by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXX
THE MAGNATE OF GREELTOP'S VISIT
The cavalrymen had been duly drilled in all the details of forming acamp; and in a short time the tents were pitched, the pickets set up forthe horses, and the cooks were busy in preparing supper. Theheadquarters tent was the first to be arranged, as soon as the major hadindicated its location. Colonel Coffee was invited to take a camp-stool;for they do not have sofas and armchairs in a camp.
"I have been pleading with the officials for the last two weeks toattend to the security of this region," said the colonel, as he seatedhimself. "I have wondered every day during the last week that Greeltophas not been sacked, and all our houses burned down; for there is agreat deal of Union sentiment in the place."
"Then the place must be particularly liable to an assault from theguerillas," suggested the major.
"We have tried to form a Home Guard here for the protection of thevillage, and we have a little band of about twenty men; but most of ouryoung and middle-aged men have left the place to enlist in the loyalarmy, so that we have not much stock of which to form a company. But ourlittle band keep a picket of five or ten of their number in theoutskirts of the village, to warn us of the approach of an enemy."
"We shall soon relieve them of that duty."
"Our men are not soldiers, for they have had no training; but they aremade up of fighting material. Though I am sixty-five years old, I belongto the company; and I have just returned from patrolling the region tothe eastward of us."
While he listened to the visitor, Major Lyon had spread out his map,which included the locality; and with the assistance of the colonel heobtained a clear idea of the surface of the country, the first requisitefor a military commander. While they were still busy over the map, thesentinel at the entrance to the tent drew aside the curtain, and salutedthe commander.
"A messenger in a great hurry to see Colonel Coffee," said he.
"Admit him," replied the major promptly.
A gentleman dressed in a black coat with a standing collar to it,encircled with a belt, in which was secured a pair of navy revolvers,entered the tent, out of breath with excitement of running.
"The Rev. Mr. Elbroon, Major Lyon, one of our Home Guard," said thecolonel as soon as the clergyman appeared at the entrance.
There was nothing clerical in his appearance except the standing collarof his coat; and the revolvers especially belied his profession.
"The Lord be praised for his great mercy!" exclaimed the minister, assoon as he could get breath for utterance.
"What is the matter, Joseph?" asked the magnate of Greeltop veryfamiliarly.
"The guerillas are coming!" exclaimed the reverend gentleman.
"Where are they?" asked the colonel, as coolly as though he had been incommand of a regiment for years.
"They are coming down by the mountain road back of your mansion!"gasped Mr. Elbroon, who was evidently very much alarmed, and couldhardly speak in his fatigue and excitement.
"Sentinel!" called the major sharply.
The man appeared at once.
"Where is Captain Gordon?"
"He is close by, Major."
"Ask him to come to my tent."
"Sit down, Joseph," said the colonel, giving his stool to his friend andhis fellow-soldier, it appeared. "You don't gain anything by blowingyourself out."
"But this is no time to sit down," replied the excited minister, thoughhe took the proffered seat.
Captain Gordon appeared immediately.
"A raid of guerillas on the place, Captain! Have the first company readyto march in three minutes!" said the commander in hurried tones.
The captain retired in haste, without asking any questions; and a momentlater the bugles were heard sounding the assembly. The major buckled onhis sword, and sent out an order for his horse.
"Thank the good Lord that the military have come at last!" exclaimedMr. Elbroon, as he crossed his arms on his breast, and looked up toheaven in earnest prayer. "But we are wasting time, Colonel; and I amafraid we shall see your beautiful mansion in flames before we can getthere."
"If we do, it will go up in a good cause," replied the magnate, with asmile on his dignified face. "I can afford to lose it better than someof the poor people of the village could their houses. But cool off,Joseph; you are still all in a flutter."
"I will try to do so," replied the clerical soldier, "I saw them comingwhen I was on the top of the mountain. I hurried my poor horse till hebroke down under me; and I had to run on foot the rest of the way."
"Rest yourself, Joseph. If you saw the guerillas from the top of themountain, there is no hurry; for they will not reach my house thishalf-hour," added the colonel.
"You shall have another horse, my reverend friend," interposed thecommander, as he ordered the sentinel to send for a spare steed.
"Now, Joseph, where were the guerillas when you saw them?" inquired themagnate.
"They were on the Cliff Road, just coming around the bend."
"That is four miles from my house, and five from here," continued thecolonel.
"But I have been a long time coming here," suggested Mr. Elbroon.
"Excuse me, Colonel Coffee; I should like a little more definiteinformation in regard to the road by which these guerillas will approachthe village," interposed the commander.
"I don't think they will approach the village at all, Major Lyon. I havenot the remotest doubt that my mansion is their objective point; andthey will first plunder that."
"We will take care that they don't do anything of the sort. Have you anyidea how many there were in the company you saw, Mr. Elbroon?"
"I could see them marching along under the cliff; I should say therewere not less than fifty of them," replied the clergyman. "I did notwait to count them, but hurried to the village, where I inquired ofeverybody for Colonel Coffee. The barber told me he was here."
