CHAPTER XI.
_The War Scout--The Discovery._
Softly--softly as the creeping panther.--_De Soto._
We left Fall-leaf, Margrave, and Johnson, as they were following theparty who had recaptured Hayward and Alibamo. As they descended themountain, the rear of the rebel army were in sight. At night-fall ithalted, and upon the broad prairie, near an oak grove, the camp was soonformed.
"Can you distinguish the rebel general's headquarters?" asked Margrave.
"I was trying to do so," replied Johnson, and his eyes wandered frompoint to point.
"Do you remember the style of his tent?"
"Perfectly. It is of the pattern known as the _wall-tent_, but of largesize. And near it should be about a dozen others of the samedescription. There it is!"
"Those in the centre--near the grove?"
"Yes--don't you see the rebel ensign waving over it?"
"Very distinctly now. But I do not believe Alibamo, or the captain, willbe placed near headquarters. They are the prisoners of that fellow,Branch."
"What shall we do, Johnson?" asked Margrave.
"We must enter their lines to-night, and ascertain where our friendsare, and listen to the conversation of the officers, and, if possible,learn what is to be their fate," replied Johnson.
"And we must remember that Captain Hayward is not to be forgotten. He isnot dead, or he would have been left on the other side of the mountain,and the drops of blood which we frequently saw along the line of march,is evidence that some wounded person or persons are with the rebels.This brave captain risked his life for my sister, and I shall risk mylife a thousand times for him."
"We must first creep near the sentinels, and when the nine o'clockrelief is marched out, we can listen, and gain possession of thecountersign. This will be of some assistance to us in case ofchallenge."
"No--no! White brother stay here! Indian go--creep--softly!" saidFall-leaf.
"No, my brother, you are suffering too severely with your wounds. Wecannot permit you to do this, while we remain inactive."
"Look out for the pickets. There is one of their fires," said Margrave,as they approached the oak grove. The party verged their course, and, ina few moments, were within a hundred yards of the camp, concealed almostentirely by the thick wood through which they were passing. Here theypaused.
"The darkness favors us!" remarked Margrave. "The moon which was shiningso brightly last night, is now entirely obscured by thick clouds. Wemust wait until after tattoo, and then enter the camp in differentdirections."
"No--me alone!" replied Fall-leaf. "You--you--me, go--_all_ get kill--nohelp Alibamo! Me go now! _I_ get kill--_you_ go. You get kill, _you_ go.I no get kill, come back. I no come back, _you_ go!"
"The Indian means to express himself to the effect, that it is more safefor one to go alone, and if he should get killed or taken, another couldgo the next night, and another the next? or, that, if two of us shouldbe killed, the third could return and procure more assistance forAlibamo, when he had learned their final destination. We will let theIndian go first. I will write a few words upon a bit of paper, and hemay get an opportunity to give it to my sister."
The drums had beat the tattoo, and the relief had passed its rounds. Theparty listened attentively, but failed to get the countersign, which wasgiven in a whisper. The camp became quiet, and the lights were mostlyextinguished.
"Me go now! softly--softly," said the Indian.
"Fall-leaf, give this paper to my sister if you can get an opportunity.If you are discovered, and compelled to fly, we will all meet at yonderrock."
The Indian, without replying, took the bit of paper, and started for thecamp. Softly as the creeping panther he worked his way along. He passedthe outer row of tents unperceived, and was now fairly within the rebelcamp. With cat-like stealth he crept along from tent to tent, listeningat each, but not a sound was heard save the deep breathing of thesleepers within. At length the Indian reached a wide avenue, which ranalong before a better class of tents than those he had previouslypassed, and from which were streaming lights. He listened, and couldplainly distinguish voices within, but there appeared here a difficulty.Directly in front of the one he wished to reach, a sentinel wasstationed, and, if he attempted to cross the broad avenue at that point,it could not fail to attract the watchful guardian's attention.
Just at that moment two forms emerged from the tent, and came directlytoward him. It was but the work of an instant for the Indian to concealhimself in the long prairie grass, which fortunately had not beenentirely trodden down at this point. He was passed unobserved, and hedistinctly heard the name of "Hayward" spoken. He watched, and saw thementer a tent, some twenty rods from that from which they had emerged.
The Indian crept cautiously along. About half-way between the two tentsto which his attention had been thus especially drawn, he found thelights extinguished, and he succeeded in crossing the avenue unobserved.He was now in the rear of what he supposed to be the general commandingand his staff officers' quarters. He soon came near the tent into whichhe had seen the two persons enter, and bending his ear to the ground, hedistinctly heard the voices of those within, but could not distinguishthe words spoken. He drew nearer, but saw that a guard was stationed onevery side, and that it would be impossible to approach nearer withoutbeing discovered. He could now hear the voices plainly, and was not longin discovering that both Alibamo and the captain were confined there.Some stratagem must be resorted to, in order to attract the attention ofthe guard in another direction. The Indian had already torn up the longprairie-grass, and wrapped it around him in such a manner that he wouldnot easily be seen, so nearly did he resemble the earth around him. Heremained perfectly quiet for a moment, as if deeply thinking. At lengthhe commenced a search upon the ground around him. He raised a stoneabout the size of a large apple, and hurled it toward the woods, in therear of the last row of tents. It struck against the tree-tops and thenfell to the ground, making considerable noise. The guard instantlyturned his attention in that direction. He listened, but hearing nothingmore, he started with cautious steps toward the wood, his gun at aready. The Indian at once took advantage of his absence from his post,and darted unseen, close behind the tent. He prostrated himself upon theground, and drawing the grass around him, and the tent-flap partiallyover his form, he was safe from detection so long as he did not move.The guard discovering nothing, returned to his post, but the Indianremained quiet, listening to all the conversation within. He becameconvinced that Nettleton was a friend, and finally attracted hisattention, he being seated back of the couch upon which Hayward waslying, and very near Fall-leaf. The Indian waved the paper in his hand,and then let it fall upon the ground. In an instant he sprang to hisfeet, and dashing the guard to the ground, darted for the woods. Heleaped the fence just as the sentinel fired upon him, but the ballwhistled by without harming Fall-leaf.
He made all haste to join his friends whom he found awaiting him. It wasdecided to make no further attempts to enter camp, but they determinedto follow on, hoping the prisoners might be left at some point under asmall guard, which could be attacked and overcome.
On the morning the squad under the command of Branch left the mainarmy, our friends were well satisfied that their destination wasSpringfield, and Johnson determined to hasten back to the Union army,and try to procure assistance. Margrave and Fall-leaf followed on, andsaw his sister Alibamo and Captain Hayward, enter the rebel hospital. Asboth were well known in Springfield, Margrave having escaped from thatplace but a short time previous, assisted by the Indian, their situationwas by no means an enviable one. But they mingled with the loungers, andsoon learned that a _hanging_ was to come off the next day at threeo'clock. The great event was to take place in the Fair-Ground.
The Border Spy; or, The Beautiful Captive of the Rebel Camp Page 11