by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER XII.
THE BUSHWHACKERS.
"By the way, Dan," Vincent said when the negro had finished his meal,"we have not talked over that matter of my clothes. I can't imagine howthat letter saying that one of us was disguised as a minister and wouldhave a negro servant came to be written. Did you ever tell the peopleyou lodged with anything about the disguise?"
"No, sah, neber said one word to dem about it; dey know nothingwhatsoeber. De way me do wid your letter was dis. Me go outside town andwait for long time. At last saw black fellow coming along. Me say tohim, 'Can you read?' and he said as he could. I said 'I got a letter, Iwant to read him. I gib you a quarter to read him to me;' so he saidyes, and he read the letter. He a long time of making it out, because heread print, but not read writing well. He spell it out word by word, butI don't tink he understand dat it come from prison, only dat it comefrom someone who wanted some rope and a turn-screw. Me do just the sameway wid de second letter. As for de clothes, me buy dem dat day, makedem up in bundle, and not go back to lodging at all. Me not know howanyone could know dat I buy dat minister clothes for you, sah. Me toldde storekeeper dat dey was for cousin of mine, who preach to de coloredfolk, and dat I send him suit as present. Onless dat man follow me andwatch me all de time till we go off together, sah, me no see how dedebbil he guess about it."
"That's quite impossible, Dan; it never could have been that way. It isvery strange, for it would really seem that no one but you and I and theother two officers could possibly know about it."
"Perhaps one ob dem want to do you bad turn, massa, and write so as toget you caught and shut up again."
Vincent started at this suggestion. Was it possible that Jackson couldhave done him this bad turn after his having aided him to make hisescape! It would be a villainous trick; but then he had always thoughthim capable of villainous tricks, and it was only the fact that theywere thrown together in prison that had induced him to make up hisquarrel with him; but though Jackson had accepted his advances, it wasprobable enough that he had retained his bad feeling against him, andhad determined, if possible, to have his revenge on the firstopportunity.
"The scoundrel," he said to himself, "after my getting him free, toinform against me! Of course I have no proof of it, but I have not theleast doubt that it was he. If we ever meet again, Mr. Jackson, I willhave it out with you."
"You got two pistols, sah," Dan said presently. "How you get dem?"
"The lady of the house gave them to me, Dan; they are one for you andone for me."
"Dis chile no want him, sah; not know what to do wid him. Go off andshoot myself, for sure."
"Well, I don't suppose you would do much good with it, Dan. As I am agood shot, perhaps I had better keep them both. You might load them forme as I fire them."
"Bery well, sah: you show me how to load, me load."
Vincent showed Dan how to extricate the discharged cartridge cases andto put in fresh ones, and after a quarter of an hour's practice Dan wasable to do this with some speed.
"When we going on, sah?" he said as, having learned the lesson, hehanded the pistol back to Vincent.
"We are not going on until the evening, Dan. When it gets dark the ladyis going to take us to a place where there is a boat hidden, and weshall then be able to cross the river."
"Den I will hab a sleep, sah. Noting like sleeping when there is achance."
"I believe you could sleep three-quarters of your time, Dan. However,you may as well sleep now if you can, for there will be nothing to dotill night."
Vincent went back to the edge of the wood, and sat down where he couldcommand a view of the cottage. The country was for the most part coveredwith wood, for it was but thinly inhabited except in the neighborhood ofthe main roads. Few of the farmers had cleared more than half theirground; many only a few acres. The patch, in which the house with itslittle clump of trees stood nearly in the center, was of some forty orfifty acres in extent, and though now rank with weeds, had evidentlybeen carefully cultivated, for all the stumps had been removed, and thefence round it was of a stronger and neater character than that whichmost of the cultivators deemed sufficient.
Presently he heard the sound of horses' feet in the forest behind him,and he made his way back to a road which ran along a hundred yards fromthe edge of the wood. He reached it before the horseman came up, and laydown in the underwood a few yards back. In a short time two horsemencame along at a walking pace.
