Frank Before Vicksburg

by Harry Castlemon

  CHAPTER VII.

  A CLOSE SHAVE.

  When the morning came they bent their steps down the bank, keeping inthe edge of the woods to prevent surprise, but not far enough from theriver to allow any boat that might chance to pass to escape theirobservation. They again began to feel the fierce pangs of hunger, whichthey endeavored to alleviate by chewing twigs and roots. But thisaffording them no relief, the mate finally proposed that they shouldturn back into the country and ask for food at the first house theycould find. Recapture was preferable to starving to death. Frank easilyturned him from his purpose by assuring him that they would certainly bepicked up during the afternoon, or on the following morning. But nightcame, without bringing them any relief, and the tired and hungryfugitives again lay down in the woods and slept.

  About noon, on the next day, they found themselves on the banks of awide and deep ravine, that ran across their path. To climb up and downthose steep banks was impossible; their wasted strength was not equal tothe task. Their only course was to follow the ravine back into the woodsuntil they could find some means of crossing it. After wearily draggingthemselves for two hours over fallen logs, and through thick, tangledbushes and cane-brakes that lay in their path, they emerged from thewoods, and found before them a small log-hut, standing close to a bridgethat spanned the ravine. Hastily drawing back into the bushes, theyclosely examined the premises, which seemed to be deserted, with theexception of a negro, whom they saw hitching a mule to a tree at theback of the cabin.

  "I don't see any white men there, Jack," said Frank. "I think we maysafely ask that negro for something to eat. I hardly think there is anydanger, for, if he should attempt mischief, we could soon overpowerhim. What do you say? Shall we go up?"

  "Just as you say, sir," answered the mate. "But let us first getsomething to use as a belaying-pin, in case any body should run foul ofour hawse."

  The fugitives procured two short clubs, and moved out of the woodstoward the cabin. The negro immediately discovered them. At first, herolled up his eyes in surprise, and acted very much as if he was aboutto retreat; but, after finding that the two sailors were alone, his faceassumed a broad grin, which the fugitives took for a smile of welcome.

  When they had approached within speaking distance, Frank inquired:

  "Well, uncle, is there any chance for a hungry man to get any thing toeat in here?"

  "Plenty ob it, massa," answered the negro. "Go right in de house."

  The fugitives, far from suspecting any treachery, were about to comply;but Frank, who was in advance, had scarcely put his foot on thethreshold, when two rebel soldiers sprang out of the cabin, and one ofthem, seizing him by the collar, flourished a huge bowie-knife abovehis head and demanded his surrender. So sudden was the assault thatFrank, for a moment, was deprived of all power of action. But not sowith the mate, who, retaining his presence of mind, swung his club abouthim with a dexterity truly surprising, and brought it down with all theforce of his sturdy arms upon the head of the rebel, who, instantlyreleasing his hold, sank to the ground with a low groan. But before hecould repeat the blow, three more soldiers sprang from the cabin, and,in spite of their struggles, overpowered them; not, however, until themate had been stunned by a blow from the butt of a pistol.

  "Wal, I'll be dog-gone!" exclaimed one of the rebels, "but this is alucky haul of Yankees. Tom, get some water and throw it into thecaptain's face," pointing to their prostrate companion, "an' fetch himto. The rest of you, get some ropes an' tie these fellers' hands behindthem."

  While the men were executing these orders, Frank had time to scan thecountenances of his captors. They evidently did not belong to theWild-cats, for, although that regiment was composed of mostferocious-looking men, they appeared like gentlemen compared with thosein whose power he now found himself. These were a dirty, ragged,blood-thirsty looking set of men, and, unless their countenances beliedthem, they were capable of any atrocity.

  Presently, the men who had gone into the cabin returned with some piecesof cord, with which they proceeded to confine the hands of theirprisoners, who offered no resistance. By the time this was accomplished,the man whom the mate had handled so roughly had been restored toconsciousness, and supported himself against the cabin to collect histhoughts, while the others stood silently by, as if awaiting his orders.

  "Get every thing ready," he said, at length, "and let the job be done atonce. It needs no judge or jury to decide the fate of these men,knowing, as we do, what has befallen those of our number who were sounfortunate as to fall into the hands of the Federals."

  The rebels, in obedience to the order, brought out of the cabin twopieces of rope, which they took to a tree that stood close by, and,coiling them up in their hands, threw one end over a limb thatstretched out about six feet from the ground, and fastened them there.

