by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXIII
AN IMPORTANT CAPTURE ON THE MOUNTAINS
Major Deck Lyon felt certain that they had not only made a discovery ofimportance, but that this discovery, if followed up, would lead tosomething of still more value to know.
He felt, however, that not a moment was to be lost. Already the shadesof night had fallen across Sand Mountain and Lookout Mountain, castingdeep patches of gloom among the several valleys. In the darkness, thetrail would become dangerous, if it was not already so.
The five sharpshooters were halted, and the situation was explained tothem. Then two were sent on the back trail, to cover their rear, twowere sent up the creek, one on either side, and the remaining manaccompanied Deck and Life to the base of the rocky hill from which thesignal had been flashed.
"You will take care of our horses, Clefton," said the major, to thelast sharpshooter. "If an enemy appears, keep out of the way if you can.I want to learn just what is going on before an alarm is given."
In a minute more, the major and the captain were crawling over the rocksand through the brush, directly for the place whence the signal-lighthad appeared. No answering signal had been discovered, and Deckconcluded that the second signal station was out of the range of thevalley bottom.
The distance from the trail to the spot from which the light had flashedwas calculated by Life Knox to be not over five hundred yards, that is,about a quarter of a mile, and the tall Kentuckian was not the man tomake a mistake in calculating such a distance. But the way was rugged,and often a gully or a wall of rock brought the pair to a halt. Yet thegullies were not so wide but that each could be covered by a stiff jump,and they helped one another up the steep places. The Kentuckian advancedwith hardly any noise, and Deck followed his example, although not sofamiliar with woodcraft.
Three-quarters of the distance to the top of the rocky hill had beencovered when each clutched the other by the arm. Both had made adiscovery, whether of importance or not, they could not just then tell.They had found three horses, tethered in a spot through which ran atrail running east and west, diagonally to the course they werepursuing.
"Hist, somebody is coming," whispered Deck, as Life started to speak;and both shrunk back in the shadow of a clump of bushes.
They could hear the low murmur of three voices, and presently theydistinguished three Confederates, attired in the uniform of the signalcorps. Each man carried a pair of field-glasses and some sort of anapparatus strapped to his back.
"They are the fellows we are after, sure enough," whispered Life. "Threeto two. What shall we do?"
"Wait; and see to your pistol," answered the major, in an equally lowvoice.
"Captain, what did you make that last signal out to mean?" asked one ofthe Confederates.
"It meant that the Yankees have crossed Sand Mountain and areassembling along Lookout."
"But what of the cavalry?"
"They are on the extreme right of their troops."
"Then they must be in this neighborhood. It's a good thing for GeneralWheeler that we have learned this. I suppose they'll come close toAlpine."
"More than likely they'll strike right through to Summerville."
"Then they mean to turn our left if they can," put in the thirdsignalman, who had not spoken heretofore. "What do you suppose GeneralBragg will do?"
"He'll come out of Chattanooga and fight 'em, that's what he'll do,Simpler. To my notion it was foolish not to offer them a fight right onthe bank of the Tennessee."
Speaking in this strain, the three signalmen turned in at the spot wherethey had left their horses, and began to untie the animals. While theywere doing this, Life leaned over to Deck.
"Well?" he asked in a whisper.
"Do you think we can manage them, Life?"
"Why not? We have the drop of them, if we keep behind the trees."
"I should like to make them prisoners."
"Let us try it; I don't think we'll come off second best," answered thematter-of-fact captain of the seventh company.
Deck raised his pistol and Life did the same. "I'll cover the fellowbeside the white horse," he explained.
"Correct; I'll cover both of the others," was Life's reply, as heproduced another weapon.
The next moment Deck called upon the three signalmen to surrender. Hiscommand started the three very much, and they stopped their talk andgazed around them in bewilderment.
"What's that?" questioned the captain, nervously.
"I call on you to surrender. Down with your arms or you are dead men."
"Who are you?"
"A major in the Union army, in command of a detachment ofsharpshooters," answered Deck, telling the exact truth.
"Stand ready to fire, boys," he continued, as if addressing a fullcompany behind him.
"We surrender," said the leader of the signalmen, promptly.
"Throw down your arms."
One after another the weapons of the Confederates were cast away.
"Keep them well covered, boys," said Deck, and going forward he gatheredthe pistols up, also the captain's sword.
"Now march down the hillside in that direction," went on the major; "andno treachery, or you'll be dead men inside of ten seconds." He raisedhis voice. "Forward, boys! Captain Knox, take command!"
"All right, Major," answered Knox, gruffly. He turned around. "Forward,boys, and keep them covered," and then as the Confederates moved off, healso moved, making as much noise as a dozen men. The ruse was completelysuccessful, even more so than it had been at the time the cannon on theraft was captured.
