It can be well understood that the two dusky strangers, recommendedby words from Lane, were at once invested with peculiar interestto Marian. Many months had elapsed since she had seen him, butall that he had written tended to kindle her imagination. This hadbeen the more true because he was so modest in his accounts of theservice in which he had participated. She had learned what cavalrycampaigning meant, and read more meaning between the lines thanthe lines themselves conveyed. He was becoming her ideal knight,on whom no shadow rested. From first to last his course had beenas open as the day, nor had he, in any respect, failed to reachthe highest standard developed by those days of heroic action.
If this were true when "Mammy Borden" and her son appeared, thereader can easily believe that, when they completed their story,Captain Lane was her Bayard sans peur et sans reproche.
Barney explained that they had met him in the street and askedfor Mr. Vosburgh's residence; as it was nearly time for him to berelieved of duty he told them that in a few moments he could guidethem to their destination. Marian's thanks rewarded him abundantly,and Mrs. Vosburgh told him that if he would go to the kitchen heshould have a cup of coffee and something nice to take home to hiswife. They both remained proteges of the Vosburghs, and receivedfrequent tokens of good-will and friendly regard. While these werein the main disinterested, Mr. Vosburgh felt that in the possibilitiesof the future it might be to his advantage to have some men in thepolice force wholly devoted to his interests.
The two colored refugees were evidently hungry and weary, and,eager as Marian was to learn more of her friend when informed thathe had been wounded, she tried to content herself with the fact thathe was doing well, until the mother and son had rested a littleand had been refreshed by an abundant meal. Then they were summonedto the sitting-room, for Mr. and Mrs. Vosburgh shared in Marian'sdeep solicitude and interest.
It was evident that their humble guests, who took seats deferentiallynear the door, had been house-servants and not coarse plantationslaves, and in answer to Mr. Vosburgh's questions they spoke in abetter vernacular than many of their station could employ.
"Yes, mass'r," the woman began, "we seed Mass'r Lane,--may de Lordbress 'im,--and he was a doin' well when we lef. He's a true Linkumman, an' if all was like him de wah would soon be ended an' decullud people free. What's mo', de white people of de Souf wouldn'tbe so bitter as dey now is."
"Tell us your story, mammy," said Marian, impatiently; "tell useverything you know about Captain Lane."
A ray of intelligence lighted up the woman's sombre eyes, for shebelieved she understood Marian's interest, and at once determinedthat Lane's action should lose no embellishment which she couldhonestly give.
"Well, missy, it was dis away," she said. "My mass'r and his sonswas away in de wah. He own a big plantation an' a great many slabes.My son, Zeb dar, an' I was kep' in de house. I waited on de missusan' de young ladies, an' Zeb was kep' in de house too, 'kase hewas lame and 'kase dey could trus' him wid eberyting an' dey knewit.
"Well, up to de time Cap'n Lane come we hadn't seen any ob deLinkum men, but we'd heared ob de prockermation an' know'd we wasfree, far as Mass'r Linkum could do it, an' Zeb was jus' crazy togit away so he could say, 'I'se my own mass'r.' I didn't feel dataway, 'kase I was brought up wid my missus, an' de young ladieswas a'most like my own chillen, an' we didn't try to get away likesome ob de plantation han's do.
"Well, one ebenin', short time ago, a big lot ob our sogers comemarchin' to our house--dey was hoss sogers--an' de missus an' deyoung ladies knew some of de ossifers, an' dey flew aroun' an' gotup a big supper fo' dem. We all turned in, an' dar was hurry-skurryall ober de big house, fo' de ossifers sed dey would stay all nightif de sogers ob you-uns would let dem. Dey said de Linkum sogerswas comin' dat away, but dey wouldn't be 'long afore de mawnin',an' dey was a-gwine to whip dem. All was light talk an' larfin' an'jingle ob sabres. De house was nebber so waked up afo'. De youngladies was high-strung an' beliebed dat one ob our sogers could whipten Linkum men. In de big yard betwixt de house an' de stables demen was feedin' dere hosses, an' we had a great pot ob coffee bilin'fo' dem, too, an' oder tings, fo' de missus sed dere sogers mus'hab eberyting she had.
"Well, bimeby, as I was helpin' put de tings on de table, I hearedshots way off at de foot ob de lawn. Frontin' de house dar was alawn mos' half a mile long, dat slope down to de road, and de Linkumsogers was 'spected to come dat away, an' dere was a lookout fordem down dar. As soon as de ossifers heared de shots dey rush outan' shout to dere men, an' dey saddle up in a hurry an' gallop outin de lawn in front of de house an' form ranks."
"How many were there?" Marian asked, her cheeks already burningwith excitement.
"Law, missy, I doesn't know. Dere was a right smart lot--hundredsI should tink."
"Dere was not quite two hundred, missy," said Zeb; "I counted dem;"and then he looked towards his mother, who continued.
