All the little group of spectators, white and black, started as hard as they could go for a path they knew, which led by a short cut through the little piece of woods. Beyond lay a field divided by a stream, a short distance on the other side of which was a large body of woods.
The popping was still going on furiously in the woods, and bullets were "zoo-ing" over the fields. But the boys could not see anything, and they did not think about the flying b.a.l.l.s.
They were all excitement at the idea of "our men" whipping the enemy, and they ran with all their might to be in time to see them "chase "em across the field."
The road on which the skirmish took place, and down which the Federal rear-guard had retreated, made a sharp curve beyond the woods, around the bend of a little stream crossed by a small bridge; and the boys, in taking the short cut, had placed the road between themselves and home; but they did not care about that, for their men were driving the others. They "just wanted to see it."
They reached the edge of the field in time to see that the Yankees were on the other side of the stream. They knew them to be where puffs of smoke came out of the opposite wood. And the Confederates had stopped beyond the bridge, and were halted, in some confusion, in the field.
The firing was very sharp, and bullets were singing in every direction. Then the Confederates got together, and went as hard as they could right at them up to the wood, all along the edge of which the smoke was pouring in continuous puffs and with a rattle of shots.
They saw several horses fall as the Confederates galloped on, but the smoke hid most of it. Next they saw a long line of fire appear in the smoke on both sides of the road, where it entered the wood; then the Confederates stopped, and became all mixed up; a number of horses galloped away without their riders, another line of white and red flame came out of the woods, the Confederates began to come back, leaving many horses on the ground, and a body of cavalry in blue coats poured out of the wood in pursuit.
"Look! look! They are running--they are beating our men!" exclaimed the boys. "They have driven "em back across the bridge!"
"How many of them there are!"
"What shall we do? Suppose they see us!"
"Come on, Mah"srs Frank "n" w.i.l.l.y, let"s go home," said the colored boys. "They"ll shoot us."
The fight was now in the woods which lay between the boys and their home. But just then the gray-coats got together, again turned at the edge of the wood, and dashed back on their pursuers, and--the smoke and bushes on the stream hid everything. In a second more both emerged on the other side of the smoke and went into the woods on the further edge of the field, all in confusion, and leaving on the ground more horses and men than before.
"What"s them things "zip-zippin" "round my ears?" asked one of the negro boys.
"Bullets," said Frank, proud of his knowledge.
"Will they hurt me if they hit me?"
[Ill.u.s.tration: "LOOK! LOOK! THEY ARE RUNNING! THEY ARE BEATING OUR MEN!" EXCLAIMED THE BOYS.]
"Of course they will. They"ll kill you."
"I"m gwine home," said the boy, and off he started at a trot.
"Hold on!--We"re goin", too; but let"s go down this way; this is the best way."
They went along the edge of the field, toward the point in the road where the skirmish had been and where the Confederates had rallied.
They stopped to listen to the popping in the woods on the other side, and were just saying how glad they were that "our men had whipped them," when a soldier came along.
"What in the name of goodness are you boys doing here?" he asked.
"We"re just looking on an" lis"ning," answered the boys meekly.
"Well, you"d better be getting home as fast as you can. They are too strong for us, and they"ll be driving us back directly, and some of you may get killed or run over."
This was dreadful! Such an idea had never occurred to the boys. A panic took possession of them.
"Come on! Let"s go home!" This was the universal idea, and in a second the whole party were cutting straight for home, utterly stampeded.
They could readily have found shelter and security back over the hill, from the flying b.a.l.l.s; but they preferred to get home, and they made straight for it. The popping of the guns, which still kept up in the woods across the little river, now meant to them that the victorious Yankees were driving back their friends. They believed that the bullets which now and then yet whistled over the woods with a long, singing "zoo-ee," were aimed at them. For their lives, then, they ran, expecting to be killed every minute.
The load of cartridges in their pockets, which they had carried for hours, weighed them down. As they ran they threw these out. Then followed those in their sleeves. Frank and the other boys easily got rid of theirs, but w.i.l.l.y had tied the strings around his wrists in such hard knots that he could not possibly untie them. He was falling behind.
Frank heard him call. Without slacking his speed he looked back over his shoulder. w.i.l.l.y"s face was red, and his mouth was twitching. He was sobbing a little, and was tearing at the strings with his teeth as he ran. Then the strings came loose one after the other, the cartridges were shaken out over the ground, and w.i.l.l.y"s face at once cleared up as he ran forward lightened of his load.
They had pa.s.sed almost through the narrow skirt of woods where the first attack was made, when they heard some one not far from the side of the road call, "Water!"
The boys stopped. "What"s that?" they asked each other in a startled undertone. A groan came from the same direction, and a voice said, "Oh, for some water!"
A short, whispered consultation was held.
"He"s right up on that bank. There"s a road up there."
Frank advanced a little; a man was lying somewhat propped up against a tree. His eyes were closed, and there was a ghastly wound in his head.
"w.i.l.l.y, it"s a Yankee, and he"s shot."
"Is he dead?" asked the others, in awed voices.
"No. Let"s ask him if he"s hurt much."
They all approached him. His eyes were shut and his face was ashy white.
"w.i.l.l.y, it"s _my_ Yankee!" exclaimed Frank.
The wounded man moved his hand at the sound of the voices.
"Water," he murmured. "Bring me water, for pity"s sake!"
"I"ll get you some,--don"t you know me? Let me have your canteen,"
said Frank, stooping and taking hold of the canteen. It was held by its strap; but the boy whipped out a knife and cut it loose.
The man tried to speak; but the boys could not understand him.
"Where are you goin" get it, Frank?" asked the other boys.
"At the branch down there that runs into the creek."
"The Yankees"ll shoot you down there," objected Peter and w.i.l.l.y.
"_I_ ain" gwine that way," said Cole.
The soldier groaned.
"_I"ll_ go with you, Frank," said w.i.l.l.y, who could not stand the sight of the man"s suffering.
"We"ll be back directly."