by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER VI
A SMART SKIRMISH IN THE ROAD
The Confederate troopers set up a yell loud and fierce enough tointimidate all the old ladies in the State if they could have heard it;but the Riverlawn Cavalry had heard it before, and its effect was tokindle the wrath of the members of the platoon.
"Unsling your carbines, Life! Unsling your carbines, Fronklyn!" shoutedDeck, as the flanking parties dashed into the two fields.
The men had fought hand to hand with the Texan Rangers; and they wereroused to the highest pitch of enthusiasm when they found themselvesagain in front of a regular force of troopers, instead of Home Guardsor guerillas. With their sabres in hand they rushed upon the foe withall the speed to which they could spur their horses. The men werefresh; for they had fought no engagement that day, and their work hadbeen easier than the regular marching.
On the other hand, the enemy had perhaps fought with the first platoon,and had been running their horses till the animals were nearlyexhausted. But they received the charge like brave men, and stood up tothe work. Deck had advanced on the right of his men for the reason thatthe officer in command of the enemy was on the left of his troopers;for he desired to meet him. He had drawn his sabre; and possibly theremembrance of his meeting on the field with the lieutenant of theTexan Rangers had something to do with his choice of a position.
The squads in charge of Life and Fronklyn had each put in a volley fromtheir carbines as soon as they were abreast of the Confederates, wherethey could fire diagonally at the enemy so as not to imperil theirfriends; and two of them had dropped out of their saddles, anddoubtless others were wounded. Deck shouted words of encouragement tohis soldiers, and almost instantly the conflict became furious. TheConfederates fought like demons, and two of the loyal force were seento drop from their saddles by the men on the flanks.
But the firing ceased as soon as both parties were mingled in thefight; for the two sergeants feared that their bullets might hit thewrong men. At this point the Confederate commander rushed upon theyoung lieutenant, who was ready for him, though he had not opened theduel. Both of them were skilled swordsmen, and for a minute at leastthey parried each other's cuts and thrusts. Life realized that his_protege_, as he regarded him, was in imminent peril; for hisantagonist was a heavier and taller man, and the longer reach of hisright arm was in his favor.
Deck was hard pressed, and neither officer could even glance at hismen, lest he should be caught off his guard. But Deck was stillself-possessed, and perhaps the excellent advice of his father savedhis life. Life Knox was not afraid of anything, but he trembled for thesafety of his lieutenant. He sought a position where he could put abullet through the brain of the brave Confederate, though he felt thatit would be mean to do so. Fortunately for him the sergeant could findno such position.
Ceph, the name of Deck's noble steed, which had been abbreviated fromBucephalus, seemed to Life, whose attention was fixed upon his officer,restive and uneasy: but his rider did not bring him into a leapingposture, as he had done on a former occasion, and had been charged byhis superiors with reckless daring; but the charger suddenly stood upon his hind feet, as though he intended to attempt the leap over theConfederate officer's horse on his own responsibility.
But the other steed was too tall for him, and his rider reined him in.At the moment when he was elevated above the head of his opponent, Deckseized his opportunity to deliver a blow upon the head of his foe withhis sabre. It struck him on the side of the head, above the ear,cleaving his skull, and he dropped from his horse like a lump of lead.Life was happily relieved at the result of this furious conflict.
He had not been idle during the affair; for he had sent two of his mento remove the fence at the side of the road, and Fronklyn had done thesame on the other side. The moment the enemy's brave leader had fallenfrom his horse, the sergeant ordered his men into the road, leading theway himself, and the other sergeant on the left had followed hisexample.
"Squad--attention!" shouted the orderly sergeant, after he had formedthe troopers in two ranks. "Forward--march!"
He led the charge himself; and they delivered a volley of blows andthrusts, as occasion served them, which ended the strife in less thananother moment. Several of the Confederates cried "Quarter!" and notanother blow was struck after the word was heard.
"Who is in command of this company now?" asked Deck, as he and his menmoved out of the tangle to the sides of the road.
"Leftenant Logan," replied a wounded trooper who had a sabre-cut on theside of his face which was bleeding profusely.
"The fall of Captain Letcher leaves me in command," said this officer,approaching the young lieutenant.
"Do you surrender, Lieutenant Logan?" asked Deck, as he surveyed thefine form and handsome face of the officer, who appeared to be not morethan a year or two older than the victor.
"I have no alternative; we are outnumbered, and surrounded by yourforce," replied the Confederate lieutenant solemnly and sadly.
"I sympathize with you, Lieutenant, though I was compelled to do myduty," replied Deck; and even while he gloried in the success of hiscommand, he was sincerely sorry for the misfortune of the officer, whomhe had seen in the road fighting bravely for the cause in thisparticular field, which was lost from the beginning. "But it is nodisgrace or dishonor to you or your brave soldiers to be beaten bydouble your number."
"I thank you, Lieutenant; and I only regret that we are obliged to beenemies," returned the officer very courteously. "Am I at liberty toattend to my wounded now?"
"Certainly, sir; and I hope your loss is not so great as it appears tobe at this moment," answered Deck.
