"I didn"t know," said the man; "I aint no brag Bible scholar." He put on a look of droll modesty. "I used to could say the ten commandments of the decalogue, oncet, and I still tries to keep "em, in ginerally.
There"s another burnt house. That"s the third one we done pa.s.sed inside a mile. Raiders was along here about two weeks back. Hear that rooster crowin"? When we pa.s.s the plantation whar he is and rise the next hill, we"ll be in sight o" the little town whar we stop for refresh_ments_, as the railroad man says. You must begin to feel jess about everlastin"ly wore out, don"t you?"
"No," said Mary; but he made a movement of the head to indicate that he had his belief to the contrary.
At an abrupt angle of the road Mary"s heart leaped into her throat to find herself and her companion suddenly face to face with two hors.e.m.e.n in gray, journeying leisurely toward them on particularly good horses.
One wore a slouched hat, the other a Federal officer"s cap. They were the first Confederates she had ever seen eye to eye.
"Ride on a little piece and stop," murmured the spy. The strangers lifted their hats respectfully as she pa.s.sed them.
"Gents," said the spy, "good-morning!" He threw a leg over the pommel of his saddle and the three men halted in a group. One of them copied the spy"s att.i.tude. They returned the greeting in kind.
"What command do you belong to?" asked the lone stranger.
"Simmons"s battery," said one. "Whoa!"--to his horse.
"Mississippi?" asked Mary"s guardian.
"Rackensack," said the man in the blue cap.
"Arkansas," said the other in the same breath. "What is your command?"
"Signal service," replied the spy. "Reckon I look mighty like a citizen jess about now, don"t I?" He gave them his little laugh of self-depreciation and looked toward Mary, where she had halted and was letting her horse nip the new gra.s.s of the roadside.
"See any troops along the way you come?" asked the man in the hat.
"No; on"y a squad o" fellehs back yonder who was all unsaddled and fast asleep, and jumped up worse scared"n a drove o" wile hogs. We both sort o" got a little mad and jess swapped a few shots, you know, kind o" t.i.t for tat, as it were. Enemy"s loss unknown." He stooped more than ever in the shoulders, and laughed. The men were amused. "If you see "em, I"d like you to mention me"-- He paused to exchange smiles again. "And tell "em the next time they see a man hurryin" along with a lady and sick child to see the doctor, they better hold their fire till they sho he"s on"y a citizen." He let his foot down into the stirrup again and they all smiled broadly. "Good-morning!" The two parties went their ways.
"Jess as leave not of met up with them two b.u.t.termilk rangers," said the spy, once more at Mary"s side; "but seein" as thah we was the oniest thing was to put on all the bra.s.s I had."
From the top of the next hill the travellers descended into a village lying fast asleep, with the morning star blazing over it, the c.o.c.ks calling to each other from their roosts, and here and there a light twinkling from a kitchen window, or a lazy axe-stroke smiting the logs at a wood-pile. In the middle of the village one lone old man, half-dressed, was lazily opening the little wooden "store" that monopolized its commerce. The travellers responded to his silent bow, rode on through the place, pa.s.sed over and down another hill, met an aged negro, who pa.s.sed on the roadside, lifting his forlorn hat and bowing low; and, as soon as they could be sure they had gone beyond his sight and hearing, turned abruptly into a dark wood on the left. Twice again they turned to the left, going very warily through the deep shadows of the forest, and so returned half around the village, seeing no one. Then they stopped and dismounted at a stable-door, on the outskirts of the place. The spy opened it with a key from his own pocket, went in and came out again with a great armful of hay, which he spread for the horses" feet to m.u.f.fle their tread, led them into the stable, removed the hay again, and closed and locked the door.
"Make yourself small," he whispered, "and walk fast." They pa.s.sed by a garden path up to the back porch and door of a small unpainted cottage.
He knocked, three soft, measured taps.
