By this time Noel"s hunger had been appeased in a measure and he was eager to be gone. Before he arose from his seat at the table he turned again to his hostess and said simply, "Do you know where the Northern army is?
"I done tole yo"," she replied tartly, "that sometimes "tis said toe be in one place and sometimes in another."
"Where is it reported to be now?"
"I can"t say. Now, if Sam was home--"
Without waiting for further enlightenment as to the knowledge and ability of the missing Sam, Noel said, "Well, if you cannot tell me where the army is, you can tell me the road to take."
"No, I can"t. Yo" all might take mos" any road an" the first thing yo"
know yo" would run right into McClellan"s troops, an" then ag"in yo"
might run intoe General Lee"s."
"At all events," said Noel, "I"m grateful to you for your kindness to me. You have taken me in, and though I was a stranger--"
"But I ain"t been entertainin" no angel unawares," snapped the woman.
"You don"t look to me very much like a angel, with that mud on yo"
pants. I am thinkin", too," she added, as she glanced out of the window, "that it might be well fo" yo" toe start right soon, that is if yo" "re goin" toe go."
"What"s the trouble?" demanded Noel, leaping to his feet and running to the side of the woman, where he looked anxiously out of the window.
The statement of Eliza Jane was correct, for a small body of men was moving in an orderly manner up the road. Noel watched them with keen interest, and at first was unable to determine to which side in the conflict they belonged.
His interest changed to alarm when he saw the men abruptly halt, and then, at the command of their leader, turn into the yard leading directly to the house.
The woman by his side had not spoken, but when she exclaimed, "Them"s Yanks," Noel also made the discovery at the same moment. The approaching men belonged to his own army, and in the thought of being once more among his friends and comrades the heart of the young soldier suddenly was lightened. Rushing to the door he ran across the yard to meet the boys in blue.
To his consternation as he drew near, he discovered that Dennis was among the number, and also that he was a prisoner. Just what this meant, Noel was unable to conjecture, but his interest in his comrade was speedily banished when to his amazement he saw Levi, the little sutler, also in the company, talking eagerly to the captain and pointing excitedly toward Noel as he spoke.
CHAPTER XXIII
THE GUARD-HOUSE
The subject concerning which the little sutler and the captain were conversing soon became manifest to Noel. The officer turned sharply to him, and as he did so the young soldier was no longer able to discover the presence of Levi in the band.
"There"s no use in your trying to get away now," exclaimed the officer.
""Get away!"" responded Noel, astounded by the suggestion. "That"s the last thing in the world I want to do! I have been looking for you or some of the boys in blue for more than--"
"That"s a likely story!" interrupted the young captain. "You can explain that to the colonel after we are back in the lines."
"I"m perfectly willing to explain it to the colonel," declared Noel.
"And I"ll explain it to you now."
"There"s no use in that. I"m afraid your explanations won"t do you any good."
"What do you think I am?" demanded Noel angrily.
All the men in the band now were listening intently, and Noel was aware that he was under a cloud that might not easily be dispelled.
"I know what you are. You are a deserter."
In spite of the charge Noel laughed, but he was sobered instantly when he saw that every man before him firmly believed him to be what the officer had charged.
"I"m no deserter!" declared Noel hotly. "I happened to be outside the lines at Harper"s Ferry and the Rebels took me. I have been doing my best to get to the army ever since."
"You look as if you had been trying," sneered the officer. "Come on.
There"s no use in talking any more. You come with us and we will turn you over to the colonel."
"Is that man a deserter, too?" inquired Noel as he pointed to Dennis.
"He is. "Birds of a feather flock together," I guess that"s why we found two of you to-day. There must be a baker"s dozen of them altogether. I don"t know what will be done with you, but I can tell you one thing, you aren"t going to lie on any bed of roses to-night after we get back."
"What makes you think I"m a deserter?" said Noel persistently.
"I don"t "think"; I know. We have absolute proof. Your name is Noel Curtis, isn"t it?"
"Yes," replied the young soldier in surprise.
Instantly, however, he concluded that Levi must have revealed his name and the source of the officer"s knowledge, therefore, was not unknown.
"We cannot stay here any longer," continued the officer emphatically.
"Take your place in the ranks with your friend. Do you know who he is?"
"Indeed, I do!" said Noel, somewhat defiantly. "He and I both belong to the sharpshooters of the --th. You ask Colonel Crawford about us and he"ll tell you all you want to know. "Deserters"! Why, man, we "re no more deserters than you are. We have been trying ever since we left Harper"s Ferry--"
"You don"t seem to have made very good time even if you did try,"
sneered the officer again. "Your story sounds fine, but when the colonel listens to what you have to say and then compares your story with the one Levi has to tell, he may have something to say about it himself."
Apparently it was useless longer to try to persuade the captain. When Noel saw the expression on the face of Dennis and was aware that the young Irishman also had failed to plead his cause successfully, he was somewhat heavy-hearted.
"I"ll go with you," he said quietly.
"That"s mighty good of you," laughed the officer. "You might take your place in there with the other deserter and we"ll try to see to it that you don"t get very far away again. My advice to you is not to try any more of your tricks."
For a moment Noel looked steadily into the eyes of the sneering young officer. He was furiously angry, and withal was more seriously troubled than he was willing to acknowledge even to himself. Because the men under whom he had served were not now in the vicinity it would be difficult for him to find any one who could recognize him. His father had once met General Hooker, a fact which Mr. Curtis frequently enlarged upon in talks with his boys, but even if admittance could be had into the presence of the general, which was not at all probable, it would not identify the young soldier who was charged with deserting.
Obediently Noel advanced to take the place which had been a.s.signed to him, and as he did so he glanced back at the house, and saw Eliza Jane standing in the doorway and watching with manifest interest the activities of the soldiers whom she professed to hate.
Noel was quite certain that he had a momentary glimpse of Levi standing behind the woman, but of this he could not be positive, as the face speedily vanished and did not again appear. At all events, the treacherous little sutler was not to accompany the men on their way back to camp and, fearful alike of his absence and presence, Noel was in dire straits when at last the command to advance was given and by the side of Dennis he obediently fell into step and marched with the men.
A sound like distant thunder caused Noel to look up hastily. He had heard the sound several times, but as the sky was clear and there were no thunder clouds anywhere to be seen, he had been somewhat puzzled by the rumbling in the distance.
"I guess the boys are up and at it ag"in," suggested Dennis in one of his hoa.r.s.e whispers.