sitting posture, and was rocking himself to and fro with his arms hugging his knees, apparently in great pain. 

"He is not always as you see him to-night, " she insisted. Then sheturned to me impulsively, "I'll go with you; I know a house where Ihave very dear friends. But I must tell my friend here good-night--thelady you spoke with. " She ran into the inner room, and then I heard hergoing lightly upstairs. She came down in a moment with color in herface and with some agitation in her manner. She seized me by the sleevein a way that no man would have thought of, exclaiming, "Let us go atonce--come!" Her sudden anxiety to be off took me entirely by surprise. 

"You have a horse?" I said, hearing the jingling of her spurs. But shedeclared that her horse was well enough off where he was. "Come!" shesaid; "let us be off!"

"With all my heart, " I replied. I was so highly elated that I forgotfor the moment that I was dealing with a woman, and I threw my armlightly over her shoulder with a gesture of friendliness andprotection. 

She threw it off and shrank from it as if it were a serpent. "What doyou mean?" she cried. Her face was red with anger, and her eyes wereblazing with scorn. "Don't dare to touch me!" For an instant I knew notwhat to do or say, and then it suddenly occurred to me that it would bewell to hide from her the fact that I knew who she was and so I made agreat pretence of anger. I seized her by the arm. "If you give meanother word of your impertinence I'll carry out my threat of half anhour ago. "

All the anger died out of her eyes. "You hurt me, " she said almost in awhisper. "Oh, pray pardon me; I have travelled far to-day, and I amweak and nervous. Why did you come here to-night? But for you----" shepaused and glanced up into my face, and placed her hand on mine. Andthen I would have known if I had not known before that she was no otherthan Jane Ryder, the little lady of the top-buggy. I looked in hereyes, and they fell; in her face, and it was covered with blushes; andsomehow I was happier than I had been in many a long day. 

"Come!" said I with some sternness, and held out my hand to her. Instinctively she seized it and clung to it as we went out into thenight, followed by Whistling Jim. 

"I have a friend who lives farther up the road, " she said. "It is notfar, but perhaps it is farther than you care to come--and you have noovercoat. " I was not thinking of what she was saying, but of the warmlittle hand that nestled so confidingly in mine. I knew then, orthought I knew, that this little hand so soft and white, nestling in mybig paw like a young bird under its mother's wing, had the power tomake or mar my life. But, as is ever the way with birdlike things, thehand slipped from its nest and left it empty. 

She was worrying about the ruffian we had left on the floor. "Thetrouble with him, " I said, "is that he is selling information to bothsides. He is an impostor. I think he is the scout they call Leroy. "Whereupon she gave utterance to a laugh so merry that it sounded out ofplace in the gloomy woods. It brought Whistling Jim alongside to seewhat the trouble was. He said he thought the young master was crying. She laughed again, and then suddenly paused. 

"We are very near the house, " she said, "and all who live there are myfriends. I shall be perfectly safe there. You have been very kind tome--kinder than you know. We have both seen each other at our veryworst. Should we meet again, I hope we shall appear to betteradvantage. "

She had entirely recovered her self-possession, but in doing so sheforgot the part she was playing, forgot that she was arrayed in thetoggery of a man, and was now altogether a woman. I do not remember allthat was said, but I tried as hard as I could to conceal from her thefact that I had discovered her sex and her identity; I had not theleast desire to humiliate her by airing my penetration. She stoodsilent for a while, as if in thought, or perhaps she was waiting for meto say farewell. 

"You will do well to go in, " I said. "The night is cold and damp. "

"The cold and the damp are nothing to me, " she replied. "I am warmenough. You were speaking a while ago of Frank Leroy. Don't forget thathe is the best friend I have in the world except my mother. Good-night!" She held out her hand, and again it nestled, white andsoft and warm, in my great paw, and stayed there a moment. The littlehand must have been frightened, for it fluttered slightly and then flewback to its mistress. 

I said good-night, but it was not a very gracious farewell, I amafraid. "I knew I had something to say to you, " she remarked. "In thehouse there is a young Federal officer who was wounded some time ago. He has been in a very bad way, but he is better now. While he was atthe worst of his illness he was constantly calling the names of somefriends he has among the rebels. One of them he seems to be speciallyfond of--he calls him Harry Herndon. The other he calls CarrollShannon. It may be that you know them. "

"I am acquainted with Herndon, " I replied. "Shannon I have never met, and I have no desire to meet him. "

She was silent a moment, and then went on: "I thought that if the twowould take the trouble to call on the wounded man it would do himgood--though I am astonished that he should desire to see rebels andtraitors. I hate them all without exception, and the more I see of themthe more I hate them. "

The little lady had worked herself into a grand fury against therebels, and I am sure she believed what she said for the moment. "Ishall take pleasure in informing Herndon that his friend is here, " saidI. "Shannon, as I have told you, I never met. "

"You are fortunate, " she replied. "I met him once, and it needed only aglance to tell me what he was. "

"And what was he?" I inquired. 

"The matter is not worth speaking of, " she said. "I have just as muchcontempt for him as you have. Good-night!" and once more the littlefluttering hand touched mine, and away she marched into the darkness. At the steps she turned and listened, but, as neither Whistling Jim norI had stirred out of our tracks, she could hear nothing. "Why don't yougo?" she called. 

"I want to see you safe in the house, " I said. 

"You are taking a deal of responsibility on yourself, " she responded. "You must think me a child or a woman. " With that she slipped throughthe door, which yielded to her touch, and disappeared in the house. 

VII

Now, when the foolish girl disappeared behind the door, I turned awayfrom the gate full of anger at all mundane things. But the only humanbeing near at hand was Whistling Jim, and him I seized by the collar. 

"You scoundrel!" I exclaimed, shaking him vigorously; "what do you meanby going off and leaving the stable-door unlocked?"

"Mar--Marse Cal--Cally--lem--lemme tell you 'bout it!" he cried, affrighted; and then, ashamed of my silly display of temper, I turnedhim loose. "What make you so fractious ter-night, Marse Cally? A littlemo' an' you'd 'a' shuck my head off. I declar' ter gracious, MarseCally, I thought I locked dat stable-door. I know I turned de key--deyain't no two ways 'bout dat. I tuck de key out'n de lock when I wentin, an' put it back in de lock when I come out--I put it in de lock an'turned it des like I allers do. "

"But what you didn't do, " said I, now angry with myself, "was to makesure that the bolt of the lock had caught. It didn't catch, and when Iwent there to-night the door yielded to my hand. It was a piece of purecarelessness, and if you ever do the like again----"

"Don't talk dat way, Marse Cally; you sho is been mighty good ter me, an' I don't want ter make you mad. I never is ter do dat trick ag'in. "

Then I told him that there was a plot on foot to steal the horses, andadvised him as to the identity of the two men. He knew themboth--especially did he know the prominent citizen, who, on variousoccasions, had invited him into the store and made him presents of pipeand tobacco, and had even hinted to him that he could find a good jobfor him when he grew tired of working for nothing. He had also givenhim whiskey, which was a contraband article in the recruiting camp. 

We walked along very friendly, for I was ashamed of myself for givingway to my temper. When the negro thought I was in a sufficiently goodhumor, he endeavored to ease his own curiosity on a matter that hadevidently been worrying him. "Marse Cally, " he said, "who wuz datlittle chap we tuck home des now?"

"I don't know his name. Why do you ask?"

"Kaze he look so funny an' done so funny. He ain't look like no man terme. "

"Why, of course not; he is little more than a boy; that's the reason Imade him come out of that house. "

"He moughter been a boy, " remarked Whistling Jim, after taking sometime to think the matter over. "He wuz right knock-kneed, an' when hewalked he walked des like de flo' wuz burnin' his foots. "

I could only pretend to laugh, but I wondered at the negro's keepobservation. Seeing that I made no reply, he went on: "You know what Ithink, Marse Cally? Dat uppity li'l chap is des ez much a man ez you isa 'oman. "

"Well, it may be so, " I replied. "He is nothing to me. "

Whistling Jim laughed one of his irritating laughs. "Dat's so, suh, butI tuck notice dat you helt han's wid 'im a mighty long time. "

This was intolerable, and I remarked with some severity that I proposedto make it my special business to inform Harry Herndon how his negrohad neglected his duty. "Now, don't do dat, Marse Cally, please, suh!You know mighty well dat Marse Harry can't keep his temper like youdoes. I dunner when you been ez fractious ez you is ter-night. "

"You are the cause of it, " I declared, "you and no one else. First youleave the stable-door unlocked, and then you say that this young fellowis neither man nor boy. "

"Did I say dat, Marse Cally?" exclaimed Whistling Jim, apparentlyalmost as much amazed as if I had drawn a pistol on him. He stood amoment, as if trying to remember the circumstances under which theremark had been made, but he shook his head sadly. "Ef I said dat, Marse Cally, I must 'a' been dreamin'; I wuz mighty nigh fast asleepwhen we started back des now, an' ef you'd 'a' lissened right close Ispeck you'd 'a' hearn me a sno'in'. Ef you say I said it, den I reckonI must 'a' said it, but I wan't at myse'f, kaze ef dey ever wuz a grownman on top er de groun', dat chap is one. "

"You are sharper than I thought you were, " I remarked. 

"You must be makin' fun er me, Marse Cally, kaze dey ain't nothin'sharp 'bout knowin' a man fum a 'oman. Ef I didn't know de diffunce I'dturn myse'f out ter graze wid de dry cattle, an' stay wid um all thoode season. "

"Now, that's the way to talk, " said I with some heartiness; "but if Iever find the stable-door unlocked again I'll take it for granted thatyou have changed your opinion about our young friend. "

"I may leave de stable-door onlocked time an' time ag'in, " remarkedWhistling Jim solemnly, "but I never is ter b'lieve dat dat boy isanything but a man. "

I made haste to inform Harry Herndon that Jack Bledsoe was in theneighborhood, and, as was perfectly natural, he was keen to see him, less for Jack's sake, I imagine, though he loved the young fellow well, than for the sake of having some news of the fair Katherine. As theheaviest part of his work at headquarters was over, and as pretty mucheverything had depended on the reply to General Forrest's requisitionon his superior officer--who, unfortunately, chanced to be GeneralBragg--for arms and ammunition, Harry had no difficulty in securingleave of absence for the day; and so, when all the arrangements hadbeen made, we set out the next evening for the house where Jack Bledsoelay. 

On the way, I suggested that perhaps Jack's mother and the fair cousinwould probably be found there; and this possibility was in Harry's mindalso, for he leaned from his horse toward me and extended his hand, uttering not a word. I gripped it with mine, and hoped that before Idied I should have the opportunity of shaking another hand as true. Oneother I found--but only one. 

Jack's mother met us at the door, and not far behind her was the fairKatherine, more beautiful than ever. I saw at a glance that the ladieswere expecting us, for they were rigged out in their best, which wasnot very bad, considering that they had been caught between the lineswith a wounded man on their hands. Another face that I had expected tosee was not in evidence, and whatever enthusiasm I may have felt in thebeginning soon died away, and I was sorry that I had been foolishenough to accompany Harry. 

We were taken at once to Jack's room, and it was very evident that hewas glad to see us again. He had changed a great deal; he looked older, and appeared to be worn by illness. He had been removed from the cabinon the river at a critical period, and, as a result, he was compelledto go through a long and drastic illness. He was on the high road torecovery, but I thought he would never be the same handsome Jack again, so cadaverous was his countenance and so changed his voice. The twoladies and myself left the friends together and went into the room thathad been the parlor, where there was a brisk fire burning. 

The house was a very commodious country home and had evidently beenbuilt by some prosperous person whose heart and mind turned to thecountry after he had acquired wealth in the town. But the owner haddeserted it when the Federals took possession of Murfreesborough, leaving furniture and everything to the mercy of circumstance--thecruel circumstance that goes hand in hand with war. But everything wasintact. The old piano stood in the corner as glossy as if it had beennewly bought, and the carpets on the floor wore a clean look, thoughsome of them were threadbare. 

After a while, Harry came in search of Kate--she was more importantthan his wounded friend--and Mrs. Bledsoe went to take her place byJack's bedside. This arrangement would have left me very much alone, but for the thoughtfulness of Kate, who intimated that I should findvery interesting company in the next room. "Don't be afraid, " she said. But I was very much afraid, I know not why, and hesitated a long timebefore I ventured into the room. 