"I call this a fool's errand altogether," one of them said in agrumbling tone. "We don't know that they have headed this way; and ifthey have, we might search these woods for a month without findingthem."
"That's so," the other said; "but Mullens has set his heart on it, andwe must try for another day or two. My idea is that when the fellowheard what sort of a chap Mullens was, he took the train back that nightand went up North again."
Vincent heard no more, but it was enough to show him that a sharp huntwas being kept up for him; and although he had no fear of being caughtin the woods, he was well pleased at the thought that he would soon beacross the water and beyond the reach of his enemy. He went back againto the edge of the clearing and resumed his watch. It was just gettingdusk, and he was about to join Dan when he saw a party of twelve menride out from the other side of the wood and make toward the house.Filled with a vague alarm that possibly someone might have caught sightof him and his follower on the previous day, and might, on beingquestioned by the searchers, have given them a clew as to the directionin which they were going, Vincent hurried to the spot where he left Dan.The negro jumped up as he approached.
"Me awake long time, sah. Began to wonder where you had got to."
"Take your stick and come along, Dan, as fast as you can."
Without another word Vincent led the way along the edge of the wood tothe point where the clump of trees at the back of the house hid it fromhis view.
"Now, Dan, stoop low and get across to those trees."
Greatly astonished at what was happening, but having implicit faith inhis master, Dan followed without a question.
It was but ten minutes since Vincent had seen the horsemen, but thedarkness had closed in rapidly, and he had little fear of his approachbeing seen. He made his way through the trees, and crept up to thehouse, and then kept close along it until he reached the front. Therestood the horses with the bridles thrown over their necks. The riderswere all inside the house.
"Look here, Dan," he whispered, "you keep here perfectly quiet until Ijoin you again or you hear a pistol shot. If you do hear a shot, rush atthe horses with your stick and drive them off at full gallop. Drive themright into the woods if you can, and then lie quiet till you hear mewhistle for you. If you don't hear my whistle you will know somethinghas happened to me, and then you must make your way home as well ascan."
"Oh, Master Vincent!" Dan began; but Vincent stopped him.
"It's no use talking, Dan; you must do as I order you. I hope all willbe well; but it must be done, anyhow."
"Let me come and load your pistol and fight with you, sah."
"You can do more good stampeding the horses, Dan. Perhaps, after all,there will be no trouble."
So saying, leaving Dan with the tears running down his cheeks, Vincentwent to the back of the house and tried the door there. It was fastened.Then he went to the other side; and here the light streaming through thewindow, which was open, and the sound of loud voices, showed him theroom where the party were. He crept cautiously up and looked in. Mullenswas standing facing Lucy Kingston; the rest of the men were standingbehind him. The girl was as pale as death, but was quiet and composed.
"Now," Mullens said, "I ask you for the last time. You have admittedthat a man has been here to-day and that you gave him food. You say heis not in the house; and as we have searched it pretty thoroughly, weknow that's right enough. You say you don't know where he is, and thatmay be true enough in a sense; but I have asked you whether he is comingback again, and you won't answer me. I just give you t
hree seconds;" andhe held out his arm with a pistol in it. "One!" As the word "Two" lefthis lips, a pistol cracked and Mullens fell back with a bullet in hisforehead.
At the same time Vincent shouted at the top of his voice, "Come on,boys; wipe 'em out altogether! Don't let one of them escape!" As hespoke he discharged his pistol rapidly into the midst of the men, whowere for the moment too taken by surprise to move, and every shot tookeffect upon them. At the same moment there was a great shouting outside,and the trampling of horses' feet. One or two of the men hastilyreturned Vincent's fire, but the rest made a violent rush to the door.Several fell over the bodies of their comrades, and Vincent had emptiedone of his revolvers and fired three shots with the second before thelast of those able to escape did so. Five bodies remained on the floor.As they were still seven to one against him, Vincent ran to the cornerof the house, prepared to shoot them as they came round; but theruffians were too scared to think of anything but escape, and they couldbe heard running and shouting across the fields.