  "Douse my top-lights," exclaimed the mate, as he witnessed theseproceedings, "but it is all up with us, sir. They're going to swing usto the yard-arm."

  The horrid truth was too apparent, and Frank was so completely unnervedthat he was compelled to lean against the cabin for support. He was soonaroused by the voice of the leader of the rebels, who said:

  "This is to be done in retaliation for an order issued by AdmiralPorter, stating that he would hang all 'guerrillas,' as he termed them,who might be caught firing into transports along the river. You can seethe effect of that order right here. Out of a company of a hundred of uswho entered the army at the commencement of the war, you see all thatare left. The remainder have been killed or captured by you gun-boatmen. Those captured have suffered the penalty of that order. They wereno more guerrillas, however, than you are, but were regularly sworn intothe service, and were detailed to harass the enemy in every possiblemanner; and, for obeying our orders, some of us have been strung up likedogs. We shall continue to retaliate on you until our governmentreceives notice that the order has been countermanded. I will give youan hour, and at the end of that time you must swing."

  "If you must execute us," said Frank, in a husky voice, "why not let usdie like men, and not like criminals?"

  "My men would have preferred to be shot," said the rebel, "but were notallowed the privilege of choosing." So saying, the captain turned on hisheel and walked away, while Frank seated himself on the threshold of thecabin, and repeated his sentence with a calmness that made him think hissenses were leaving him. Could it be possible that he had heard aright,and that he was in reality a condemned man? When he had entered theservice, the thought that he should be killed had never once occurred tohim. He had fully and confidently expected that he would be permitted tolive to see the end of the war, and to return home to enjoy the societyof his friends once more. Could it be possible, then, that, afterindulging in such bright anticipations, he must end his life in thatdesolate place, away from home and friends, in so terrible a manner? Hecould not convince himself that it was a reality. But there was thetree, with the ropes, and the fatal noose at the end, dangling from thelimb; and there were those blood-thirsty looking men lounging in theshade, and only waiting until the hour granted by their leader shouldexpire to begin their horrid work. O, the agony of that moment, when hecould look forward and count the very seconds he had to live! An hour!How often and how lightly had he spoken of it! For an hour in the lifeof one moving about at freedom in the world, not knowing when death willcome, and, as is too often the case, scarcely giving the matter amoment's thought, is a space of time of very little importance; iscarelessly spoken of, and, when passed, no notice is taken of itsflight. But an hour to a person condemned to die, who has heard hissentence, and who is bound, and watched over by armed men, that he maynot escape from that sentence; who is in the full possession of all hisfaculties; who can look abroad upon the beauties of nature, and feel thesoft breeze of heaven fanning his cheek, but who knows that, at the endof that time, he will be deprived of all these faculties; that his lifewill be suddenly and terribly terminated--in the case of such a person,who can describe the thoughts that "mak
e up the sum of his heart'sfevered existence?"

  It seemed to Frank that scarcely five minutes of the allotted time hadpassed, when the leader of the guerrillas arose from the ground where hehad been sitting. The signal was understood by his men, two of whomapproached the prisoners, and conducted them toward the scaffold. Themate had been encouraged by the example set him by his officer, and bothwalked with firm steps; their faces, although pale as death itself,being as expressionless as marble, and bearing not the slightest traceof the struggle that was going on within them. Without the leasthesitation they took their stand on a log under the tree, and the fatalropes were adjusted. Their farewells had been said, and the leader ofthe rebels had made a signal for the log to be removed from under theirfeet, when suddenly there was a sound of approaching horsemen, and thenext moment a party of the Wild-cats galloped up, headed by ColonelHarrison and Lieutenant Somers. A few harshly-spoken orders rung inFrank's ears; he saw the leader of the guerrillas fall, pierced by adozen bullets, and then all was blank to him.

  * * * * *

  Let us now return to the Wild-cats, whom Frank and the mate had sounceremoniously deserted.

  The escape was not discovered until morning, when the orderly sergeantwent to the cabin to call them. It was scarcely daylight, and quite darkinside of the cabin, and as the sergeant opened the door, hevociferated:

  "Come, Yanks! get out of this and get your grub!"

  The echo of his own voice was the only reply he received. After waitinga moment, he repeated the summons in a louder tone, and still receivedno answer.

  "I'll be dog-gone if them ar Yanks don't sleep at the rate of more'nforty miles an hour," said the sergeant to himself, as he entered thecabin and commenced feeling around in the dark to find his prisoners."Come now, Yanks!" he exclaimed, "none of your tricks. I know youheered me. Get up, I say, and get your grub, for it is high time we weremovin'."

