The fellow gritted his teeth. "If she ever hears of _this_, Tim"s got her certain," he groaned; "but she won"t never hear."
At a turn in the road his heart sank within him; for just around the curve they came upon Tim Mills sitting quietly on a stump. He looked at them with a quizzical eye, but said not a word.
The prisoner"s face was a study when he recognized his rival and enemy. As Mills did not move, his courage returned.
"Good mornin", Tim," he said, with great politeness.
The man on the stump said nothing; he only looked on with complacent enjoyment.
"Tim, is these two boys crazy?" he asked slowly.
"They"re crazy "bout shootin" deserters," replied Tim.
"Tim, tell "em I ain"t no deserter." His voice was full of entreaty.
"Well, if you ain"t a d"serter, what you doin" outn the army?"
"You know----" began the fellow fiercely; but Tim shifted his long single-barrel lazily into his hand and looked the man straight in the eyes, and the prisoner stopped.
"Yes, I know," said Tim with a sudden spark in his eyes. "An" _you_ know," he added after a pause, during which his face resumed its usual listless look. "An" my edvice to you is to go "long with them boys, if you don"t want to git three loads of slugs in you. They _may_ put "em in you anyway. They"s sort of "stracted "bout d"serters, and I can swear to it." He touched his forehead expressively.
"March on!" said Frank.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FRANK AND w.i.l.l.y CAPTURE A MEMBER OF THE CONSCRIPT-GUARD.]
The prisoner, grinding his teeth, moved forward, followed by his guards.
As the enemies parted each man sent the same ugly look after the other.
"It"s all over! He"s got her," groaned Johnson. As they pa.s.sed out of sight, Mills rose and sauntered somewhat briskly (for him) in the direction of John Hall"s.
They soon reached a little stream, not far from the depot where the provost-guard was stationed. On its banks the man made his last stand; but his obstinacy brought a black muzzle close to his head with a stern little face behind it, and he was fain to march straight through the water, as he was ordered.
Just as he was emerging on the other bank, with his boots full of water and his trousers dripping, closely followed by Frank brandishing a pistol, a small body of soldiers rode up. They were the conscript-guard. Johnson"s look was despairing.
"Why, Billy, what in thunder----? Thought you were sick in bed!"
Another minute and the soldiers took in the situation by instinct--and Johnson"s rage was drowned in the universal explosion of laughter.
The boys had captured a member of the conscript-guard.
In the midst of all, Frank and w.i.l.l.y, overwhelmed by their ridiculous error, took to their heels as hard as they could, and the last sounds that reached them were the roars of the soldiers as the scampering boys disappeared in a cloud of dust.
Johnson went back, in a few days, to see John Hall"s daughter; but the young lady declared she wouldn"t marry any man who let two boys make him wade through a creek; and a month or two later she married Tim Mills.
To all the gibes he heard on the subject of his capture, and they were many, Johnson made but one reply:
"Them boys"s had parents in a a--sylum, _sure_!"
CHAPTER XIII.
It was now nearing the end of the third year of the war. Hugh was seventeen, and was eager to go into the army. His mother would have liked to keep him at home; but she felt that it was her duty not to withhold anything, and Colonel Marshall offered Hugh a place with him.
So a horse was bought, and Hugh went to Richmond and came back with a uniform and a sabre. The boys truly thought that General Lee himself was not so imposing or so great a soldier as Hugh. They followed him about like two pet dogs, and when he sat down they stood and gazed at him adoringly.
When Hugh rode away to the army it was harder to part with him than they had expected; and though he had left them his gun and dog, to console them during his absence, it was difficult to keep from crying.
Everyone on the plantation was moved. Uncle Balla, who up to the last moment had been very lively attending to the horse, as the young soldier galloped away sank down on the end of the steps of the office, and, dropping his hands on his knees, followed Hugh with his eyes until he disappeared over the hill. The old driver said nothing, but his face expressed a great deal.
The boys" mother cried a great deal, but it was generally when she was by herself.
"She"s afraid Hugh"ll be kilt," w.i.l.l.y said to Uncle Balla, in explanation of her tears,--the old servant having remarked that he "b"lieved she cried more when Hugh went away, than she did when Ma.r.s.e John and Ma.r.s.e William both went."
"Hi! warn"t she "fred they"ll be kilt, too?" he asked in some scorn.
This was beyond w.i.l.l.y"s logic, so he pondered over it.
"Yes, but she"s afraid Hugh"ll be kilt, as _well_ as them," he said finally, as the best solution of the problem.
It did not seem to wholly satisfy Uncle Balla"s mind, for when he moved off he said, as though talking to himself:
"She sutn"ey is "sot" on that boy. He"ll be a gen"l hisself, the first thing she know."
There was a bond of sympathy between Uncle Balla and his mistress which did not exist so strongly between her and any of the other servants. It was due perhaps to the fact that he was the companion and friend of her boys.
That winter the place where the army went into winter quarters was some distance from Oakland; but the young officers used to ride over, from time to time, two or three together, and stay for a day or two.
Times were harder than they had been before, but the young people were as gay as ever.
The colonel, who had been dreadfully wounded in the summer, had been made a brigadier-general for gallantry. Hugh had received a slight wound in the same action. The General had written to the boy"s mother about him; but he had not been home. The General had gone back to his command. He had never been to Oakland since he was wounded.
One evening, the boys had just teased their Cousin Belle into reading them their nightly portion of "The Talisman," as they sat before a bright lightwood fire, when two hors.e.m.e.n galloped up to the gate, their horses splashed with mud from fetlocks to ears. In a second, Lucy Ann dashed headlong into the room, with her teeth gleaming:
"Here Ma.r.s.e Hugh, out here!"
There was a scamper to the door--the boys first, shouting at the tops of their voices, Cousin Belle next, and Lucy Ann close at her heels.
"Who"s with him, Lucy Ann?" asked Miss Belle, as they reached the pa.s.sage-way, and heard several voices outside.
"The Cunel"s with "im."
The young lady turned and fled up the steps as fast as she could.
"You see I brought my welcome with me," said the General, addressing the boy"s mother, and laying his hand on his young aide"s shoulder, as they stood, a little later, "thawing out" by the roaring log-fire in the sitting-room.
"You always bring that; but you are doubly welcome for bringing this young soldier back to me," said she, putting her arm affectionately around her son.