by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXXIII
ONE AGAINST THREE ON THE ROAD
Lieutenant Gordon looked about him with something like amazement as heentered the fort. Levi Bedford and the boys had arranged the arms inracks made by the carpenters. The two Napoleons, as the twelve-poundersare sometimes called, were pointed out at the embrasures, and the aspectof the place was decidedly warlike. Buck Lagger had been removed to thehospital, where he found three of his comrades of the Home Guards, twoothers having been sent to their homes.
"These are my sons, Lieutenant," said Major Lyon, introducing each ofthem by name. "They are stout boys, very nearly eighteen years old, andare good riders. They will be the first recruits to put their names onyour paper after mine when you enter upon the work of your mission."
"They are the kind of recruits I like to add to our forces, for they arenot only stout, but intelligent," replied the officer, as he took fromhis breast pocket the printed form of document for the enlistment ofsoldiers. "Where did you get the name of this fort, Major Lyon?"
"From my overseer, the first man you met on my premises. He was formerlyconnected with an artillery company in Tennessee; but he is a Union manto the core," replied the planter, who proceeded to give Levi theexcellent character he deserved.
"Then he will be our fourth recruit?" suggested the lieutenant.
"No, sir; he is about fifty years old, and he is to take charge of myplantation in my absence. But I think there are over a hundred men inthis vicinity who are ready to put their names down on your paper. Thehorses are all ready for them, for they were pledged in the Unionmeeting of which I told you."
"We shall not need the horses at first," added the lieutenant.
"Not need the horses, sir!" exclaimed Deck, who was listening with allhis ears to the conversation. "How are we going to get up a company ofcavalry without horses?"
"The company will be first drilled like infantry, and the exercises withhorses come in later," replied the officer with a smile at the eagernessof the boy; and Artie was just as enthusiastic, though he said verylittle.
"Both of them will make good soldiers, sir, for they have been underfire in a small way," added the father.
"I should say that you have little need of soldiers for the protectionof your place, Major Lyon," added the officer, as he looked at thecannon and the breech-loaders arranged around the interior of the fort."Are these the arms you captured in the cavern?"
"The same, sir; and they have already enabled us to defend ourselvesfrom the mob that came over here to burn my house."
"These muskets must have cost a round sum of money, for they are of thebest quality, and have the latest improvements. Unfortunately they arenot adapted to the use of cavalry, and we shall need carbines."
"Well, it is something to keep them out of the hands of the enemy,"replied Major Lyon. "I suppose we are ready to make a beginning in thebusiness before us, Lieutenant Gordon. What is the first thing to bedone?"
"The first thing is to enlist the men," replied the officer, as he tookfrom his pocket a handbill, printed for use in some other locality. "Wemust post bills like this one all about this vicinity."
"We can't get them printed short of Bowling Green," said Major Lyon,after he had read the placard. "And the Home Guards will pull them downas fast as we can put them up."
"But some of them will be seen, and the news that a recruiting officehas been established here will soon circulate. You are between two fireshere, and your foes will talk about it even more than your friends. Wemust have the handbills at any rate."
"Very well. Artie, this will be a mission for you."
"I am ready and willing to do anything I can," replied the quiet boy;and in half an hour he was mounted on a fleet horse on his way to aprinting-office.
"I suppose the village of which you speak would be the best place toestablish the recruiting office," suggested Lieutenant Gordon, as soonas Artie had gone to the stable for a horse.
"I am afraid not," replied the planter. "I fear the ruffians who aboundin that vicinity would mob you. Why not establish the office here, wherewe shall be able to protect you?"
"It seems to be too far from any centre of population," said theofficer.
"All the better for that; for in the village they would not only mobyou, but the ruffians would intimidate those who were willing to enlist.People in this vicinity don't mind going two or three miles whenbusiness calls them," continued the planter.
"I shall adopt your suggestion, Major Lyon," returned the recruitingofficer, as he proceeded to alter the handbill to suit the locality. "Isuppose everybody in this neighborhood will know where to findRiverlawn."
"Everybody in the county," replied the major, as Artie dashed up to thedoor of the fort, where the officer gave him his instructions, and theplanter supplied him with money to pay the bill.
"I think I had better take one of those revolvers in my pocket,"suggested Artie. "If I get into any trouble it may be of use to me."
"Do you expect to get into any trouble, my boy?" asked the major,anxiously gazing into the messenger's face.
"I don't expect any trouble, but something may happen."
"Perhaps I had better send half a dozen of the boys with you," suggestedhis father.
"The boys?" queried the lieutenant, wondering where they were to comefrom, as he had seen only two of them.
"I mean the negroes who defended the place the other night," added theplanter. "They have learned to handle the breech-loaders, and they wouldfight for my boys as long as there was anything left of them."
"I dare say they would," replied the officer with a significant smile."But if you send six negroes armed with breech-loaders to Bowling Green,you may be sure there will be a row."
"Just my sentiments," added Levi Bedford. "I don't think Artie will haveany trouble if he goes alone."
"Very well, let him go alone; but I am confident half a dozen of theboys would make it hot for any band that attempted to molest him," saidthe major; and the messenger departed on his mission.
