"You," she cried, in agitated tones. "Oh, I thought that you were on our side!"
A loud burst of laughter came from the soldiers, and the prisoner became very pale.
"I reckon the "Little Yank" has called your death sentence, pardner," said one of the Confederates, roughly. "That shows that you are a spy all right enough."
"A spy," cried Jeanne, a light flooding her mind. "Oh, what have I done?
What have I done?"
"Do not grieve," said the young man, who was none other than the officer whom she had aided in Memphis. "They strongly suspected it any way, and were taking me to their Commanding officer for examination."
"There doesn"t need to be much examination," said a Confederate, bluntly.
"Colonel Peyton will make short work of you."
"Whom did you say?" cried the young man in such agonized tones that all turned to look at him.
"Colonel Peyton," was the reply. "Here he is now."
"What does this mean, boys?" asked Colonel Peyton, appearing in the door of his tent. "What is the disturbance?"
"A feller that we caught sneaking round the camp," answered the leader, gruffly. "He claims to be a Southerner, and I reckon he is one all right, but his actions are decidedly suspicious. We were bringing him to you when this girl recognized him, and called the turn on him as belonging to the Federals."
"He is that worst of men, a Southerner who has turned against the State that gave him birth and who takes up arms against her," said the Colonel sternly, yet with emotion. "I know him, men, personally. He is an officer in the Federal army. If he was prowling about here in those clothes he is without doubt a spy. Unhappy man," he continued, turning to the prisoner, "what have you to say for yourself?"
"Nothing," and the young fellow bowed his head upon his breast.
"You know the penalty of being caught as a spy," went on the pitiless voice of the Colonel. "A spy is one of the most dishonorable of men, and deserves any death given him. We have not much time for such. You die at sunrise. Take him, men, and guard him well. I believe him to be a dangerous man."
He turned back into his tent, and the soldiers started away with him, when Jeanne darted to the young man"s side, and caught his hand between her own.
"Forgive me," she sobbed. "I did not know what I was doing. Forgive me."
"Never mind, child," said the young officer, drearily. "It would have happened any way. He knew me. I would rather have died in battle, but after all I have been doing my duty. It is not death I fear, but----"
"But what?" asked Jeanne, as he paused.
"It breaks my heart to be condemned to death by my own father," came the agonized reply.
CHAPTER XXI
A SURPRISE AND AN ESCAPE
"Your father?" cried Jeanne, in amazement. "Is Colonel Peyton your father?"
The young man bowed in a.s.sent.
"And he condemns you to death?" went on the girl, a horrified expression on her face. "How could he do such a thing? Oh, how could he?"
"By George," broke from one of the Confederates. "This is a pretty mess!
Boys, the old man has sentenced his own son to death as a spy."
The soldiers crowded about the prisoner. Jeanne drew close to him and laid her hand pityingly upon his arm.
"I will tell Bob," she said. "Perhaps she can persuade your father not to do this monstrous thing."
"Bob! Is Bob here?" The Lieutenant looked up eagerly and then shook his head. "No," he said, "she must not know. It would break her heart. After all what has he done but what is just? Had it been any other Federal we would commend him for doing his duty. He could not do other than he has done. But say nothing to Bob. Add this to your other kindness, Miss Jeanne. And, as this will probably be the last opportunity I shall ever have, let me thank you also for sending me to your home."
"Then you really went there," cried Jeanne. "You saw my father and my mother? How did they look? Were they well? When did you leave them? Oh, Lieutenant Peyton, do tell me all about them."
"They are all well, or were when I left them which was two months ago.
They were as kind to me as if I had been their own son. I shall never forget them. But they were worried because they had not heard from you.
After you left Memphis no word came to them. Child, why do you treat such parents so? Why are you here in place of being at home? It is wrong to subject them to so much uneasiness. They cannot think what has happened to you?"
"But I have written," cried Jeanne, tearfully. "And I want to get home. I don"t want to stay here one bit. I want----"
"Men, why do you dally here with your prisoner?" came in stern tones from Colonel Peyton who had approached the group un.o.bserved. "I desire that no further communication be allowed between this man and that girl. Are they not both Federals?"
"Being as he was your son, Colonel," said the leader, saluting, "we thought----"
"Your business is to obey orders, not to think," interrupted the officer brusquely. "He is no son of mine. My son died to me long ago."
"Dad," cried the cheery voice of Bob as she came toward him. "They say that you have caught a spy. Where is he? Why----" Her gaze fell upon the prisoner and she stopped short. "Frank," she cried, shrilly, "it"s Frank!
Oh, dad, what does it mean?"
"It means," said the Colonel, trying to draw her away, "that you have no brother, Bob. This man is nothing to you. He is a spy and as such dies at sunrise."
"At sunrise!" shrieked Bob. "No, no!"
"Away with that fellow," ordered the Colonel, harshly. "And mind! I shall hold each one of you personally responsible for his safety. Bob," as the soldiers bore his son away, "you are under arrest. Go to your quarters and stay there until I release you. And you also," to Jeanne.
"You have no right to arrest me, Colonel Peyton," said Jeanne coldly. "I refuse to obey any man who sentences his own son to death."
"You refuse to obey me?" cried the Colonel, loth to believe his ears. "Me?"
"Yes, sir, you. I do not consider myself under arrest. You have no right to put me there. I am neither your daughter nor your slave," and Jeanne put her arm around Bob and faced him defiantly.
"There are ways of enforcing obedience, young lady," said the Colonel.
"Bob, to your quarters."
"But, dad,----"
"To your quarters," commanded her father sternly. "Johnson," to a soldier, "see that these girls are well-guarded until I give other orders."
And so it came about that a guard was placed about their tent and the girls found themselves as closely watched as if they were indeed prisoners. In the afternoon as they sat disconsolately together a confusion without told that something unusual was going on. Jeanne went to the aperture in the front of the tent and looked out.
"What is it?" she asked of the sentry.