"De young ladies an' de missus went out on de verandy dat look downde lawn, and Missy Roberta, de oldest one, said, 'Now, maumy, youcan see the difference between our sogers an' de Linkum men, asyou call dem.' Missy Roberta had great black eyes an' was allusa-grievin' dat she wasn't a man so she could be a soger, but MissyS'wanee had blue eyes like her moder, an' was as full ob frolicas a kitten. She used ter say, 'I doesn't want ter be a man, fer Ikin make ten men fight fer me.' So she could, sho' 'nuff, fer allde young men in our parts would fight de debil hisself for de sakeob Missy S'wanee."
"Go on, go on," cried Marian; "the Northern soldiers were coming--"
"Deed, an' dey was, missy,--comin' right up de lawn 'fore our eyes,an' dribin' in a few ob our sogers dat was a-watchin' fer dem byde road; dey come right 'long too. I could see dere sabres flashin'in de sunset long way off. One ossifer set dere men in ranks, andden de oder head ossifer come ridin' up to de verandy, an' MissyRoberta gave de ribbin from her ha'r to de one dey call cunnel,an' de oder ossifer ask Missy S'wanee fer a ribbin, too. She larfan' say, 'Win it, an' you shall hab it.' Den off dey gallop, MissyRoberta cryin' arter dem, 'Don't fight too fa' away; I want to seede Linkum hirelin's run.' Den de words rung out, 'For'ard, march,trot,' an' down de lawn dey went. De Linkum men was now in plainsight. Zeb, you tell how dey look an' what dey did. I was so afeardfer my missus and de young ladies, I was 'mos' out ob my mind."
"Well, mass'r and ladies," said Zeb, rising and making a respectfulbow, "I was at an upper window an' could see eberyting. De Linkummen was trottin' too, an' comin' in two ranks, one little way'hind de toder. Right smart way afore dese two ranks was a lineof calvary-men a few feet apart from each oder, an' dis line reachacross de hull lawn to de woods on de oder side. I soon seed datdere was Linkum sogers in de woods, too. Dey seemed sort ob outsidesogers all aroun' de two ranks in de middle. Dey all come on fas',not a bit afeard, an' de thin line in front was firin' at oursogers dat had been a-watchin' down by de road, an' our sogers wasa-firin' back.
"Bimeby, soon, bofe sides come nigh each oder, den de thin lineob Linkum men swept away to de lef at a gallop, an' our sogers an'de fust rank ob Linkum men run dere hosses at each oder wid loudyells. 'Clar to you, my heart jus' stood still. Neber heard suchhorrid noises, but I neber took my eyes away, for I beliebed I sawmy freedom comin'. Fer a while I couldn't tell how it was gwine;dere was nothin' but clash ob sabres, an' bofe sides was all mixedup, fightin' hand ter hand.
"I was wonderin' why de second rank of Linkum men didn't do nothin',for dey was standin' still wid a man on a hoss, out in front obdem. Suddenly I heard a bugle soun', an' de Linkum men dat wasfightin' gave way to right an' lef, an' de man on de hoss wave hissword an' start for'ard at a gallop wid all his men arter him. Denour sogers 'gan to give back, fightin' as dey came. Dey was brave,dey was stubborn as mules, but back dey had to come. De head Linkumossifer was leadin' all de time. I neber seed such a man, eberytingan' eberybody guv way afo' him. De oder Linkum sogers dat I thoughtwas whipped wasn't whipped at all, fer dey come crowdin' aroun'arter de head ossifer, jes' as peart as eber.
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p; "Front ob de house our ossifers an' sogers made a big stan', ferde missus an' de young ladies stood right dar on de verandy, wabin'dere hankerchiefs an' cryin' to dem to dribe de Yankee back. I knowedmy moder was on de verandy, an' I run to her, an' sho' 'nuff, darshe was stan'in' right in front of Missy S'wanee an' 'treating demissus an' de young ladies ter go in, fer de bullets was now flyin'tick. But dey wouldn't go in, an' Missy Roberta was wringin' herhan's, an' cryin', 'Oh, dat I was a man!' De cunnel, de oder ossifer,an' a lot ob our sogers wouldn't give back an inch. Dar dey was,fightin' right afore our eyes. De rest ob dere sogers was givin'way eb'rywhar. De Linkum sogers soon made a big rush togedder. Decunnel's hoss went down. In a minute dey was surrounded; some waskilled, some wounded, an' de rest all taken, 'cept de young ossiferdat Missy S'wanee tole to win her colors. He was on a po'ful bighoss, an' he jes' break right through eb'ryting, an' was off widde rest. De Linkum sogers followed on, firin' at 'em.
"De missus fainted dead away, an' my moder held her in her arms.De head Linkum ossifer now rode up to de verandy an' took off hishat, an' he say: 'Ladies, I admire your co'age, but you should not'spose yourselves so needlessly. Should de vict'ry still remainwid our side, I promise you 'tection an 'munity from 'noyance!'
"Den he bow an' gallop arter his men dat was chasin' our sogers,leabin' anoder ossifer in charge ob de pris'ners. De head Linkumman was Cap'n Lane."
"I knew it, I knew it," cried Marian. "Ah! he's a friend to beproud of."
Her father and mother looked at her glowing cheeks and flashingeyes, and dismissed Merwyn from the possibilities of the future.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
The Signal Light.
An Original Belle Page 29