Books: My Lady of the North
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Randall Parrish >> My Lady of the North
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"Seven fit for duty."
"Will you ride forward, or go back with us?"
"We must send word,"--and the gallant fellow's voice shook,--"but God
knows, Wayne, I want to go back. If we both live I am to marry Celia
Minor."
"I understand," I said gravely. "Ebers, who is your best rider?"
"It vos dot funny leetle vellow Glen, Captain."
"Glen, come here."
The trooper, a mere boy, with freckled face and great honest gray eyes,
but wiry and tough as steel, pushed his way through the group and faced
me.
"Glen," I said, "your Sergeant tells me you are the best rider in the
troop. I am going to intrust you with the most important duty of all.
The lives of every one of us and of four helpless women depend entirely
upon your riding. You will take two horses, kill both if necessary, but
stop for nothing until your duty is done. You are to carry a note from
me, and another from this gentleman, who is an officer in the Federal
army, and deliver them both to the commandant of the first military
post you find. Insist upon reaching him in person. It makes no
difference which army the post belongs to, for this is a matter of
humanity. The Federal outpost at McMillan is the nearest to us; make
for there. You understand?"
The boy saluted gravely, all mischief gone from his face.
"I do, sir," he said. "But I'd a darn sight rather stay here and
fight."
"You will be back in plenty of time to take a hand, my lad. Now, men,"
--and I turned to the dark, expectant ring about me,--"this is no
ordinary duty of your enlistment, and I wish no one to accompany me to-
night who does not volunteer for the service. Seven Federal soldiers
and four women, three of them Virginians, are attacked at the house we
have just left by a large party of bushwhacking guerillas, the
offscourings of hell. Every one of you knows what that means. Will you
go with me to their rescue?"
No one seemed anxious to be first to speak. I could see them look aside
uneasily at one another.
"Bungay," I said, "I feel sure you will go, for your wife is there."
"Mariar?"
"Yes; Miss Minor told me this afternoon, but I had forgotten to mention
it."
The little man sprang into the air and came down with a whoop.
"The bloody devils!" he cried excitedly. "Ye bet I'll go."
"Come, Sergeant, speak up; what do you men say?"
"I like not to fight mit der Yankees," he admitted candidly, "but der
vomens, py Chiminy, dot vos anoder ting. I vill go, Captain; mein Gott,
yaw."
"We 're with you, sir," spoke voice after voice gravely around the dark
circle, and then Sands added: "We'll show them thar Yanks how the
Johnny Rebs kin fight, sir."
Ten minutes later Glen, bearing his two messages to the Blue and Gray,
was speeding recklessly through the black night northward, while my
little squad was moving cautiously back over the road we had so lately
traversed.
CHAPTER XXIX
A MISSION FOR BEELZEBUB
AS we picked our way slowly forward through the gloom I gleaned from
Caton all he knew regarding the situation before us. My own knowledge
of the environments of the Minor house helped me greatly to appreciate
the difficulties to be surmounted. He had succeeded in his escape by
dodging among the negro cabins where the attacking line appeared
weakest, but expressed the conviction that even this slight gap would
be securely closed long before we reached there.
"Have they sufficient men, then, to cover thoroughly all four sides?" I
asked.
"To the best of my judgment there must be fully two hundred and fifty
in the gang, and apparently they operate under strict military
discipline. It is a revelation to me, Wayne, of the growing power of
these desperate fellows. I knew they were becoming numerous and bold,
but this surpasses anything I could imagine. More, they are being
constantly recruited by new arrivals. A party of at least a dozen came
in while I was hiding behind the stables. I heard them asking for the
leader."
"What did they call him?"
"Lory, or Laurie, something like that. They claimed to be deserters
from Lee's army, but two or three of them wore our uniforms."
"It's Red Lowrie," I said gravely, more impressed than ever with the
seriousness of the situation. "I heard of him two years ago--he killed
a man in the Sixth North Carolina, and took to the hills. Since then he
has developed into quite a leader for such scum, and has proven himself
a merciless monster. You have no suggestion to offer as to how we had
better attempt to get in?"
He shook his head despondingly.
"What station does Brennan defend?" I asked.
"The front of the house; the main point of attack has been there."
