VII
Now, when the foolish girl disappeared behind the door, I turned awayfrom the gate full of anger at all mundane things. But the only humanbeing near at hand was Whistling Jim, and him I seized by the collar.
"You scoundrel!" I exclaimed, shaking him vigorously; "what do you meanby going off and leaving the stable-door unlocked?"
"Mar--Marse Cal--Cally--lem--lemme tell you 'bout it!" he cried,affrighted; and then, ashamed of my silly display of temper, I turnedhim loose. "What make you so fractious ter-night, Marse Cally? A littlemo' an' you'd 'a' shuck my head off. I declar' ter gracious, MarseCally, I thought I locked dat stable-door. I know I turned de key--deyain't no two ways 'bout dat. I tuck de key out'n de lock when I wentin, an' put it back in de lock when I come out--I put it in de lock an'turned it des like I allers do."
"But what you didn't do," said I, now angry with myself, "was to makesure that the bolt of the lock had caught. It didn't catch, and when Iwent there to-night the door yielded to my hand. It was a piece of purecarelessness, and if you ever do the like again----"
"Don't talk dat way, Marse Cally; you sho is been mighty good ter me,an' I don't want ter make you mad. I never is ter do dat trick ag'in."
Then I told him that there was a plot on foot to steal the horses, andadvised him as to the identity of the two men. He knew themboth--especially did he know the prominent citizen, who, on variousoccasions, had invited him into the store and made him presents of pipeand tobacco, and had even hinted to him that he could find a good jobfor him when he grew tired of working for nothing. He had also givenhim whiskey, which was a contraband article in the recruiting camp.
We walked along very friendly, for I was ashamed of myself for givingway to my temper. When the negro thought I was in a sufficiently goodhumor, he endeavored to ease his own curiosity on a matter that hadevidently been worrying him. "Marse Cally," he said, "who wuz datlittle chap we tuck home des now?"
"I don't know his name. Why do you ask?"
"Kaze he look so funny an' done so funny. He ain't look like no man terme."
"Why, of course not; he is little more than a boy; that's the reason Imade him come out of that house."
"He moughter been a boy," remarked Whistling Jim, after taking sometime to think the matter over. "He wuz right knock-kneed, an' when hewalked he walked des like de flo' wuz burnin' his foots."
I could only pretend to laugh, but I wondered at the negro's keepobservation. Seeing that I made no reply, he went on: "You know what Ithink, Marse Cally? Dat uppity li'l chap is des ez much a man ez you isa 'oman."
"Well, it may be so," I replied. "He is nothing to me."
Whistling Jim laughed one of his irritating laughs. "Dat's so, suh, butI tuck notice dat you helt han's wid 'im a mighty long time."
This was intolerable, and I remarked with some severity that I proposedto make it my special business to inform Harry Herndon how his negrohad neglected his duty. "Now, don't do dat, Marse Cally, please, suh!You know mighty well dat Marse Harry can't keep his temper like youdoes. I dunner when you been ez fractious ez you is ter-night."
"You are the cause of it," I declared, "you and no one else. First youleave the stable-door unlocked, and then you say that this young fellowis neither man nor boy."
"Did I say dat, Marse Cally?" exclaimed Whistling Jim, apparentlyalmost as much amazed as if I had drawn a pistol on him. He stood amoment, as if trying to remember the circumstances under which theremark had been made, but he shook his head sadly. "Ef I said dat,Marse Cally, I must 'a' been dreamin'; I wuz mighty nigh fast asleepwhen we started back des now, an' ef you'd 'a' lissened right close Ispeck you'd 'a' hearn me a sno'in'. Ef you say I said it, den I reckonI must 'a' said it, but I wan't at myse'f, kaze ef dey ever wuz a grownman on top er de groun', dat chap is one."
"You are sharper than I thought you were," I remarked.
"You must be makin' fun er me, Marse Cally, kaze dey ain't nothin'sharp 'bout knowin' a man fum a 'oman. Ef I didn't know de diffunce I'dturn myse'f out ter graze wid de dry cattle, an' stay wid um all thoode season."
"Now, that's the way to talk," said I with some heartiness; "but if Iever find the stable-door unlocked again I'll take it for granted thatyou have changed your opinion about our young friend."
"I may leave de stable-door onlocked time an' time ag'in," remarkedWhistling Jim solemnly, "but I never is ter b'lieve dat dat boy isanything but a man."