Vincent ran into the house. He had seen Lucy Kingston fall prostrate atthe same instant as the ruffian facing her. Strung up to the highesttension, and expecting in another second to be shot, the crack ofVincent's pistol had brought her down as surely as the bullet of Mullenswould have done. Even in the excitement of firing, Vincent felt thankfulwhen he saw her fall, and knew that she was safe from the bulletsflying about. When he entered the room he found the old negress lyingbeside her, and thought at first that she had fallen in the fray. Hefound that she was not only alive, but unhurt, having, the instant shesaw her young mistress fall, thrown herself upon her to protect her fromharm.
"Am dey all gone, sah?" she asked, as Vincent somewhat roughly pulledher off the girl's body.
"They have all gone, Chloe; but I do not know how soon they may be backagain. Get your mistress round as soon as you can. I am sure that shehas only fainted, for she fell the instant I fired, before anotherpistol had gone off."
Leaving the old woman to bring Miss Kingston round, he reloaded hispistols and went to the door. In a few minutes the sound of horsesgalloping was heard.
"Halt, or I fire!" he shouted.
"Don't shoot, sah! don't shoot! it am me!" and Dan rode up, holding asecond horse by the bridle. "I thought I might as well get two ob dem,so I jump on de back ob one and get hold ob anoder bridle while I waswaiting to hear your pistol fire. Den de moment I heard dat, I set deoders off, and chased dem to de corner where de gate was where dey camein at, and along de road for half a mile; dey so frightened dey not stopfor a long time to come. Den I turn into de wood and went through detrees, so as not to meet dem fellows, and lifted two of de bars of thefence, and here am I. You are not hurt, massa?"
"My left arm is broken, I think, Dan; but that is of no consequence. Ihave shot five of these fellows--their leader among them--and I expectthree of the others have got a bullet somewhere or other in them. Therewas such a crowd round the door that I don't think one shot missed. Itwas well I thought of stampeding the horses; that gave them a greaterfright than my pistols. No doubt they thought that there was a party ofour bushwhackers upon them. Now, Dan, you keep watch, and let me knowif you see any signs of their returning. I think they are too shaken upto want any more fighting; but as there are seven of them, and they mayguess there are only two or three of us, it is possible they may tryagain."
"Me don't tink dey try any more, sah. Anyhow, I look out sharp." Sosaying, Dan, fastening up one of the horses, rode the other in a circleround and round the house and little plantation, so that it would not bepossible for anyone to cross the clearing without being seen. Vincentreturned to the house, and found Miss Kingston just recoveringconsciousness. She sat upon the ground in a confused way.
"What has happened, nurse?"
"Never mind at present, deary. Juss you keep yourself quiet, and drink alittle water."
The girl mechanically obeyed. The minute she put down the glass her eyefell upon Vincent, who was standing near the door.
"Oh, I remember now!" she said, starting up. "Those men were here, andthey were going to shoot me. One--two--and then he fired, and it seemedthat I fell dead. Am I not wounded?"
"He never fired at all, Miss Kingston; he will never fire again. I shothim as he said 'two,' and no doubt the shock of the sudden shot causedyou to faint dead away. You fell the same instant that he did."
"But where are the others?" the girl said with a shudder. "How imprudentof you to come here! I hoped you had seen them coming toward the house."
"I did see them, Miss Kingston, and that was the reason I came. I wasafraid they might try rough measures to learn from you where I washidden. I arrived at the window just as the scoundrel was pointing hispistol toward you, and then there was no time to give myself up, and Ihad nothing to do for it but to put a bullet through his head in orderto save you. Then I opened fire upon the rest, and my boy drove offtheir horses. They were seized with a panic and bolted, thinking theywere surrounded. Of course I kept up my fire, and there are four of themin the next room besides their captain. And now, if you please, I willget you, in the first place, to bind my arm tightly across my chest, forone of their bullets hit me in the left shoulder, and has, I fancy,broken it."
