by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER II
AN UNEXPECTED SET-BACK
Deck Lyon was mounted on his famous horse Ceph, so nicknamed after theeven more famous charger ridden in ancient days by Alexander the Great.The young major had trained Ceph from ponyhood, and rider and beastunderstood each other perfectly. On more than one occasion Ceph hadperformed in a truly wonderful fashion on the battlefield, and once,when being promoted, Deck had declared that the honor of the occasionrested with his equine comrade and not himself.
As the small body of whites and negroes moved onward in the direction ofthe Belthorpe plantation, Deck took the lead, with Artie and thefaithful Levi close behind him. In the rear came the armed slaves ridingin two ranks of three men each. The men could hardly be termed soldiers,yet during the time that Noah Lyon had been away from Riverlawn theoverseer had drilled them thoroughly, both in horsemanship and incarbine practice, and they were, consequently, a long way removed fromraw recruits. Moreover, upon the occasion of the attack upon Riverlawn,they had been under fire and had not flinched, so it was known that theycould be depended upon even in a hazardous emergency.
Even without such a fine bit of horseflesh under him, Deck would havebeen anxious to go to the front. The note received by Levi filled himwith alarm, and in his mind all sorts of troublesome thoughts ran riot.The Belthorpe sisters were at home alone, two of Morgan's guerillas werein possession of Lyndhall, and a whole company were soon expected. Whatindignities might not the sisters suffer, not to say anything of theconfiscation and ruin of Mr. Belthorpe's property?
"This is certainly rough on Kate," observed Artie, as he advanced to hiscousin's side. "We ought to have Captain Gadbury with us--for Margie'ssake."
"If only those ruffians don't attempt to carry Margie and Kate off,"half groaned the major, biting the lip upon which a faint mustache wasbeginning to show. "I suppose the major would be at Lyndhall, onlyfather didn't think it wise to let so many officers off at one time.Levi, what did the negro who delivered the note have to say?"
"Nothing."
"Not a word?" queried Artie.
"Absolutely not a word--and for the best reason in the world: he wasdeaf and dumb," and the overseer smiled broadly. "I tried to questionhim, but he only shook his head and pointed to his tongue."
"Humph! I didn't know there was a deaf and dumb negro around Lyndhall,"mused Deck. "Forward, boys, we mustn't lag!" he shouted to the ranks inthe rear.
"We's comin', Mars'r, jest as fast as we kin come!" answered the servantcalled General, who was the "high private" of the occasion. "Come, don'tyo' go fo' to drap behind, Clinker!" he cried out to the heaviest man ofthe crowd, the blacksmith and horseshoer at Riverlawn.
"Ain't drappin' behind," growled Clinker. "I'll git to Lyndhall aforeyo' do, yo' don't look out," and away he galloped after Deck and theothers.
The day was frosty but clear, an ideal one for a ride, and mile aftermile was passed, between the now almost barren fields, and through longgroves of leafless trees. The horses from Riverlawn had always beenboasted of as being the best in that section of the country, and nowthey were proving their worth.
The mansion home of the Belthorpes stood near the road, with theplantation extending to both sides and to the rear. At a distance up thehighway upon which Major Deck and the others were travelling was a groveof walnut trees, and as soon as this grove was reached the youngcommander of the forces called a halt.
"We don't want to run into an ambush," he explained to Levi and Artie."For all we know to the contrary, that whole company of guerillas may bein possession of Lyndhall, and if they have got wind of the fact thatword has been sent out for assistance, it may go hard with us, if we arecaught napping. I'll go on a scout, and if the coast is clear I'll comeback and tell you. If I get into trouble a couple of pistol shots willnotify you."
To carry out his object, the major dismounted and turned Ceph over toone of the servants. Then, examining his pistol to see that it was inproper condition for use, he struck out boldly, along a path which ranthrough the walnuts and came up over a lawn fringed by magnolias, to thesouth of the mansion.
Deck did not slacken his pace until the magnolias were reached. Here,from an opening, he looked toward the house. Not a soul was in sight,and pistol in hand, he crept along the line of trees until he was withinfifty feet of a side veranda.
At this moment the door to the veranda opened and a girl stepped out,clad in a house dress, with a cape thrown around her shoulders and aworsted shawl caught over her head in bonnet fashion. Deck did not haveto look twice to convince himself that the girl was Kate Belthorpe.
"Kate!" he cried, softly and half involuntarily. "Kate!"
The girl, hearing his voice, stopped short and stared around her inamazement. Then, as he waved his hand to her, she ran down the steps ofthe veranda, and reaching him, almost embraced him.
"Oh, Deck! Why I--I didn't know you were coming here!" she stammered,with a blush. "Are you home on a furlough?"
"Yes--fortunately, Kate," he answered, remembering that they had kissedbefore, yet hardly daring to do so now--since, to him at least, hisintentions were becoming serious. "I--I trust they haven't harmed youand Margie any? Where are the ruffians? Have the whole company arrivedyet?"
The girl started and stared at him. "Why, Deck, what are you talkingabout? I know nothing of any ruffians."
The major was nearly dumfounded by this announcement. "You don't know?"he queried slowly. "Then what does this mean? Levi Bedford received itless than three hours ago."
It took but a moment for Kate Belthorpe to master the contents of thenote. "I don't know what it means," she said. "I don't believe Margieever wrote it. Come in, she is in the sitting room, writing a letter tobrother Tom."