I made haste to inform Harry Herndon that Jack Bledsoe was in theneighborhood, and, as was perfectly natural, he was keen to see him,less for Jack's sake, I imagine, though he loved the young fellow well,than for the sake of having some news of the fair Katherine. As theheaviest part of his work at headquarters was over, and as pretty mucheverything had depended on the reply to General Forrest's requisitionon his superior officer--who, unfortunately, chanced to be GeneralBragg--for arms and ammunition, Harry had no difficulty in securingleave of absence for the day; and so, when all the arrangements hadbeen made, we set out the next evening for the house where Jack Bledsoelay.
On the way, I suggested that perhaps Jack's mother and the fair cousinwould probably be found there; and this possibility was in Harry's mindalso, for he leaned from his horse toward me and extended his hand,uttering not a word. I gripped it with mine, and hoped that before Idied I should have the opportunity of shaking another hand as true. Oneother I found--but only one.
Jack's mother met us at the door, and not far behind her was the fairKatherine, more beautiful than ever. I saw at a glance that the ladieswere expecting us, for they were rigged out in their best, which wasnot very bad, considering that they had been caught between the lineswith a wounded man on their hands. Another face that I had expected tosee was not in evidence, and whatever enthusiasm I may have felt in thebeginning soon died away, and I was sorry that I had been foolishenough to accompany Harry.
We were taken at once to Jack's room, and it was very evident that hewas glad to see us again. He had changed a great deal; he looked older,and appeared to be worn by illness. He had been removed from the cabinon the river at a critical period, and, as a result, he was compelledto go through a long and drastic illness. He was on the high road torecovery, but I thought he would never be the same handsome Jack again,so cadaverous was his countenance and so changed his voice. The twoladies and myself left the friends together and went into the room thathad been the parlor, where there was a brisk fire burning.
The house was a very commodious country home and had evidently beenbuilt by some prosperous person whose heart and mind turned to thecountry after he had acquired wealth in the town. But the owner haddeserted it when the Federals took possession of Murfreesborough,leaving furniture and everything to the mercy of circumstance--thecruel circumstance that goes hand in hand with war. But everything wasintact. The old piano stood in the corner as glossy as if it had beennewly bought, and the carpets on the floor wore a clean look, thoughsome of them were threadbare.
After a while, Harry came in search of Kate--she was more importantthan his wounded friend--and Mrs. Bledsoe went to take her place byJack's bedside. This arrangement would have left me very much alone,but for the thoughtfulness of Kate, who intimated that I should findvery interesting company in the next room. "Don't be afraid," she said.But I was very much afraid, I know not why, and hesitated a long timebefore I ventured into the room.
And when I did venture to wander in casually, I was more afraid thanever, for at a window a small lady sat reading. I knew her at once forJane Ryder, but that fact made me no bolder. On the contrary, I felt atimidity that was almost childish; it was a feeling that carried meaway back to my boyhood, when I refused to go into a room where therewas a company of little girls.
"I beg your pardon," said I, and began to back toward the door.
"Oh, no harm is done," the lady declared, closing the book, but keepingthe place with her fore-finger. "Did you desire to see me? Or perhapsyou would see Miss Bledsoe?"
"No, ma'am--I--that is, Miss
Bledsoe is talking with a friend of mine,and I just wandered in here, having nothing else to do."
"To be sure! I believe that is a custom of Southern gentlemen."
"What is?" I asked, rather abruptly.
"Why, to go to houses and wander from room to room until theircuriosity is satisfied."
I was angry, though I knew that she meant not a word she said. "DoesMrs. Bledsoe indulge in that habit?" I asked.
"Habit? I said custom. Mrs. Bledsoe is a changed woman since she haslived among people who know something of the world and its ways, andwho are not slave-drivers."
"I believe this is Miss Jane Ryder," I said.
"Your memory is better than your manners," she replied, and though Itried hard to keep my temper, her words stung me to the quick.
"I assure you I had not the least desire to disturb you. I came in herewith the hope, though not the expectation, of finding a lad who camehere last night."
"He is not here," she asserted, "and if he were, he has no desire tosee you. He told me something of his encounter with you, and if that isthe way you treat a young lad, I wonder how you would have treated anunprotected woman."
I would not trust myself to speak to her. I made her a low obeisanceand retired from the room; but I was not to escape so easily. Shepursued her advantage; she followed me out into the hall. "Is it truethat the young man compelled you to accompany him to this house lastnight?"
"If he told you so, madam, it is true," I replied.
"After threatening to give you a strapping?" she asked. Her mood wasalmost exultant, though she had been gloomy enough when I firstdisturbed her.