The girl gave an exclamation of dismay.
"Do not be alarmed, Miss Kingston; a broken shoulder is not a seriousmatter, only I would rather it had not happened just at the presentmoment; there are more important affairs in hand. The question is, Whatis to become of you? It is quite impossible that you should stay hereafter what has happened. Those scoundrels are sure to come back again."
"What am I to do, Chloe?" the girl asked in perplexity. "I am sure wecannot stay here. We must find our way through the woods to Nashville,and I must try and get something to do there."
"There is another way, Miss Kingston, if you like to try it," Vincentsaid. "Of course it would be toilsome and unpleasant, but I do not thinkit would be dangerous, for even if we got caught there would be no fearof your receiving any injury from the Federal troops. My proposal isthat you and Chloe should go with us. If we get safely through theFederal lines I will escort you to Georgia and place you with yourfriends there."
The girl looked doubtful for a moment, and then she shook her head.
"I could not think of that, sir. It would be difficult enough for you toget through the enemy by yourselves. It would add terribly to yourdanger to have us with you."
"I do not think so," Vincent replied. "Two men would be sure to bequestioned and suspected, but a party like ours would be far less likelyto excite suspicion. Every foot we get south we shall find ourselvesmore and more among people who are friendly to us, and although theymight be afraid to give shelter to men, they would not refuse to takewomen in. I really think, Miss Kingston, that this plan is the best. Inthe first place, it would be a dangerous journey for you through thewoods to Nashville, and if you fall into the hands of any of thoseruffians who have been here you may expect no mercy. At Nashville youwill have great difficulty in obtaining employment of any kind, and evensuppose you went further north your position as a friendless girl wouldbe a most painful one. As to your staying here, that is plainly out ofthe question. I think that there is no time to lose in making adecision. Those fellows may go to the camp at the bridge, give theiraccount of the affair, declare that they have been attacked by a partyof Confederate sympathizers, and return here with a troop of horse."
"What do you say, Chloe?" Lucy asked.
"I'se ready to go wid you whereber you like, Miss Lucy; but I do tinkdat, in times like dis, dat a young gal is best wid her own folk. It maybe hard work getting across, but as to danger dar can't be much moredanger than dar has been in stopping along here, so it seems to me bestto do as dis young officer says."
"Very well, then, I will, sir. We will go under your protection, andwill give you as little trouble as we can. We will be ready in fiveminutes. Now, Chloe, let us put a few things together. The fewer thebetter. Just a small bundle which we can carr
y in our hands."
In a few minutes they returned to the room, Chloe carrying a largebasket, and looking somewhat ruffled.
"Chloe is a little upset," the girl said, smiling, "because I won't putmy best clothes on; and the leaving her Sunday gown behind is a soretrouble to her."
"No wonder, sah," Chloe said. "Why, dey say dat thar am no prettydresses in de 'Federacy, and dat blue gown wid red spots is just as goodas new, and it am downright awful to tink dat dose fellows will comeback and take it."
"Never mind, Chloe," Vincent said, smiling. "No doubt we are short ofpretty dresses in the South, but I dare say we shall be able to find yousomething that will be almost as good. But we must not stand talking.You are sure you have got everything of value, Miss Kingston?"
"I have got my purse," she said, "and Chloe has got some food. I don'tthink there is anything else worth taking in the house."
"Very well, we will be off," Vincent said, leading the way to the door.
A minute later Dan rode past, and Vincent called him and told him theywere going to start.
"Shall we take de horses, sah?"
"No, Dan. We are going to carry out our original plan of crossing theriver in a boat, and I think the horses would be rather in our way thannot. But you had better not leave them here. Take them to the fartherside of the clearing, and get them through the fence into the forest,then strike across as quickly as you can and join us where we werestopping to-day. Miss Kingston and her servant are going with us. Theycannot stay here after what has taken place."