And when I did venture to wander in casually, I was more afraid thanever, for at a window a small lady sat reading. I knew her at once forJane Ryder, but that fact made me no bolder. On the contrary, I felt atimidity that was almost childish; it was a feeling that carried meaway back to my boyhood, when I refused to go into a room where therewas a company of little girls. 

"I beg your pardon, " said I, and began to back toward the door. 

"Oh, no harm is done, " the lady declared, closing the book, but keepingthe place with her fore-finger. "Did you desire to see me? Or perhapsyou would see Miss Bledsoe?"

"No, ma'am--I--that is, Miss Bledsoe is talking with a friend of mine, and I just wandered in here, having nothing else to do. "

"To be sure! I believe that is a custom of Southern gentlemen. "

"What is?" I asked, rather abruptly. 

"Why, to go to houses and wander from room to room until theircuriosity is satisfied. "

I was angry, though I knew that she meant not a word she said. "DoesMrs. Bledsoe indulge in that habit?" I asked. 

"Habit? I said custom. Mrs. Bledsoe is a changed woman since she haslived among people who know something of the world and its ways, andwho are not slave-drivers. "

"I believe this is Miss Jane Ryder, " I said. 

"Your memory is better than your manners, " she replied, and though Itried hard to keep my temper, her words stung me to the quick. 

"I assure you I had not the least desire to disturb you. I came in herewith the hope, though not the expectation, of finding a lad who camehere last night. "

"He is not here, " she asserted, "and if he were, he has no desire tosee you. He told me something of his encounter with you, and if that isthe way you treat a young lad, I wonder how you would have treated anunprotected woman. "

I would not trust myself to speak to her. I made her a low obeisanceand retired from the room; but I was not to escape so easily. Shepursued her advantage; she followed me out into the hall. "Is it truethat the young man compelled you to accompany him to this house lastnight?"

"If he told you so, madam, it is true, " I replied. 

"After threatening to give you a strapping?" she asked. Her mood wasalmost exultant, though she had been gloomy enough when I firstdisturbed her. 

"If he says so, madam. "

"He didn't say so, but I believe he slapped your face, for it is stillred. "

"Perhaps he did, madam. "

"I am no madam, I'll let you know; why do you call me so?"

"It is simply a term of respect, ma'am. Our young people are taught tobe respectful to ladies. "

"You may be sure that the young man would have remained to see you, butI was afraid you'd run away and leave your friend. " Women can be verychildish sometimes, and this was pure childishness. 

"Why, I had no idea that he bore me any ill-will, " I remarked. "Hetrotted along by my side in perfect good-humor when I was fetching himhome. If he has any grudge against me, I do not think the fault ismine. Say to him that I apologize most humbly for any offence I mayhave given him. " Jane Ryder was now sure that I did not connect herwith the lad--was sure that I had not pierced her disguise, and shebecame at once very much friendlier. Her relief was apparent in voiceand gesture. 

"The truth is, " she went on, "the young man is very fond of you, muchto my surprise. It is a strange fancy, " she mused; "there is noaccounting for it. I believe you could prevail on him to leave hisfriends and go with you to the South; that is why I am keeping him awayfrom you. "

"I have had few friends, " I said, "and if you could add the young manto the list and place him above all the rest, I should be happy. But asfor persuading him to desert his principles, I should never think ofit; and I should think ill of him if he could be persuaded. "

"He really thinks that you are one of the finest men he ever met, "pursued Jane Ryder. "He says that a young woman would be as safe frominsult with you as she would be with her mother. "

"And why not?" I inquired. "I thank your friend for his good opinion ofme; but it is no great compliment to me to say that I should protect awoman with my life, if need be. Back yonder there are gathered three orfour thousand men, and out of that four thousand you will not find tenwho would not do the same and think it nothing to boast of. "

"I wouldn't trust them, " she declared. 

"Would you trust me?" I asked. The words were out of my mouth before Icould recall them. They meant more than she would think or than shewould care for them to mean. 

"I certainly would, " she said, clenching her hands in a strange littlegesture. 

"I thank you for saying that much, " I declared. "The time may come--notsoon, perhaps--when I shall have to ask you to trust me. "

"Soon or late, " she replied, "my answer will be the same. "

I never was more shaken with the excitement of temptation than at thatmoment. She must have known it; they say women are quick at reading thethoughts of a man, but, instead of drawing away from me, she drewnearer. In another instant I should have seized her in my arms, thepale and lonely creature, but just then the sound of footsteps camealong the hall, and I heard the happy laughter of Katherine Bledsoe. Ihad raised my arms, but now I lowered them and she had seized my hand. 

"Good-by!" she said, and as soon as she could tear her hand from mineshe was gone--gone by another door, and Harry and her companion cameplump upon me standing in the hallway, gazing at the door through whichJane Ryder had disappeared. Then I turned and gazed at them, first atone and then at the other. 

"What have you done with her?" inquired Kate, with just a shade ofsolicitude in her voice. "Oh, I hope you haven't hurt her, " she cried. "She has the tenderest heart in the world. "

"Hurt her? Hurt her?" It was all that I could say, and then all of asudden I came to myself and stood there laughing very foolishly. "Sheran away, " I explained. "I don't know why. I am sure I didn't want herto go!"

Whereupon Kate fell to laughing, and kept it up until the tears cameinto her eyes. "Oh, men are such simpletons!" she exclaimed; "I don'tknow what I should do for amusement if I didn't see the lords ofcreation once in a great while. "

We bade good-by to the household--though Jane Ryder was nowhere to befound--and went to our horses, which we had left in charge of WhistlingJim. That worthy was in quite a flutter. He had heard strange noises, and he was almost sure that he had caught a glimpse of more than oneman in the darkness. We paid little enough attention to what he said, for we knew that the ladies were safe so far as the Confederates wereconcerned, and Jack Bledsoe would answer for their safety with theFederals. 

Nevertheless, there was no one to answer for our safety, and we had nomore than mounted our horses before we discovered that we weresurrounded. We heard the tramp of cavalry on all sides. A quiet voicein the darkness made itself heard: "Don't shoot unless they resist!"

"Ride them down!" exclaimed Harry. My horse ran full into anotherhorse, and he and his rider went down just as I used my pistol. Someone with an oath whacked me over the head with a sabre, my horsestumbled in the darkness, and down I went into chaos. I thought I heardsomeone singing, and then it seemed as if there was a free concert inprogress, while I lay helpless in a great gully out of which I couldnot climb. 

VIII

Making a great effort to climb from the gully into which I had fallen, my foot slipped, and I fell again, and continued to fall till I knew nomore. When I came to life again I was not in a gully at all, butstretched out on a bed, with my boots on, and this fact fretted me tosuch an extent that I threw back the covering and rose to a sittingposture. My head was throbbing somewhat wildly, and I soon found thatthe cause of the pain was a towel that had been too tightly boundaround my forehead. The towel changed into a bandage under my fingers, and I found that I could not compass the intricacies of the fastenings. I remembered that I had disposed safely of the papers I had found inthe chair-arm. One was a passport signed by one of the biggest men inthe country, authorizing Francis Leroy to pass in and out of the Unionlines at any time, day or night, and the other--there were but two--wassome useless information with respect to the movements of the Federalforces between Murfreesborough and Memphis. 

As I came more and more to my senses, I knew that these papers had beenthe cause of my undoing; I could see in it, as plain as day, the handof Jane Ryder, and I was truly sorry. I thought I had been around theworld and back again, and I should have been very wise, but the bandageand Jane Ryder were too much for me. How did she know that I hadsecured the papers? And why did she permit the soldiers to attack me. Iwas feeling very foolish and childish. 

Then I observed that a large man was sitting in front of the smallfireplace, and his long legs were stretched completely across thehearth. His head was thrown back, his mouth was open, and he was soundasleep. There was half a handful of some kind of medicine in a sauceron the table, and I judged that the man would be better off for a doseof it. I suppose it was common table salt, but, whatever it was, thenotion remained with me that it would be a help to the man. It was afantastic notion, but it persisted, and finally I lifted the saucer, emptied the medicine in my palm, and transferred it to the open mouthof the man. It failed to arouse him; he merely closed his jaws on thedose and slept on. 

I enjoyed the man's discomfiture before it occurred; I knew what aterrible splutter there would be when the stuff began to melt and rundown his windpipe. I should have laughed aloud, but the bandage washurting me terribly. With a vague hope of getting some relief frompain, I opened the door as softly as I could, went out and closed itbehind me. Another door was open directly in front of me, and throughthis I went. In the room a woman was sitting at a window, her head inher hands. She looked up when she heard the slight noise I made, and Iwas surprised to find myself face to face with Jane Ryder. Her eyeswere red and swollen with weeping, and her hands were all of a tremble. 

"Will you please, ma'am, take this off?" I said, pointing to thebandage. 

She placed her finger on her lip. "Sh-sh!" she whispered, and then, whipping around me, closed the door with no more noise than the wing ofa night-bird might make. "In there, and don't move on your life. "

She pointed to a closet, but I shook my head. 

"Not if I can help myself, " I said. "I have just come out of a deep, deep ditch, and I want to hear the splutter. " I was whispering, too, such was the woman's influence. She looked at me in amazement; shetried to understand me; but she must have thought me out of my head, for her lips were twitching pitifully and her hands trembling. "It'sthe man in the next room, " I whispered with a grin. "I put a handful ofmedicine in his mouth. Wait! you'll hear him directly. "

"Oh, I am so sorry for you, " she cried, wringing her hands. "I am assorry for you as I am for myself. "

"Then please take this bandage off and have my horse brought round. "

"I can't! I can't! You're wounded. Go in the closet there. "

"I'll go where you go, and I'll stay where you stay, " I said; and Imust have been talking too loud, for she placed her hand on mylips--and what should I do but hold it there and kiss it, the poorlittle trembling hand!

And then there came from the next room the famous splutter for which Ihad been waiting. The soldier made a noise as if he were drowning. Hegasped and coughed, and tried to catch his breath; he strangled andlost it, and, when he caught it again, made a sound as if he had aviolent case of the whooping-cough. And all this time I was laughingsilently, and I came near strangling myself. 

Jane Ryder was far from laughter. She was as cool as a cucumber. Withone quick movement, and with surprising strength, she had shoved meinto the closet. Then she flung the door wide open. As she did so theguard cried out at the top of his voice that the prisoner had escaped. And if ever a man was berated it was that big soldier who had fallenasleep at the post of duty. "You drunken wretch!" she cried; "I knewhow it would be; I knew it!" He tried to make an explanation, but shewould not hear it. "Oh, I'll make you pay for this! Go--go and findhim, and if you fail take your cut-throats away from here and never letme see them again. Report to my brother, and tell him how you carriedout your orders. You were to take them all without a struggle, but youtook only one, and you bring him here more dead than alive. He iswandering about in the woods now, out of his head. "

"But he shot one of my men. Haven't you any feeling for the man that'llbe cold and stiff by sun-up?"

"For the man, yes. You should have been the one to pay for yourblundering. You failed to carry out your orders, and you had a dozenagainst three, and one of the three a negro. "

The man started away, but his lagging footsteps showed that he hadsomething on his mind, and in a few moments I heard him coming back. "'Tain't no use to hunt for the man in the dark, and by sun-up hisfriends'll be buzzin' around here worse'n a nest of hornets. We aregoing back--going back, " he repeated, "and you may report what youplease. "

Then the man went away, mumbling and mouthing to himself. As for me, Ishould have preferred to go with him. Pretty much everything is fair inwar, and Jane Ryder was on the Union side. She knew of the ambuscadeand had not told me; it was her duty not to tell. She would have madeno sign if we had been going to our deaths. I have never felt moredepressed in my life than I did at that moment. Something had slippedfrom under me, and I had nothing to stand on. I came out of the closetboth angry and sorry. "I shall be obliged to you if you will find myhat, " I said. 

I tried hard to hide my real feelings, and with anyone else the effortwould have been successful; but she knew. She came and stood by me andcaught me by the arm. "Where would you go?" There was a baffled look inher eyes, and her voice was uneasy. 

"Call your man, " I said; "I will go with him; it is not his fault thathe cannot find me; it is not his fault that I am hiding here in awoman's closet. Nor shall he be punished for it. "

"Your hat is not here, " she declared. "It must be where you fell. Doyou know, " she cried, "that you have killed a man? Do you know that?"Her tone was almost triumphant. 

"Well, what of that?" I asked. "You set them on us, and the poor fellowtook his chance with the rest. Gladly would I take his place. " My headwas hurting and I was horribly depressed. 

