"Yes, Harry and I have spent most of our time in the woods," answered Frank. "But we part again to-morrow."
"Going back to your ship, eh? Well, when do you suppose you will be home again for good?"
"I don"t know. If I live, however, I"m going to see this war settled before I come back to civil life again."
"You"ve had some pretty hard times since you have been in the service, from what I hear."
"Rather tough," answered Harry.
"Well now, you see Bill and I were too sharp to go into any such business as that," said Charles, knowingly. "The old man said, from the start, that you never could whip the South."
"Well, your father was never more mistaken in his life," answered Frank.
"We _are_ going to bring back the seceded States, if it takes every man and every dollar at the North. But I don"t see why you don"t volunteer.
How can you stay at home?"
"O, it is the easiest thing in the world," answered Charles, with a laugh. "In the first place, I think too much of my life; and then again, I don"t care a snap which whips. I am not interested either way--I"m neutral."
"You"re no such thing," answered Harry, angrily. "You never saw two dogs fight in the street, without wanting one or the other of them to whip, and your sympathies are either one way or the other. There"s no such thing as a neutral in this war."
"Besides," said Frank, "if I were in your place, I should be ashamed to say that I was neutral. But I hope that you will be compelled to go into the army. Since you have neither the intelligence to determine which side is in the right, nor the courage to fight for that side, I hope that you will be drafted, and that you can"t find a subst.i.tute."
"Thank you," replied Charles, sneeringly. "You are very kind. But I, of course, know that this is a free country, and a man has a right to talk as he pleases."
"You have no right to utter treasonable sentiments," said Harry; "and another thing, I am not going to sit here and listen to them."
"You are not, indeed! I don"t see how you can hinder it," replied Charles. "I say now, and it makes no difference who hears me, that I hope the South will whip, unless the North will allow her to go out of the Union peaceably. I haven"t any thing against the South."
"Well, _I_ have," answered Harry, scarcely able to control himself. "My brother is now starving in a rebel prison."
"I can"t help it. I have not the least sympathy for him. The South said, at the commencement, that they only wanted to be let alone; and if George hasn"t any more sense than to meddle with them, I say, let him take the consequences;" and, as Charles ceased speaking, he dropped the oars into the water, and was about to row off, when Frank seized the gunwale of his boat.
"Avast heaving, there, for a moment," he said, quietly. "Charley, take back what you have said."
"No, sir; I sha"n"t do it. I mean what I have said, and I won"t take back any thing. Let go of that boat, or I"ll hit you," and he raised his oar as if about to strike Frank.
But Harry was too quick for him. Springing lightly into Charles"s skiff, he easily wrested the oar from him, and then, seizing him by the collar, exclaimed:
"Take back every word you have said, or I"ll wash some of the vile rebel sentiment out of you. I"ll dump you overboard. Come, take it all back--quick."
"Help! help! Bill," whined Charles, writhing like an eel in Harry"s strong grasp, "are you going to sit there and see me abused in this manner? Help, I tell you."
William looked first at Harry, then at Frank, who had grown exceedingly tall and muscular since the last time he had measured strength with him in friendly contest, and made no reply.
"Come, take it back," urged Harry.
"No, I won"t," replied Charles, who, finding that he was left to fight his own battles alone, now began to struggle desperately. "I tell you I won"t take back any thing."
"Then overboard you go," said Harry. "I"ll see what effect cold water will have on you;" and, easily lifting Charles from his feet, in spite of his struggles, he threw him headlong into the water.
"How is it now?" he coolly inquired, as Charles appeared at the surface, looking very forlorn, indeed. "Any more rebel sentiment in you that wants washing out? Come in here, you young traitor;" and, as he spoke, he again seized him by the collar, and drew him into the boat.
"Unhand me," shouted Charles, as soon as he could regain his feet; "I"ll fix you for this."
"Are you ready to take back what you said?" demanded Harry, tightening his grasp.
"No; nor shall I ever be," was the stubborn answer.
"Well, then, down you go again."
"No, no! don"t," screamed Charles, who now began to be really frightened; "I take it all back."
"What do you take back?" asked Harry.
"I don"t want to see the Northern prisoners all starved."
"Well, what else?"
"I don"t want to see the Union destroyed."
"Go on; what next?"
"But I _do_ wish the South could be whipped to-morrow, and be made to stay in the Union."
"Well, now you are talking sense," said Harry, releasing his hold of Charles"s collar. "Of course, I know you don"t mean what you say, but I was bound to make you say a good word for the Union before I let you off. I have one more favor to ask of you, and then I am done. Will you oblige me by giving three cheers for the boys who are fighting our battles--every day risking their lives in defense of the old flag?"
Charles hesitated.
"I sha"n"t ask you but once more, then," and here Harry pointed to the water, in a very significant manner.
Charles, knowing that he was in earnest, and that there was no escape, gave the required cheers with as good a grace as he could command.
"That"s right," said Harry, approvingly. "Now I have done with you, and you can thank your lucky stars that you have got off so easily. If you had been in the army when you said what you did a few moments since, the boys would have hung you to the very first tree they could have found.
Now, take my advice, and don"t let me hear of your uttering any more such sentiments as long as I remain in the village; if you do, I"ll duck you as often as I can get my hands on you."
Harry then sprang into his own skiff, and Charles sullenly picked up his oars, and pulled toward home.
"There," exclaimed Harry, "I feel better now. I worked off a little of my indignation on that fellow. The rascal! to tell us that George ought to be starved for helping to maintain the government, and that he didn"t care whether the Union went to ruin or not. Now that I think of it, I"m sorry that I let him off so easily."
"He was pretty well punished, after all," said Frank. "It will have the effect of making him a little more careful."
At noon, the fish stopped biting, and the boys started for home. They parted at the boat-house, after Frank had promised to call and say "good-by" before he left in the morning.
When the latter reached home he found his trunk packed, and every thing in readiness for the start, so that he had nothing to do but roam about the premises, and take a last look at every thing, as he had done on a former occasion. His mother and sister tried to look cheerful, but it was a sorry failure, for Frank could easily read what was pa.s.sing in their minds.
Morning came at length, and at eight o"clock, to Frank"s great relief--for he wished the parting over as soon as possible--he saw the carriage approaching which was to take him to the steamer. A few embraces and hastily-spoken farewells, and Frank was whirling away from his home. At Captain Butler"s he stopped for Harry, who met him at the gate with an open letter in his hand; and, as he sprang into the carriage, he exclaimed, joyfully:
"It"s all right, Frank. Here"s a letter from George. He has been exchanged, and is now in the hospital at Washington. The rebels, he says, tried to starve him to death, but couldn"t make it. He is only waiting until he gets strong enough to travel, and then he"s coming home. He"s pretty well used up. When I get back to the army, with Company "M" to back me up, I"ll make somebody smart for it."
By the time Harry had finished venting his anger against the enemies of the government, the carriage reached the wharf, as the steamer was moving out into the river. Frank had just time to get on board, and a few moments afterward the Julia Burton carried him out of sight of the village. He stopped only a short time at Portland; and, four days after leaving that place, found Archie waiting for him as he sprang off the train at Cairo. He reported to the fleet captain, who ordered him to "take pa.s.sage down the river on the United States dispatch steamer General Lyon," which was to sail at four o"clock that afternoon. The cousins pa.s.sed the day together. When four o"clock came, Archie returned to his high stool with a sorrowful countenance, and Frank waived his adieu from the steamer that was to carry him back--to what? It is well that the future is hidden from us, for Frank would not have trod that deck with so light a heart had he known what was in store for him.