Dan at once rode off with the two horses, and the others walked acrossto the edge of the clearing and waited until he rejoined them.
"Now, Miss Kingston, you must be our guide at present."
"We must cross the road, first," the girl said. "Nearly opposite towhere we are there is a little path through the wood, leading straightdown to the river. The boat lies only a short distance from it."
The path was a narrow one, and it was very dark under the trees.
"Mind how you go," Vincent said, as the girl stepped lightly on ahead."You might get a heavy fall if you caught your foot in a root."
She instantly moderated her pace. "I know the path well, but it wasthoughtless of me to walk so fast. I forgot you did not know it, and ifyou were to stumble you might hurt your arm terribly. How does it feelnow?"
"It certainly hurts a bit," Vincent replied in a cheerful tone; "but nowit is strapped tightly to me it cannot move much. Please do not worryabout me."
"Ah!" she said, "I cannot forget how you got it--how you attacked twelvemen to save me!"
"Still less can I forget, Miss Kingston, how you, a young girl,confronted death rather than say a word that would place me in theirpower."
"That was quite different, Mr. Wingfield. My own honor was pledged notto betray you, who had trusted me."
"Well, we will cry quits for the present, Miss Kingston; or, rather, wewill be content to remain for the present in each other's debt."
A quarter of an hour's walking brought them to the river.
"Now," Lucy said, "we must make our way about ten yards through thesebushes to the right."
With some difficulty they passed through the thick screen of bushes, thegirl still leading the way.
"Here it is," she said; "I have my hand upon it." Vincent was soonbeside her, and the negress quickly joined them.
"There are no oars in the boat," Vincent said, feeling along the seat.
"Oh, I forgot! They are stowed away behind the bushes on the right; theywere taken out, so that if the Yankees found the boat it would be of nouse to them."
Dan made his way through the bushes, and soon found the oars. Then,uniting their strength, they pushed the boat through the high rushesthat screened it from the river.
"It is afloat," Vincent said. "Now, Dan, take your place in the bow."
"I will row, Mr. Wingfield. I am a very good hand at it. So please takeyour seat with Chloe in the stern."
"Dan can take one oar, anyhow," Vincent replied; "but I will let you rowinstead of me. I am afraid I should make a poor hand of it with only onearm."
The boat pushed quietly out. The river was about a hundred yards wide atthis point. They had taken but a few strokes when Vincent said:
"You must row hard, Miss Kingston, or we shall have to swim for it. Thewater is coming through the seams fast."
The girl and Dan exerted themselves to the utmost; but, short as was thepassage, the boat was full almost to the gunwale before they reached theopposite bank, the heat of the sun having caused the planks to openduring the months it had been lying ashore.
"This is a wet beginning," Lucy Kingston said, laughing, as she tried towring the water out of the lower part of her dress. "Here, Chloe; youwring me and I will wring you."
"Now, Dan, get hold of that head-rope," Vincent said; "haul her uplittle by little as the water runs out over the stern."
"I should not trouble about the boat, Mr. Wingfield; it is not likely weshall ever want it again."
"I was not thinking of the boat; I was thinking of ourselves. If itshould happen to be noticed at the next bridge as it drifted down, itwould at once suggest to anyone on the lookout for us that we hadcrossed the river; whereas, if we get it among the bushes here, theywill believe that we are hidden in the woods or have headed back to theNorth; and we shall be a long way across the line, I hope, before theygive up searching for us in the woods on the other side."
"Yes; I didn't think of that. We will help you with the rope."
The boat was very heavy, now that it was full of water. Inch by inch itwas pulled up, until the water was all out except near the stern. Danand Vincent then turned it bottom upward, and it was soon hauled upamong the bushes.
"Now, Miss Kingston, which do you think is our best course? I knownothing whatever of the geography here."