She had turned away from me, but now she flashed around with surprisingquickness. "You are the cause of it all--yes, you! And, oh, if I couldtell you how I hate you! If I could only show you what a contempt Ihave for you!" She was almost beside herself with anger, passion--Iknow not what. She shrank back from me, drew in a long breath, and fellupon the floor as if a gust of wind had blown her over; and then Ibegan to have a dim conception of the power that moved and breathed inthe personality of this woman. She fell, gave a long, shivering sigh, and, to all appearance, lay before me dead. 

In an instant I was wild with remorse and grief. I seized a chair andsent it crashing into the hallway to attract attention. To this noise Iadded my voice, and yelled for help with lungs that had aroused theechoes on many a hunting-field. There were whisperings below, andapparently a hurried consultation, and then a young woman came mincingup the stairs. I must have presented a strange and terrifying spectaclewith my head bandaged and my wild manner, for the woman, with a shriek, turned and ran down the stairs again. I cried again for someone to cometo the aid of the lady, and presently someone called up the stairs toknow what the trouble was. 

[Illustration: I was wild with remorse and grief. ]

"Come and see, " I cried. "The lady has fainted, and she may be dead. "

I went into the room again, and, taking Jane Ryder in my arms, carriedher into the next room and laid her on the bed. There was a pitcher ofwater handy, and I sprinkled her face and began to chafe her coldhands. After what seemed an age, the landlord came cautiously along thehall. "Call the woman, " I commanded; "call the woman, and tell her tocome in a hurry. "

This he did, and then peeped in the room, taking care not to comeinside the door. "What is the matter?" he said uneasily. 

"Can't you see that the lady is ill?" I answered. 

The woman--two women, indeed--came running in response to his summons. "Go in there and see what the trouble is. See if he has killed her. Itold her he was dangerous. You shall pay for this, " he said, shaking athreatening hand at me, though he came no farther than the door. "Youthink she has no friends and that you may use her as you please. But Itell you she has friends, and you will have to answer to them. "

"Why talk like a fool?" said the elder of the two women--the woman withwhom I had talked in the inner room of the tavern. "You know as well asI do that this man has not hurt her. If it were some other man I'dbelieve you. She has only fainted. "

"But fainting is something new to her. He has hurt her, and he shallpay for it, " the man insisted. 

"And I tell you, " the woman repeated, "that he has not harmed a hair ofher head. If he had do you think I'd be standing here denying it? Don'tyou know what I'd be doing?"

"If I am wrong I am quite ready to apologize. I was excited--was besidemyself. "

"I want none of your apologies, " I said to the man. "I have a crow topick with you, and I'll furnish a basket to hold the feathers. "

"It is better to bear no malice, " remarked the younger woman, calmly. "The Bible will tell you so. "

"It is better to tell me the cause of the trouble, " interrupted herelder. 

"Why, I hardly know. I asked for my hat, and from one word to anotherwe went till she flamed out at me, and said she hated me, and had agreat contempt for me; and then she fell on the floor in a faint. Ithought she was dead, but when I laid her on the bed there I saw hereyelids twitching. "

The two women eyed each other in a way that displeased me greatly. "Itold you so, " said one. "It's the world's wonder, " replied the other. And then Jane Ryder opened her eyes. It was natural that they shouldfall on me. She closed them again with a little shiver and then thenatural color returned to her face. "I thought you were gone, " shewhispered. 

"Did you think I would go and leave you like this? Do you really thinkI am a brute--that I have no feeling?" She closed her eyes again, as ifreflecting. 

"But I told you I hated you. Didn't you hear me? Couldn't youunderstand?"

"Perfectly, " I replied. "I knew it before you told me; but, even so, could I go and leave you as you were just now? Consider, madam. Putyourself in my place--I who have never done you the slightest injuryunder the blue sky----" I was going on at I know not what rate, but sherefused to listen. 

"Oh, don't! don't! Oh, please go away!" she cried, holding her arms outtoward me in supplicating fashion. It was an appeal not to be resisted, least of all by me. I looked at her--I gave her one glance, as theelderly woman took me by the arm. 

"Come with me, " she said; "you shall have a hat, though I hardly thinkit will fit you with the bandage round your head. "

She led me downstairs, and, after some searching, she fished out a hatfrom an old closet, and it did as well as another. She asked me manyquestions as she searched. How long had I known the poor lady upstairs?and where did I meet her? She would have made a famous cross-questioner. I answered her with such frankness that she seemed to take a fancy tome. 

"Some say that the poor lady upstairs is demented, " she volunteered. 

"Whoever says so lies, " I replied. "She has more sense than nine-tenthsof the people you meet. "

"And then, again, some say she can mesmerize folks. " Then, seeing thatthe information failed to interest me, "What do you think of them--themesmerizers?"

"I think nothing of them. If they could mesmerize me, I should like tosee them do it. "

"Oh, would you, you poor young man, " she said, with a strange smile. "How would you know that you were mesmerized, and how would you helpyourself?"

I know not what reply I made. A fit of dejection had seized me, and Icould think of nothing but Jane Ryder. "You mustn't think of that younglady upstairs as hating you, " said the woman, after she had brushed thehat and had asked me if I felt strong enough to walk a mile or more. "All she means is that she hates your principles. She hates secession, and she hates Secessionists. But something has upset her of late; sheis not herself at all. I'm telling you the truth. "

"She hates me; you may depend on that; but her hate makes no differenceto me. I love her, and I'd love her if she were to cut my throat. "

"Is that true? Are you honest? May I tell her so some time--notnow--but some time when you are far away?"

"To what end?" I asked. "She would tear her hair out if she knew it;she would never be happy again. "

"You don't happen to love her well enough to join her side, do you?"This question was put hesitatingly, and, as I thought, with some shyhope that it would receive consideration. 

"Madam, you have tried to be kind to me in your way, and therefore Iwill say nothing to wound your feelings; but if a man were to ask methat question he would receive an answer that would prevent him fromrepeating it in this world. "

"Humpty-dumpty jumped over the wall!" exclaimed the woman with a laugh. "I knew what you'd say, but I had my reasons for asking the question;you must go now; and bear in mind, " she went on with a sudden displayof feeling, "that the war has made such devil's hags of the women, andsuch devil's imps of the men, that everything is in a tangle. You'llknow where you are when you go in the next room. And you must forgiveme. I am Jane Ryder's mother. "

And, sure enough, I was in the tavern in the woods, and sitting by thehearth was Whistling Jim. To say that he was glad to see me wouldhardly describe the outward manifestation of his feelings. Someone inthe camp, he didn't know who, had sent him word that he'd find me atthis house, and he had been waiting for more than an hour, the lasthalf of it with many misgivings. He and Harry had escaped without anytrouble, and my horse had followed them so closely that they thought Iwas on his back. But when they saw that he was riderless, they thoughtthat I had either been captured or killed. Once at camp, Harry Herndondrummed up as many of the Independents as would volunteer, and they hadgone in search of me; Whistling Jim heard them riding along the road ashe was coming to the tavern. 

The faithful negro had a hundred questions to ask, but I answered himin my own way. I was determined that none but those directly concernedshould ever know that I had been held a prisoner or that Miss Ryder hada hand in the night's work; and I wished a thousand times over that Ihad not known it myself. The old saying, worn to a frazzle withrepetition, came to me with new force, and I was sadly alive to thefact that where ignorance is bliss 'tis folly to be wise. 

The night was now far advanced, and once at my quarters I flung myselfon the rude bed that had been provided for me, and all the troubles andtangles in this world dissolved and disappeared in dreamless slumber. When morning broke I felt better. My head was sore, but the surgeonremoved the bandage, clipped the hair about the wound, took a stitch ortwo that hurt worse than the original blow, and in an hour I hadforgotten the sabre-cut. 

Singular uneasiness pervaded my thoughts. More than once I caughtmyself standing still as if expecting to hear something. I tried invain to shake off the feeling, and at last I pretended to trace it tofeverishness resulting from the wound in the scalp; but I knew this wasnot so--I knew that one of the great things of life was behind it all;I knew that I had come to the hour that young men hope for and oldermen dread; I knew that for good or evil my future was wrapped in themystery and tangle of which Jane Ryder was the centre. My common-sensetried to picture her forth as the spider waiting in the centre of herweb for victims, but my heart resented this and told me that sheherself had been caught in the web and found it impossible to get away. 

I wandered about the camp and through the town with a convalescent'scertificate in my pocket and the desperation of a lover in my heart;and at the very last, when night was falling, it was Jasper Goodrum, ofthe Independents, who gave me the news I had been looking for all day. 

"You'd better pick up and go with us, Shannon; our company is going toraid the tavern to-night, and to-morrow we take the road. Oh, you arenot hurt bad, " he said, trying to interpret the expression on my face;"you can go and I think I can promise you a little fun. They say a spyis housed there, and we propose to smoke him out to-night. Get yourhorse; we start in half an hour. "

He went off down the street, leaving me staring at him open-mouthed. When he was out of sight I turned and ran toward the camp as if my lifedepended on it. 

IX

I knew no more what I intended to do than the babe unborn. What I didknow was that Jane Ryder was in that house, in all probability; andthat fact stung me. She had aided me to escape, even though she had hada hand in my capture, and I felt that the least I could do would be totake her away from there, willingly if she could come, forcibly if shehesitated. 

On the way to the camp I met Whistling Jim, and he stopped me. He wasastride his horse and leading mine. "Dey er gwine on a ride nowterreckly, Marse Cally, an' I lowed maybe you'd want ter go 'long widum. "

For answer I swung myself on my horse and, bidding the negro to followif he desired, put spurs to the sorrel and went flying in the directionof the tavern. I did not turn my head to see whether Whistling Jim wasfollowing, but rode straight ahead. It strikes me as curious, even yet, that the darkness should have fallen so suddenly on that particularday. When Goodrum spoke to me I supposed that the sun was stillshining; when I turned into the road that led to the house it was dark. I reached the place in the course of a quarter of an hour, and as Ileaped from my horse I heard the negro coming close behind me. I waitedfor him to come up and dismount, and then I bade him knock at the door, and when it was opened I told him to stand by the horses. 

The door was opened by the woman who had spoken so kindly with me. "Youhere again?" she cried with an air of surprise. "You would make it veryhard for her if she were here, but I think she is gone. You'll not seeher again, my dear, and I, for one, am glad of it. There's no one herebut myself and my son. "

"Your son is the one I want, " I replied. "Tell him to come at once. Ihave news for him. " The woman had no need to call him, however, for theinner door opened as I spoke, and out came Jane Ryder in the garb of aman--cloak, boots, and all. 

I had an idea that she would shrink from me or show some perturbation;but I was never more mistaken in my life. In a perfectly easy andnatural manner--the manner of a young man--she came up and held out herhand. "I think this is Mr. Shannon; Miss Ryder told me your name. Ihave to thank you for some recent kindness to her. "

I shook her hand very cordially, saying that nothing I could do forMiss Ryder would be amiss. "As it happens, " I went on, "I can dosomething for you now. Will you come with me?"

For one fleeting moment her woman's hesitation held her, and then herwoman's curiosity prevailed. "With pleasure, " she said. 

As we started for the door the woman interfered. "I wouldn't go withhim, " she declared with some bluntness. "You don't have to go and yousha'n't. You don't know what he's up to. "

This failed to have the effect I feared it would. "Don't you suppose Ican take care of myself, mother?"

"I know what I know, " replied the woman, sullenly, "and it wouldn'ttake much to make me tell it. "

"Then, for heaven's sake, say what you have to say and be done withit, " I exclaimed. "Only a very few minutes lie between this person andsafety. If you have anything to tell out with it. "

"Your blue eyes and baby face fooled me once, but they'll not fool meagain. You know more than you pretend to know, " said the woman. 

"I know this: if this person remains here ten minutes longer he willregret it all the days of his life. Now, trust me or not, just as youplease. If he is afraid to come with me let him say so, and I will bidhim farewell forever and all who are connected with him. Do you trustme?" I turned to Jane Ryder and held out my hand. 

"I do, " she replied. She came nearer, but did not take my hand. 

"Then, in God's name, come with me!" I cried. She obeyed my gesture andstarted for the door. 

"Where are you going?" wailed the mother. "Tell me--tell me!"

I was sorry for her, but I made her no answer. 