"Day"s breakin"," he whispered again, as he stood with Alice asleep in his arms, while somebody was heard stirring within.
"Sam?" said a low, wary voice just within the unopened door.
"Sister," softly responded the spy, and the door swung inward, and revealed a tall woman, with an austere but good face, that could just be made out by the dim light of a tallow candle shining from the next room.
The travellers entered and the door was shut.
"Well," said the spy, standing and smiling foolishly, and bending playfully in the shoulders, "well, Mrs. Richlin","--he gave his hand a limp wave abroad and smirked,--""In Dixie"s land you take yo" stand."
This is it. You"re in it!--Mrs. Richlin", my sister; sister, Mrs.
Richlin"."
"Pleased to know ye," said the woman, without the faintest ray of emotion. "Take a seat and sit down." She produced a chair bottomed with raw-hide.
"Thank you," was all Mary could think of to reply as she accepted the seat, and "Thank you" again when the woman brought a gla.s.s of water. The spy laid Alice on a bed in sight of Mary in another chamber. He came back on tiptoe.
"Now, the next thing is to git you furder south. Wust of it is that, seein" as you got sich a weakness fur tellin" the truth, we"ll jess have to sort o" slide you along fum one Union man to another; sort o" hole fa.s.s what I give ye, as you used to say yourself, I reckon. But you"ve got one strong holt." His eye went to his sister"s, and he started away without a word, and was presently heard making a fire, while the woman went about spreading a small table with cold meats and corn-bread, milk and b.u.t.ter. Her brother came back once more.
"Yes," he said to Mary, "you"ve got one mighty good card, and that"s it in yonder on the bed. "Humph!" folks"ll say; "didn"t come fur with that there baby, sho!""
"I wouldn"t go far without her," said Mary, brightly.
"_I_ say," responded the hostess, with her back turned, and said no more.
"Sister," said the spy, "we"ll want the buggy."
"All right," responded the sister.
"I"ll go feed the hosses," said he, and went out. In a few minutes he returned. "Joe must give "em a good rubbin" when he comes, sister," he said.
"All right," replied the woman, and then turning to Mary, "Come."
"What, ma"m?"
"Eat." She touched the back of a chair. "Sam, bring the baby." She stood and waited on the table.
Mary was still eating, when suddenly she rose up, saying:--
"Why, where is Mr. ----, your brother?"
"He"s gone to take a sleep outside," said his sister. "It"s too resky for him to sleep in a house."
She faintly smiled, for the first time, at the end of this long speech.
"But," said Mary, "oh, I haven"t uttered a word of thanks. What will he think of me?"
She sank into her chair again with an elbow on the table, and looked up at the tall standing figure on the other side, with a little laugh of mortification.
"You kin thank G.o.d," replied the figure. "_He_ aint gone." Another ghost of a smile was seen for a moment on the grave face. "Sam aint thinkin"
about that. You hurry and finish and lay down and sleep, and when you wake up he"ll be back here ready, to take you along furder. That"s a healthy little one. She wants some more b.u.t.termilk. Give it to her. If she don"t drink it the pigs"ll git it, as the ole woman says.... Now you better lay down on the bed in yonder and go to sleep. Jess sort o"
loosen yo" cloze; don"t take off noth"n" but dress and shoes. You needn"t be afeard to sleep sound; I"m goin" to keep a lookout."
CHAPTER LV.
DIXIE.
In her sleep Mary dreamed over again the late rencontre. Again she heard the challenging outcry, and again was lashing her horse to his utmost speed; but this time her enemy seemed too fleet for her. He overtook--he laid his hand upon her. A scream was just at her lips, when she awoke with a wild start, to find the tall woman standing over her, and bidding her in a whisper rise with all stealth and dress with all speed.
"Where"s Alice?" asked Mary. "Where"s my little girl?"
"She"s there. Never mind her yit, till you"re dressed. Here; not them cloze; these here homespun things. Make haste, but don"t get excited."