"The next town is Mount Pleasant; that is where the Williamsport roadpasses the railway. If we keep south we shall strike the railway, andthat will take us to Mount Pleasant. After that the road goes on toFlorence on the Tennessee River. The only place that I know of on theroad is Lawrenceburg. That is about forty miles from here, and I haveheard that the Yankees are on the line from there right and left. Ibelieve our troops are at Florence; but I am not sure about that,because both parties are constantly shifting their position, and I hearvery little, as you may suppose, of what is being done. Anyhow, I thinkwe cannot do better than go on until we strike the railway, keep alongby that till we get within a short distance of Mount Pleasant, and thencross it. After that we can decide whether we will travel by the road orkeep on through the woods. But we cannot find our way through the woodsat night; we should lose ourselves before we had gone twenty yards."
"I am afraid we should, Miss Kingston."
"Please call me Lucy," the girl interrupted. "I am never called anythingelse, and I am sure this is not a time for ceremony."
"I think that it will be better; and will you please call me Vincent? Itis much shorter and pleasanter using our first names; and as we mustpass for brother and sister, if we get among the Yankees, it is betterto get accustomed to it. I quite agree with you that it will be too darkto find our way through the woods unless we can discover a path. Dan andI will see if we can find one. If we can, I think it will be better togo on a little way at any rate, so as to get our feet warm and let ourclothes dry a little."
"They will not dry to-night," Lucy said. "It is so damp in the woodsthat even if our clothes were dry now they would be wet before morning."
"I did not think of that. Yes, in that case I do not see that we shouldgain anything by going farther; we will push on for two or three hundredyards, if we can, and then we can light a fire without there being anychance of its being seen from the other side."
"That would be comfortable, Mr.--I mean Vincent," the girl agreed. "Thatis, if you are quite sure that it would be safe. I would rather be wetall night than that we should run any risks."
"I am sure if we
can get a couple of hundred yards into this thick woodthe fire would not be seen through it," Vincent said; "of course I donot mean to make a great bonfire which would light up the forest."
For half an hour they forced their way through the bushes, and thenVincent said he was sure that they had come far enough. Finding a smallopen space, Dan and Lucy, and the negress set to work collecting leavesand dry sticks. Vincent had still in his pocket the newspaper he hadbought in the streets of Nashville, and he always carried lights. Apiece of the paper was crumpled up and lighted, a few of the driestleaves that they could find dropped upon it, then a few twigs, until atlast a good fire was burning.
"I think that is enough for the present," Vincent said. "Now we willkeep on adding wood as fast as it burns down, so as to get a great pileof embers, and keep two or three good big logs burning all night."
He then gave directions to Dan, who cut a long stick and fastened it totwo saplings, one of which grew just in front of the fire. Then he setto work and cut off branches, and laid them sloping against it, and soonhad an arbor constructed of sufficient thickness to keep off the nightdews.
"I think you will be snug in there," Vincent said when he had finished,"The heat of the fire will keep you dry and warm, and if you lie withyour heads the other way I think your things will be dry by the morning.Dan and I will lie down by the other side of the fire. We are bothaccustomed to sleep in the open air and have done so for months."
"Thank you very much," she said. "Our things are drying already, and Iam as warm as toast; but, indeed you need not trouble about us. Webrought these warm shawls with us on purpose for night work in theforest. Now, I think we will try the contents of the basket Dan has beencarrying."
The basket, which was a good-sized one, was opened. Chloe had, beforestarting, put all the provisions in the house into it, and it containedthree loaves, five or six pounds of bacon, a canister of tea,loaf-sugar, a small kettle, and two pint mugs, besides a number of oddsand ends. The kettle Dan had, by Chloe's direction, filled with waterbefore leaving the river, and this was soon placed among the glowingembers.
"But you have brought no teapot, Chloe!"
"Dar was not no room for it, Miss Lucy. We can make tea bery well in dekettle."
"So we can. I forgot that. We shall do capitally."
The kettle was not long in boiling. Chloe produced some spoons andknives and forks from the basket.