I anticipated this scene as little as I did the fact that Jane Ryderwould come with me. I was prepared to carry her off if she refused, butI was ill prepared for the rumpus that this quiet-looking woman kickedup. She followed us to the door and stood wailing while I tried topersuade Jane Ryder to mount my horse. She hesitated, but I fairlylifted her into the saddle. The stirrup-straps were too short, but thatmade no difference. I sprang on the horse behind her, and, reachingforward, seized the reins and turned the horse's head in a directionthat would bring us into the town by a detour, so that we should missthe Independents, who would follow the road that I had followed incoming. 

"Where are you taking me?" inquired Jane Ryder. 

"To safety, " I replied. "The house is to be raided to-night, and Idecided to bring you away. You saved me from a prison, and now Ipropose to save you. "

"I saved you? You are mistaken; it was that foolish woman, Miss Ryder. "

"Well, she said that you are her dearest friend, and I'm saving you toplease her. "

"You needn't hold me so tight. I'm in no danger of falling off. Whereare you taking me?"

"To General Forrest. " She caught her breath, and then did her utmost tofling herself from the horse. When she found that her strength was notequal to the task of removing my arms or lifting them so she could slipfrom the saddle, she began to use her tongue, which has ever beenwoman's safest weapon. 

"You traitor!" she cried; "oh, you traitor! I wish I had died before Iever saw you. "

"But this is the safest course, " I insisted. "You will see, and thenyou will thank me for bringing you away. "

"And I thought you were a gentleman; I took you for an honest man. Oh, if hate could kill you you would fall dead from this horse. What have Idone that I should come in contact with such a villain?"

[Illustration: "If hate could kill you, you would fall dead from thishorse. "]

"You have a pistol, " I said--I had felt it against my arm--"and it iseasy for you to use it. If you think so meanly of me why not rid theearth of such a villain?"

"Do you know who I am?" she asked with a gasp of apprehension. 

"Why, certainly, " I answered. "Do you think I'd be taking the troubleto save you else?"

"Trouble to save me? Save me? Why, I hope your savage General will hangme as high as Haman. "

"He would if he were a savage, " I said, "and he would if you were aman. And he may put you in prison as it is; you would certainly gothere if captured by the Forty Thieves. I am taking one chance in athousand. But better for you to be in prison, where you will be safe, than for you to be going around here masquerading as a man andsubjecting yourself to the insults of all sorts of men. "

"You are the only man that has ever insulted me. Do you hear?You--gentleman!" she hissed. "Can't you see that I despise you? Won'tyou believe it? Does it make no difference?"

"Not the least in the world, " I replied. "Now, you must composeyourself; you can be brave enough when you will--I think you are thebravest woman I ever saw----"

"I wish I could say you are a brave man; but you are an arrant coward:you, the soldier that plans to capture women. "

"You must compose yourself, " I repeated. 

"In a few minutes we shall be in the presence of General Forrest, and Ishould like to see you as calm as possible. I don't know, but I thinkyou will be safe. It was our only chance. " The nearer we drew toheadquarters the more my anxiety rose; yes, and my sympathy. "By theliving Lord, " I cried, "you _shall_ be safe!"

"Noble gentleman! to entrap a woman and then declare she shall not beentrapped! To gain whatever honor there may be in a woman's capture byrunning ahead of his ruffians and capturing her himself! This isSouthern manliness--this is Southern chivalry! I am glad I know it forwhat it really is. Do you know, " she went on, "that I reallythought--that--I--I---- You are the first man I was ever deceivedin--I----"

"Come now, " said I, not unmoved, for my feelings ran far ahead of hersand I knew what she would say and how hurt she was; "come now, you mustbe calm. Everything depends on that--everything. "

Near General Forrest's headquarters I dismounted and walked by the sideof my horse. Then when Whistling Jim came up, and I would have helpedher from the saddle, "Don't touch me!" she exclaimed. She jumped fromthe saddle to the ground and stood before me, and for the first time Iwas ashamed and afraid. "This way, " I said. Then to the guard at thedoor, "Private Shannon, of Captain Forrest's company, to see theGeneral. "

"He's right in there, " said the guard with good-natured informality. Irapped at the inner door, and heard the well-known voice of GeneralForrest bidding me to enter. 

I saluted, and he made some motion with his hand, but his eye wanderedover me and rested on my companion. Then, after a moment, they returnedto me. "What's the matter, Shannon?"

"I have brought to you here one who came to my rescue last night when Ihad been captured by a scouting party. We had gone to see the youngfellow who, you will remember, was wounded in our last affair at theriver--you saw him in the cabin. He was carried away the next day byhis friends, but grew so ill that he could be taken no farther than thehouse on the turnpike two miles from town. "

"You didn't let 'em git you just dry so, did you?" he asked. And then Igave him the details of the affair from beginning to end. "I thoughtHerndon was mighty keen to go, " he remarked with a laugh. "You say thisyoung fellow fixed it so you could git away? And then you went back andcaptured him? That don't look fair, does it?" He regarded me withserious countenance. 

"It is a lady, General, and I did not want her to fall in rough hands. "He uttered an exclamation of impatience and surprise, and made anindignant gesture. "Now, look here, Shannon, that is a matter that Iwon't tolerate. I've a great mind to----" He paused, hearing the voiceof his wife, who was visiting him. "Go back in there and tell Mrs. Forrest to come in here a minute, and do you stay out till I call you. I'm going to look into this business, and if it ain't perfectly squareall the way through you'll pay for it. "

I hunted for Mrs. Forrest, hat in hand, and soon found her. I must havehad a queer expression on my face, for she observed it. "You must befrightened, " she said. 

"I am, madam, for another as well as myself, " and then I told her, aswe walked along very slowly, just how the matter lay. She regarded mevery seriously for a moment, and then smiled. She was a handsome lady, and this smile of hers, full of promise as it was, made her face themost beautiful I have ever seen before or since. It is a large saying, but it is true. 

I remember that I remained in the corridor cooling my heels a wearytime, but finally Mrs. Forrest came out. "You may go in now, " she said. "It is all right; I'm glad I was called; I think I have made theGeneral understand everything as I do. There are some things that mendo not understand as well as women, and it is just as well that they donot. I am sure you will be very kind to that little woman in there. "

I tried to thank her, but there is a gratitude that cannot be expressedin words, and I could but stand before her mumbling with my head bent. "I know what you would say, " she remarked, graciously. "The General andI have perfect confidence in you. "

I went into the room where General Forrest and Jane Ryder were. "Shannon, what are you and Herndon up to? What do you mean by going onin this way?" He spoke with some severity, but there was a humoroustwinkle in his blue-gray eyes. "More than that, you took occasion toprejudice the jury. What did you say to Mrs. Forrest?"

"I simply asked her to be kind to the lady in here. "

"Well, she was all of that, " said the General, "and she threatened mewith her displeasure if I wasn't kind to you, and as she's the onlyhuman being that I'm really afeared of, I reckon I'll have to let youoff this time. Oh, you needn't look so smiling; you are to be punished, and that heavily. You are to be responsible for this young woman. Youare to take charge of her and restore her to her own people--mind you, to her own people. You are responsible to me, and I reckon you knowwhat that means; if you don't you can just ask somebody that knows me. "

I knew what it meant well enough, and I knew what his words meant. "Thelady is as safe with me, General, as if she were in her mother's arms. "

"Now, that's the way to talk, and I believe you, " said General Forrest. 

All this time Jane Ryder had said not a word. She sat very quietly, butthere was not a sign of gloom or dejection in her face. But uneasinesslooked from her eyes. She spoke presently, while General Forrest waslooking through a large morocco memorandum-book that was a little theworse for wear. "If you please, " she said, "I should like to go back tomy friends to-night, if they are not all killed. They can do you noharm even if they are alive. They are only a couple of women. "

"Well, they are not killed, " replied General Forrest without lookingup. "Wimmen make war on me and do a lot of damage, but I don't make waron them. I'm letting you off on a technicality, Miss Ryder. You are nota spy; you have never been inside my lines until to-night; and yet youwere in a fair way to find out a good many things that the other sidewould like to know. "

"I never found out as much as I'd like to know, " she replied; "andsince he came bothering me I haven't found out anything. "

Apparently General Forrest ignored the remark. He turned to me with aslip of paper in his hand. "You'll have to change your name, Shannon. This passport is made out to someone else. Read it. "

He handed it to me, and I read aloud: "The bearer of this, CaptainFrancis Leroy, is authorized to pass in and out the Federal lines, night or day, without let or hindrance. " It was signed by a great manat Washington and counter-signed by one almost as great. 

"Why, that belongs to me, " said Jane Ryder; "where did you find it?"

"I reckon it's just a duplicate, " said the General, smiling. "I've hadit some time. "

A little frown of perplexity appeared above Jane Ryder's eyes, and ifit had never gone away until she solved the mystery of this passport itwould have been there yet, for neither one of us ever knew whereGeneral Forrest obtained the precious document. 

"You will want to go out of my lines, Shannon, and you'll want to comeback, so I'll fix it up for you. " He went into the next room anddictated to an orderly, and presently brought me a paper signed withhis own name, and I have it yet. 

Everything was ready for us to take our leave, and we did so. "You area different man from what I thought you, " said Jane Ryder to GeneralForrest, "and I have to thank you for your kindness and consideration. "

"It ain't what people think of you--it's what you are that counts, "replied General Forrest. I have thought of this homely saying hundredsof times, and it rings truer every time I repeat it to myself. Itcovers the whole ground of conscience and morals. 

As I was going out, Jane Ryder being in advance, the General said to meagain, "Don't make no mistake about what I mean. You are responsible tome for the safety of that young lady. I believe in you, but I may bewrong. If I am wrong you'd just as well go out and hang yourself andsave me the trouble. "

"You needn't worry about me, General. I can take care of myself, "declared Jane Ryder. We went out of the house and came to whereWhistling Jim was holding the horses. I dismissed him then and there, and told him to put his horse in the stable and have plenty of feed formine. But Jane Ryder, for reasons of her own, preferred to walk, sothat Whistling Jim went away with the two horses and we were left toourselves. 

I remember that I said very little during that long walk, and all theburden of the conversation fell on the young woman. She was not at allelated over the narrow escape she had had, and preferred to make lightof it, but I knew that, under different circumstances, she would havebeen put in prison in Richmond, and I think that her nature would havesuccumbed to close confinement. 

"You have had your way, after all, but I am not sure that I like it, "she said. She waited for me to make some reply, but none wasforthcoming. "I hope you don't think you have won a great victory. If Ihad been a man, perhaps the victory would have been the other way. "

"I didn't compel you to come with me, " I remarked. 

"You mean I came of my own accord. If I did, it was to avoid a scenebefore my mother--the lady you saw at the house. I didn't want her tohear you bluster and threaten; and, besides, I wanted to tell you whatI think of you. We have both had our way. My mother thinks you are agentleman in a way, and I know what I know. "

I trudged along by her side silently; I had no relish for an argumentin which I was sure to get the worst of it. In some matters a man is nomatch for a woman: he cannot cope with her in a war of words. Nor willsilence discomfit them. At least, it had no such effect in thisinstance, for the more I was silent, the louder and faster she talked, and, apparently, the angrier she became. 

"You will boast, no doubt, " said she, "and tell your comrades how youlorded it over a young fellow who turned out to be a woman--how youcompelled her to go with you to General Forrest's headquarters. But howdid you know me? How did you know who I was?"

I laughed aloud. "Why, I'd know you through a thousand disguises, as Iknew you here that first night. "

"I don't believe it; you didn't know me that first night; you had neverseen me but once before, and you couldn't have known me. How did youknow me to-night? You won't answer, or if you do you'll say you knew meby my swagger. Anything to insult a woman. I'd like to be a man for afew hours just to see how they feel toward women--just how much morecontempt they feel than they show. I tell you, you didn't know me thatfirst night. "

"Then why did I insist on going home with you?"

This rather stumped her. "Because--because you thought I was a slip ofa lad, and you knew you could impose on me. If you had known I was awoman, you wouldn't have called me a little devil--Yes, you would!" shequickly added. "You would have abused me worse than that if you hadknown I was a woman. How did you know--if you knew?"

"By your eyes; the moment I looked into them fairly I said to myself, 'Here's Jane Ryder again; no one has eyes like hers!'"

