Every one was soon made acquainted with the particulars of the fight, and Frank was again the hero of the mess-room.
CHAPTER IX.
A Union Family.
After two days" sail, the Ticonderoga arrived at Phillips"s Landing, where she had been ordered to take her station; for the Admiral had received information that the rebel General Marmaduke was preparing to cross the river, with his forces, at that place.
They came to anchor in front of a large plantation, owned by the man after whom the place was named. In a short time, a boat, rowed by two stout negroes, and which contained two ladies and a gentleman, came alongside.
The captain received them, as they came upon the quarter-deck, and the gentleman, after introducing himself as Mr. Phillips, and apologizing for the liberty they had taken in coming on board, asked if the captain could furnish them with some Northern papers. They lived in an out-of-the-way place, he said, where boats seldom landed, for fear of the guerrillas, and they were entirely ignorant of what was going on.
The captain seemed much pleased with his visitors. After complying with their request, he conducted them down into the cabin, where they pa.s.sed an hour in conversation. When they were about to take their departure, they invited the captain and his officers to call on them, and a.s.sured them that there were no rebels in the vicinity.
The captain was an old sailor, and had been in the service so long that he was inclined to be suspicious of any thing that looked like friendship on the part of a person living in an enemy"s country. But, after calling on Mr. Phillips"s family a few times, without discovering any thing to confirm his suspicions, he allowed both officers and men to go ash.o.r.e at all times; and soon quite an intimacy sprung up between them and the people of the plantation, and dinner parties and horseback rides were the order of the day.
Frank had been elected caterer of his mess, and as he was obliged to furnish provisions, he had a good excuse for being ash.o.r.e most of his time. He became a regular visitor at the plantation, and was soon well acquainted with each member of the family. They all professed to be unconditional Union people, with the exception of the youngest daughter, who boldly stated that her sympathies were, and always had been, with the South; and she and Frank had many a long argument about the war.
Things went on thus for a considerable time, when, early one morning, as Frank was on his way to the plantation, to buy his marketing, a negro met him, as he was ascending the hill that led to the quarters, and said:
"I"d like to speak just one word with you, young master."
"Well, what is it, uncle?" said Frank; "talk away."
"Let us move on, this way first, for I don"t want them to see us from the house."
Frank followed the negro behind one of the cabins, and the latter continued:
"I"m afraid you and all the officers on your boat will be captured one of these days."
"What do you mean?" inquired Frank, in surprise, half inclined to think that the negro was crazy.
"I suppose you don"t know that my master and mistress, and all the white folks on the plantation, are rebels, do you?"
"No; and I don"t believe they are."
"Yes, they are. My master is a Major in the rebel army; and that Miss Annie you come to see every day has got a sweetheart in the army, and she tells him every thing you say. Besides, they send a mail across the river, here, twice every month. I took one across myself, night before last."
"I believe you"re lying to me, you old rascal," exclaimed Frank.
"No, young master," answered the negro; "every word I have told you is gospel truth. You see, my daughter waits on Miss Annie, and I find out every thing."
"You say Miss Phillips has a sweetheart in the army?"
"Yes; and he was here to see her not long ago. He is a lieutenant, and has gone up to Conway"s Point, with two cannons, to fire into steamers. His name is Miller; and you would know him from a long scar on his left cheek. Wasn"t Miss Annie on board your boat two days ago?"
"Yes, I believe so."
"Well, she stole a book."
"A book!" repeated Frank. "What kind of a book?"
"I don"t know the name of it. It was a small book, and had lead fastened to the covers."
"By gracious!" exclaimed Frank, "that was the captain"s signal-book."
"Yes; she told my daughter that she took it out of the captain"s room."
Frank did not stop to buy any marketing, but hastily catching up his basket, he hurried back to the vessel.
"Orderly," he exclaimed, as he approached the marine who always stood at the cabin door, "ask the captain if I may see him."
"He hasn"t got up yet, sir."
"That makes no difference. Tell him that I have something particular to say to him."
The orderly went into the cabin, and, in a few moments, returned, and said:
"The captain says walk in, sir."
"Captain," said Frank, after he had closed the door carefully behind him, "have you lost your signal-book?"
"No, I guess not;" answered the captain, in a tone of surprise. "What makes you ask?"
"I heard, a few moments ago, that it had been stolen from you."
"I have not had occasion to use it for two or three weeks," answered the captain, getting out of bed; "but I know exactly where I put it;" and he opened a drawer in the sideboard, and commenced to overhaul the contents.
"Set me down for a landlubber," he exclaimed, at length, "if it hasn"t been stolen. It isn"t here, at any rate."
Frank then related the conversation which had taken place between himself and the negro, and the captain continued:
"Well, I always thought those folks had some object in view, or they would not have been so friendly. I can"t reproach myself for neglecting my duty, for I watched them pretty closely."
"I wonder how that girl knew that the signal-book was in that drawer," said Frank.
"I suppose she must have seen me put it in there," said the captain. "Now, the question is, now to go to work to recover it. It will do no good to search the house."
"If you will leave the matter in my hands, sir," said Frank, "I will agree to recover the signal-book, and capture that mail-bag which they intend to send across the river in a few days."
"Well," said the captain, "it was you who first knew that the signal-book was gone, and I believe you ought to have the honor of sifting the matter to the bottom. Find out all you can, and call on me for any a.s.sistance you may need."
Frank immediately returned to the plantation, and started toward the quarters, in quest of the negro who had given him the information, whom he found chopping wood in front of one of the cabins.
"See here, uncle," he exclaimed, "I want you to keep me posted on all that goes on here on the plantation; and tell your daughter to find out when that rebel lieutenant is coming here again, and when they intend to send that mail across the river."
"I will do my best, young master," answered the negro. "But you won"t tell any one what I have said to you? I shall be killed, sure, if you do"
"No, uncle, I shan"t betray you; so don"t be afraid," said Frank; and, after purchasing some articles which they needed in the mess, he returned on board the boat.