Frank on the Lower Mississippi

by Harry Castlemon

  CHAPTER III.

  Archie in a Predicament.

  As soon as the young officers had reached the top of the bank, theypaused to take their bearings, and to select some landmark that wouldenable them to easily find the boat again. Away off in the darkness theysaw the twinkling of a light, which they knew was in the house which theguerrillas were using as their head-quarters.

  "Now, Archie," said Frank, "take a good look at this big tree here"(pointing to the object in question) "so that you will know it again.The boat lies in the river exactly in a line with that tree. Now, if youshould be separated from me and discovered, make straight for thecutter. But if you are cut off from it, run up the river until you get alittle above where the vessel lies, and then jump in and swim out toher. Do you understand?"

  "Yes," replied Archie.

  "Be careful of your weapons," continued his cousin, "and keep them dryand ready for instant use. Don't be captured--whatever you do, don't becaptured!"

  "I'll look out for that," answered Archie "But, Frank," he continued,"why did you tell the men to pull back to the vessel if we should be cutoff from the river? I should think that would be just the time you wouldwant them to remain."

  "Why," replied Frank, "the very first thing the rebels would think of,if we were discovered, would be to capture our boat, and while part ofthem were after us, the others would run to the river and gobble upboat, crew, and all. Then they would know that we were still on shore,and would scour the country to find us. But if the boat goes off to thevessel, the rebels will be more than half inclined to believe that wehave gone off too, and, consequently, will not take the pains to hunt uswhich they would do if they _knew_ we were still on shore. But letus be moving; we've no time to waste."

  Frank started toward the house, carefully picking his way over the wet,slippery ground, now and then pausing to listen, and to reconnoiter aswell as the darkness would permit, and finally stopped scarcely astone's throw from the building. Not a guerrilla had they seen. Notdreaming that the "yankee gun-boatmen" would have the audacity to attackthem when they knew the rebels were so far superior in numbers, thelatter had neglected to post sentries, and Frank was satisfied thattheir approach had not been discovered.

  "Now, Archie," said he, as they drew up behind a tree for concealment,"you stay here, and I'll see if I can set fire to that house."

  "There are people in it," said his cousin; "I just saw a man pass bythat window where the light is."

  "Then they must look out for themselves," answered Frank. "That's whatwe have to do when they shoot into our cabin. Now, you stay here, and ifyou hear any shooting, run for the boat."

  "What will _you_ do?" asked Archie.

  "Oh, I'll take care of myself. Good-bye."

  As Frank spoke he moved silently toward the house, and was soon out ofsight.

  "Now," soliloquized Archie, "I am to stay here, am I? That's what I wasordered to do, but I don't know whether I'll obey or not. It is evidentFrank left me here to keep me out of harm's way. Perhaps he thinks thatbecause I have never smelt powder, I am a coward; but I'll show him thatI am not."

  So saying, Archie stepped out from behind his tree, and walked slowlytoward the house. When he arrived opposite the window from which thelight shone, he stopped and looked in. He did not, however, go up closeto the window, or he certainly would have been seen; but he remainedstanding at a respectful distance, so that he would have some chance forescape, in case he should be discovered.

  The sight that met his gaze would have been sufficient to deter most menfrom attempting to burn the house. The room was filled with men, some ofwhom were lying on the floor on their blankets, others sitting aroundthe table, and one or two were walking about the apartment. In thecorner stood their arms, ready to be seized at a moment's warning. Andthis was but one of the rooms; perhaps the whole house was filled withguerrillas.

  "My eye!" said Archie to himself, "what a hornet's nest would be raisedabout our ears, if we should be discovered."

  His heart beat faster than usual, as he moved back from the window, andwalked silently around to the other side of the house. Here also was awindow, from which a light shone, and as, like the other, it wasdestitute of a curtain, every thing that went on within could be plainlyseen by Archie, who took his station behind some bushes that stood at alittle distance from the house. The room had three occupants, whomArchie at once set down as officers. One of them carried his arm in asling. He was a tall, powerful-looking man, and Archie recognized in himthe daring rider of the white horse--the chief of the guerrillas.

