Si Klegg, Book 3

by John McElroy

  CHAPTER V. THE BOYS GO SPYING

  ON AN EXPEDITION WITH ROSENBAUM THEY MAKE A CAPTURE.

  MR. ROSENBAUM'S stories of adventure were not such as to captivate theboys with the career of a spy. But the long stay in camp was gettingvery tedious, and they longed for something to break the monotony ofcamp guard and work on the interminable fortifications. Therefore, whenMr. Rosenbaum came over one morning with a proposition to take themout on an expedition, he found them ready to go. He went to RegimentalHeadquarters, secured a detail for them, and, returning to the Hoosier'sRest, found the boys lugubriously pulling over a pile of homespungarments they had picked up among the teamsters and campfollowers.

  "I suppose we've got to wear 'em, Shorty," said Si, looking verydisdainfully at a butternut-colored coat and vest. "But I'd heap ratherwear a mustard plaster. I'd be a heap comfortabler."

  "I ain't myself finicky about clothes," answered Shorty. "I ain't noswell--never was. But somehow I've got a prejudice in favor of blue as acolor, and agin gray and brown. I only like gray and brown on a corpse.They make purty grave clothes. I always like to bury a man what hasbutternut clothes on."{69}

  "What are you doing with them dirty rags, boys?" asked Rosenbaum, inastonishment, as he surveyed the scene.

  "Why, we've got to wear 'em, haven't we, if we go out with you?" askedSi.

  "You wear them when you go out with me--you disguise yourselves," saidRosenbaum, with fine scorn. "You'd play the devil in disguise. You can'tdisguise your tongues. That's the worst. Anybody'd catch on to thatIndianny lingo first thing. You've got to speak like an educatedman--speak like I do--to keep people from finding out where you're from.I speak correct English always. Nobody can tell where I'm from."

  The boys had hard work controlling their risibles over Mr. Rosenbaum'sself-complacency.

  "What clothes are we to wear, then?" asked Si, much puzzled.

  "Wear what you please; wear the clothes you have on, or anything else.This is not to be a full-dress affair. Gentlemen can attend in theirworking clothes if they want to."

  "I don't understand," mumbled Si.

  "Of course, you don't," said Rosenbaum gaily. "If you did, you would knowas much as I do, unt I wouldn't have no advantage."

  "All right," said Shorty. "We've decided to go it blind. Go ahead. Fixit up to suit yourself. We are your huckleberries for anything that youkin turn up. It all goes in our $13 a month."

  "O. K.," answered Rosenbaum. "That's the right way. Trust me, unt I willbring you out all straight. Now, let me tell you something. When you{70}captured me, after a hard struggle, as you remember (and he gave as muchof a wink as his prominent Jewish nose would admit), I was an officeron General Roddey's staff. It was, unt still is, my business to keep upexpress lines by which the rebels are supplied with quinine, medicines,gun-caps, letters, giving information, unt other things. Unt I do it."

  The boys opened their eyes wide, and could not restrain an exclamationof surprise.

  "Now, hold your horses; don't get excited," said Rosenbaum calmly. "Youdon't know as much about war as I do--not by a hundred per cent. Thesethings are always done in every war, unt General Rosecrans understandsthe tricks of war better as any man in the army. He beats them all whenit comes to getting information about the enemy. He knows that a dogthat fetches must carry, unt that the best way is to let a spy take alittle to the enemy, unt bring a good deal back.

  "The trouble at the battle of Stone River was that the spies took moreto General Bragg than they brought to General Rosecrans. But GeneralRosecrans was new to the work then. It won't be so in future. He knows agreat deal more about the rebels now than they know about him, thanks tosuch men as me."

  "I don't know as we ought to have anything to do with this, Shorty,"said Si dubiously. "At least, we ought to inquire of the Colonel first."

  "That's all right--that's all right," said Rosenbaum quickly. "I've gotthe order from the Colonel which will satisfy you. Read it yourself."

  He handed the order to Si, who looked carefully{71} at the printedheading, "Headquarters, 200th Ind., near Murfreesboro', Tenn.," and thenread the order aloud to Shorty: "Corporal Josiah Klegg and one private,whom he may select, will report to Mr. Levi Rosenbaum for special duty,and will obey such orders and instructions as he may give, and on returnreport to these Headquarters. By order of the Colonel. Philip Blake,Adjutant."

  "That seems all straight. Shorty," said Si, folding up the order, andputting it in his pocket.

  "Straight as a string," assented Shorty. "I'm ready, anyway. Go ahead,Mr. Cheap Clothing. I don't care much what it is, so long's it ain'tshovelin' and diggin' on the fortifications. I'll go down to Tullahomaand pull old Bragg out of his tent rather than handle a pick and shovelany longer."

