by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XII
THE DIGNIFIED YOUNG REBEL
Lieutenant Somers, who had been very nervous and uneasy before, wasexceedingly annoyed by the appearance of another actor on the stage. Hehad become in some slight degree familiarized with the awkwardness of hissituation; for the fact, that no suspicion had yet been cast upon hisidentity, was encouraging, and he began to have some confidence in hisposition, open as it was to an assault from any direction. The advent ofthe tattered stranger was a new cause for alarm, and he at once becamevery anxious to beat a retreat.
There is no night without some ray of light to gladden it. His firstimpression was that the visitor belonged to the Fourth Alabama, and wouldreadily recognize him as an impostor; but he was in a measure relieved tofind that none of the family gave the soldier more than a friendlygreeting, which proved him to be a stranger to them as well as tohimself. Yet he might belong to the Fourth Alabama; and then it occurredto him that the man had come to inform Mr. Raynes of the death of his sonwhile on picket duty.
In the brief period which elapsed between the advent of the stranger, andthe statement of the object of his visit, Somers was disturbed by a dozenfearful theories; all of which seemed to end in a rebel prison atRichmond, and even in a rebel gallows--the fate of the spy. The minuteswere fearfully long; and, before the momentous question of the object ofthe stranger's visit could be introduced, he decided to make an abruptretreat.
"Well, Mr. Raynes," said he, approaching the old man as he put on hiscap, "I have already run a great risk in stopping here so long; and, withmany thanks to you for your kindness and for your generous hospitality, Imust take my departure."
"I suppose we cannot keep you any longer, Allan; but you must promise tocall again at the first convenient opportunity."
"I promise you that I will the first time I can safely do so," respondedSomers warmly, and with the fullest intention of redeeming his promise."Good-by, sir!"
"Good-by, my dear boy! May you be spared in the hour when the strong menbite the dust!" said Mr. Raynes solemnly, as he gave his hand to Somers.
"Good-by, Sue!" added the young lieutenant, taking the hand of theVirginia damsel.
"Adieu, my brave soldier-boy!" she replied.
"You are a soldier, I see," said the stranger, as Somers approached himon his way out of the house.
"Yes, sir," answered the latter nervously; for he would gladly haveescaped any communication with the newcomer.
"What regiment do you belong to?" persisted the dilapidated soldier.
What business was that to him? Why should he trouble himself about otherpeople's affairs? It sounded like a very impertinent question to theexcited lieutenant, and he was tempted to inform the busy-body that itwas none of his business; but, as he had already earned a good characterfor civility with the interesting family in whose presence he stillstood, his bump of approbation would not permit him to forfeit theiresteem by so inconsiderate a reply.
"Good-by, all!" said he with energy, turning away from the rebel soldier,and moving towards the door.
"What regiment did you say you belonged to?" demanded the persistentrebel.
"I didn't say," replied Somers, not in the most gentle tones.
"Will you oblige me by telling me to what regiment you belong?" added therebel.
"I think I will not," continued Somers, more and more displeased with thepersistence of the other. "I came very near being arrested as a deserterjust now, though I have a pass in my pocket; and I don't care aboutexposing myself to any further annoyance by my own indiscretion."
"I assure you I am a friend, and I would not betray you if I knew youwere a deserter," said the stranger in very civil tones.
Thus appealed to, and perceiving that he was not gaining in theestimation of Mr. Raynes by his reticence, he decided that he could notmake the matter much worse by answering the question.
"To the Fourth Alabama," he replied desperately; "but you must excuse me;for I am in a tremendous hurry."
"The Fourth Alabama! I thought so," exclaimed the stranger with apleasant smile, as though the information was particularly agreeable tohim. "I belong to the Fourth Alabama myself."
"Do you, indeed?" added Somers with the most intense disquiet, wishingall the time that the soldier had been in Alabama, or anywhere but in thehouse of Mr. Raynes.
"Can you tell me where the regiment is?"
"I cannot. I have been looking for it myself for the last two hours. As Ican be of no assistance to you, you will excuse me if I leave you."
"Not so fast, comrade; I will go with you. I have some directions which Ithink will enable us to find the regiment; and, if you please, I willbear you company."