She was silent for a little space, and then, "Did it never occur to youthat it would be politer to refer to me as _Miss_ Jane Ryder?" Now, Ihad never thought of her as Miss Jane Ryder, and I told her so. "Are myeyes so peculiar that you would know them anywhere? Are they positivelyhideous, as the young women say?" I hesitated, and she went on, "Butwhy do I ask? No matter what you think, it can never, never make anydifference to me, after the way you have treated me to-night, and Ihope that when you bid me good-by, as you will have to do directly, that I shall never see you again. "

"That is the talk of a child, and you are supposed to be a grownwoman, " I replied. "You know very well that I am obliged to carry outthe orders of my General, no matter how much they go against thegrain. "

She stopped in the road and tried to read my face even in the dark. "Doyou really mean that?" and then, without waiting for an answer, sheturned and ran, and I followed the best I could. 

X

It soon dawned on me that this surprising young woman was as nimblewith her feet as a schoolboy. She scampered away from me in a way toput me on my mettle, and she must have run nearly half a mile before Icould come up with her. I touched her on the shoulder lightly, crying"Caught!"

"There is no getting rid of you, " she answered. 

"Oh, but there is, as you will discover, " I said. "Once with yourkin-people, you will see no more of me. " I was vexed, but my ill-humorseemed to add to her high spirits, and she talked away quite blithely. When we came to the door it was open, and the mother, who had been kindto me, stood there waiting. She was crying and wringing her hands, and, for a moment, I thought she had been maltreated by those whose duty itwas to raid the house. But her trouble was of quite another kind. 

"What have you done with her?" she asked. 

"She is here with me, " I replied. But when I turned to confirm mywords, Jane Ryder had disappeared. I could only stare at the womanblankly and protest that she had been at my side a moment ago before. "I knew it!" wailed the woman. "First comes you to wheedle her away, and then come your companions to search the house for her. I knew howit would be. I never knew but one man you could trust with a woman, andhe was so palsied that a child could push him over. And the little foolwas fond of you, too. " And with that she wailed louder than ever. 

"But, my good woman----" I began. 

"Don't good woman me!" she cried. "You don't look like that kind of aman, but I knew it; I knew how it would be!"

"Fiddlesticks and frog's eggs!" I cried. "Stop your crying. She is heresomewhere. You know well enough that I wouldn't have returned withouther. She came to the door with me. I'd have you to know, madam, thatI'm not the man you take me for. Do you think I'd injure a hair of herhead? It is you that have injured her by allowing her to masquerade asa man--a little thing like that, with nobody to advise her. You are hermother and pretend to be fond of her; why didn't you advise her againstall this? Why didn't you take a hickory to her and compel her toremember her sex? You are the cause of it all--yes, you!"

I spoke in a very loud tone, for I was very angry, and I knew that theonly way to contend with a woman was to make more noise than she could. Just as I was about to continue my railing protest, Jane Ryder camethrough an inner door, dressed, as she should be, in the garb of hersex. Her toilette would have been complete but for the fact that in herhaste her hair had fallen loose from its fastenings and now flowed overher shoulders and down to her waist, black as night and as shiny assilk. 

"I thank you both for your good opinions, " she said, making a mockcourtesy, "especially the chivalrous Mr. Carroll Shannon, with hisstraps, and his hickories, and his riding-whips, and I hope he willsoon get a woman on whom he can use them all. "

"Oh, Jane! Jane!" cried the other, "why will you worry those who loveyou? Why will you try them so?"

The young woman's face fell at that, and she seemed to be verycontrite. She went quickly across the room and never paused until shefound herself in the woman's arms, and showed her love by so manyquaint and delicate little caresses, and had such a dainty andbewitching way about her, that no human could have held out againsther. The woman's face had cleared on the instant and was no moreclouded with grief and anxiety. "You see how she is, " said the woman tome; "hurting you to the heart one minute and making you forget it thenext. "

"I see, " I replied; "but you should control her. You should make herremember who and what she is, and not permit her to go about as a manor boy. Don't you know how dangerous it is?"

"Oh, but she's her own mistress, " the woman explained. "She canwheedle, and no one can say her nay. But I'm glad she went awayto-night, though I was terribly afraid for her. She had no more thangot out of hearing before there came a pack of troopers, and nothingmust do but they must search the whole house from top to bottom. Theywere hunting for Leroy, too, and if she had been here there would havebeen trouble. "

"What did I tell you?" I exclaimed. "I captured her ahead of them, carried her to General Forrest, and now she is my prisoner. I amresponsible for her. "

"I believe I had rather the others had captured me, " Jane Ryderdeclared. The woman looked at me and shook her head, as much as to say, "Never believe her. "

"Why did you trouble yourself?" Jane Ryder inquired. "I am sure I nevergave you any cause to worry yourself about me. If you think you havedone me a service you were never more mistaken in your life. You havesimply destroyed my usefulness for the time being; but you have givenme an opportunity to show you what I think of your intermeddling. "

"Jane! you know that he has meddled with you only for your own good, "said the older woman. "You ought to thank him on your knees. "

"On my knees!" she exclaimed angrily. "On my knees! I dare say he wouldlike to see me on my knees before him, but he'll see me dead first. " Iwas surprised at the heat she showed over the matter. 

"Your mother, " I said, "has simply used an unfortunate expression. Youowe me nothing--and if you owed me everything a kind word would morethan repay me. "

She bit her lip, but made no reply. "It's her way, " explained themother, "and I'm free to say it's a very poor way. It has always beenher way. Love her and she'll hurt you; do her a favor and she'llpretend to despise you. Her kind words are as scarce as pearls amongthe poor. Scarce, but when they are spoken they make up for all therest. Don't be angry with her; a big man like you shouldn't care what achild like her says. "

"Child! I am older than he is, " said Jane Ryder. 

"But age is not age unless it has experience and judgment, " remarkedthe older woman, serenely. "Without them, age is another form ofchildishness. "

"What are you going to do with me?" asked Jane Ryder, turning to me. She was evidently weary of a discussion of which she was the subject. 

She had placed her finger squarely on my perplexity, for this wasindeed the great problem that I had to solve--what should I do withher? Not to-morrow, nor the day after, but now--to-night. The questionhad occurred to me a dozen times, but I had put it aside, trusting itssolution to the moment when it could be no longer postponed. Ihesitated so long that both of the women sat staring at me. "You havenot answered my question, " said Jane Ryder, "and it is important that Ishould know. "

"I might give you your parole for the night, " I answered. 

"You persist in regarding me as your prisoner?"

"I have my orders, " I replied. "You know that as well as I do. "

"Thank you for your information. Good-night!" and she was gone before Icould say a word, even if I had known what to say. All I could do wasto stare blankly at the door through which she had disappeared. I hadknown all along that if she once took the matter in her own hands Ishould be powerless, for she was a woman--and such a woman! I could nomore hold her prisoner against her will than I could fly. My wholenature revolted at the thought of it. She was a woman--a dangerouswoman, no doubt, but still a woman--and that settled it for me. 

And then, after I had looked at the door long enough to stare it out ofcountenance, if it had had one, I turned to the mother and stared ather. There was just the shadow of a smile hovering around her lips, andit nettled me. "She is parading as a man, " I said, "and I think I shalltreat her as one. A man can be rapped on the head, tied up, and bundledabout, without regard for his comfort. "

"And yet, " said the mother, with her knowing smile, "you wouldn't hurta hair of her head, nor give her a moment's discomfort. " She made thestatement with so much complacency that I was more than irritated; Iwas vexed. 

"If you knew me, " I declared, "you wouldn't say that. I have nopatience with women who try to play the man. "

"I know you well enough to say what I have said, " she replied. "Youhave a face that tells no lies--and more's the pity. "

"Where has she gone?" I inquired. 

"That I can't tell you, " the mother replied; "but it would be thewonder of the world if she had gone to bed. We who love her have nopower to control her. She needs a stronger hand than ours. "

"I could tell you something if I would, " she remarked presently; "butit would be like feeling my way in the dark, and I dare not. Yet thereis another thing I will tell you that can do no harm, though I promisedto keep it to myself. If you stay here you will get in trouble. The manyou shot night before last has a brother, and this brother isdetermined to capture you. I'm telling you this because I think you area good young man. I had a son once who, if he had lived, should beabout your age, and I would have thanked any woman in the world to havegiven him the warning I have given you. You can gain nothing byremaining here. You can return in the morning. Jane will be here; sheis not going to run away from you. "

"Nevertheless, I must do my duty, " I said. "With your permission, Ishall remain here. Does Jane Ryder know of the purpose of this fellow?"

"Oh, no; I wouldn't tell her. She has trouble enough. " She paused andhesitated. "Why not go? There is the door; it is unlocked and you willstill have time to join your friends. This is all I can say to you--allI can do for you. "

"No; you can pray for me. And another thing: if you hear any noisecover up your head and make Jane Ryder cover hers. "

"I'm sure I don't know what to make of you, " she said, puckering herforehead as she stood in the door. 

"But I think I know what to make of you and your daughter, " I replied, with a laugh. 

"Above all things, don't misjudge us, " and with that she was gone, closing the door behind her. 

How long I sat there I know not; it may have been one hour or it mayhave been many; but some time during the night there came a rap at thedoor and the pictures of Jane Ryder were blotted out of the fire andwent flitting up the chimney. The knocking was on the outer door, whichwas unlocked, as the woman had said, and I cried out, "Come in!"Responsive to the invitation, Whistling Jim made his appearance, and Iwas more than glad to see him. I discovered for the first time that Ihad been oppressed by my loneliness, for my spirits rose to a greatheight. 

He seemed very glad to see me, for he laughed aloud. "I bet a dollaryou ain't had no supper, " he said, "an' I tuck an' brung you some. 'Tain't much, but it's better'n none. " But I had no appetite. "I'mmighty glad I brung yo' pistols, too, kaze dey's sump'n wrong gwine on'roun' here. I seed two er th'ee men prowlin' roun' in de bushes ez Icome 'long. Marse Cally, how come you ter leave yo' pistols in yo'saddle? You ain't been a-doin' dataway. I speck dat ar little man youhad up in front er you had sump'n ter do wid it. " He laughed, but Ifound nothing humorous in the allusion. "Did I say 'oman, Marse Cally?"I shook my head. "Kaze ef I did, it slipped out des dry so. I wuzcomin' atter you anyhow, but Marse Harry holla'd at me an' tol' me ferter fin' you an' say dat de troops gwineter move in de mornin' an' ourcomp'ny starts fust. "

I nibbled the food he had brought me, with some particularly heavythoughts in regard to the course we were to take. Yesterday I was aboy, and a very foolish one, but to-day I felt myself to be a man. Thefeeling was the growth of a night, but it gave me new confidence inmyself, and, coupled with it, an assurance that I had never had before, and that has remained with me all through the long years that haveintervened. I think it must have caught the eye of Whistling Jim--thechange, I mean--for he regarded me curiously and closely. 

"Marse Cally, " he said after a while, "I b'lieve you done got mo'settled, sence--dog ef I don't b'lieve dat it's been sence yistiddy! Idunner wharbouts de change is, but it sho' is dar. It mought be de wayyou look at me, an' it mought be de way you don't look at me--an' efyou ain't done grow'd bigger I ain't no nigger. "

"I have only ceased to be giddy for the time being, " I said. "I amafraid I have some serious work cut out for me to-night. If you want togo you are welcome to do so, and if you stay I'll be glad to have you. I don't know anyone I had rather have near me when a row springs up. "

"Me, Marse Cally? You sholy don't mean me. " It was plain that he wasdelighted. "You know how skeery I is, Marse Cally, when dey's a rowgwine on. I can't he'p gittin' skeer'd ter save my life. But it's desame way 'bout leavin' you; I'm skeer'd ter leave you. I couldn't goout dat door fer ter save my life. " Whistling Jim held out his long, slim hands where he could look at them. Then he ran the scale of animaginary piano, once, twice, and shivered again. "I tell you, MarseCally, I'm a-gittin' skeerder an' skeerder. I wish dey'd come on ef deycomin'. "

"Well, " said I, "I'll place the key of the door on the mantel here, andyou can go out whenever you want to. "

But he protested almost violently. "Don't you dast ter do dat, MarseCally! You put dat key in yo' pocket, an' let it stay dar. "Nevertheless, I laid it on the mantel. The negro looked at it more thanonce, and finally, as if taking leave of the temptation it represented, blew it a kiss from his long fingers. 

As he sat down, four men filed into the room through the inner door, which had opened almost noiselessly. 