  "Well, as I was going to tell you, I have been back to Tullahoma severaltimes since you captured me, unt I have got the express lines betweenhere unt there running pretty well. I have to tell them all sorts ofstories how I got away from the Yankees. Luckily, I have a pretty goodimagination, unt can furnish them with first-class narratives.

  "But there is one feller on the staff that I'm afraid of. His name isPoke Bolivar, unt he is a terrible feller, I tell you. Always full offight, unt desperate when he gets into a fight. I've seen him bluff allthose other fellers. He is a red-hot Secessionist, unt wants to killevery Yankee in the country. Of late he has seemed very suspicious ofme, unt has said lots of things that scared me. I want to settle him,either kill him or take him prisoner, unt keep him away, so's I can feelgreater ease when I'm in{72} General Bragg's camp. I can't do that solong as I know he's around, for I feel that his eyes are on me, unt thathe's hunting some way to trip me up.

  "I'm going out now to meet him, at a house about five miles from thelines. I have my pockets unt the pockets on my saddles full of lettersunt things. Just outside the lines I will get some more. He will meet meunt we will go back to Tullahoma together--that is, if he don't kill mebefore we get there. I have brought a couple of revolvers, in additionto your guns, for Poke Bolivar's a terrible feller to fight, unt I wantyou to make sure of him. I'd take more'n two men out, but I'm afraidhe'd get on to so many.

  "I guess we two kin handle him," said Shorty, slipping his belt intothe holster of the revolver and buckling it on. "Give us a fair show athim, and we don't want no help. I wouldn't mind having it out with Mr.Bolivar all by myself."

  "Well, my plan is for you to go out by yourselves to that place whereyou were on picket. Then take the right-hand road through the creekbottom, as if you were going foraging. About two miles from the creekyou will see a big hewed-log house standing on the left of the road. Youwill know it by its having brick outside chimneys, unt de doors paintedblue unt yaller. There's no other house in that country like it.

  "You're to keep out of sight as much as you can. Directly you will seeme come riding out, follered by a nigger riding another horse. I will goup to the house, jump off, tie my horse, go inside, unt presently comeout unt tie a white cloth to{73} a post on the porch. That will be asignal to Poke Bolivar, who will be watching from the hill a mile ahead.You will see him come in, get off his horse, unt go into the house.

  "By this time it will be dark, or nearly so. You slip up as quietly asyou can, right by the house, hiding yourselves behind the lilacs. If thedogs run at you bayonet them. You can look through the windows, unt seeme unt Bolivar sitting by the fire talking, unt getting ready to startfor Tullahoma as soon as the nigger who is cooking our supper in thekitchen outside gets it ready unt we eat it. You can wait till you seeus sit down to eat supper, unt then jump us. Better wait until we arepretty near through supper, for I'll be very hungry, unt want all I canget to keep me up for my long ride.

  "You run in unt order us to surrender. I'll jump up unt blaze away withmy revolver, but you needn't pay much attention to me--only be carefulnot to shoot me. While you are 'tending to Bolivar I'll get on my horseunt skip out. You can kill Bolivar, or take him back to camp withyou, or do anything that you please, so long's y
ou keep him away fromTullahoma. You understand, now?"

  "Perfectly," said Shorty. "I think we can manage it, and it looks likea pretty good arrangement. You are to git away, and we're to git Mr.Bolivar. Those two things are settled. Any change in the evening'sprogram will depend on Mr. Bolivar. If he wants a fight he kin git wholegobs of it."

  Going over the plan again, to make sure that the boys understood it,and cautioning them once more as to the sanguinary character of PolkBolivar,{74} Mr. Rosenbaum started for his horse. He had gone but alittle ways when he came back with his face full of concern.

  "I like you boys better than I can tell you," he said, taking theirhands affectionately, "unt I never would forgive myself if you gothurt. Do you think that two of you'll be able to manage Poke Bolivar?If you're not sure I'll get another man to help you. I think that I hadbetter, anyway."

  "O, go along with you," said Shorty scornfully. "Don't worry about usand Mr. Bolivar. I'd stack Si Klegg up against any man that ever woregray, in any sort of a scrimmage he could put up, and I'm a better manthan Si. You just favor us with a meeting with Mr. Bolivar, and then gitout o' the way. If it wasn't for dividing up fair with my partner hereI'd go out by myself and tackle Mr. Bolivar. You carry out your share ofthe plan, and don't worry about us."