"Spoons and forks are luxuries, Chloe," Vincent said, laughing. "Wecould have managed without them."
"Yes, sah; but me not going to leave massa's silver for dose villains tofind."
Lucy laughed. "At any rate, Chloe, we can turn the silver into money ifwe run short. Now the kettle is boiling."
It was taken off the fire, and Lucy poured some tea into it from thecanister, and then proceeded to cut up the bread. A number of slices ofbacon had already been cut-off, and a stick thrust through them, andDan, who was squatted at the other side of the fire holding it over theflames, now pronounced them to be ready. The bread served as plates, andthe party were soon engaged upon their meal, laughing and talking overit as if it had been an ordinary picnic in the woods, though at timesVincent's face contracted from the sharp twitching of pain in hisshoulder. Vincent and Lucy first drank their tea, and the mugs were thenhanded to Dan and Chloe.
"This is great fun," Lucy said, "If it goes on like it all through ourjourney, we shall have no need to grumble. Shall we, Chloe?"
"If you don't grumble, Miss Lucy, you may be quite sure dat Chloe willnot. But we hab not begun our journey at present; and I spec dat weshall find it pretty hard work before we get to de end. But neber minddat; anyting is better dan being all by ourselves in dat house. Terriblesponsibility dat!"
"It was lonely," the girl said, "and I am glad we are away from it,whatever happens. What a day this has been! Who could have dreamed, whenI got up in the morning, that all this would take place before night? Itseems almost like a dream, and I can hardly believe"--and here shestopped with a little shiver as she thought of the scene she had passedthrough with the band of bushwhackers.
"I would not think anything at all about it," Vincent said. "And now Ishould recommend your getting to sleep as soon as you can. We will beoff at daybreak and it is just twelve o'clock now."
Five minutes later Lucy and her old nurse were snugly ensconced in theirlittle bower, while Vincent and Dan stretched themselves at full lengthon the other side of the fire. In spite of the pain in his shoulderVincent dozed off occasionally, but he was heartily glad when he saw thefirst gleam of light in the sky. He woke Dan.
"Dan, take the kettle down to the river and fill it. We had better havesome breakfast before we make our start. If you can't find your wayback, whistle, and I will answer you."
Dan, however, had no occasion to give the signal. It took him littlemore than five minutes to traverse the distance that had occupied themhalf an hour in the thick darkness, and Vincent was surprised when heappeared again with the kettle. Not until it was boiling, and the baconwas ready, did Vincent raise his voice and call Lucy and the nurse.
"This is reversing the order of things altogether," the girl said asshe came out and saw breakfast already prepared. "I shall not allow itanother time, I can tell you."
"We are old campaigners, you see," Vincent said, "and accustomed toearly movements. Now please let us waste no time, as the sooner we areoff the better."
In a quarter of an hour breakfast was eaten and the basket packed, andthey were on their way. Now the bright, glowing light in the east wassufficient guide to them as to the direction they should take, andsetting their face to the south they started through the forest. Soonthey came upon a little stream running through the wood, and hereVincent suggested that Lucy might like to bathe her face, a suggestionwhich was gratefully accepted. He and Dan went a short distance down thestreamlet, and Vincent bathed his face and head.
"Dan, I will get you to undo this bandage and get off my coat; then Iwill make a pad of my handkerchief and dip it in the water and you canlay it on my shoulder, and then help me on again with my coat. My arm isgetting horribly painful."
Vincent's right arm was accordingly drawn through the sleeve and thecoat turned down so as to enable Dan to lay the wet pad on the shoulder.
"It has not bled much," Vincent said, looking down at it.
"No, sah; not much blood on de shirt."
"Pull the coat down as far as the elbow, Dan, and bathe it for a bit."
Using his cap as a baler, Dan bathed the arm for ten minutes, then thewet pad was placed in position, and with some difficulty the coat got onagain. The arm was then bandaged across the chest, and they returned tothe women, who were beginning to wonder at the delay.