CHAPTER XXVIII
THE PRESIDENT"S ACTION
An expression of surprise appeared upon the face of Dennis which quickly changed to one of consternation. Every one in the little band was silent, watching the young Irishman. What at first had been looked upon simply as a rough and not altogether good-natured joke, now seemed to be taking upon itself certain other phases that interested every one present. Even Levi was speechless in his rage. Several times he made as if he was about to flee from the spot, but every time he came back, either fascinated by the action of Dennis, or eager to secure the paper which the young Irishman was holding in his hand.
"Here, sergeant," said Dennis at last, "I think "tis likely this is for you."
"What is it?" replied the officer as he advanced.
"It looks as if it might be mighty important. "Tis my opinion that the little spalpeen has been seein" some things he ought not to see and is reportin" what no Johnnie ought to know. Just look at that, will ye!"
and Dennis placed the tip of his huge forefinger upon some figures which were written upon the paper.
Taking the sheet from Dennis"s hand the sergeant looked keenly at it, and in a moment it was seen that he was as startled and alarmed as had been the young Irish soldier.
Turning quickly about, he saw that Levi manifestly was aware of what was going on in the mind of the officer and was stealthily working toward the woods in the distance.
"Stop that fellow!" ordered the sergeant. "Don"t let him get away, not for a minute!"
"Shall we try to catch him?" inquired Noel.
"No, there will be men enough without you. You go after him," he added, turning to some of the others in the band.
Instantly obeying the command a half-dozen men started in swift pursuit of the little sutler, who now was running at his utmost speed. The pursuit was not long continued, however, for just before Levi gained the refuge of the woods he stumbled and fell to the ground. Before he could rise his pursuers were upon him, and in spite of the efforts of the biting, kicking, striking, howling little sutler he was picked up bodily and carried back to the place where the other members of the band were awaiting their return.
"I suspict," said Dennis, as he tauntingly grinned at the helpless prisoner, "that the little spalpeen has some other papers somewhere about him. Maybe he has put thim in the heel of his boot. "Tis my opinion that he ought to be sarched from head to feet."
"We"ll attend to that," said the officer, as he thrust into his pocket the letter which Dennis had secured and at once gave the word to return to the camp.
It was manifest to Noel that the test which had been made of the skill of himself and Dennis, had been a source of deep satisfaction to the chaplain, who now was advancing by his side. Naturally the officer did not make any comment, but his face was beaming, and it was plain that he was almost as pleased as were the boys themselves.
When the party arrived at the guard-tent, and Dennis was free to express his opinions once more, he was not slow to embrace the opportunity.
""Tis no use at all, at all," he said, "in kapin" Noel and mesilf here.
Think of a little spalpeen like Levi Kadoff comin" into the camp and gettin" all he wants to find out and goin" back with it among the Johnnies!"
"That"s what he was doing," said Noel. "I wondered what Levi could have to do with Sairy Ann"s brother-in-law. He made no bones of the fact that he was a spy, but I never suspected Levi of doing anything of the kind from his own wish. We knew he would sell anything he possessed, whether it was information or clothes, but I never believed that he would go back and forth between the armies and carry news from one to the other."
"I wouldn"t be a bit surprised if the little imp had been bringing information here, too."
"Of course he has!" said Noel. "He got paid at both ends of the journey and he wasn"t very slow to make much of the chance. I wonder how much he had."
"He hasn"t had as much as he will get!" said Dennis positively. "Just listen to that, will ye!"
The roar of great guns in the distance again was distinctly heard, and so threatening was the sound that it did not seem possible to the startled listeners that the men who were engaged in the combat could be far away.
"Listen to that!" repeated Dennis. "That means that we"re goin" to be busy just as soon as they take us out of this guard-house."
"I think I would rather be there than here," said Noel, "although I confess that ever since Malvern Hill I have not been eager to go into the sharpshooters" pit."
"You"ll be in no sharpshooters" pit here. They don"t know enough to count you for what you"re worth. If we"re fortunate enough iver to get back to the --th, where we belong, there we"ll pa.s.s for just exactly what we are. The most I want here is just to get out of the guard-tent.
I think I can take care of the rest of it mesilf."
The conversation of the young soldiers continued in spite of the repeated sounds of the distant firing. Two hours or more had elapsed, and still no word was brought them, nor had the chaplain returned.
Eagerly the boys had talked over the possibilities of Levi being a spy, Dennis firmly contending that there was not "s.p.u.n.k enough in the little spalpeen to do anything for himself." Noel, however, claimed that the former sutler was not without a form of courage of his own.
"There comes the chaplain," said Dennis, after a few minutes more had elapsed. "From the look of him I think he has got something he would like to say to us."
Nor was the young Irishman disappointed. When the chaplain entered the tent his face was beaming and his satisfaction over what he was about to say was so manifest that every one of the inmates was confident good news of some kind had been brought.
"We have just heard from Washington!" said the chaplain eagerly. "We sent a message to President Lincoln informing him just what had been done here,--the number of deserters, who had been hanged, and who had been shot, and how many were on hand, and asked what we should do next."
"Did you tell him about us?" broke in Dennis.
"Yes, we told him about you and the others, too."
"Well, what word did you get? Why don"t you out with it, yer Riverence?"
The kind-hearted chaplain laughed and said, "I was just about to say, when you interrupted me, that after we had sent our message to Washington we did not expect to receive word in reply so soon. But the message has just come that the President has received our communication and--"
"The Saints presarve us!" broke in Dennis. "Won"t you please tell us what"s happened?"
"That"s what I am telling you," continued the chaplain. "If you wouldn"t interrupt me so frequently you would find out what I have come to say."
"Well, tell us, then!" said Dennis. And although every inmate was silent, the face of every one gave evidence of the eagerness with which he was waiting for the visitor"s word.
"We have just received our message," began the chaplain once more, "and I confess that I have a feeling toward the President such as I never cherished before."
"But what did he say?" broke in Dennis.
"Be silent and I"ll explain," said the chaplain. "We were not looking for an answer for several hours yet, but to our surprise the messenger has returned and has brought us word that President Lincoln has decided to--"
As the chaplain paused again, Dennis impatiently broke in, "For the love of the Saints in heaven tell us what he has decided to do! I can"t stand much more o" this. It isn"t the s.p.a.che we want. It"s to know what the Prisident said."
"He has decided to pardon every one of you."
A shout went up from the guard-tent. In their enthusiasm several were for leaving the place at once.
"Hold on," warned the chaplain. "I have no right to let you go. I was permitted to come and bring you the word. You will have to wait until orders come from the colonel before you will be free. It won"t hurt you very much to wait a little while because you know you will not have to stay long. It"s a great message and I"m glad I am the one to bring it to you. Are you pleased, both of you?"
"In course I"m pleased," said Dennis.
"And how is it with you, Noel?" asked the chaplain keenly as he turned to the other young soldier.
"I didn"t want any "pardon"," declared Noel quietly. "I haven"t done anything for which I ought to be pardoned. I have been charged with being a deserter, by a man whose word was taken instead of ours, and, too, he is now said to be a spy. I don"t feel like taking a pardon because I haven"t done anything which deserves a pardon."