"Company formed," reported the sentinel at the door.
"We are ready now, gentlemen," said the major, as he passed out of thetent, followed by the others.
"The spare horse ordered, Major," said the sentinel, as he led him up.
The clerical gentleman was invited to mount this animal, which had beenridden by one of the men killed; and the colonel mounted his own steed.The commander took his horse, which was led by Deck, while Artie hadbrought up the spare steed. The animal was a higher-spirited beast thanthe parson had been in the habit of riding, and Artie had to take him bythe head to prevent him from running away; for he was one of the coltsof the Riverlawn planter's stock.
"My orderlies will ride with me," said the major; "I may want them.Captain Truman, you will have the second company in marching order, incase I send for them, though I don't know what this affair will amountto; and you will leave a guard at the camp if you are called away."
The order was given to Captain Gordon to march. The commander led thecolumn at full gallop, with the colonel at his side, and the orderliesin the rear of them. In less than a minute they came to a road turningoff at the left, leading in the direction of the magnate's mansion. Itwas situated on the side of a hill, and near the top of it. Theelevation was elliptical in form, and the loftiest part was not morethan sixty feet high, at the summit of which was a Chinese pagoda,painted in gaudy colors.
There was a valley behind it; for the major could see the tops of sometall trees, whose roots must be far below the top of the ellipticalhill. Beyond it were what the colonel called the mountains, thoughprobably not one of them was more than five hundred feet high. Thecolumn followed the road into which it had turned till it came toanother; and here the major ordered the captain to halt his company.
"Here is another road, Colonel Coffee; and it passes behind the hillwhich you call Greeltop," said the commander.
"Precisely so," replied the magnate, who thought the major had acquireda very good knowledge of the locality when he had been there hardly morethan an hour.
"Captain Gordon, you will go that way with half your
company, andLieutenant Gilder will follow me," said Major Lyon. "The road throughthe valley unites with the one from the mountains, by which theguerillas must approach the village. You will move cautiously as youcome near this road, and halt there till you hear firing on your right."
"You can hardly call it a road through the valley, though the captaincan get through without any difficulty," interposed the magnate. "It isall a grove, but the ground has been cleared off."
"Dexter, you will call Knox, and scout the road ahead of us. Don't letthe enemy see you, and obey the orders of the sergeant," continued themajor, as the first platoon rode off.
Life Knox was called from his place in the ranks, and the order of thecommander given to him. It was the kind of duty the sergeant liked; forhe was more at home there than in following military forms; though hewas a faithful and obedient soldier, and his captain wished he had ahundred more like him.
"Here we go again, Deck," said the sergeant, as they galloped up theroad, by the entrance to Colonel Coffee's estate. "Your pa does well tosend me along with you this time, and not leave you alone as he did onthat bridge."
"But I can take care of myself, and I did that time; for I came backlike a bad penny," replied Deck.
"You managed fust-rate, my boy; and if you live to be as old as thewhite-haired owner of this place, you will be a brigadier-general; and Ihope I shall be an orderly sergeant under you."
"You are a good deal more likely to become a brigadier-general than Iam, though I may get to be a corporal some time. You may bemajor-general; for you understand war much better than most of us."
"That can't never be, Deck. I hain't got the eddication to be anythingmore than a non-commissioned officer," said Knox, shaking his head, andhurrying on his horse.
"It wouldn't be just the thing for a brigadier-general to say'eddication,'" replied Deck.
"What would you call it? I didn't pay much attention to my eddicationwhen I was a young cub, and have been sorry for it ever sence. What doyou call it, Deck?"
"Ed-u-ca-tion."
"But I can't say it like that."
"Yes, you can. You have a brother named Edward, and you call him Ed whenyou speak of him. Now say this, Life, 'Ed, you can.'"
"'Ed, you can.'"
"Good! Now say, 'Ed, you, Kate,'" which was the name he had given themare he rode.
"'Ed, you, Kate.'"
"Exactly; and it is just as easy to say 'educate' as 'eddicate.' Tryit."
He did it as well as though he had been to college.
"You will be a brigadier-general if you keep on; for you know more nowthan half of them who pronounce their words correctly," added Deck,reining in his horse as they came to another road. "This is the one weare to follow, I think."
"I reckon 'tis; and we won't edicate--ed-u-cate--no more jest now."
"I don't see anything of any guerillas yet."
"They hain't got along," replied Knox, as he reined in his horse andlooked about him.
There was something peculiar about the place which attracted theattention of the Kentuckian. The road passed through a round openspace. On one side was a broad gateway that led by a winding driveway tothe front door of the colonel's mansion.
"This would be a nice place to meet them gorillas," said Knox, as helooked about him. "Now get in there, Deck," and he pointed to the opengateway, and led his mate into it. "You hold Kate while I look interthis thing afoot;" and he slid from his horse to the ground.
He followed the road, concealing himself as much as possible in theshadow of the trees.