Somers did not please; but he could hardly refuse the offer withoutexciting the suspicion of the family, which he felt might be fatal tohim. It would be better to depart with the member of the Fourth Alabama,and part company with him by force of stratagem when they had left thehouse.
"I won't keep you waiting but a minute. I called here to see my friends;but none of them seem to know me. You are Mr. Raynes, I presume?"continued the soldier, addressing the old man.
"I am; but I don't remember to have ever seen you before," replied thefarmer.
"You never did, sir; but I will venture to say that my name is well knownin this house," added the soldier with a mysterious smile, which causedSomers to dread some new development that would compromise him.
"Ah!" said Mr. Raynes, ever ready to welcome any one who had theslightest claim upon his hospitality.
"I am well acquainted with your son, Owen; I suppose I shall not bedisputed here, when I say that he is the best fellow in the world. Don'tyou know me now?" demanded the tantalizing rebel, who appeared to be veryanxious to have his identity made out in the natural way, and without anytroublesome explanations.
"Really, I do not," answered Mr. Raynes, much perplexed by the confidentmanner of the visitor.
"This is Sue, I suppose?" pursued the soldier, advancing to the maiden,and extending his dirty hand; which, however, was not much dirtier thanthat which she had so eagerly grasped before. "Don't you know who I am,Sue?"
"I do not, sir," she replied rather coldly.
"When I tell you that I belong to the Fourth Alabama, don't you know me?"
"I do not, sir."
"And when I tell you that I am the intimate friend of your brother Owen?"
Allan Garland stood by the door; and, of course, it was not he; thereforeshe could not, by any possibility, conceive who he was; and she said so,in terms as explicit as the occasion required.
"I live in Union, Alabama, when I am at home. Don't you know me _now_,Sue?" persisted the perplexed visitor, who, perhaps, began to think hehad entered the wrong house.
If the veritable Allan Garland, however little his photograph resembledhim, had not stood by the door, she would have been rejoiced to see him,and to recognize in him her unknown friend and correspondent. As it was,she did not know him; and she was candid enough to express her convictionwithout reserve, in spite of the disagreeable effect which her want ofperception seemed to produce upon the mind of the stranger.
"This is very strange," said the soldier, taking off his cap, and rubbinghis head to quicken his faculties, which seemed to have led him into someunaccountable blunder. "Will you be kind enough to inform me who lives inthis house?"
"Mr. Raynes," replied Sue, quite as much mystified as the stranger seemedto be.
"There is some mistake; but I can't make out what it is," said thestranger.
"I cannot wait any longer," said Somers, who had been riveted to the spotby the astounding revelation to which he had just listened.
He had been almost paralyzed by the words of the rebel, in whom hepromptly recognized the young man whose name and antecedents he hadborrowed for the present occasion. His first impression was to take tohis heels, and to run away; but a certain worldly prudence prevented himfrom adopting this doubtful policy. If you attempt to run away from anangry dog, h
e will certainly bite you; whereas, by facing him boldly, youmay escape all injury. This fact, which Somers had fully exemplified inhis own experience before he left Pinchbrook, was the foundation of hisaction. Seeing that the stranger was perplexed and annoyed by the failureof the family to recognize him, even after he had told them everythingexcept his name, he decided that he might safely retire under the plea ofhaste.
"I beg your pardon, sir, for this intrusion," said the soldier, blushingwith mortification as he retreated a pace towards the door. "You willexcuse me, Miss Raynes, for my unwarrantable familiarity; but I have madea blunder, or you have," he added rather bitterly. "Perhaps, when Owencomes to introduce me, you will know me better."
"Owen's friends are my friends, young man; and you are as welcome as myson would be, whoever you are."
"Thank you, sir; but, with many regrets for this intrusion, I will takemy leave."
"No, no, my young friend," interposed the old man. "You must not leave usin this manner. It is true, we do not recognize you; but you are none theless welcome on that account."
"Thank you kindly, sir. I have deceived myself into the belief that I wasbetter known here than I find I am. It was weak in me to thrust myselfacross your threshold without an introduction; and, if you will pardonme, I will leave you, with the promise to come again with Owen."
"Not yet, sir; at least, not till you have told us who you are."
