by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XX
MAJOR LYON WINS A BATTLE AND LOSES HIS HORSE
Major Dexter Lyon realized that he had been played false by theso-styled guide, and that his two battalions were in a dangeroussituation. The eight companies of horsemen were in the centre of a smallplain. In a semicircle in front was a low and treacherous quicksand,impossible of passage; in a semicircle to the rear was a rockyelevation, divided in half by the defile through which the cavalry hadjust passed. On the rocky elevation, on both sides of the defile,Confederate cavalry had been discovered, ready to pour in a hot fire onthem the moment they attempted to turn back on their trail.
"Major, it looks as if our goose was cooked," remarked Tom Belthorpe,after the reports from the front and the rear had been considered. "Theycouldn't have laid a neater trap for us."
"And I allowed myself to walk into it blindfolded," answered Deck,somewhat bitterly.
"The rebels kept mighty shady when we came through the defile," put inCaptain Abbey, who was also at hand. "I wonder why they didn't open onus then and there?"
"That is an easy question to answer, Captain," said Deck. "If they hadopened up, our command could have retreated; now they have every one ofus just about where they want us."
"But you won't surrender without a fight, will you?" demanded KateBelthorpe's brother, anxiously.
"I have never yet done any surrendering, Tom. I want to know just howbad--What is it, Captain?"
"A flag of truce," answered Captain Life Knox, as he dashed up. "Aprivate is carrying it, and there is a Confederate captain of cavalrywith him."
"Indeed! They evidently want to rush things. Come with me, and we'll seewhat they want."
Side by side Deck and Life rode off, the way being to the lower edge ofthe rocky elevation. Here the Confederates had come to a halt in themidst of some underbrush.
"I am Captain Adairs, Mississippi Volunteer Cavalry," said theConfederate officer, with a salute, which the others promptly returned."Who is in command of those Union troops?"
"I am in command," answered Deck.
"Major Dexter Lyon," put in Life, introducing him.
"Well, Major Lyon, I reckon you know we have you in a pretty tight box,"went on the Confederate captain, with a smile.
"Is that so?" returned Deck, as though the thought was brand-new to him.
"We have. Ahead is nothing but swamp and quicksand, and back here mycommand hold the defile and the entire elevation."
"You must have your company pretty well spread out," remarked Deck.
"I have more than one company with me--fully enough men to hold thespot. So you see you are entirely cut off."
"Cut off from where?"
"The outside world, so to speak," was the Confederate's impatientanswer.
"If we are, that's rather bad for us, Captain," and now Deck began tosmile.
"It is. The question is, are you willing to surrender?" demanded CaptainAdairs.
"To whom?"
"Why, to me, of course."
"Great Caesar, Captain, what for?"
"What for? Because you can't help yourself, that's what for!" and nowthe veneering of gentlemanliness vanished. "I call on you to surrender.If you won't, I'll open fire on you in less than five minutes."
"Make it ten minutes, Captain," and Deck kept on smiling.
"Ten minutes?" And the smile and the request perplexed the Confederatenot a little, as it also perplexed Life Knox. The latter could notimagine what the major was driving at, for while he was a good soldier,and a first-class shot, diplomacy, military or otherwise, was beyondhim.
"Exactly, ten minutes--or possibly quarter of an hour."
"I shall not wait longer than five minutes."
"Then I'll try to make five minutes do, although it will hardly be timeenough."
"Time enough for what?"
"Time enough for me to arrange my plans for giving you battle," answeredDeck, as calmly as ever.
"See here, do you take me for a--a fool?" cried the Confederate captain."What are you driving at? I won't waste any more words with you."
"Won't you?" Deck had his field-glasses in his hand, and now he pointedthem to the northward of the rocky elevation. "They are coming, Life!"he cried. "We are all right! Come on back!" And he waved his hand to hiscompanion. "Good day, Captain, and I don't think I'll surrender--now!"
"Fooled!" burst from the Confederate's lips. "They are being reenforced!Why did I waste words here!" And without another look at Deck, he turnedand galloped off with his orderly; and soon the two pairs were severalhundred yards apart.
"It was well done--you scared him nicely!" burst out Life. "But what'sthe next move on the checkerboard, Deck?"
"The next move is to gain yonder grove of trees as quickly as we can.Carry the word to Major Belthorpe, and tell him to send Captain Ripley'ssharpshooters and your own in advance. The first and second companiescan come over here."
Away went Life Knox with the swiftness of the wind, realizing thatsuccess depended upon speed, for it would take but a few minutes for theConfederates to learn the truth concerning the ruse Deck had employedagainst them.
As soon as the tall Kentuckian had gone, Deck advanced toward the treesmentioned, rapidly but cautiously, for he had no desire to be picked offby some concealed Confederate marksman. His course lay over a series ofrough rocks, but Ceph sprang from one to another with the lightness of amountain goat. Soon the shelter of the first row of trees was gained.
Deck was not particularly a woodsman, but as a boy he had climbed many amaple-tree in New Hampshire, and later on, many a walnut in Kentucky. Hehad not forgotten the art, and standing up on Ceph's back he leaped intothe branches of the tree above him, and climbed to the top in what Artiewould have called "jig time."
The tree was tall, and standing on an elevation, afforded a good view ofthe surrounding territory for a mile or more on every side. Taking uphis glasses again he inspected the situation with care.