  Rosenbaum's countenance brightened, and he hastened to mount and away.The boys shouldered their guns and started out for the long walk. Theyfollowed Rosenbaum's directions carefully, and arrived in sight of thehouse, which they recognized at once, and got into a position from whichthey could watch its front. Presently they saw Rosenbaum come ridingalong the road and stop in front of the house. He tied his horse toa scraggy locust tree, went in, and then reappeared and fastened thesignal to a post supporting the roof of the porch.

  WATCHING THE HOUSE. 75]

  They had not long to wait for the answer. Soon a horseman was seendescending from the distant hill. As he came near he was anxiouslyscanned,{75} and appeared a cavalier so redoubtable as to fully justifyRosenbaum's apprehensions. He was a tall, strongly-built young man, whosat on his spirited horse with easy and complete mastery of him. Even atthat distance it could be seen that he was heavily armed.

  "Looks like a genuine fighter, and no mistake," said Si, examining thecaps on his revolver. "He'll be a stiff one to tackle."{76}

  "We must be very careful not to let him get the drop on us," saidShorty. "He looks quicker'n lightnin', and I've no doubt that he kinshoot like Dan'l Boone. We might drop him from here with our guns," headded suggestively.

  "No," said Si, "that wouldn't be fair. And it wouldn't be the wayRosenbaum wants it done. He's got his reasons for the other way.Besides, I'd be a great deal better satisfied in my mind, if I couldhave it out with him, hand-to-hand. It'd sound so much better in theregiment."

  "Guess that's so," assented Shorty. "Well, let's sneak up to the house."

  When they got close to the house they saw that it had been deserted;there were no dogs or other domestic animals about, and this allowedthem to get under the shade of the lilacs without discovery. The onlyinmates were Rosenbaum and Bolivar, who were seated before a fire, whichRosenbaum had built in the big fireplace in the main room. The negro wasbusy cooking supper in the outbuilding which served as a kitchen. Theglass was broken out the window, and they could hear the conversationbetween Rosenbaum and Bolivar.

  It appeared that Rosenbaum had been making a report of his recentdoings, to which Bolivar listened with a touch of disdain mingled withsuspicion.

  The negro brought in the supper, and the men ate it sitting by the fire.

  [Introduction: BOLIVAR AND ROSENBAUM 77]

  "I declare," said Bolivar, stopping with a piece of bread and meat inone hand and a tin-cup of coffee in the other, "that for a man who isdevoted to the{77} South you can mix up with these Yankees with lessdanger to yourself and to them than any man I ever knew. You neverget hurt, and you never hurt any of them. That's a queer thing for asoldier. War means hurting people, and getting hurt yourself. Itmeans taking every chance to hurt some of the enemy. I never miss anyopportunity of killing a Yankee, no matter what I may be doing, or whatthe risk is to me. I can't help myself. Whenever I see a Yankee inrange I let him have it. I never go near their lines without killing atleast{78} one."

  Shorty's thumb played a little with his gunlock, but Si restrained himwith a look.

  "Well," said Rosenbaum, "I hates the enemy as badly as any one can, butI always have business more important at the time than killing men. Iwant to get through with what I have to do, unt let other men do thekilling. There's enough gentlemen like you for that work."

  "No, there's not enough," said Bolivar savagely. "It's treasonable foryou to say so. Our enemies outnumber us everywhere. It is the duty ofevery true Southern man to kill them off at every chance, like he wouldrattlesnakes and wolves. You are either not true to the South, or youhain't the right kind of grit. Why, you have told me yourself thatyou let two Yankees capture you, without firing a shot. Think of it; aConfederate officer captured by two Yankee privates, without firing ashot."

  "They had the dead drop on me," murmured Rosenbaum. "If I had movedthey'd killed me sure."

  "Dead drop on you!" repeated Bolivar scornfully. "Two men with musketshave the dead drop on you! And you had a carbine and a revolver. Why,I have ridden into a nest of 10 or 15 Yankees, who had me covered withtheir guns. I killed three of them, wounded three others, and run therest away with my empty revolver. If I'd had another revolver, not onewould've got away alive. I always carry two revolvers now."

  "I think our guns'll be in the way in that room," said Shorty, sottinghis down. His face bore a look of stern determination. "They're toolong. I'm itching to have it out with that feller hand-to-hand.{79}We'll rush in. You pretend to be goin' for Rosenbaum and leave me tohave it out with Mr. Bolivar. Don't you mix in at all. If I don't settlehim he ought to be allowed to go."

  "No," said Si decisively. "I'm your superior officer, and it's myprivilege to have the first shy at him. I'll 'tend to him. I want achance singlehanded at a man that talks that way. You take care ofRosenbaum."

  "We mustn't dispute," said Shorty, stooping down and picking up a coupleof straws. "Here, pull. The feller that gits the longest 'tends toBolivar; the other to Rosenbaum."

