The Master of Warlock: A Virginia War Story

by George Cary Eggleston

  XXV

  _A NARROW ESCAPE_

  Baillie Pegram found little difficulty in imitating the shambling gaitof the old coal man as he walked to the hospital exit. In his weaknesshe could hardly have walked in any other fashion. He managed withdifficulty to climb upon the cart, and to endure the painful drive tothe forks of the road, somewhat more than half a mile away.

  There he found a sleigh awaiting him, with four women in it, all muffledto the eyes in buffalo-robes, and a gentleman wrapped in a fur overcoat,on the box. The gentleman gave the reins to one of the ladies, andproceeded to help Pegram from the coal-cart, while the others steppedout upon the hard frozen snow.

  The body of the sleigh was deep, and it had been filled with fresh ryestraw. One of the gentlewomen parted this to either side, and spread afur robe upon the floor beneath, into which the gentleman hurriedlyhelped Baillie, drawing the robe closely together over him, andreplacing the straw so that no part of the fur wrapping beneath could beseen.

  All this was done quickly, and without a word, the women resumed theirseats, the man cracked his whip, and the spirited horses set off at amerry pace.

  By way of precaution, a roundabout road was followed, and it was latewhen the sleighing-party reached its destination. There the womenalighted and passed into the house. The gentleman drove the sleigh intothe barn, with Baillie Pegram still lying under the straw. When thehorses were unhitched, their owner directed the negro, who took chargeof them, to walk them back and forth down by the stables to cool themoff, before putting them into their stalls. It was not until the hostlerwas well away from the barn that his master removed the seats and liftedBaillie from his hiding-place under the straw. By that time, a youngman, perhaps thirty years old, and strong of frame, had appeared, andthe two hurriedly carried the now nearly helpless man into the house,where a bed awaited him. Stripping him, the younger man proceeded toexamine the wound with the skilful eye of a surgeon.

  "The wound has suffered no injury," he presently said to his host, "butthe man is greatly exhausted. Will you heat some flat-irons, and placethem at his feet? He must have nourishment, too, but of course it won'tdo to bring any of the servants in here--"

  "I'll manage that," said the host. "We are all supposed to have been outon a lark, and I always have a late supper after that sort of thing.I'll have it served in the room that opens out of this. As soon as itcomes, I'll send the servants away, and we can feed your patient fromour table."

  In the meanwhile, the ever faithful Sam, half frozen but full of courageand determination, was toiling over the flint-like snow, trying to reachthe house before the morning. In order that he might the better keep hishands from freezing, he cast his banjo into a snow-filled ravine,saying:

  "Reckon I sha'n't need you any more, an' ef I does, I kin git another."With that, he thrust his hands into his pockets, where his accumulatedearnings reassured him as to his ability to buy banjos at will.

  It had been a part of the plan of rescue that Baillie should remain buta brief while at his present stopping-place. It was deemed certain thata search for him would be made as soon as his escape should bediscovered, and the house in which he had been put to bed that night waslikely to be one of the first to be examined, wherefore Sam was anxiousto reach that destination as soon as possible, lest he miss his master.

  But when the morning came, Baillie was in a high fever, and the doctorforbade all attempts to remove him, for a time at least. As the dayadvanced, the fever subsided somewhat, and Baillie grew anxious tocontinue his journey. Finally, the doctor hit upon a plan of procedure.

  "You simply must not now undertake the long journey we had intended youto make to-day, Captain," he said, "but the distance to my house in thetown is comparatively small. I might manage to take you there thisafternoon, if you think you can sit up in my sleigh for a five-mileride, and then get out at my door and walk into the house withouttottering on your legs."

  Baillie eagerly protested his ability to endure the ride, and the doctorproceeded to arrange for it. Some clothing had already been provided inthe house for Baillie to don in place of his uniform, and the doctor nowsaid:

  "I'm going to drive home at once. I'll be back before three o'clock. Getthe captain into his citizen's clothes and have him ready by that time,but let him lie down till I come, to spare his strength. I've a patientin town, a consumptive, and I've been taking him out with me every fineday, for the sake of the air. He is not very ill at present, but he isone of us, and will be just as sick as I tell him to be when I get himhere. I'm afraid I shall find it necessary to ask you to keep him for aday or two."

  The hint was understood, and the doctor drove away behind a pair of goodtrotters. Before the appointed time he returned, bringing his patientwith him, and at his request the sick man was put to bed in the roomwhere Baillie had passed the night.

  A few minutes later a party of soldiers rode up and reported that theywere under orders to search the house for an escaped Confederateofficer. The doctor, with a well assumed look of professional concern onhis face, said to the officer in command of the squad:

  "That is a trifle unfortunate just now. I have a patient in theadjoining room--a young man in pulmonary consumption. Of course you'llhave to search the house, but I beg you, Lieutenant, to spare mypatient. His condition is such that--"

  "I'll be very careful, I assure you. I'll go alone to search that room,and make as little disturbance as possible."

  Still wearing a look of anxiety, the doctor said:

  "Couldn't you leave that room unexamined, Lieutenant? I assure you on myhonour that there is nobody there except my patient."

  The physician's anxiety suggested a new thought to the officer's mind.

  "I take your word for that, Doctor. I believe you when you tell methere's nobody but your patient in that room. But your patient mayhappen to be the very man we want, even without your knowing the fact.Our man is very ill, recovering from a severe wound,--and he'd be sureto need a doctor after walking, as he must have done, a dozen miles inthis snow. Pardon me, Doctor; I do not mean to accuse you of anycomplicity; but you are a physician, bound to do your best for anypatient who sends for you, and to keep his confidence--professionalethics requires that. I shall not blame you if I find your patient to bemy man. You are doing only your professional duty. But I must see theman. I can tell whether he's the one we want. Our man has been shotthrough the body, and the wound is not yet completely healed. My ordersare to look for that wound on every man I have reason to suspect, and Imust do my duty."

  "O, certainly," replied the physician. "You'll find no wounds on mypatient, and I earnestly beg you to avoid exciting him more than isabsolutely necessary. You see, in his condition, any undue excitement--"

  "O, I'll be very careful, Doctor, very careful, indeed."

  "Thank you. It is very good of you. You see, as I was saying, in hiscondition, any undue excitement--"

  "O, yes, I know all about that. You may trust me to be careful."

  "Again thank you. Come, Bob," looking at his watch, and addressingBaillie, who was sitting by, "we must be going. I've half a dozenpatients waiting for me."

  Baillie rose, nerving himself for the effort, bowed to the lieutenant,and walked out of the house. A minute later, muffled to the ears infurs, the two men were speeding over the snow, with Sam clinging onbehind, and playing the part of "doctah's man."

  "Here," said the physician, handing Baillie a flask, "take a stiff swigof that. You must keep up your strength." Then after he had replaced theflask in his overcoat pocket, he chuckled:

  "That was very neatly done--to have you walk away in that fashion fromunder the very nose of the man who was looking for you."

  Sam echoed the chuckle, and Baillie said:

  "I hope your patient will suffer no harm from all this!"

  "O, not a bit. He's in the game, and he'll enjoy it, especially afterthey are gone, and he suddenly recovers from his extreme illness."

  "But why was it necessary to take him t
here at all?"

  "Why, under the circumstances, it would never have done for me to beseen driving away from there with a companion when I had been seendriving out there alone. As it is, your presence in the sleigh issatisfactorily accounted for to everybody who sees us. But how aboutyour discarded uniform? Won't they find that?"

  "No. Sam reduced it to ashes early this morning, and then aired the roomto get rid of the smell of burning wool."

  "That was excellent. Who thought of doing it?"

  "Sam."