XI

The men came in treading on one another's heels. The leader was athick-set, heavily built fellow, and he had an evil-looking eye. He wasevidently a soldier, or had been one, for he had the air and bearingthat is unmistakable in a man who has seen service. He had a heavy jaw, and I noticed that his hair was cropped close to his head. The othersappeared to be civilians, plain honest men, but ready, as were many menin Tennessee in those days, to help the Union cause in a quiet way. 

[Illustration: The leader . .. Had an evil-looking eye. ]

"You said thar was only one, " remarked one of them to the short-hairedman. 

"I only told you what Captain Leroy said, " replied the leader. 

"Well, you better had 'a' fetched Leroy along, " commented the man, andI judged that he had small stomach for the work before him. 

I realized that the time had come for me to speak up. "State yourbusiness, " said I. "What do you want with me?"

"We want you to go with us, " replied the short-haired man; "and we'llget our wants, too. "

"Where am I to go?"

"You'll know when you get there, " was the answer. 

"By which road?" I asked. "I am very careful about the roads I travel. "

"We'll look after the roads all right, " he replied. "Will you gopeaceable or not?"

"Just for the looks of the thing, " I replied, "I'd rather have it saidthat I surrendered only after a struggle. " Glancing at the three menthe ruffian had brought with him, I was confirmed in my impression thatthe affair was by no means to their taste. If they had made a rush alltogether it would have been the easiest matter in the world tooverpower me, but somehow they hung back. 

"Come on, " the man cried to his companions, making as if he would leadthem. They hesitated, and it was then that I gave them my views of thesituation. 

"Gentlemen, " I said, "I take you for honest, fair-minded men, and Iwould advise you to have no hand in this business. This man's ordersare from no competent authority, and I give you fair warning that youwill bitterly regret your part in this night's work if you live throughit. "

I could see anxiety, not fear, creep into their faces, and a wholesomedoubt of their leader's good faith. I was satisfied that my words hadtaken the edge off their eagerness, and this was all I hoped to do. Ithink the ruffian must have felt that his companions were weakening, for he paused and turned toward them, with his hand under his coat, asif in the act of drawing a weapon. What he intended to say I neverknew, for, as he turned toward them, still watching me out of thecorner of his evil eye, Whistling Jim was upon him. 

Seizing the man in his arms, he whirled him around until he could getsufficient impetus, and then threw him against the wall as if he hadbeen fired from a catapult. If you have never witnessed the fury ofgenuine fright it is to be hoped you never will, for there is somethinghideous about it. The ruffian had hardly hit the wall before the negrowas upon him again, making a noise in his throat like some wild animal, his face distorted and the muscles of his arms and body standing out asprominently as if he were covered with huge wens or tumors. 

The man had not been so badly stunned by his collision with the wallbut that he could turn over, and by the time the negro reached him hehad drawn his pistol half-way from his pocket; but that was all. Whistling Jim seized the hand and held it, and, using his head as abattering-ram, jammed it into the man's stomach and into his face. Thenhe dragged the limp body toward the fireplace, crying, "Git out de way, Marse Cally. I'm gwine ter put 'im whar he can't pester nobody else. EfI don't he sho will shoot me, kaze I done seed his pistol. "

While the negro was thus engaged with the most dangerous of the men, itis not to be supposed that I was idle. The three companions of theruffian started to his aid when Whistling Jim began operations--theirhesitation suddenly turning into indignation when they beheld thespectacle of a negro assaulting a white man. The foremost went downunder the chair with which I struck him, the second one tripped overthe fallen body and also went down with my assistance. The third mansuddenly found the frame of the well-made chair fitting around his necklike the yoke of an ox. I did my best to pull his head off in order torecover my weapon, but his neck was tougher than the joints of whiteoak, and the two long legs that went to make up the back of the chaircame off in my hand, thus giving me a bludgeon very much to my taste. 

It was at this juncture that the negro came dragging the body of theruffian and declaring his intention of giving him a foretaste oftorment. My anger was of such a blind and unreasoning sort that I hadno objections to the horrible proceeding, and if there had been nosudden diversion I should, in all probability, have aided him incarrying out his purpose. But there came a tremendous knocking at thedoor, and I could hear someone rapping and kicking at the panels tryingto force an entrance. So I laid a restraining hand on the negro andbade him drop the almost lifeless body. 

Giving him one of the chair-legs, and bidding him keep an eye on thethree men, who evidently had had enough of the rough things of life, Iwent to the door. The key was in a position to reflect the light, and Ihad the door open in a moment; but whoever had rapped to get in seemedto have changed his mind. No one came in and no one made an effort toenter, but in another moment I heard the voice of Jane Ryder. "Run!run!" she cried. "Run, if you want to escape! The back yard is full ofUnion soldiers!"

But I thought that this was only a ruse on the part of the little ladyto get rid of me, and, instead of getting away, as I should have done, I stepped out into the hallway. The sight that I saw filled me withindignation, for there stood Jane Ryder, leaning against her mother, and rigged out in the toggery of a man. 

I took her by the arm, and I must have gripped it roughly, for shewinced. "If you know what is good for you, " I said, very sternly, "youwill get yourself out of this wretched garb and throw it in the fire. Will you go?"

"How can I go when you are holding me?" she asked piteously. I releasedher and she went up the stairway sobbing. 

Half-way up the stairs, she turned to me. "You will be sorry you didn'tgo when I told you. You couldn't go now if you wanted to, " and withthat she disappeared. 

I could have cracked my silly pate at the sight of her weeping. I felta hand on my arm, and found her mother standing at my side, laughingsoftly. Seeing that I regarded her with unfeigned astonishment, shelaughed the louder. "You are the first that has ever mastered her. Sheis beyond me. When I married my second husband she declared that I hadsold my interest in her for a pair of side-whiskers. "

The mother said this so pathetically that I could but laugh, seeingthat there was so much incongruity between the remark and the situationall about us. My laughter must have jarred her, for she said with someasperity, "You are laughing now, but in a minute you will be laughingon the other side of your mouth!"

And it was even as she said. A file of soldiers entered from the rear, and before I had time to move or raise a hand they had me surrounded. Their leader was a man full of laughter and good-humor. "Consideryourself a prisoner, " he said to me. "How are you, mother? You arelooking well. Where is sister? Upstairs? Well, get her down, for wemust be moving away from here. What is all this?" He looked into theroom out of which I had come, and saw there the evidences of astruggle, as well as the victims thereof. 

He bustled about with an alertness that seemed to be prepared foranything that might happen. I saw at once that he was a West Pointer. Ihad seen not more than a dozen graduates of the great military academy, but enough to recognize the characteristics that marked them all. Thesecharacteristics are wellnigh indescribable, but they are all includedin the terms "soldier and gentleman. "

"The bruiser has been bruised, " he laughed. "You are looking well, mother; keep it up for the sake of the children. Tell sister to hurryup; we are in a tight place here. "

As he spoke, there was the noise of another scuffle in the room. Iturned just in time to see Whistling Jim fling himself upon the man, who had risen to a sitting position and was making an effort to drawhis pistol. The negro wrenched the weapon from him, threw it out ofreach, seized the hand that had held it and crunched it between histeeth with such savage ferocity that the ruffian howled with pain. 

"Oh, come!" cried the officer. "This won't do, you know; this won't doat all. I won't put up with it. "

"Ef I hadn't er ketched him when I did he'd er shot me daid, " WhistlingJim explained; "me er Marse Cally one. You don't know dat man, suh. Hebeen follerin' atter we-all fer de longest. "

"I know him well enough, " remarked the officer. "Still----" He pausedas if listening. The noise he heard was Jane Ryder coming from above. He met her half-way up the stairs. "My dear old sis!" he exclaimed ashe clasped her in his arms. She said nothing, but sobbed on hisshoulder in a hysterical way that was a surprise to me. "Brace up, deargirl, " he said, trying to soothe her. 

"They were always like that, " said the mother in her placid way. "Ithink it is so nice for brother and sister to be fond of each other. Don't forget that she gave you fair warning. " Her attitude and the toneof her voice were so out of tune with all my thoughts and surroundingsthat I regarded her with amazement. She paid no attention to the look, however, but folded her hands across her ample bosom and smiled at herchildren in a motherly way. 

These children, I knew, were speaking of me, though I could not hearall they said, for the officer--he was Colonel Ryder--laughed and said, "Oh, he'll be in good company. I picked up another fellow in the woods. He says his name is Jasper Goodrum. " Then she said something in a lowtone, something that caused her brother to regard me with considerableinterest. 

"Is that so?" he exclaimed. "You must tell me the particulars later; Ihave no time to hear them now. We must get away from here. "

XII

As he said, so it was; he hustled everything before him, permitting meto keep my horse and allowing Whistling Jim to go along. "Good-by, mother, " he said; "I'm sorry to leave you in such a place as this. Isuppose you are waiting for Major Whiskers. " He laughed gayly as hesaid this, and his mother slapped him playfully as she kissed him. 

He invited me to ride with him at the head of his little squad oftroops, saying that when a colonel started out to command a corporal'sguard he assuredly needed assistance. He was perhaps thirty years old, but he had a tremendous fund of animal spirits, so that he had all theways of a gay youth of twenty. He paid no more attention to the man whohad been knocked about by Whistling Jim than if he had been a log ofwood, and yet he was very tender-hearted. Whatever was in the line ofwar appealed to his professional instincts. War was his trade, and heseemed to love it; and he had a great relish for the bustle and stirthat are incident thereto. 

His sister rode in the top-buggy in which I had first seen her, and shemight have been the commander of the men, judging from the way she gaveinstructions. She seemed to know all the roads, for she went aheadwithout the slightest hesitation. She was driving a good horse, too;his trot was sufficient to keep our horses in a canter; and whenever heheard us coming up behind him he would whisk the buggy away as if hescorned company. Perhaps this was due to the little lady who wasdriving him. 

I had no grudge against her, heaven knows, but somehow I resented mypresent plight, for which I thought she was responsible. She had givenme fair warning, but she should have known that it was my purpose tocarry out the orders of General Forrest; and if I was to be warned atall she should have told me the precise nature of the danger. In thatcase, I could not only have escaped, but I could have been instrumentalin the capture of her brother and his whole party. Perhaps she knewthis--and perhaps this was why she would give me no definiteinformation. 

But if she knew at all she must have known everything; her brother musthave come in response to a summons from her or her mother. In any caseI had been tricked--I had been made a fool of--and after what I haddone for her, I felt that I had a right to feel aggrieved. ColonelRyder observed my sullenness and commented on it. 

"Don't be down-hearted, my boy. It is the fortune of war; there is notelling when it may turn its sunny side to you. In your place I shouldwhistle and sing and make the best of it. Still, I know how you feel, and I sympathize with you. "

"I should not have gone to that house last night, " he went on, "but Iknew that my mother was there, and I had received information that oneof our scouts by the name of Leroy was in great danger of capture. WhatI did discover was that Miss Ryder had been captured. " He laughed as hesaid this, and gave me a peculiar look. 

"As to Leroy, " I asked, "was he at that house? I am very muchinterested in knowing, for General Forrest detailed me to capture him. "

"Under the circumstances, you acquitted yourself wonderfully well, andGeneral Forrest has no right to be displeased with you, " remarkedColonel Ryder. 

"But you have not answered my question, " I said. 

"In the nature of things, " he replied, enigmatically, "I prefer not totell you. Of one thing you may be sure--Leroy is not likely to botherthe rebels for some time to come. I think you have put him out ofbusiness, as the boys say. "

"Then Leroy must be the name of the man that tried to capture me at thetavern. It was the negro that put him out of business. "

"But Leroy is a very dear friend of mine, " laughed the Colonel, "andyou may be sure I should not have left him there. You observed, ofcourse, that I was very attentive to the man your negro had whipped. "He was still laughing, and I could not imagine for the life of me whyhe was tickled. 

XIII

We rode along without adventure of any kind, though I momentarilyexpected to hear the tramp of Forrest's outriders behind us. They nevercame, and about ten o'clock--my stomach was my clock in this instance, for I had had no breakfast--we suddenly turned off from the main roadand plunged into the shadows of the finest wood I had ever seen. Therewere giant chestnuts, giant poplars, giant oaks, and giant pines. Theywere so large that human beings seemed small and insignificant besidethem, and I realized that we were in the primeval forest. 