  "I wonder what the old chap would say if he knew I was about," thoughtArchie--"I, who gave him that wound. I'd be booked for Shreveport,certain."

  He was interrupted in his meditations by the movements of the officers,who arose and approached the door, bringing their chairs with them. Thestorm had ceased, and as there was no longer any necessity of remainingin the house, the rebels were, no doubt, moving to cooler quarters.Archie at once thought of retreating; but the thought had scarcelypassed through his mind, when the door opened, the rebels walked out onthe portico, and seating themselves in their chairs, deposited theirfeet on the railing; while the young officer stretched himself outbehind the bush, heartily wishing that he could sink into the ground outof sight.

  "A very warm evening, colonel," said one of the rebels, fanning himselfwith his hat.

  "Very," answered the guerrilla chief, gently moving his wounded arm,little dreaming that the one who gave him that wound was at that verymoment lying behind the bushes into which he had just thrown the stumpof his cigar. "It's very warm. I wish I had that rascally Yank that shotme," he added, "this wound is very painful."

  Archie upon hearing this was almost afraid that the beating of hisheart, which thumped against his ribs with a noise that frightened him,would certainly reveal to the rebels the fact that the "rascally Yank"was then in their immediate vicinity.

  "But, if our plans work," continued the colonel, "in less than a weekfrom this time they will all be on the way to Shreveport."

  "May I ask, colonel," said the one who had not yet spoken, "how soonthose boats will be ready?"

  "Major Jackson reports that they will be finished by to-morrow night,and it will take all of one day to run them down the creek to theriver."

  "Then by Thursday evening," said the one who had first spoken, "we maybe ready to make the attempt."

  "Yes, if the night is favorable."

  "But, colonel, all these gun-boats are supplied with hot water, andthat, you know, is the worst kind of an enemy to fight. Men will runfrom that who wouldn't flinch before cold steel."

  "Oh, we must take the Yanks by surprise, of course. The boats will holdfifty men each, and we must drop down the river so that we will land oneon each side of the vessel. If the night is dark--and we shall not makethe attempt unless it is--we can get within pistol-shot of her before weare discovered, and by the time their men get fairly out of bed she'sours. Hark! what noise was that?"

  The rebels listened for a moment, and one of them replied:

  "I didn't hear any thing."

  "Well, _I_ did," returned the colonel, "and it sounded very muchlike some one shouting for help. I'm certain I heard it."

  Archie, who lay in his concealment, trembling like a leaf, was alsoconfident that _he_ had heard something that sounded like a callfor assistance. What if it was Frank in danger, and shouting to thecutter's crew for help? The thought to Archie was a terrible one, and heforgot the dangers of his own situation, and thought only of his cousin.But if Frank was in trouble, why did he not give the signal to thecutter's crew? Archie waited and listened for it, but did not hear itgiven.

  While these thoughts were passing through his mind, the rebels sat onthe portico listening, and at length the colonel said:

  "I know I hear something now, but it is the tramping of a horse. Isuppose it is Tibbs, coming with the mail."

  The colonel's surmise proved to be correct, for in a few moments a manrod
e up, and dismounting so close to Archie that the latter could havetouched him, tied his horse to the very bush which formed hisconcealment; then, throwing a pair of well-filled saddle-bags across hisshoulder, he ran up the steps, saying:

  "Good evening, gentlemen. What! colonel, are you wounded?" he added, onseeing the rebel's bandaged arm.

  "Yes; this makes four times I have been shot while in the service. Buthow is the mail?"

  "Rather heavy," answered the man. "If you have any letters to go, youwill have to furnish another bag--these are full."

  "All right," said the colonel; then raising his voice, he called out,"Bob! Bob! Where is that black rascal?"

