by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXXII
THE ARRIVAL OF THE RECRUITING OFFICER
Noah Lyon was not glad to see his brother; but this was a new experienceto him, for he had always had a fraternal feeling for him, and had doneeverything in his power for him when he needed assistance. He waswilling to believe that Titus was sincere in his political convictions,though it was impossible for him to understand how he could be a traitorto the Union.
At the North both of the great parties were united in support of thegovernment, and at his former home Titus would have been almost alone ifhe had clung to the opinions which now actuated him; for "copperheads"were rare serpents there. Noah's brother would hardly have been one amidthe surroundings of his former home. It was evident that Kentuckywhiskey and a feeling of revenge, born of his disappointment over theprovisions of Duncan's will, had done more to make him a Secessionistthan the workings of his own reason.
"I have come to see you once more, Noah," Titus began quite mildly forhim, though it was plain to his brother that he was primed with hisfavorite beverage as usual.
He was not intoxicated in any reasonable sense of the word; and he hadplainly resolved to make the interview a peaceable one. Doubtless he hada point to carry, but within a few days he had probably learned moreabout the character of his brother than he had ever known before. Noahcould not say that he was glad to see him, for even a "society lie" wasrepulsive to him.
"I hope we shall be peaceable and pleasant this time, even if we cannotagree in everything," he replied very gently and with a smile upon hishonest face.
"That's just what I want, Noah; and I have always tried to make thingspeaceable between us," added Titus.
Noah wondered if he believed what he uttered, after coming with a mob tohis plantation to burn and ravage his property; but whatever doubts hehad, he kept them to himself, for he knew that the thought which wasuppermost in his mind, if expressed, would only irritate his brother,and provoke him to wrath.
"I trust you will continue to do so," was his next remark, though hethought that even this was admitting too much.
"There is a question between us, Noah," continued Titus, struggling toretain his quiet demeanor as he approached the point of differencebetween them. "I won't say a word about the way I have been used up tothree days ago, for I want to be on kind of brotherly terms with you, ifwe don't agree on politics."
"I assuredly desire to be on brotherly terms with you, and it shall notbe any fault of mine that we are not brothers in spirit as well as infact," replied Noah, who became slightly hopeful of Titus, for he hadnot recently heard him speak so many friendly words.
"There is only one question between us now, and we might just as wellcome right down to business at once," said Titus, very nervous in hismanner, as though his hope of accomplishing anything with the sternpatriot his brother had proved to be was only slight. "Of course youknow that I mean about the arms."
"I understand you, Brother Titus," replied Noah, exceedingly unwillingto fan the fire that was smouldering in the breast of the leader of theruffians.
"It seems to me that there ought to be no trouble between two brotherslike you and me about settling a question of this kind," continuedTitus, still toying with the subject. "Of course you must admit that thearms did not belong to you."
"No more than Fort Sumter and a dozen other places built and maintainedby the Union belonged to the insurgents who have taken possession ofthem," answered Noah very quietly.
"That's another matter," returned the captain, evidently thrown off hisbase by this home argument.
"It is precisely the same thing to my mind."
"Do you call stealing my property the same thing as a nation takingpossession of forts and such things within its own territory, NoahLyon?"
"Precisely the same thing, though on a smaller scale."
"I used to think you had lots of logic in your head, Noah; but I believeyou hain't got none on't left," retorted Titus, relapsing into what hecalled his "week-day speech." "I was in hopes you had come to sunthin'like reason, and would be ready to give up the property you stole."
"I shall be quite ready to give it up when the insurrectionists give upthe property they stole."
"The two things ain't no more like than a nigger is like a white man,"protested Titus, the bad blood, mingled with whiskey, in his veinsbeginning to boil.
"I think we had better not discuss this question any more, BrotherTitus. It only stirs up bad blood, and does not accomplish anything,"suggested Noah.
"I s'pose I'm to understand from what you say that you don't mean togive up the arms you stole from me," said Titus, doubling his fist, andholding it near the face of his brother.
"I do not consider that I have any right to deliver the arms to you; forI understand that they were to be used to arm what you call the HomeGuards, or, in other words, the ruffians who came over here to burn myhouse and lay waste my property. I shall not give up the arms to you, orto any other person representing the enemies of the Union. Theinsurrectionists have set the example of stealing arms, as you call it,and forts, and public buildings by wholesale; and the Secessionists ofKentucky are robbing the Union men of their arms. I hold that theprecedent has been well established by those on your side of thequestion."
"I don't care for your precedents, and I wish my brother would deal withthe one question between us."
"I am entirely willing to do so, Brother Titus. You wish me to furnishthe brands with which you can burn my house and those of my neighbors."
"What sort of bosh is that?" demanded Titus, who did not see the point.
"If I should return to you the military supplies in my possession, theywould be used to arm the horde of ruffians you marched over here to burnmy property the other night."