Captain Adairs had told the truth about having more companies than one.There were three commands all told, each numbering probably seventy toeighty men. One was on this side of the defile, and two were on theopposite side. The men were scattered at convenient points for holdingthe defile against almost any force.
While Deck was surveying the situation, the Confederate captain reachedhis men, and orders were at once issued which took away half of the menat the rocky pass, and sent them in the direction of the main roadbeyond. This left but half a company in the neighborhood Deck wasreconnoitring.
"If we can't whip half a company, no matter what advantage they havebehind the rocks, we are not fit for the Union army," thought the major,and began to descend the tree.
He had just stepped on the limb below him, when he heard a crashingthrough the brush between the rocks. Wondering if it was friend or foe,he paused, and tried to look down. But the thick leaves and heavybranches cut off the view below completely.
"Git up thar, git up!" he heard, in a rough, heavy voice, as somebodyleaped upon Ceph's back. Then came a clatter of horse's hoofs, and heheard his faithful steed move off--a prisoner of the enemy!
To Deck, Ceph was among his dearest possessions, and regardless of hisdanger, he scrambled down the tree with all possible speed, at the sametime calling upon the unknown horse-thief to stop. But neither man norbeast halted, and by the time the major was down both were well out ofsight.
Bitter as he felt over his loss, now was no time for Deck to grieve, andhe scrambled over the rough ground until he came in sight of the firstand second company, advancing as directed. At the same moment ascattering volley of shots from the other grove of trees told that thesharpshooters under Ripley and Life Knox had got to work.
"Lieutenant Fronklyn!" cried the major. "Go to Major Belthorpe at once,and tell him to bring all of the companies he has excepting CaptainRipley's men around here without delay. Captain Ripley is to work intothe woods, but steer for the defile."
"Orders understood," replied Lieutenant Fronklyn
, and galloped off.
Lieutenant Fronklyn was known to be a good rider, and he was soon out ofsight. Without waiting for the balance of his command, minus thesharpshooters under Ripley, to come up, Deck urged the first and secondcompanies forward.
The sudden attack, added to the report that another force of the enemywas on the highway, threw the Confederates in confusion, and althoughthey stood their ground, it could be seen that they felt more likebreaking away. Several volleys were exchanged, and half a dozen men onboth sides were hit, but nobody seriously.
In the meantime Captain Ripley and Captain Knox had worked into thewoods rapidly, and it was found impossible by Major Belthorpe to bringLife back, although an orderly was sent to deliver Deck's order to theKentuckian. The balance of the companies followed the first half of thefirst battalion without delay.
Realizing that the Union cavalry was massing on the north side of thedefile, the Confederate commander endeavored to bring up the balance ofthe two companies from the opposite side. But the descent from the rockson one side and the ascent on the other took time, and just now everymoment was precious.
Deck did not "let the grass grow under his feet." The first battalionwent ahead on the double-quick, and soon a fierce hand-to-hand encounterwas under way among the rocks. A dozen cavalrymen were wounded, and theConfederates fell back to a point midway between the defile and thehighway.
Those Confederates who had gone down into the cut were now trying togain the heights where the fighting was going on. But Deck was ready forthem, and sent Major Belthorpe to the edge of the defile with twocompanies of the second battalion and Artie Lyon's company of the first.They fired directly down upon the heads of the Confederates, and in lessthan five minutes had the enemy retreating in the wildest confusion.
Deck had swung his three companies around, so that they had their backsto the defile. He could hear the sharpshooters pushing the enemy throughthe woods toward him. Presently the Confederates appeared, and the wholecompany which had occupied this ground originally was surrounded. Tenmen were killed and an equal number wounded, and then the officer incommand, a lieutenant, held up his sword, hilt first, to which was tieda white handkerchief; and the battle in that vicinity came to an end.
As soon as the company, or what was left of it, surrendered, Deck sent abattalion and a half after those who were fleeing. But the Confederateswere filled with terror, thinking the reenforcements had surely come,with sharpshooters in advance, and they continued to retreat at the fullspeed of their horses. They were pursued for half a mile, and then thechase was given up.
An examination proved that the Riverlawns had lost eight men in killedand wounded, and the Confederates had lost nearly twice that number.Fifteen of the enemy had been captured, including an officer who said hehad once practised as a surgeon. To his care were consigned all thewounded Confederates, who were, later on, carried to a farmhouse aquarter of a mile away. The wounded of the Riverlawns were turned overto Doctor Farnwright, the regular surgeon of the regiment, and the deadwere buried with proper ceremonies at the spot where they had fallen.
"You did the trick, Major!" cried Tom Belthorpe, after it was all over."It was one of the neatest moves I ever saw!"
"It saved our goose from being cooked," laughed Deck. He felt that hecould afford to be light-hearted now.
"That's so,--I was too hasty in what I said," answered Kate Belthorpe'sbrother. "But what horse is that you are riding?"
"One taken from the enemy, Tom."
"And where is Ceph?"
"Gone."
"Dead?"
"No, somebody stole him while I was up in a tree looking over thesituation."
"That's too bad. I know you set a store by that horse."
"I wouldn't lose him for a thousand dollars,--no, not for five timesthat amount," replied the young major, earnestly.
And Deck meant what he said. To him the loss of faithful Ceph meant morethan any of his comrades in arms could understand. He wondered if heshould ever set eyes on the noble animal again.