"Have you an American flag, Major Lyon?" asked the lieutenant when hehad gone.
"Two of them, for my brother always celebrated the Fourth of July."
"We always hoist one on a recruiting office."
Under the direction of Levi a flagstaff was erected in front of thefort, and before dinner-time the Star Spangled Banner was spread to thebreeze. Major Lyon took off his hat and bowed to it as soon as it wasshaken out to the breeze; and cheers were heard from the negroes in thefield beyond the stables.
"If you had set that flag over your office in the village, it would havebeen hauled down and trampled under foot inside of an hour," said theplanter.
"Are the people of this vicinity so disloyal as that?" asked LieutenantGordon, astonished at the remark. "I supposed the Unionists were in themajority here."
"So they are; but they are not half so demonstrative as the other side."
The bell rang at the door of the mansion for dinner; and while thefamily were attending to this midday duty, Artie was entering the countytown. He had taken his dinner with him, and had eaten it as heapproached his destination. There were two printing-offices in theplace, and he called at the first one he saw.
"What's this? 'Union Cavalry!'" demanded the printer, as he read thehead-line in displayed type.
"What will you charge for printing two hundred copies of that bill, anddoing it while I wait?" asked Artie.
"'Riverlawn!'" added the man, as he continued to read the placard. "Whoare you, boy?"
"My name is Artemas Lyon, and my father lives at Riverlawn," repliedArtie.
"Well, Artemas Lyon, I would not print that bill if your father wouldgive me a hundred dollars a letter for doing it!" stormed the printer,as he tossed the copy back to the messenger with as much indignation inhis manner as in his speech.
"All right, sir; if you don't want to do the job you needn't!" repliedArtie, as he returned the bill to his pocket and moved to the door.
"
Stop a minute, boy! So you are recruiting at Riverlawn for theAbolition army?" called the printer, who was perhaps a member of theHome Guards. "I want to know something about that business."
"If you want to enlist in the Union army, you can do so at Riverlawn. Iam in a hurry, and I can't stop to answer any questions," replied Artie,as he bolted out at the door.
"What are you doing here, Artie Lyon?" called a voice from the otherside of the street as he was unhitching his horse.
It was Colonel Cosgrove, though his house was some distance farther upthe street. The lawyer came over to him, and he explained the object ofhis visit to the county town.
"You ought to have come to me at once, Artie," said the colonel, as themessenger showed him the handbill. "That printer runs a Secession paper,and he would lose all his subscribers if it was known that he printed aplacard like this. Come with me, and I will get the work done for you."
Artie followed him to the office of a Union paper, and it looked asthough it was in a more prosperous condition than the other. The printerreadily undertook the work, and promised to have it done by threeo'clock in the afternoon. The messenger was invited to the mansion ofColonel Cosgrove, where he dined with the family.
"I signed the letter to General Buell with your father, asking him tosend a recruiting officer to this locality," said the colonel, as heconducted his guest to the library. "I am very glad he has come. Ishould have been in favor of establishing his office in this place if itwere not a current report that the town is to be occupied by theConfederates within a short time."
"Father thought Riverlawn would be a better place than Barcreek villagefor it," added Artie.
"I think he is right."
The messenger was called upon to tell the news of his vicinity, and hementioned all that had occurred since the fight, including the attemptto murder Levi Bedford, and the capture of Buck Lagger. At three o'clockArtie went to the printing-office, and found the handbills all ready forhim. He paid the bill, and went back to the colonel's house for hishorse, which had been as well cared for as his rider. He was advised tohurry out of the town, and he galloped his horse for the first mile tillhe reached the open country. Half a mile ahead of him was a wood.
The young horseman had reduced his speed to a moderate gait before hereached this grove; but he had not gone far before three men stepped outof the bushes and stood in front of him in the road. They had flint-lockguns in their hands, and it looked as though they were there for apurpose.
"Stop, boy!" shouted the man who stood in the middle of the road, withone on each side of him.
"'STOP, BOY!' SHOUTED THE MAN."]
"What do you want of me?" demanded Artie, with his right hand on thehandle of his revolver.
"I want them handbills you just got printed," replied the spokesman. "Weain't go'n' to have no Abolition troops enlisted round here. And thatain't all nuther; we're gwine to clean out that Major Lyon that sent youover here."
"Hand over the papers and we won't hurt you," added another of the trio.
"I shall not give them up!" replied Artie as decidedly as though he hadthe new company of cavalry behind him. "Get out of the road, or I willride over you!"
"You won't give em' up, won't yer?" returned the man in the middle, ashe brought his old gun to his shoulder.
"No!" yelled the messenger, as he fired his revolver at the spokesman.
At the same moment he drove his heels into the flanks of his spiritedsteed, giving him the rein as he did so. The horse darted ahead like ashot from a gun, and choosing his way between the men, he knocked two ofthem over, and galloped on his way. The sudden movement of the animalhad prevented the men from bringing their guns to bear upon him. The manon his feet fired, and the rider heard a ball whistle near him. In aminute he was out of the range of such weapons, and reached Riverlawn inseason for supper.
He delivered the bills to the lieutenant, and told his story. The nextmorning the early risers saw these placards posted all over Barcreekvillage, and along the roads for five miles in all directions.