"If he says so, madam."
"He didn't say so, but I believe he slapped your face, for it is stillred."
"Perhaps he did, madam."
"I am no madam, I'll let you know; why do you call me so?"
"It is simply a term of respect, ma'am. Our young people are taught tobe respectful to ladies."
"You may be sure that the young man would have remained to see you, butI was afraid you'd run away and leave your friend." Women can be verychildish sometimes, and this was pure childishness.
"Why, I had no idea that he bore me any ill-will," I remarked. "Hetrotted along by my side in perfect good-humor when I was fetching himhome. If he has any grudge against me, I do not think the fault ismine. Say to him that I apologize most humbly for any offence I mayhave given him." Jane Ryder was now sure that I did not connect herwith the lad--was sure that I had not pierced her disguise, and shebecame at once very much friendlier. Her relief was apparent in voiceand gesture.
"The truth is," she went on, "the young man is very fond of you, muchto my surprise. It is a strange fancy," she mused; "there is noaccounting for it. I believe you could prevail on him to leave hisfriends and go with you to the South; that is why I am keeping him awayfrom you."
"I have had few friends," I said, "and if you could add the young manto the list and place him above all the rest, I should be happy. But asfor persuading him to desert his principles, I should never think ofit; and I should think ill of him if he could be persuaded."
"He really thinks that you are one of the finest men he ever met,"pursued Jane Ryder. "He says that a young woman would be as safe frominsult with you as she would be with her mother."
"And why not?" I inquired. "I thank your friend for his good opinion ofme; but it is no great compliment to me to say that I should protect awoman with my life, if need be. Back yonder there are gathered three orfour thousand men, and out of that four thousand you will not find tenwho would not do the same and think it nothing to boast of."
"I wouldn't trust them," she declared.
"Would you trust me?" I asked. The words were out of my mouth before Icould recall them. They meant more than she would think or than shewould care for them to mean.
"I certainly would," she said, clenching her hands in a strange littlegesture.
"I thank you for saying that much," I declared. "The time may come--notsoon, perhaps--when I shall have to ask you to trust me."
"Soon or late," she replied, "my answer will be the same."
I never was more shaken with the excitement of temptation than at thatmoment. She must have known it; they say women are quick at reading thethoughts of a man, but, instead of drawing away from me, she drewnearer. In another instant I should have seized her in my arms, thepale and lonely creature, but just then the sound of footsteps camealong the hall, and I heard the happy laughter of Katherine Bledsoe. Ihad raised my arms, but now I lowered them and she had seized my hand.
"Good-by!" she said, and as soon as she could tear her hand from mineshe was gone--gone by another door, and Harry and her companion cameplump upon me standing in the hallway, gazing at the door through whichJane Ryder had disappeared. Then I turned and gazed at them, first atone and then at the other.
"What have you done with her?" inquired Kate, with just a shade ofsolicitude in her voice. "Oh, I hope you haven't hurt her," she cried."She has the tenderest heart in the world."
"Hurt her? Hurt her?" It was all that I could say, and then all of asudden I came to myself and stood there laughing very foolishly. "Sheran away," I explained. "I don't know why. I am sure I didn't want herto go!"
Whereupon Kate fell to laughing, and kept it up until the tears cameinto her eyes. "Oh, men are such simpletons!" she exclaimed; "I don'tknow what I should do for amusement if I didn't see the lords ofcreation once in a great while."
We bade good-by to the household--though Jane Ryder was nowhere to befound--and went to our horses, which we had left in charge of WhistlingJim. That worthy was in quite a flutter. He had heard strange noises,and he was almost sure that he had caught a glimpse of more than oneman in the darkness. We paid little enough attention to what he said,for we knew that the ladies were safe so far as the Confederates wereconcerned, and Jack Bledsoe would answer for their safety with theFederals.
Nevertheless, there was no one to answer for our safety, and we had nomore than mounted our horses before we discovered that we weresurrounded. We heard the tramp of cavalry on all sides. A quiet voicein the darkness made itself heard: "Don't shoot unless they resist!"
"Ride them down!" exclaimed Harry. My horse ran full into anotherhorse, and he and his rider went down just as I used my pistol. Someone with an oath whacked me over the head with a sabre, my horsestumbled in the darkness, and down I went into chaos. I thought I heardsomeone singing, and then it seemed as if there was a free concert inprogress, while I lay helpless in a great gully out of which I couldnot climb.
A Little Union Scout Page 7