Tom nodded. "What do you think we"d better do? I"m for staying to the road."
"If it wasn"t so blamed muddy we could go across the fields," said Shadrack, "but we"d get bogged again."
"The road"s our one chance," added Wilson. "Let"s get to work."
During the remainder of the afternoon they worked their way up along the edge of the road, hiding in the bushes time after time. Several small bodies of armed men pa.s.sed them, and once they caught a sc.r.a.p of conversation about "Yank bridge burners." The hunt was on.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CAPTURED
"Halt there!"
The command came from behind. They whipped about and found themselves facing a raised rifle. The man was a civilian, tall and lanky. He waved the rifle from one to the other.
"Where"re you going?" he demanded.
"Chattanooga," answered Tom. He said it coolly but it required an effort.
"And yer going with me," replied the man.
"That so?" asked Wilson. "I can think of better company if you"re going to keep that rifle waving around in the air. What"s the matter with you?"
"Put your hands up, an" keep "em up," ordered the man.
"Well, this way we won"t take the wrong road again," said Tom. "I"d rather walk at the end of a rifle than drown in this mud. The folks at home"ll laugh when they hear that we were held up just as soon as we got in the South."
"Hey? What"s that?" demanded the man.
"If you"re after our money you won"t get much," Tom replied.
"I ain"t after yer money," said the man. "I"m after you."
"What sort of a Yank trick is this!" demanded Wilson.
"Huh?"
"I"m asking what sort of a Yank trick this is? Are you a Southerner or are you a Yank?"
"I"ll unload this gun into your head if you call me a Yank," answered the man.
"Then what do you want?"
"I"m arresting you in the name of the law for burning bridges. That"s what I want."
"Burning what?"
"Burning bridges!" shouted the man. "An" don"t stand there the rest of the day talking, either."
"You seem to be running the talking match," said Tom. "What do you want us to do? Want us to run so"s you can have a good excuse for taking a shot at us with that gun?"
"And you might have the decency," answered Wilson, "to ask us who we are before you go any further."
"Well, then, who are you?"
"We"re from Kentucky and we"ve sneaked through the Union lines to enlist.
If you want to show us the way to Chattanooga we"ll be much obliged to you.
But if you"re going to the trouble of arresting us for burning.... What was it we burned, Tom?"
"Bridges," replied Tom, laughing.
"Yes-for burning bridges, then you"re wasting your time."
"Maybe," answered the man. "But you"re a-going with me all the same."
"Then let"s go," said Tom. "What"s the use of standing here in the mud?"
"I"ll walk you back to Judson, an" you can tell yer story there. I ain"t believing you and I ain"t disbelieving you. Turn around the way you was a-going, an" keep yer hands out of yer pockets. I"ll let a bullet go smack into the first man that makes a move he shouldn"t."
Here was a man they couldn"t talk down. He was probably a good shot, and ready to keep his threat. If only they could get him at a disadvantage, and pull their revolvers before he could fire. But such hopes were shattered a few minutes later when two hors.e.m.e.n pulled up before them. They yelled when they saw the three prisoners.
"Good work, Alf!" said one of the men. "Three of "em. h.e.l.lo there, Yanks."
"You"re a Yank yourself," answered Tom hotly.
"What"s that?"
"We"re no more Yanks than you are. We were on our way to enlist in the army at Chattanooga, and this is the way we get handled."
"Don"t believe "em," said Alf. "Let"s search "em."
"Why not wait until we get back to Judson? Easier to do it there."
"All right," replied Alf. "You two ride along beside "em. I"m done up totin" this gun."
The procession started again. Tom heard Wilson whisper to Shadrack: "Keep to the story!"
"No talking, there!" ordered one of the hors.e.m.e.n. "You can do all your talking when you get to Judson."
It was nearly six o"clock when they reached the little town of Judson. As they went down the main street, men and boys tagged along beside them, plying the guards with questions. The guards waved them aside, and answered, "Don"t know if it"s them or not. Picked "em up a piece down the road."
They stopped at a two-story frame building labeled "Hotel." One of the guards went in, then motioned to the others to bring the prisoners. Presently they found themselves in a big room, lighted by two lamps which hung from the ceiling. The air was cloudy with smoke. A dozen men sat about at the tables. Instantly there was commotion. Everyone commenced talking.
"Got three of "em!" shouted Alf. "Three of "em, Judge."
"He thinks he has," said Wilson.
"You better keep your mouth shut," yelled Alf.
"No use talkin" like that, Alf," said the man addressed as Judge. "Where did you find them?"