by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XVI
THE HOLDING-UP OF THE CLOSED CARRIAGE
Artie found it still raining outside, harder than before, and thelandscape was dreary and deserted,--neither man nor beast being insight.
"That remark about putting the negroes on guard was only meant tofrighten me," he thought. "Now to get out and find my horse, and I'llmake it warm for Major Dan Gossley and his hot-headed relatives. I'llshow them that they cannot make a Union officer a prisoner withimpunity."
The young captain recommenced his digging, and presently the hole wassufficiently large to admit the passage of his body, for Artie was ofslender build, and advancement in the army had not puffed him up withpride. Undaunted by the rain, which covered the passageway with mud, hecrawled forth, on to the mansion lawn. A hasty look around convincedhim that his egress had not been discovered.
He was on a side lawn, and to get to the gateway of the road, must passto the front of the house. But wishing to remain unnoticed, he did nottake the direct course, but backed away with all speed for the nearestgrove of trees. Once these were reached, he made a long detour, comingout near the spot where he had left his animal tied to a tree.
The horse was gone, and as the equine was one not in the habit of eitherbreaking or straying away, he rightfully concluded that Colonel DickBradner had had him taken to the plantation stables, directly after thesurrender in the sitting room.
"I've got to have the horse, that is all there is to it," he muttered."I wonder if I can't get him without arousing the whole household?"
It must be remembered that Artie was unarmed, and he knew that ifdiscovered, it would go hard with him. But he was full of grit, andafter a moment's consideration, started on another detour, this time inthe direction of the quarters for horses, visible through a grove ofwalnut trees.
The larger of the barns reached, Artie found the doors wide open, forthe day was now fairly warm despite the rain, and he slipped inside. Ashe did so, a negro voice broke on his ear:--
"De Yankees da hab got ter run, Da cannot fight no mo', We'll knock 'em wid de sword an' gun, An' da'll surrender suah!"
It was the negro Sam who was doing the singing, while cleaning upArtie's horse, that had been tied up in a large box stall. The coloredman was taking his time at the job, thinking he had the whole day beforehim.
Ere Artie caught sight of either Sam or the horse, he espied somethingelse which made his heart bound with satisfaction. On a feed-box lay thegun Sam had handled while on guard in the sitting room. It wasdouble-barrelled and loaded ready for use.
Making certain that the negro was the only person about the stables, thecaptain advanced cautiously and secured the firearm. He had it well inhand, when Sam swung around and discovered him.
"Who--wha--what--" began the slave, staring at him as though he were aghost.
"Silence!" whispered Artie, and pointed the gun at the negro's head.
"Please don't go fo' to shoot me, Cap'n!"
"I won't, if you will remain quiet and answer my questions truthfully.If you attempt to cry out--"
"I won't cry out--'deed I won't!" was the trembling answer.
"All right. Now tell me the truth. Where is Major Gossley?"
"Went out, sah, 'bout quarter of an hour ago."
"On horseback?"
"Yes, sah."
"Do you know where he went?"
"I ain't suah, sah, but t'ink he went to Rover."
"Did he say anything about coming back?"
"He dun tole missus he would be back in about two houhs."
"You are telling me the truth? Remember, if you lie to me it may costyou your life."
"I'se tole yo' de truf, Cap'n--deed I has," answered Sam, earnestly. Hewas still so scared he could scarcely speak.
"I will soon find out. I am glad to see you have rubbed down my horse.Now saddle him as quick as you can."
"Yes, sah."
The negro sprang to work, and as he moved around Artie continued to keephim covered with the gun. In a few minutes the horse was ready for use,and then the young captain made the slave bring out one of Colonel DickBradner's animals likewise. Both were taken to a rear doorway, out ofsight of the mansion.
"Now get up there and come along with me," said Artie, as he hopped intothe saddle. "And no treachery."
"Whar yo' gwine ter take me, Cap'n?"
"To the Union camp, so that you can't give your master the alarm. Dowhat I want you to do, and you will suffer no harm. In the sitting roomyou were only obeying your master's orders, so I shan't blame you forthat."
At these words Sam was evidently much relieved, and he consented to showthe way by a back path to the side road. With the negro in front ofhim, Artie put spurs to his steed, and soon gained the fork where he hadseparated from Life Knox. He found the captain of the seventh companytaking it easy under the thick shelter of a clump of trees and somebrush.
"Well, Captain, you've been a long time getting back," he remarked, ashe gazed questioning at Artie with the gun and then at the negro. "Hadsome adventure, I reckon?"
"That's it, Life, and there is no time to waste in giving particulars. Iwonder how near the nearest troops are?"
"A company of mounted infantry passed this place less than five minutesago."
"Can we overtake them, do you think?"
"I don't see why not. They weren't moving fast. They had struck thewrong road, and thought some of going back."
"We must bring them back. Come on!" and away went the captain, with Sambeside him and Life Knox just in advance. As they progressed, Artie toldhis tale, to which the tall Kentuckian listened closely.
"You are right," he said, when Artie had concluded. "We must capturethis Gossley by all means; and it will be as well to put a guard overthe mansion and place Colonel Bradner and his wildcat of a wife undermilitary arrest. There is no telling how much harm that couple has beendoing the Union cause."
Through the rain they soon discerned the company of mounted infantryreturning, having found the mud and quicksands too much for the horses.They were a body of Michigan men, under the command of Captain AllenFordick.