  "Heyar, sar," answered a voice, and presently a negro came around thecorner of the house, and removing his tattered hat, stood waiting fororders.

  "Bob," said the colonel, "tell Stiles that the mail is all ready to goacross the river."

  _Stiles!_ How Frank would have started could he have heard thatname! He would have known then, had he not before been aware of thefact, that he was again among _Colonel Harrison's LouisianaWild-cats_.

  The negro, in obedience to his orders, disappeared, but soon returned,with the intelligence that Stiles was not to be found.

  "Not to be found," echoed the colonel; "that's twice he has failed me.But this mail must not be delayed. Tell Damon I want to see him."

  The negro again disappeared, and in a few moments came back with asoldier, to whom the colonel said:

  "Damon, here's a mail that must go across the river to-night. Can youpull an oar?"

  "Yas," replied the man.

  "Then get some one to go with you, and start at once. The skiff, youknow, is in the creek, just above where that Yankee gun-boat lies."

  "Yas," answered the man again, as he took the mail-bags which thecolonel handed him.

  "This one," continued the rebel, pointing to a small canvas bag whichone of his officers had just brought out of the house--"this onecontains my mail--all official documents, to go to Richmond. Be carefulof it. Don't let the Yankees get hold of you."

  "No," replied the soldier, as he shouldered the mail and disappeared.

  The conversation that followed, of which Archie heard every word, servedto convince him that, although the rebels kept up a bold front, andappeared sanguine of success in their attempts to destroy theGovernment, yet among themselves they acknowledged their cause to beutterly hopeless unless some bold stroke could be made to "disheartenthe Yankees."

  In spite of Archie's dangerous situation, which had tried his nervesseverely, he listened to every word that was uttered, and even becameinterested in what the rebels were saying. Now and then he was called toa sense of his situation by the movements of the horse, which, beingrestive, came very near stepping on him as he pranced about.

  Damon had been gone about half an hour, and the colonel had justcommenced explaining to the man who had brought the mail the manner inwhich the capture of the Boxer was to be effected, when suddenly thereport of a pistol startled every one on the portico. A moment afterwardcame another, which was followed by a yell of agony.

  "What's that?" exclaimed the colonel, springing from his chair in alarm."Are we attacked? Get out there, every mother's son of you!" hecontinued, as the men, having been aroused by the noise, came pouringout of the rooms in which they were quartered. "Every man able to draw asaber get out there! Run for the river! That's where the reportssounded, and if there are any boats there capture them. That will keepthe Yankees on shore, and we can hunt them up at our leisure!"

  The men ran out of the house and started for the river at the top oftheir speed, at the same time yelling with all the strength of theirlungs, while the colonel and his officers ran into their room, andhastily seizing such weapons as came first to their hands, followedafter. To describe Archie's feelings, as he lay there behind that bushand listened to the sounds of pursuit, were impossible. The noise therebels made seemed to bewilder him completely, for he lay on the groundseveral moments, it seemed to him, without the power to move hand orfoot.

  Suddenly the thought struck him that now was the time to accomplish theobject of the expedition. The house was deserted, and the yells, whichgrew fainter and fainter, told him that the rebels were getting furtheraway. Yes, it was now or never. In an instant, Archie's courage andpower of action returned. Springing to his feet, he ran to the end ofthe portico, on which were piled several bales of hay and bundles offodder, which the rebels no doubt intended for their horses. But Archiedetermined that they should be put to a different use, for he quicklydrew from his pocket two large bottles filled with coal oil, which hethrew over the hay. He then applied a match, and in an instant it was ina blaze. He waited a moment to see it fairly started, and then sprangoff the portico. As he passed the door, he heard an ejaculation ofsurprise, followed by the report of a pistol, and the noise of a bulletas it whizzed past his head. It frightened him, and at the same timeacted upon him as the crack of a whip does upon a spirited horse; forwhen the rebel who fired the shot had reached the portico, Archie haddisappeared in the darkness.