The thought, however, did not satisfy my hunger, and I wondered whenand where a halt was to be called and rations parcelled out. It is avexatious feeling for the young to feel the pangs of hunger, and I wasnot used to a long fast. My feelings were relieved by Whistling Jim, who informed me that he had placed a very substantial ration in myholsters; and I am free to say that, after Colonel Ryder, the negro wasthe most thoughtful and considerate person I have ever seen. He had aneasy explanation for it, and spoke of it very lightly, remarking thatall he had to do was to think of himself first "an' de white folksnex'. "

In turning into the wood, we were following the lead of the little ladyin the top-buggy, and I think that Colonel Ryder had no idea whithershe was leading him. Yet he yielded himself and his men to her guidancewith a confidence that few soldiers would have displayed. We had comevery rapidly until we turned out of the main road, and then we wentalong more leisurely. This gave me time to overcome my naturalstupidity, for I finally realized that our rapid movements on the mainroad were intended to place us beyond the reach of Forrest's advanceguard. 

The by-way that we were now following appeared to be little used, yetit was a wide road and a good one, and probably served as the means ofcommunication between isolated farms, or it may have led to some lonelygrist-mill which had been built for the convenience of that thinlypopulated region. Though it was but little used, it was plain to theeye, and I thought with a smile that if Captain Bill Forrest's companyshould happen to have any leisure a dozen or more of them would be sureto see where it led, in which event----

The smile faded away as soon it came, for I thought of the little ladyin the top-buggy who was driving ahead with so much confidence. Shewould be safe in any event, but what would she think of me if herbrother should be captured or killed? I shrunk from facing such acontingency; I shrunk without knowing why. Being a young fellow, andfeeling my importance as I have never felt it since, I imagined shewould hold me responsible. I had interfered with her plans in more waysthan one, and I felt that she owed me a grudge that would grow toenormous proportions should any harm come to her brother. 

I was suddenly recalled to the affairs of the moment by hearing thescreams of a woman, followed by a rifle-shot. I saw Jane Ryder urgingher horse forward, and, without waiting to see what Colonel Ryderproposed to do, I put spurs to my horse, followed by Whistling Jim. Thescream of the woman had sent a cold chill all through me, and I was inno humor for waiting to see what the others would do. I thought I heardshouts behind me, but I paid no attention to them. I turned my horse tothe left and headed him in the direction from which the sounds hadcome. 

Keeping a sharp eye ahead, I soon came in sight of a cabin sittinglonely and forlorn in the middle of a small clearing. I saw more thanthis, for three men were engaged in a desperate effort to batter downthe door. My horse bore me past the little lady in a flash, althoughshe was using the whip. With a cry of "Halt and surrender!" I rode atthe men pistol in hand. They whipped around the house without turningtheir heads, and ran off into the thick undergrowth, where it wouldhave been both useless and dangerous to pursue them. 

They left one of their number on the ground, the victim of therifle-shot we had heard. He begged lustily for both mercy and water. Ifhe had been compelled to choose between the two I think he would havetaken water. I gave him my canteen, which he emptied at a gulp andcalled for more. There was a strange silence in the house--a silence indecided contrast to the screams I had heard, and I wondered if thewretches had shot the woman. I started to knock on the door with thebutt of my pistol, but Jane Ryder was before me. 

"Only children do such foolish things, " she exclaimed, and I thoughtshe had scorn in her voice. "Sally! Sally Rodgers! Open the door if youare alive! Don't you know me? Your friends are here. "

"Pardon me!" I said, pushing past Jane Ryder as the door opened. For amoment I could see nothing whatever, not even the woman who had openedthe door, but when my eyes grew accustomed to the gloom that pervadedthe house--all the windows were closed--I saw the big Irishman whom Ihad met at the tavern a few nights before. He was sitting very quietlyin the chimney-corner, but I observed that he had me covered with hisrifle. I stared at him without a word, and he was equally as silent, but something in the situation--or in his face, for he had as pleasinga countenance as I have ever seen--caused me to laugh. 

[Illustration: He had me covered. ]

"'Tis a long mile from a joke, " he declared. "Ye see before ye PrivateO'Halloran av the sharpshooters. Wan av us is a prisoner, an' I'mthinkin' it's not meself. "

"It is not given to every man, " I replied, "to be taken prisoner whilehe is still a prisoner. You will have to speak to Colonel Ryder. "

The woman had come from behind the door to greet Jane Ryder, and nowshe was giving her all the details of her troubles, her voice pitchedin a very high key. Meanwhile, half a dozen children in various stagesof undress swarmed from under the bed and stood staring at us. "Thesound of the woman's screams, " said I, turning to Jane Ryder, "causedme to forget that I am a prisoner. I hope your brother doesn't thinkthat I made that an excuse for running away. "

"And why shouldn't a prisoner escape--if he can?" she asked, after amoment's hesitation. "You'll never have a better opportunity to rejoinyour command. You are not under parole, and you are under noobligations to my brother. You have only to mount your horse, beckon toyour negro, and follow the path you will find at the back of the house. It leads by a grist-mill. A part of your command has already passed onthe road beyond the mill, but if you will go now you will fall in withthe rear-guard. "

"Beggin' pardon, " said O'Halloran, taking off his hat to the lady, "thelad has engagements wit' me. He's me twenty-ninth, all told, an'there's luck in odd numbers. If it's all the same to you, mum, he'llstay here. "

"But it's not all the same to me, Mr. O'Halloran, " she said, turning tothe Irishman. "I prefer that he should go. "

His eyes grew bigger as he stared at the lady. "Oh----" he exclaimed, and then paused with his mouth open. "Niver did I hope to see megallant Captain in this rig. It doesn't become ye at all. The trimmin'smake ye a fut shorter, an' be me soul! ye was short enough to beginwit'. " His amazement made her laugh, but she made no reply. 

"Are you going?" she inquired, turning to me. I hesitated. Undoubtedlyhere was an opportunity, but something or other--some feeling orsentiment--call it what you will--held me back. 

"Not now, " I said, finally. "Some other time, perhaps, but not now. " Idid not realize at the time why I held back--why I refused to be free. 

She turned away from me with a petulant shrug of the shoulders, as muchas to say that she was no longer under obligations to me for preventingher capture by the party that had raided the tavern. The big Irishman, who had evidently recognized the little lady as a person of someimportance, went so far as to try to persuade me to make my escape, or, rather, to take advantage of the escape I had already made. 

"If ye're stayin' thinkin' he's a woman, don't do ut. Don't stop for tosay good-by, but straddle yure horse an' be off wit' ye. "

But the little lady had a mind of her own, as I was shortly todiscover. After she had talked with the woman for a few minutes, sheturned to me. 

"Will you ride with me a few miles?" she inquired. "Your negro can leadyour horse. "

I agreed with such promptness and eagerness that a faint tinge of colorcame into her face. But, in the bustle of getting away, I paid littleattention to her appearance until we were on the move again, and then Iobserved that she was very pale. I thought it was cold, and said so. 

"The wind is certainly chilly, " she replied, and then, moved byembarrassment, or stirred by the motherly instinct that constitutesmore than half the charm of womanhood, she leaned over and tucked thelap-robe about my knees, and then fell back in her place, laughinggleefully, as a child might have laughed. Indeed, for a woman grown, this little lady had more of the cunning tricks of childhood thananyone I had ever seen--the cute little ways that endear children tothose who love them. At the time, this fact did not add to myhappiness, for, what with her womanliness and her childishness, shepresented a problem that puzzled and dazzled me, for my mind waswofully lacking in the nimbleness necessary to follow the swift changesof her moods. 

She had turned the buggy into the woods, and was driving along with noroad to guide her. I had not the remotest idea whither she was carryingme, but by way of saying something I protested against the way she waspushing her horse. "You will need him after to-day, " I explained. 

"I have reason to be in a hurry, " she said. "Horses are cheap enoughwith us. They are furnished by the Government. "

"Still, he is a fairly good horse, " I remarked, "and he deserves someconsideration on his own account. "

"Do you think so?" she cried. "I am sure you are very kind--to horses. If I am driving him too hard you have yourself to thank. You have upsetall my plans, and I am not very happy. Don't you think a woman deservesas much consideration as a horse?"

"They are to be treated according to their deserts, " I answered, gravely. "They know what duty is. Private O'Halloran says that you areno woman, and I say that you are no man. Where does consideration fallin your case?"

"I ask for no more consideration than you would accord to a humanbeing. Mr. O'Halloran has never seen me in my proper dress before, andhe knows only how I appear at night when I am working for the cause ofthe Union. But who are you that you should judge of the deserts of menand women? You are nothing but a boy, and you'll not be different whenyou are a man. Instead of marching with your comrades, here you areriding in a buggy with a woman--and for what? In the name of heaven, tell me for what?"

She seemed to be overcome by quite a little flurry of passion, and hermanner irritated me. "You know why as well as I do, " I replied, soberlyenough. "You heard the orders my General gave me in the first place, and, in the second place, you know that I am a prisoner. It is odd thatyou can play a game and forget the score. I imagined when I startedthat my duty would be the greatest pleasure of my life. "

"Do you know where you are going now?" she inquired, very seriously. 

"It is a matter of indifference to me, " I answered. "Wherever I go, Iam in the hands of Providence. "

"If you could believe that, " she remarked, "it would do you a world ofgood. "

I laughed at her serious manner. "Believe it!" I exclaimed. "Why, it istoo plain for mere belief. I do not believe it--I know it. "

She was silent for a long time, and when she did speak her words, showed that the matter was still on her mind. "It seems to me verypeculiar, " she said, "that one so young should have such solemnthoughts. "

"Why do you call them solemn thoughts?" I asked. "Can anything be morecheerful than to know that you are altogether in the hands of a higherPower--to know that you will be taken care of; or, if you perish, toknow that it will be in the very nick of time?"

"You are too serious to be romantic, " she said. "I should like to seeyou making love. "

"I can gratify your humor with a right good will--only the lady I wouldmake love to despises me. "

"I'll never believe it, " she declared, and it was evident that shemeant what she said. 

"That is because you have only a vague idea of the cruelty of womanwhen she has a man at her mercy--and knows it. "

"I should like to see some woman at your mercy, " she said. "No doubtyou would give free play to the strap and the rawhide and otherimplements of the slave-driver. "

Her words made me wince, and I must have shown the wound, for when Ilooked at her her countenance wore an expression of regret andrepentance. "You must forgive me, " she declared. "If we were to bethrown together you would have to forgive me fifty times a day. "

"Well, I thank heaven, " I exclaimed, with some feeling, "that I wasnever at the mercy of more than one woman, and that fact was mitigatedsomewhat. She was arrayed in the garb of a man, and I was so sorry forher that I forgot she had me at her mercy. "

"You should have told her, " the little lady declared. "Perhaps if shehad known her conduct would have been vastly different. You never knowwhat a woman will do until she has been put to the test. "

"She did a good deal, " I said, sullenly. "She called me a coward, arebel, and a traitor. "

"Then she must have been in despair, " replied the little lady in themost matter-of-fact way. "When you are a little older you will discoverthat despair has an anger all its own. But I hope you will never feelit, " she sighed. "Anyone can I see that you know very little aboutwomen. "

"I hope my ignorance does me no harm, " I suggested. 

"Not the slightest, " she answered. "It is a help to you. It is the sortthat goes with youth, and I had rather have your youth than all theexperience in the world. "

The answer I made I shall always regard as an inspiration. "You canhave my youth, " I said, "if you will take all that goes with it. " Forone or two little moments she either doubted her ears or failed tocatch my meaning. But when she could no longer doubt--when she wasobliged to understand me--she hid her face in her hands to conceal theresult of her emotions. I seized her hands and compelled her to look atme. She was blushing like a school-girl. "Is my youth, with all itsappurtenances, worth your acceptance?" I asked. She made no reply, andI think she would have maintained silence the rest of the way but formy persistent chattering. 

To me her embarrassment was very beautiful--thrilling, indeed--and insome mysterious way her youth came back to her, and she seemed to be nomore than sixteen. "My youth is not too youthful for you, " I insisted. "I have grown very much older lately, and you have become a girl againin the last five minutes. " She was still silent, and I took advantageof it to draw her hands under the lap-robe. "There is no reason whyyour fingers should freeze, " I said. 

"They are not likely to--now, " she declared, and, though it may havebeen pure imagination, I thought she leaned a little nearer, and thebare idea of such graciousness on her part seemed to change my wholenature. All the folly of youth went out of me, and love came in andtook its place and filled my whole being. What I had been belonged tothe remote past; I knew that I should never be the same again. 