"I am under no special orders, having finished my mission to thisneighborhood," said the captain, when they had told him why he waswanted. "I'll take hold with pleasure. That spy ought to be captured, ifsuch a thing is possible. I thought the rebels had given up the spybusiness since Williams and Peter were hung."
The captain of the mounted infantry referred to a case which early inthe month had challenged the attention of the entire North and South.Two young men presented themselves at the headquarters of Colonel Bairdand represented themselves as inspectors from Washington, sent on toinspect the outposts. They showed proper papers supposed to be signed byAdjutant General Thomas and by General, afterwards President, Garfield,then chief of Rosecrans's staff, and were allowed to begin their work.But soon a suspicion was excited, and the pair were captured just asthey were about to pass out of the Union lines. They were searched, andthe sword of one was found to be marked C. S. A.--Confederate States ofAmerica. General Rosecrans was telegraphed to and denounced them aspretenders. A drum-head court-martial was ordered at quarter to five inthe morning, and the two Confederates broke down and confessed. Theybegged for clemency, but orders had been to hang them if they were foundguilty, and at half past ten in the morning they were executed in thepresence of a large body of troops. This act was denounced in the South,but, terrible as it was, it was in strict accord with the rules of war.
From the negro, the three captains, riding abreast, in advance of themounted infantry, learned in what direction lay the road Major Gossleywould most likely use in returning from Rover. It was little more than afoot-path, running through the plantation fields and coming up over afoot-bridge to the creek in the rear.
"I would advise hiding in the woods close to the house," said Artie,when consulted. "A dozen men can surround the house, to prevent thecolonel and his wife from taking French leave."
"But
they may have taken leave already," suggested Life, and as he spokehe saw a covered carriage approaching. "Perhaps they are in this."
"They must be!" cried Artie, as the carriage came to a sudden halt, andthe negro spoke to somebody inside. "Sam, isn't that Joe on the box?"
"Yes, Cap'n."
"Then it is Colonel Bradner's rig, sure," went on the young officer."Forward, and we'll soon have them prisoners!" and away he dashed in thelead. By the time he had come alongside of the turnout the negrocoachman had turned about and was lashing the team furiously, in anattempt to escape in the opposite direction.
"Stop that team, or I will fire!" ordered Artie, and aimed the gun hestill carried.
At these words a scream came from the carriage, and then from under ablack canvas cover was thrust the face of Mrs. Bradner.
"Don't you dare stop us, you miserable Yankee!" she screamed. "I won'thave it!"
"Don't make a fool of yourself, Martha," came from the colonel, in alower tone.
"Stop, I say," went on Artie, and placed the muzzle of the gun withintwo feet of the negro driver's head. Without delay Joe drew up, and thecarriage came to a stop.
"Go ahead! Don't stop!" screamed Mrs. Bradner, more unreasonable thanever.
"Madam, you had best keep quiet," said Captain Fordick. "We know whatyou and your husband have been doing to Captain Lyon, and you can bothconsider yourselves under military arrest."
"Under arrest!" gasped the lady. "How dare you speak to me in thisinsulting fashion!"
"I dare by the authority of the United States. You will please keepquiet while the negro drives you back to the house."
"I won't keep quiet! I'll--"
"Oh, Martha, shut up!" broke in the colonel. "You'll only make mattersworse."
"What, Dick Bradner, do you turn against me?" was the indignant query."Have you no backbone left to stand up against these--these vileNorthern mudsills?"
"If you don't keep quiet I'll have you bound and gagged, Madam," saidCaptain Fordick, after whispering to Artie.
"You won't do--"
"Yes, I will. Cameron and Waltling, advance and bind this woman. If shesays another word, gag her."
For one moment the lady of the plantation glared at the speaker. Thenher courage gave way, and she sank back and burst into tears.
"Oh, please--please don't touch me!" she moaned. "I'll--I'll keepquiet--I didn't mean anything by what I said."
"Very well then--see you remain silent." The captain of the mountedinfantry turned to the negro driver. "Turn back to where you came from,and lose no time in driving."
"Yes, Mars'r Ossifer!" replied Joe, promptly, and there was a grin onhis ebony face, as though he rather enjoyed the discomfiture of hismistress.
With roads so bad, it was hard work to get the closed carriage back tothe mansion, and once it looked as if the turnout would have to beabandoned in the mud. But the trip was finally concluded, and thecolonel and his downcast spouse were marched into the sitting room.
"Now, Colonel Bradner, the boot is on the other leg," remarked Artie,and it must be confessed the young captain could not help smiling. "Howdo you like the situation?"
"I don't like it," grumbled the crippled advocate of the Southern cause."But I have sense enough not to kick;" with a significant glance at hiswife.
"Dick Bradner, if we ever--" began Mrs. Bradner, when a look fromCaptain Fordick silenced her. All three of the Union captains nowquestioned Bradner concerning Gossley's return.
"He won't be back--he has gone to join Bragg," said the colonel, beforehis wife could speak.
"He will be back--to punish you all," burst out Mrs. Bradner, and thencovered her face with her hands, as she realized the mistake she hadmade. "Oh, what have I done now?" she wailed.
"Made a fool of yourself again," answered the colonel, bluntly. "Thatspeech may cost Dan his life."
"Oh, I didn't mean it;" and she burst into tears. Leaving her husband tocomfort her as he saw fit, the Unionists left the couple in the sittingroom. Several weapons they had possessed had been taken from them, andnow a guard was stationed in the hallway outside of the door, andanother guard in the garden under the sitting-room windows. This done,the three captains prepared to capture Major Dan Gossley as soon as heshould make his appearance.