"I guessed that was what his West Point lingo meant, if he has brains enough to mean anything. Why didn"t he say in plain United States: "Git down to the edge o" that there crick, watch for a chance to jump the rebels, and keep your eye peeled that the rebels don"t jump you?" That"d be plain Methodist-Episcopal, that everybody could under stand.".
"I"ll see that you are appointed Professor of Military Language and Orders at West Point when you are discharged," said the Captain, laughing.
The regiment advanced to the edge of the swollen flood and made themselves as comfortable as possible under shelters improvised from rails, cedar boughs, pieces of driftwood, etc. A considerable force of rebels appeared on the opposite bank, whose business seemed to be to "observe" the Yankees.
The restless Si and Shorty started out on a private reconnoissance. They discovered that the sh.o.r.e opposite the left of the regiment was really an island, separated by some hundreds of yards of rushing water from them, but the main current ran on the other side of the island.
"We can"t observe the crick through that ma.s.s o" willers and cottonwoods," said Shorty. "That"s certain. No tellin" what devilment the rebels are up to on the bank over there. They may be gittin" up a flank movement over there, with pontoons and flatboats, to bust the whole army wide open."
"That"s so," a.s.sented Si. "The orders are to observe this crick, and we can"t do it if we can"t see the other bank. We ought to git over to that island."
They went back and reported to Capt. McGillicuddy, and told him what they thought. He at once agreed with them, and sanctioned their proposal to go over to the island, if they could find means of crossing.
After a diligent search they came across an old canoe hollowed out of a tulip-tree log. It was a cranky affair, and likely to turn over if their hair was not parted exactly in the middle; but both of the boys were used to canoe management, and they decided to risk the thing.
It was ticklish business crossing the current, but they succeeded in reaching the island, which extended a foot or more above the level of the flood, and was covered with a thicket of willows and cottonwoods about the size of hoe-handles. They pushed their way through these and came in sight of the opposite banks. There was apparently some thing important going on over there. Quite a number of rebels could be seen moving about through the rain and mud, there was great deal of chopping going on, several flatboats, canoes and rafts were lying at the bank, wagons were pa.s.sing, and the boys thought they could make out a cannon or two.
"I can"t make out what in the world they"re up to," said Si. "But I"m certain the Colonel ought to know it. Suppose you take the canoe, Shorty, and paddle over and report, and I"ll stay here and watch."
"All right," answered Shorty, starting back for the canoe.
He reported to Capt. McGillicuddy, who took him up to the Colonel.
"It don"t seem possible that they can be doing anything to threaten us,"
said the Colonel; "though they may know of some practicable crossing higher up the stream, which will let them in on our flank. Still, they ought to be watched. I"ll inform the General at once. You had better station a picket on the island, Captain, if you can do so safely."
"Me and my pardner "ll look out for them, Colonel, if you think necessary," said Shorty, proud to be of service under the Colonel"s direction.
"Very good," said the Colonel briefly. "I"ll entrust the lookout to you boys. Let me know at once if anything important develops."
The young Aid had been standing nigh during this conversation.
"Your men, Colonel," he said patronizingly, "are excellent soldiers, in their way, but they lack the intelligence necessary to comprehend the movements of the enemy on the opposite bank. I think I shall go over there myself, take a personal observation, and determine precisely what the meaning of the movements may be."
"As you like," said the Colonel stiffly. "As for myself, I don"t think it is necessary for me to go. I"d trust those boys" eyes as quick as I would my own. They are as good soldiers as ever breathed; they are as keen as a brier, with not a particle of nonsense about them. They are as truthful as the day. When they tell me anything that they have seen with their own eyes I can trust it as absolutely as if I had seen it myself; and their judgment can not be beat."
"No enlisted man can possibly see anything so well as an officer who has been educated," said the Aid.
"That is a matter of opinion," said the Colonel dryly.
"Anyway, I"m going over to see for myself," said the Aid. And he called after Shorty:
"Here, my man, I"m going along with you."
Shorty muttered some very warm words under his breath, but discipline a.s.serted itself, and he answered respectfully:
"Very good, sir."
He halted until the Aid came alongside, and then started to walk beside him as he would have done with one of his own officers when out alone with him.