"I offered you my youth, " I said, "and now I offer you my manhood, suchas it is. You must answer yea or nay. "

She gave me a quick, inquiring glance, and her face told me all that Idesired to know. "Neither yea nor nay, " she replied. "We are both veryfoolish, but, of the two, I am the more foolish. We are trying to looktoo far ahead; we are prying into the future, and the future is awaybeyond us. Everything you say and everything I have in my mind isabsurd, no matter how agreeable it may be. Do you care enough for me todesert your comrades and fling your principles to the four winds? Do Icare enough for you to leave my people and give my sympathies to yourside?" She was smiling as she spoke, but I knew that she was veryserious, and I made no reply. "I am going to tell you the simpletruth, " she went on. "I do care enough for you to leave everything foryour sake, for there can be no real love where there is not awillingness to sacrifice all---- Oh, I don't know why women arecompelled to make all the sacrifices. "

"She not only does that, " I replied, "but she is compelled to bear theburden of them alone. Ordinarily, man is a hindrance rather than ahelp, but I am here to help you. "

"Then help me in the right way, " she implored. 

"I will, " I replied; "but here is an argument that is worth all therest, " and with that I drew her to me and pressed my lips to hers. Shemade no resistance whatever, but somehow the argument did not appeal toher reason. 

"I could kiss you twice ten thousand times, " she declared, "but factswould remain the same. I have heard that your people have great notionsof honor, and I hope it is true in your case. "

Well, it was only too true, and I knew it, but, manlike, I must takesome reprisal from the truth. "Your mother told me, " I said, "that youhave a great knack of hurting those you love. "

She leaned against me with a sigh. "If I thought that the truth couldreally hurt you, " she declared, "I should never be happy again in thisworld, but it is something else that hurts, and it is hurting me agreat deal worse than it is hurting you. "

I suppose I am not the only man in the world that has been caught inthe desert that sometimes stretches its barren wastes between love andduty. I knew that if I but held out my hand to this little woman shewould give up all, and, assuredly, had she held out her hand to me Ishould have flung duty to the winds. But she was of a different mould. The only comfort I had at the moment was in feeling that the sacrificewas mutual. 

I longed for her brother to ride up behind us, so that I might still bea prisoner, but she had provided against that. I realized at last thatI had never been regarded as a prisoner. I should have been grateful, but I was not--at least, not at the moment. If, as has been said, a mancuts a ridiculous figure when he is sulking, my appearance must havebeen truly laughable. But the little lady was very sweet and patient. Her eyes were so full of tears, as she afterward confessed, that shecould hardly see to guide her horse. 

When I came to take note of my surroundings I could not refrain fromuttering an exclamation of surprise. We had issued from the forest, when or how I knew not, and were now ascending a very steep hill. Looking back, I saw a mill behind me, and noticed that Whistling Jimwas engaged in conversation with the miller. He was evidentlynegotiating for meal or flour; but it all came to me as in a dream. 

"Did you see the mill as we came by?" I asked. 

"Certainly, " the little lady replied. "Didn't you hear me speak to themiller?"

"I don't know how I am to forgive you for seeing and hearing things. Ididn't know we had come out of the wood. "

She laughed merrily and laid her face against my arm, but when shelifted it she was crying. "Oh, don't make it too hard for me, " shepleaded. "I am not myself to-day. Duty has been poisoned for me, and Ishall be wretched until this war is over. Surely it can't last long. "

"Not longer than a century, " I replied, bitterly. 

"Look yonder!" she exclaimed. 

We had now reached the top of the hill, and when I looked in thedirection in which she pointed, I saw a sight that thrilled me. 

XIV

From the crest of the hill a vast panorama, bare but beautiful, stretched out before us. The hill was not a mountain--indeed, from thedirection of our approach, it seemed to be rather an insignificanthill; but on the farther side the land fell away from it quiteunexpectedly, so that what seemed to be a hill from one side developedthe importance almost of a mountain on the other side. The road droppedinto a valley that ran away from the hill and spread out for miles andmiles until it faded against the horizon and was lost in the distance. The season was winter, and the view was a sombre one, but its extentgave it a distinction all its own. Far to the left a double worm-fenceran, and we knew that a road lay between, for along its lazy length atroop of cavalry trailed along. 

I knew it instantly for the rear-guard of my command, and the sight ofit thrilled me. I suppose something of a glow must have come into myface, for the little woman at my side stirred impatiently. "That isyour command, " she said, "and you are glad to see them. " She was silenta moment, and then, as if she had suddenly lost all control of herself, cried out, "Oh, what shall I do now?"

"You knew what my duty was, " I said, with a sustaining arm about her, "and you brought me here. "

"But if I had it to do over again I couldn't--I couldn't!" she wailed. 

"If you had it to do over again you shouldn't, " I answered; and then Iseized her and held her tight in my arms. Nor did I release her untilWhistling Jim, coming up and realizing the situation, celebrated it bywhistling a jig. "If you'll say the word, " I declared, "I'll go withyou. "

"I can't! I can't!" she cried. "Do you say it, and I'll go with you. "

But neither of us said it; something beyond ourselves held us back. Iam not sure, after all, that it was a sense of duty; but, whatever itwas, it was effectual. 

"I am afraid something dreadful will happen to you, " she declared. "Ihave dreamed and dreamed about it. You have made a coward of me. I'mnot afraid for myself, but for you. "

"One year after the war is over, " I said, "I shall be at the old tavernin Murfreesborough. One year to a day. Will you meet me there?"

"I'll be there, " she replied, "or send a messenger to tell you that Iam dead. "

And so we parted. I mounted my horse, and she turned her buggy around. I watched her until she passed out of sight, and I knew that one of herlittle hands must be cold, for she waved it constantly until a turn inthe road hid her from view. On the road toward which she was going Icould see a group of men and horses, and I knew that her brotherawaited her. With a heavy heart, I turned my horse's head, and wentgalloping after my comrades, followed by Whistling Jim. 

I had but one thought, and that was to report to General Forrest aspromptly as possible and receive the reprimand that I knew I deserved. At that time it was the general opinion, even among those of hiscommand who were not thrown into daily contact with him, that thistruly great man was of a grim and saturnine disposition. But it was anopinion that did him great injustice. There were times when he fairlybubbled over with boyish humor, and though these moments were rare, hewas unfailingly cordial to those that had met his expectations or whohad his confidence. He could be grim enough when circumstances demandeda display of temper, but he had never made me the victim of hisdispleasure. 

I looked forward with no little concern to our next meeting, for I feltthat I merited a reprimand, and I knew how severe he could be on suchoccasions. He was far to the front, as I knew he would be. "Hello, Shannon!" he exclaimed, in response to my salute. His countenance wasserious enough, but there was a humorous twinkle in his eye. "Did youfetch me the fellow I sent you for?"

Thereupon, I related my adventures as briefly as I could. He seemed tobe amused at something or other--I have thought since that it must havebeen at my attitude of self-depreciation--and called two or three ofhis favorite officers so that they might enjoy it with him. He washighly tickled by the narrative of my experience with the little ladyin the top-buggy, though, as a matter of course, I suppressed some ofthe details. 

"Now, I want you all to look at this boy, " he said to his officers whenI had concluded. "He ain't anything but a boy, and yet he did what noother man in my command could have done. He captured Leroy, the fellowyou have been reading about, and fetched him to me, and I've put himout of business. There's Goodrum, an old campaigner, a man who knowsevery man, woman, and child in this part of Tennessee. I put Goodrum onthe same trail, and Goodrum's a prisoner. This boy was a prisoner, too, and yet he turns up all right and puts up a poor mouth about what hefailed to do. If every man in my command would fail in the same wayI'd have the finest body of troops in the army. And look at him blush. Why, if these other fellows were in your place"--indicating theofficers--"they'd be strutting around here like peacocks. "

"But, General, " I protested, "what I did was through my blundering. "

"Then I hope you'll go right ahead with your blunders; you couldn'tplease me better. I'm going to take you away from the Independents, andI'll put you where I can get my hands on you any hour of the night orday. "

And as he said so it was--and so it remained until the close of thewar. Especially was it so when Forrest was ordered to cover Hood'sretreat after the disastrous affair at Nashville. History has not madevery much of this achievement, but I have always thought that it wasthe most remarkable episode of the war. Under the circumstances, noother leader could have accomplished it. No other man could haveimposed his personality between the defeated Confederates and theirvictorious foe, bent on their total destruction. It was little short ofwonderful. 

I remember that I was shoeless, along with the greater part of mycommand, though the weather was bitter cold, and my feet were bleeding, and yet when I heard that trumpet voice, ordering us from the wagons tomake one more stand, I never thought of my feet. Nor was there ashirker among the men--and all because the leader was Forrest. Nothingbut death would have prevented us from responding to his summons. Andwe saved that defeated army from annihilation, holding the enemy at bayand driving him back, when, if he had known the true condition ofaffairs, he would have ridden over us roughshod. There were times whenwe were upon the point of giving way and fleeing before the numbersthat were hurled against us. But always the imposing figure of Forrestappeared at the weak point, and then it would be the enemy would giveway. 

 * * * * *

At this point, with only a few more words, my story would have beenended, but the young lady to whom it was first told would not permit itto end there. Her Boston education had not eliminated her curiosity. She sat looking at her mother with an indescribable expression on herface. I knew not whether she was on the point of laughing or crying, and I think that for a moment the mother was as doubtful as I. She didneither the one nor the other, but went to her mother's chair andkneeled on the floor beside her. 

"Hasn't Dad left something out?"

"Why, I think not, " replied the mother. "Indeed, I think he has toldtoo much. "

"Oh, no, not too much, " replied the young woman. "I know he has leftout something, and I think it is the most important part. "

"What I have not told, " I remarked, "has been strongly intimated. It isbest to leave some things to the imagination. "

"I think not, " replied the young woman, with decision. "You haven'ttold anything about what happened after the war. "

"That's true, " commented the mother, with something like a blush; "butI think that is almost too personal. "

"No, no, " the girl insisted with a smile; "you know how the public takesuch things. If Dad writes his story and has it put in a book thereaders will think it is pure fiction. "

"But if it were fiction, " said I, "it would be a bad thing for all ofus. "

Fiction or not, I was compelled to tell the story until there was nomore story to tell. 

In the middle of April, one year after the surrender, I made all mypreparations to return to Murfreesborough, and it was no surprise to methat Harry Herndon was keen to go with me. His grandmother made noobjection, especially when he explained that he desired to be my bestman. His real reason for going, however, was a lively hope thatKatherine Bledsoe would accompany Jane Ryder. And then there wasWhistling Jim to be taken into account. He made known his intention ofaccompanying me whether or no. He was free, and he had money of hisown, and there was no reason why he shouldn't visit Murfreesborough ifhe cared to. He settled the matter for himself, and, once on the way, Iwas very glad to have him along. 

But for the subtle changes made by peace, the town was the same, andeven the old tavern in the woods had survived all the contingencies ofwar and stood intact, but tenantless. I made haste to escape from theold house, and was sorry that I had ventured there before the appointedtime. The sight of it gave me a feeling of depression, and I had aforetaste of the emptiness there would be in life should Jane Ryderfail to come. 

The only consolation I had was in the hopefulness of Whistling Jim. "She'll be dar ez sho' ez de worl', " he said, and his earnestness wasso vital that it was the means of lifting me across a very bad place inmy experience; yet it did not cure me of the restlessness that hadseized me. The night before the appointed day, I wandered far beyondthe limit of the town, and presently, without knowing how I got there, I found myself near the house where Jack Bledsoe had lain when he waswounded. I went to the gate and would have gone in on the pretence ofinquiring the way to the town; but a woman was standing there in thedarkness. 

I hesitated, but I should have known her among a thousand--I shouldhave known her if the darkness had been Egyptian. I opened the gate andheld her in my arms. Neither said a word, and the silence was unbrokenuntil someone in the house came out upon the veranda and called:

"Jane! Jane! Are you out there? Where are you?" It was the voice ofKatherine Bledsoe, and I was glad for Harry's sake. 

 * * * * *

"I don't think that is a very pretty way to end a story, " said themother of the college graduate, perceiving that I had nothing more tosay. "You should by all means get your sweetheart out of your arms. "

"Since that day, " I replied, "she hasn't been out of them long at atime. "

"But you will have to change that part of it when you write the storyout. "

"Oh, no!" cried the daughter. 

I refilled my pipe and listened to their tender arguments until I wassleepy, and when I went to bed they were still arguing. 

THE END