After an action as hotly contested as this skirmish had been, it wassurprising how few had been killed outright. Only two of the Riverlawnshad fallen never to rise again; but six of the twenty-two Confederateswho had gone into the action were past human aid. Four of the blue, andnine of gray, had been disabled by wounds more or less severe, whilehardly a single man on either side had escaped without being slightlywounded.
"Have you a surgeon in your detachment, Lieutenant Logan?"
"I have not. He was left with the other platoon near Breedings; but Ihope you have one."
"I have not. Ours is with the main body," replied Deck; and theConfederate officer returned to his men.
"Who are the killed in our platoon, Life?" said Deck, when the sergeantcame to the lieutenant for further orders.
"I don't like to say so, Leftenant; but your cousin, Orly Lyon, is oneof them."
"Poor fellow!" exclaimed Deck. "I am sorry he has finished his campaignso soon; but I am glad he did not die among the enemies of the Union."
"But he fought like a hero in the action, for I was near him when hefell under the sabre of the lieutenant yonder," added Sergeant Sluder.
"Who was the other man killed, Life?" asked Deck.
"Barron, another of the new recruits."
"I am sorry to lose him, for he was a very promising soldier, though hehad not been sufficiently drilled. Bury the dead in the field on theright," said Deck as he started for the baggage-wagons, where thewounded had been carried.
Life had detailed a burial party, and Logan had done the same for themen he had lost. Shovels and picks had been supplied to both from oneof the wagons. Having attended to this duty, the orderly sergeant wassent to the field to ascertain the condition of the prisoners in chargeof Corporal Tilford. They still sat upon their horses, with the righthand made fast at the crupper-strap, and doubtless were anxiouslyawaiting the result of the skirmish in the road.
"How goes it, Sergeant Knox?" asked Captain Coonly when Life camewithin speaking distance of him.
"All right," replied the big Kentuckian.
"Haven't the regulars of the Confederate army licked you?"
"Not much; but they have been licked out of their boots, with the thirdpart of them killed or badly wounded. You have no show for gittin' outof this scrape yet."
Tilford reported that the prisone
rs had not made any trouble; for theyall declared that the Riverlawns would be beaten, and they were waitingto be set at liberty. The sentinels over them guarded them veryclosely, and afforded them no opportunity to make a demonstration, evenif they had been disposed to do so; for the soldiers with loadedcarbines in their hands, and with orders to shoot any one who did notobey orders, or who attempted to escape, was a fact patent to them all.Life was satisfied with his inspection, and hastened back to thewagons.
When he reached the road, he met two well-dressed gentlemen coming outof the field on the left, from the direction of Colonel Halliburn'shouse. Both of them were mounted, and were provided with saddle-bags.He was a native of Kentucky, and he promptly recognized them asdoctors.
"Mornin', gentlemen," said he, riding towards them. "I reckon you unsbe doctors?"
"You are not far from right, soldier," replied the elder of the two.
"Be you Secesh or Union?" demanded Life, as though he had the right toput the question.
"Divide the question, and each can answer for himself," replied the onewho had spoken before. "I am opposed to making Kentucky thebattleground of this war; and if I fought on either side, it would bewith the Confederates."
"Be you of the same mind?" asked Life, turning to the other.
"I am sorry to differ from my friend, Dr. McNairy; but I am a Unionman," answered the younger doctor, though he appeared to be at leastforty years old. "But what has happened here?" he continued, surveyingthe surroundings, especially the work of the burial parties.
"There's been a bit of a scrimmage between your friends here and themas runs with t'other doctor; but you are both wanted right now,"replied Life.
At this moment Mr. Milton arrived at the spot, and had apparentlyrecognized the two gentlemen as they rode across the field. He salutedthem both, calling them by name.
"I've told these doctors what we want of them," added the sergeant.
"But what about this battle, Mr. Milton?" inquired Dr. McNairy, theelder one, who appeared to be about sixty years old.
Milton gave a very brief account of the action, and mentioned that Mr.Halliburn's mansion had been ransacked by the prisoners whom he pointedout in the field.
"Why didn't you hang them?" demanded Dr. Barlow, the young doctor.
"The military officer in command of the detachment here managed thebusiness, and I had nothing to do with the matter; though I would havestrung up Coonly if I had had my way, for hanging would do him good.But the lieutenant said that one outrage did not mend another," repliedMilton impatiently; for he was anxious to have the wounded cared for.
"The lieutenant is a sensible man," added Dr. McNairy.
"Now, Dr. Barlow, your coming is most opportune; and I hope you willattend to the wounded of the Union force, and that Dr. McNairy will dothe same for the Confederates," added Milton.
"It is a mere accident that we happen to be here, for we have been overto perform an operation on the wife of General Macklin; but I am gladto be able to serve the Union wounded, and I am quite willing to do thesame for the Confederates."
"I will take care of the Confederates," added Dr. McNairy.
"Now, Sergeant Knox, if you will conduct Dr. McNairy to theConfederates, I will take Dr. Barlow to the Union wounded."
"I'll do that; but tell the leftenant there is a cavalry force comin'down the road, and I reckon it's the first platoon of our company."
Both of them departed on their missions, accompanied by the doctors.