"Fall two paces behind," commanded the Aid sternly
Shorty said to himself some very hotly-disparaging things about pretentious young snips of Regular officers. They reached the canoe, and the Lieutenant calmly seated himself in the stern. This was another aggravation. If Shorty had gone out with one of his own officers, even the Colonel, he would have shown a deep interest in everything and wanted to do his share toward getting the canoe safely over. This young fellow calmly seated himself, and threw all the responsibility and work on Shorty.
"Now, you set right in the center, there," said Shorty, as he picked up the paddle and loosened the rope, "and keep mighty still."
"My man," said the Lieutenant, frowning, "when I want your advice I"ll ask it. It is for me to give you directions, not you me. You paddle out, now, and head straight for that island. Paddle briskly, and get me over there as quick as possible."
Shorty was tempted to tip the canoe over then and there, but he restrained himself, and bent his strong arms to the hard task of propelling the canoe across the strong current, avoiding the driftwood, maintaining his balance, and keeping the bow pointed toward the place where he wanted to land.
The Lieutenant had sense enough to sit very still, and as he naturally had been drilled into bolt-up-rightness, Shorty had little trouble with him until they were nearing the sh.o.r.e. Then the canoe ran into a swirl which threw its bow around. Forgetting his dignified pose, the Lieutenant made a grab for some overhanging willows.
"Let them alone, blast you; I"ll bring her around all right," Shorty started to yell, but too late. Before the words were out of his mouth the cranky canoe went over. Shorty with the quickness of a cat jumped clear, caught some branches with one hand, and made a grab for the canoe with the other. But he saw the Lieutenant go down head foremost, with fancy boots disappearing last. He let the canoe go, to make a grab for the boots. He missed them, but presently the Lieutenant"s head appeared, and he gasped and sputtered:
"Save me, my good man. I can"t swim a stroke."
Shorty plunged out, succeeded in catching the Lieutenant by the collar, and after a vicious struggle with the current, grabbed with his right hand a pole that Si thrust out to him, while with his left he dragged the Lieutenant ash.o.r.e, "wetter"n a blamed drowned West Point muskrat,"
as he after ward expressed it.
"My good man, you saved my life, and I thank you for it," said the Lieutenant when he recovered his breath. "I shall mention you in my report."
"If you don"t stop calling me your "good man" I"ll chuck you into the drink again, you wasp-waisted, stiff-backed, half-baked West Point brevet Second Lieutenant," said Shorty wrathfully. "If you"d had the sense of a six-months"-old goslin" you"d "a" set still, as I told you, and let me manage that canoe. But you never kin learn a West Pointer nothin". He"d try to give G.o.d Almighty points if he got a chance.
Now we"ve lost our canoe, and we"re in a devil of a fix. I feel like throwin" you back in the crick."
"Take care, my good" and then the Lieutenant caught the glare of Shorty"s eye. "Take care, sir. You"re on the verge of mutiny. I may have you court-martialed and shot, if you"re not careful."
"Court-martial and be blamed," said Si, who was as angry as Shorty.
"You"ve lost our canoe, and we may be drowned before we can git off this island. It"s got so dark they can"t see us from the sh.o.r.e, the water"s steadily rising, these trees are too small to climb, and the Lord knows how we"re goin" to git off."
"Corporal, I"ll see that you"re reduced to the ranks for disrespect to me. I had intended to recommend this man for promotion on account of his great service to the army in saving my life. Now I shall see that you are both punished for insubordination."
"Insubordination be d.a.m.ned, and you with it," said Shorty. "You"d better be thinking how we"re to git off this island. The water"s bin raisin"
about a foot a minute. I"ve bin watchin" while we wuz talkin"."
The Lieutenant stood, dazed, while the boys were canva.s.sing plans for saving themselves.
"I"ll tell you, Shorty," said Si suddenly. "Le"s ketch one o" them big saw-logs that"s comin" down, straddle it, and let it carry us somewhere.
It may take us into our own lines. Anything"s better than drowndin".
Here comes one in the eddy now."
Shorty caught the log with a long pole, and dexterously steered it up close to the sh.o.r.e in comparatively still water. Si threw a grapevine over it and held it.
"Now, all git on," said Shorty. "Be careful not to push it away."
"Let me get on ahead," said the Lieutenant, still mindful of his rank, "and you two get on behind, the Corporal next to me."
"Not much, Mary Ann," jeered Shorty. "We want a man of sense ahead, to steer. I"ll git on first, then you, and then Si, to bring up the rear and manage the hind end of the log."