At the foot of the hill Clefton, the sharpshooter, was called up, andsent to notify the others. Soon the detachment of seven was assembled,and then all surrounded the prisoners.
"You don't mean to say this is all the men you have?" demanded theleader of the signalmen.
"I haven't any others very near," said Deck.
"Well, that's the time I was fooled for fair. I thought you had a fullcompany stuck up there among the trees."
"Are you prepared to go along peaceably?" asked Deck, to change thesubject.
"Being unarmed, how can we help ourselves?"
"I see you have a large stock of common sense, even if you werecaptured," said Deck, with a laugh. "All right, you shall ride, but youranimals must be chained to our own, or they might run away with you inthe darkness."
"Which means that we might try to run away on them."
"I didn't put it quite so pointedly, Captain."
"But you meant it, nevertheless. Well, it's all right,--'fortune ofwar,' so to speak, and I shan't complain. Who are you?"
"Major Deck Lyon, of the Riverlawn Cavalry of Kentucky."
"And I am Captain Vallingham, of the South Carolina volunteers,--now ondetached duty."
"You seem to have been running a sort of a signal station up there,Captain Vallingham."
"Oh, we have been amusing ourselves."
"Do you think the persons who were signalled to were likewise amused?"
"How do you know we were signalling to anybody?"
"I take it for granted you didn't wave those pine knots to the stars.You are too intelligent a man to believe in negro voodooism."
"Perhaps I am not as intelligent as you imagine, Major. Remember, Isurrendered when I should have fought. We were three to two, and itwould have been a pretty fair contest."
"But we had the drop on you."
"True, but it was pretty dark."
"Yes, and it is too dark now to suit me, Captain. Life, let us light upa bit."
"Here is an opening in the brush, Major," answered the Kentuckian, whoimagined he understood what the young commander had in mind.
Evidently the leader of the signalmen also understood, or thought hedid, for as the group turned into the clearing Life had mentioned, hewas observed by the watchful major to throw a small note-book over thebushes.
"Halt!" cried Deck. "Brady, let me have that lantern you brought along."
The sharpshooter addr
essed complied, the lantern was lit, and the majorbegan a hunt. The note-book lay wide open on some short brush, and waseasily discovered, along with two letters beside it. With the articlesin his hand, Deck returned to the Confederate signalmen.
"Captain Vallingham, I am sorry to see you throw away your property inthis fashion," he remarked.
"You're altogether too sharp!" growled the signalman, and now hispleasant manner deserted him.
"In order to prevent you from throwing away anything more of value, I'llhave you searched. Clefton, go through the man from hat to boots, anddon't let anything escape you."
"Are you going to rob me?"
"Yes,--of information, if any more is to be had."
"I haven't anything beside that note-book and the two letters. Theletters are from my mother,--private correspondence."
"You give me your word of honor as a gentleman to that?"
"I do."
"Then there you are, Captain. I have no desire to pry into your personalaffairs. I am working solely in the interests of the United States ofAmerica."
A flush came over the Confederate's face, and he crammed the lettersinto a pocket Clefton had just turned inside out. "Much obliged; I amglad to learn a Yankee can still be a gentleman in some respects."
"In all respects, Captain Vallingham. Clefton, anything else of value toour general?"
"Haven't pulled off his boots yet, Major."
"Do you think I carry the secrets of the Confederate army in myfoot-wear?" demanded the captain.
"I am not thinking; I am trying to find out," answered Deck, calmly.
"I'm not used to going barefooted."
"We won't keep you barefooted. Now, Clefton--Ah, what's that?"
For from the top of Captain Vallingham's stocking an edge of paper hadprotruded. The paper was pinned fast, but easily released, and Deckunfolded it, and held it so that the light of the lantern might fallupon it.
"A map of this vicinity, and of the approaches to Chattanooga," he said."Very good. Life, here is where that other signal corps was stationed,in the direction of Alpine. Is that all, Clefton?"
"Seems to be, Major Lyon."
"Now examine the other prisoners."
The order was carried out with despatch and care, and one other map wasbrought to light, along with an order from a member of General Wheeler'sstaff, directing the movements of the signalmen. The order was dated atLafayette, a town about midway between where the detachment was nowstationed and Chattanooga.
Deck gave the note-book a scanty inspection and found it contained thesignal code for that campaign, and also a diary of the work performed.There was also a note speaking of the forces under General Wharton,commanding one division of Wheeler's cavalry. This showed that theConfederate cavalry were watching for General Mitchell's troops to thenorth of Lafayette.
Shoving the note-book and maps into his pocket, Deck ordered his men onthe return, the prisoners to ride behind himself and Life, with the fivesharpshooters in the rear. He felt that he had gained sufficientinformation to warrant his return. To use an old phrase, "the cat wasout of the bag," and it would not be long before General Bragg wouldbring out his troops from Chattanooga and vicinity to do the Army of theCumberland battle.