"Excuse me; but I must go now," replied the young rebel with anexhibition of gentle dignity, which quite won the heart of Somers, as itdid that of the family.
"Pray, give me your name, sir," interposed Sue, whose woman's curiositycould no longer endure the silence which maidenly reserve had imposedupon her, especially as the stranger proposed to depart without solvingthe mystery.
"You'll excuse me, Miss Raynes, if I decline for the present. My comradeis in a desperate hurry, and it is not reasonable for me to detain himany longer."
"But, young man, you wrong me, you wrong my daughter, and above all, youwrong my son, who is your friend, by leaving in this manner," said Mr.Raynes earnestly. "You actually charge us with a want of hospitality bythis abrupt withdrawal."
"You will pardon me, sir, for saying it; but after the description I havegiven of myself, if you do not know me, I am compelled to believe that itis because you do not wish to know me."
"That is very unjust, and we do not comprehend the force of the remark."
"Why, sir, I have written to you, and to your daughter, and your daughterhas written to me; and now you seem never to have heard of me. I havetold you that I reside in Union, Alabama; and that I am a friend ofOwen."
"We know a young man from that town very well, though we never saw him.His name is Allan Garland; but it is impossible that you should be theperson."
"I must go, comrade," said Somers desperately, as he rushed out of thedoor.
"Wait a moment!" exclaimed Mr. Raynes, grasping him by the arm; for theold farmer seemed to think his presence was necessary to the perfectunraveling of the mystery. "It seems to me you ought to know this youngman, if none of us do."
"I do not, Mr. Raynes; never saw him before in my life," protestedSomers, feeling very much like a condemned criminal.
"My name is Allan Garland," quietly continued the dignified young rebel."I am, undoubtedly, the person to whom you allude."
"Impossible!" exclaimed Mr. Raynes, still holding Somers's arm with thegrasp of a vise.
"Impossible!" almost shouted the fair Sue, more excited than she wouldhave been, if, through patient reading, she had arrived at the lastchapter of a sensational novel, where the pin is pulled out and all thevillains tumble down to perdition and all the angels stumble upon theirapotheosis.
"Impossible!" chimed in Mrs. Raynes, who had preserved a most remarkablesilence, for a woman, during the exciting incidents we have transcribed.
"May I be allowed to inquire why you think it is impossible?" calmlydemanded the gentle rebel, who, in his turn, was amazed at the singularcourse of events.
Sue did not know what else to do; so she sat down in a chair, and laughedwith hysterical vehemence at the strange aspect of the affair. The oldman opened his eyes, and opened his mouth; but he did not forget to holdon with all his might to the arm of the unfortunate lieutenant, who wasjust then picturing to himself the interior of a rebel dungeon; whichview suddenly dissolved into an indistinct representation of a tree, froma stout limb of which was suspended a rope, hanging down over acart--these latter appurtenances being symbolical of the usual rebelmethod of hanging a spy.
The affair, which had been growing desperate for some time, had nowactually become so to poor Somers. He placed his hand upon his revolver,in the breast-pocket of his coat; but some prudential considerationsinterposed to prevent him from using it. The house was on a line of rebelsentinels. Whole divisions of Confederate infantry, artillery andcavalry, were encamped around him, and any violent movement on his partwould have been sure to result in an ignominious disaster. The doughtyold farmer, who was not less than six feet three in his stockinged feet,held on to him as a drowning man clings to a floating spar. It was notpossible to get away without resorting to violence; and if he offered anyresistance to what, just then, looked like manifest destiny, the rebelsoldier would become an ally of the farmer, and the women could call inthe sentinels, if nothing more.
"Really, Mr. Raynes, you are very unkind to detain me, when I tell youthat my leave has nearly expired," said Somers, when he had fullymeasured the situation; which, however, was done in a tithe of the timewhich we have taken to transcribe it.
"Young man, there is some _mistake_," said Mr. Raynes, placing a wickedemphasis on the word, which went to the very core of the scout's heart."This man says he is Allan Garland, and you say you are Allan Garland.One of you is an impostor. Neither of you shall go till we determinewhich is the one. Sue, bring out your photograph again."
"Oh, dear!" gasped Somers, as in a fit of momentary despondency, he gavehimself up for lost, when the maiden went for the picture.