With his mind in a whirl the young major followed Kate into Lyndhallmansion. Margie was found as described, and was equally astonished tosee him. The situation was explained, and she glanced at the note.
"It is a forgery, and is not even in my hand-writing, Deck," she saidquickly. "There is some underhanded work here."
"Yes, and I know what it is!" cried Deck. "That note was penned with theintention of getting Levi and the negroes away from Riverlawn. Myfather's place may even now be suffering an attack. I must get homewithout an instant's delay!"
"Oh, I trust you are mistaken, Deck!" murmured Kate, her beautiful eyesfilling with tears. "What will your mother and your sisters do?"
"Heaven alone knows, Kate," he answered, his voice growing curiouslyhusky. "Artie and I were going home when we met Levi and six of theslaves on the road. Four or five other slaves were to follow, so it issafe to say that out of about fifteen men who can use firearmstwo-thirds are now away from Riverlawn and awaiting me in the walnutgrove just below here. Good-by!" and he held out his hand.
"Good-by, and take care of yourself!" burst in Margie, and gave him awarm brotherly kiss. Seeing this, Kate did not hold back, and Deck spedfrom the mansion with the warm contact of her sweet lips still hauntinghim.
But now was no time for sentiment, however delightful it might prove,and the young major burst into the grove all out of breath with running.
"Quick, to Riverlawn!" he shouted, as he leaped again into the saddle."We have not a moment to lose! The note was a decoy, to get Levi and theothers to leave our house. Pray Heaven we may reach there before motherand the others are subjected to insult, or before any damage is done!"
"A decoy!" gasped Levi Bedford. He could scarcely believe his ears."Then that negro was not dumb, I'll wager! Boys," he turned to theslaves, "did any of you see that fellow who brought Mrs. Lyon the notethis morning?"
"'Deed I did, sah!" came from Clinker.
"So did I, sah," put in Woolly, another of the body.
"Did either of you hear him speak?"
Clinker shook his head. Woolly, however, smiled shrewdly. "I dun rackenI did, Mars'r Bedford, when he crossed de creek bridge. But I dunno wothe said, fo' I was a right smart step off."
"It doesn't matter what he said,"
replied Levi. He turned to Deck. "Youare right. I have been badly fooled, and don't deserve to hold theposition with which your father entrusted me--that of taking care of hisfamily and his property."
"Don't blame yourself, Levi," Deck hastened to say, seeing how bad theoverseer felt. "You did what you thought was right, and what I shouldhave done under the circumstances. The best we can do is to get over theground just as lively as we can, and if you know of any short cuts totake, so much the better."
They were already going ahead at full speed, Deck and Levi in the leadand Artie and the negroes following as rapidly as possible. "I wasthinking, we might take the trail through Charwell meadow--the ground isstiff enough to hold horseflesh," observed the manager of Riverlawn."But that may make us miss the four or five fellows who were to followus, and if anything is wrong at Riverlawn, we may want all the help wecan gather."
"How much will the Charwell trail shorten the ride?"
"A good mile and three-quarters, possibly two miles, if the ground atthe lower end is hard."
"Then let us take that short cut, all but Clinker, who can take theregular road and turn back the second detachment as soon as it comesup," answered the young major, unconsciously speaking in military terms,as was now his usual habit.
"Good! You've got a long head--just as you always had!" cried Levi, andin a minute more Clinker was instructed into the new order of things.Shortly after this the others left the road and took to a well-definedtrail running through a woods and then across the meadow previouslydescribed. At the end of the meadow the party came out upon the roadrunning almost parallel with the creek, but at a considerable distanceabove the spot where the bridge to Colonel Lyon's domain was located.
"Halt!" cried Deck, as the horsemen reached the edge of the clearing."Don't show yourselves until I give the order."
"I think Levi and I ought to go forward with you, Deck," interposedArtie, who was thinking of his sister, as well as of his Aunt Ruth andhis Cousin Hope.
"Well, you can go; but we must be careful not to expose ourselves to theenemy," was the ready reply of the major, who had unconsciously takencommand of the expedition.
"Supposing we separate," went on Artie. "One can go up to the bridge,one down to where the logs are usually tied up, and one over to thebend. That will give us three points of observation."
"Right you are, Artie. General Thomas couldn't have planned it better,"answered Deck. "I'll go to the bridge, and you can go down to the logs.Levi, is there a raft handy?"
"There is, just above the logs, and there is a canoe up at the bend. Weused it day before yesterday, when Faraway and I went over and came backby the bridge."
"Then it will be an easy matter for us to make an advance all along theline. What of Fort Bedford?" continued the major, referring to theice-house which, during the early troubles at Riverlawn, had beenturned into an arsenal. The so-styled fort was built along the creek,almost opposite the point where the logs and the raft rested.
"It's still there, but it contains little outside of a few guns and twoboxes of ammunition."
"I was thinking, if those rascals are here, and the worst comes to theworst, it will be a good thing if we can take possession of the fort,and use it in defending my mother and the girls and ourselves."
"If the coast is clear, I'll move for the fort without delay," saidArtie. "One man can hold that place, if the doors and the portholes areproperly secured."
"That's so, but don't do anything rash, Artie," said Deck, gravely."Remember what Ripley said--those guerillas of Morgan's are the worstcut-throats Kentucky has ever seen."
"Artie might wait until I can help him," suggested Levi. "If the fortisn't occupied now, it won't take long to get the boys over to it in thecanoe and with a small raft in tow."
And so it was arranged that the young captain should wait on themovements of the overseer, and this decided, the three set off on theirvarious missions.