"They would be used to arm my company of the Home Guards; and they areregular under the call of the Governor of Kentucky."
"The Legislature of the State repudiate him, and the people areenlisting the troops he refused to furnish."
"The Legislature is a fraud, and don't rightly represent the will of thepeople. I came over here with the Home Guard and other friends of thecause to get the arms. You turned our own weapons against us, andwithout arms we could do nothing against armed niggers."
"I have put my place in a condition to be defended, and I have calledupon the United States government to send a body of troops here toprotect the Union people from the outrages of your people."
"They will have a hot time of it when they get here," replied Titus witha sneer.
"In the meantime we shall defend ourselves. We have been attacked"--
"You have not been attacked!" protested the captain. "We came over hereto demand the arms. We put up a flag of truce, and wanted to talk withyou; but you drove us off, and fired upon us," answered Titus.
"Your people began the attack at the schoolhouse."
"'Tain't so! Some of our men went to the meeting, and you fell upon 'emthere."
"They had no business there, for the call was addressed to the Union menof the county. They disturbed the meeting, and we put them out. Thenyour company gathered in the woods, demanding 'Lyon and his cubs.' Myfriends stood by me, and the meeting shouldered all the responsibilityin regard to the arms. We agreed to get up a company of cavalry for theUnited States."
"And you mean to arm 'em with the things you stole from me!" almostgasped Captain Titus.
"When a proper officer comes here he will give you a receipt for theproperty."
"Which would not be worth the paper it is written on to me!"
"Not unless you could show that you were a Union man."
"My men are bent on gettin' them arms, and they will have them!"
"They will have to fight for them," added Noah quietly.
Perhaps the interview would have become still more stormy if LeviBedford had not approached with a gentleman wearing the uniform of acavalry officer. Captain Titus did not like the looks of him, and,judging that Noah had proceeded farther than he had susp
ected inproviding for the protection of the loyal people of the county, he beata hasty retreat; and he drove across the bridge at a rate so furious asto indicate his state of mind.
"Major Lyon, this is Lieutenant Gordon, of the United States VolunteerService," said Levi, as he approached with the visitor.
"I am very glad to see you, Lieutenant Gordon," added the planter,extending his hand to the officer.
"I am rejoiced to meet you, Major Lyon; and I am glad to find that youare a military man," replied Lieutenant Gordon.
"But I am not a military man, and was never even a private in a militarycompany," replied the major, laughing at the natural mistake of hisguest. "I protested against answering to my title till I found it wasuseless to do so."
"If you are not a major now, perhaps you will be one very soon. I amsent here by Major-General Buell, in reply to your letter to him," addedthe officer, producing a document which authorized him to enlist,enroll, and muster in a company of cavalry.
"You are the very man I wished most to see," said the planter, after hehad glanced at the paper. "Come to the house, if you please, and we willconsider the object of your visit."
"I had some trouble in getting here; for our information is that GeneralBuckner, with a considerable force of the enemy, is moving towardsBowling Green, probably with the intention of occupying it, and I didnot deem it wise to go there, as I had been directed to do."
"What you say is news to us," replied the major, as he conducted theofficer into the house. "Have you been to breakfast, Lieutenant?"
"I have not, sir. I left the train last night at Dripping Spring, whichthey told me was the last station before coming to Bowling Green. Ifound a place to sleep, and a stable for my horse, which I brought downin a baggage car, I started out early this morning to find Riverlawn,and here I am."
The lieutenant was shown to one of the guest chambers of the mansion,and the planter ordered breakfast for him, instructing Aunty Diana toprovide the best the house afforded. The officer wanted his saddle-bags,which had gone to the stable with his horse, and they were carried upfor him. Before the morning meal was ready he came down, and waspresented to Mrs. Lyon and her daughters.
After he had washed and dressed himself, he proved to be what the girlsdeclared was a handsome man. He was not more than twenty-five years old,and had a decidedly military air and manner. He made himself veryagreeable to the ladies; and Dorcas, who was a full-grown woman instature, wondered if he was to remain long at Riverlawn.
"You are on the very ragged edge of the Rebellion, Major Lyon," said thevisitor, as he seated himself at the table. "I should say you were notmore than fifteen miles from Bowling Green."
"I suppose you are acquainted with the country about here, Lieutenant?"added the planter.
"Not at all, Major; I was born and always lived in the State of Ohio;and I have never been in this direction farther than Lexington. But Iknow that Bowling Green is near the junction of two railroads intoTennessee and the South; and the Confederates can't help seeing that itis an important point for them to possess and hold. There will be somefighting in this quarter before long."
"There has been a skirmish or two. The Home Guards are making sometrouble in this vicinity, and I have put my place in a condition to bedefended from their assaults," added Major Lyon.
He proceeded to describe the affair at the bridge and on the two roads,in which the officer was much interested. He was particularly delightedwith the capture of the arms and ammunition. The planter then conductedhim to Fort Bedford.