  Still no answer. The rebel finally threw open the window-shutter, and bythe straggling rays of light that came in, he found, to his utteramazement, that his prisoners were gone. With one bound he reached theopen air, and without paying any attention to the inquiries of the guardas to what was the cause of his strange behavior, he started for thehouse, where he hurriedly asked for the colonel.

  "What's the matter now, sergeant?" inquired that gentleman, appearing atthe door with his boots in his hand.

  "The prisoners, sir," began the sergeant----

  "Well, what's the trouble with them?" asked the colonel, who was veryfar from guessing the facts of the case. "Won't the lazy Yankees get up?Punch 'em with your bayonet a little if they get unruly; that will putlife into them, and keep them civil at the same time."

  "I could manage them easy enough, sir, if they were here," answered thesergeant; "but, sir, they"----

  "If they were _here_," repeated the colonel, who now began to suspectthe truth. "If they were here! Have you allowed them to escape?"

  "No, sir, we didn't _let_ them; they went without asking us!"

  "A plague on you lazy scoundrels," shouted the colonel, in a rage. "Letloose that blood-hound at once, and pursue them. No; stop! Tell theofficer of the day that I want to see him."

  The sergeant started off to execute the order; and the colonel, afterpulling on his boots, entered the house, where Lieutenant Somers and thepeople of the plantation were assembled, awaiting breakfast.

  "What's the matter, colonel?" inquired the lieutenant. "Any thingwrong?"

  "Don't bother me with your foolish questions now," replied the colonelroughly, pacing up and down the floor with angry strides. "It's enoughto upset any one's patience. That little Yankee has escaped again."

  "Escaped!" repeated all in the room, holding up their hands inastonishment.

  "Yes; escaped--gone--mizzled--cleared out," said the colonel,frantically flourishing his arms above his head; "and unless I catchhim, which I don't expect to do, I'm short a captain, for he was to havebeen exchanged for one of my officers."

  At this moment the officer of the day entered, and the colonel, turningto him, continued:

  "That rascally little Yankee has escaped again. I thought I had him safethis time, but he has succeeded in giving me the slip when I leastexpected it. That sailor that we captured with him has gone too. Send asquad in pursuit of them at once. Use the blood-hound, but hold him inthe leash, and don't injure either of the prisoners if you can avoidit."

  The officer bowed, and left the room; and the colonel, after givingorders that the case should be investigated, in order to see who was toblame in allowing the prisoners to escape, mounted his horse, and,accompanied by Lieutenant Somers, set out in pursuit of the squad, whichhad already started and was following the trail of the fugitives, led bya large blood-hound, which was kept in check by a chain held by one ofthe men. In a couple of hours they arrived at the place where Frank andthe mate had been fired upon by the steamer, and here the trail waslost. After several hours spent in unavailing search, the squadseparated, and, for two days, scoured the country every-where, lookingin vain for traces of the fugitives.

  At the end of that time, the colonel, completely disheartened, collectedhis forces, and was returning to the plantation, when they were met by anegro, in a great state of excitement, who anxiously inquired for thecommanding officer.

  "Get away from me, boy," shouted the colonel, impatiently, "and don'tbother me now."

  "But, sar," persisted the negro, "Massa Thorne done kotched two whitegemman, an' be gwine to kill 'em, shore."

  "Bill Thorne in this part of the country again!" said the colonel. "He'dbetter keep clear of me. He and his pack of horse-thieves are moreinjury to us than a Yankee gun-boat;" and the colonel, without waitingto hear any more, put spurs to his horse, and galloped off.

  "These two white men he caught," said Lieutenant Somers, "what werethey? Yankees?"

  The negro replied in the affirmative, and then proceeded to give a fulland complete description of the prisoners, so that the lieutenant knewin a moment that they were Frank and the mate. After questioning him asto the locality where the execution was to take place, he galloped downthe road, and soon overtook the colonel, to whom he related thecircumstance. The latter at once ordered part of his men to follow him,(directing the others to keep on the trail, so that, in case the negrowas misleading them, no time would be lost.) As we have seen, he arrivedjust in time to save his prisoners; one moment more, and he would havebeen too late.

  The guerrillas were so completely surprised at the approach of thecavalry, and so dismayed at the death of their leader, that they did notthink of retreat until it was too late. The Wild-cats had surroundedthem, and the sight of half a dozen revolvers leveled at their headscaused them to throw down their weapons and cry for quarter.