  Si drew and left the longer straw in Shorty's hand. They drew theirrevolvers and rushed for the room, Shorty leading, Rosenbaum and Bolivarsprang up in alarm at the sound of their feet on the steps, and drewtheir revolvers.

  "Surrender, you infernal rebels," shouted the boys, as they boltedthrough the door.

  With the quickness of a cat, Rosenbaum had sidled near the door throughwhich they had come. Suddenly he fired two shots into the ceiling, andsprang through the door so quickly that Si had merely the chance to firea carefully-aimed shot through the top of his hat. Si jumped toward thedoor again, and fired a shot in the air, for still further make-believe.He would waste no more, but reserve the other four for Bolivar, if heshould need them.

  Shorty confronted Bolivar with fierce eyes and leveled revolver, eagerlywatching every movement and expression. The rebel was holding his pistolpointed upward, and his eyes looked savage. As his eyes met Shorty's thelatter was amazed to see him close the left with a most emphatic wink.Seeing this was recognized, the rebel fired two shots into the ceiling,and motioned with his left hand to Si to continue firing. Without quiteunderstanding. Si fired again. The rebel gave a terrific yell and fireda couple of shots out the window.

  "Do the same," he said to Shorty, who complied, as Si had done, inhalf-comprehension. The rebel handed his revolver to Shorty, stepped tothe window and listened.

  THE SURPRISE 79]

  There came the sounds of two horses galloping away on the hard, rockyroad.

  "He's gone, and taken the nigger with him," he said contentedly, turningfrom the window, and giving another fierce yell. "Better fire the othertwo shots out of that pistol, to hurry him along."

  Shorty fired the remaining shots out of t
he rebel's revolver.

  "What regiment do you belong to, boys?" asked Bolivar calmly.

  "The 200th Ind.," answered Si, without being able to control hissurprise.

  "A very good regiment," said the rebel. "What's your company?"

  "Co. Q," answered Si.

  "Who's your Colonel?"

  "Col. Duckworth."

  "Who's your Captain?"

  "Capt. McGillicuddy."

  "All right," said the rebel, with an air of satisfaction. "I askedthose questions to make sure you were genuine Yankees. One can't be toocareful in my business. I'm in the United States Secret Service, andhave to be constantly on the watch to keep it from being played on me bymen pretending to be Yankees when they are rebels, and rebels when theyare Yankees. I always make it the first point to ask them the namesof their officers. I know almost all the officers in command on bothsides."

  "You in the Secret Service?" exploded the boys.{82}

  They were on the point of adding "too," but something whispered to themnot to betray Rosenbaum.

  "Yes," answered Bolivar. "I've just come from Tullahoma, where I've beenaround Bragg's Headquarters. I wanted to get inside our lines, but I waspuzzled how to do it. That Jew you've just run off bothered me. I wishto the Lord you'd killed him. I'm more afraid of him than any other manin Bragg's army. He's smart as a briar, always nosing around whereyou don't want him, and anxious to do something to commend him toHeadquarters, Jew like. I've thought he suspected me, for he'd beenpaying special attention to me for some weeks. Two or three times I'vebeen on the point of tailing him into the woods somewhere and killinghim, and so get rid of him. It's all right now. He'll go back toTullahoma with a fearful story of the fight I made against you, and thatI am probably killed. I'll turn up there in a week or two with my ownstory, and I'll give him fits for having skipped out and left me tofight you two alone. Say, it's a good ways to camp. Let's start at once,for I want to get to Headquarters as soon as possible."

  "You've got another revolver there," said Si, who had prudently reloadedhis own weapon.

  "That's so," said Bolivar, pulling it out. "You can take and carry it orI'll take the cylinder out, if you are not convinced about me."

  "You'd better let me carry it," said Shorty, shoving the revolver inhis own belt. "These are queer times, and one can't be too careful withrebels who{83} claim to be Yankees, and Yankees who claim to be rebels."

  They trudged back to camp, taking turns riding the horse. When the rebelrode, however, one of the boys walked alongside with the bridle in hishand. All doubts as to Bolivar's story were dispelled by his instantrecognition by the Provost-Marshal, who happened to be at thepicket-post when they reached camp.

  "The longer I live," remarked Shorty, as they made their way along tothe Hoosier's Rest, "and I seem to live a little longer every day, theless I seem to understand about this war."

  Shorty spoke as if he had had an extensive acquaintance with wars.

  "The only thing that I've come to be certain about," assented Si, "isthat you sometimes most always can't generally tell."

  And they proceeded to get themselves some supper, accompanying thework of denunciations of the Commissary for the kind of rations he wasdrawing for the regiment, and of the Orderly-Sergeant for his lettingthe other Orderlies eucher him out of the company's fair share.