We could distinguish the sound of firing by this time, and its
continuous volume convinced me that Caton's estimate of the number
engaged was not greatly overdrawn. As we topped the summit of the hill
a great burst of red fire leaped suddenly high into the sky.
"Great God, Wayne! we are too late!" he cried wildly. "Those devils
have fired the house."
With fiercely throbbing heart I gazed down at the flames far below in
the black valley.
"No," I said with eager relief. "It is the stable which is ablaze. See,
the light falls full upon the white sides of the house. Thank Heaven,
we are not too late."
As I sat my horse there, gazing down upon that scene of black rapine,
unwilling to venture into its midst until I could formulate some
definite plan of action, fully a dozen wild schemes thronged into my
brain, only to be cast aside, one after another, as thoroughly
impracticable.
"We shall have to make a dash for it, and trust in God," said Caton,
guessing at my dilemma.
"No," I answered firmly, "there would be no possibility of success in
such a course. Those fellows are old hands, and have pickets out. See,
Caton, that is certainly a picket-fire yonder where the road dips.
Every man of us would be shot down before we penetrated those guard
lines and attained the house. We have got to reach their inner line
someway through strategy, and even then must risk being fired upon by
our own people before we get within cover."
Even as I was speaking I evolved a plan of action--desperate it
certainly was, yet nothing better occurred to me, and time was golden.
"Ebers," I said, "didn't I see an extra jacket strapped back of your
saddle?"
"It is no good," he protested vehemently. "It vos for der rain come."
"All right; hand it over to the Lieutenant here. Caton, throw that
uniform coat of yours into the ditch, and don honest gray for once.
Sands, come here. Take your knife and cut away every symbol of rank on
my jacket; tear it off, any way you can."
In another moment these necessary changes had been accomplished.
"Now," I ordered, "pile your sabres there with mine beside the road;
then hobble your horses, all but the mule; I shall want him."
"Does we go der rest of der vay on foot?" questioned the Sergeant,
anxiously.
"Certainly; and I desire you to remember one important thing: let me do
the talking, but if any of you are asked questions, we are deserters
from Hills's corps, tired of the war."
"Mein Gott!" muttered the German, disconsolately. "I hope it vos not
long off, Captain; I am no good on foot in der dark, by Chiminy."
"You had better manage to keep up to-night, unless you are seeking to
commit suicide. Now, men, mark me carefully! Load your carbines. Are
you all ready? Sergeant, see that each man has his gun properly charged
and capped. You are to carry your arms as thoroughly concealed as
possible; keep close to me always; obey my orders instantly, and to the
letter. We are but twenty men pitted against over two hundred,
remember, and when we strike, it must be both quick and hard."
I mounted the mule, counted the dim figures in the darkness, and then
gave the order to march. As we moved slowly down the hill I was aware
that Caton walked upon one side of me, while Bungay plodded along upon
the other; but my mind was so filled with the excitement of our
adventure and all that depended upon its successful culmination, as
scarcely to realize anything other than the part I must personally
play. Good fortune and audacity alone could combine to win the game we
were now engaged upon.
A tall, heavily bearded mountaineer stood squarely in the middle of the
road to the north of the picket-fire. I could make but little of him as
the light shone, excepting that he wore a high coonskin cap and bore a
long rifle.
"Stop right thar!" he called out hoarsely, upon hearing us. "Who are
you uns?"
As he challenged, a dozen others sprang up from about the flame and,
guns in hand, came toward us on a run.
"We uns are doggoned tired o' soldierin', an' a gittin' nuthin' fer
it," I said in the slow Southern drawl, "an' wanter jine yer gang,
pervidin' thar's any show fer it."
"How many are ye?" asked one of the newcomers, striding forward between
us and the sentry.
"A right smart heap o' a bunch; bin a pickin' o' 'em up ever since we
left Charlotte," I returned evasively.
"They be dandies ter fight, an' I reckon as how ye kin use 'em, can't
ye?"
"Maybe; who did ye want ter see?"
"Wal, they sed as how a feller named Lowrie wus a runnin' this yere
gang, an' if thet 's ther way o' it, I reckon as how it's Lowrie we 're
after. Be you Lowrie?"
"Naw."
The answer was so gruff and short, and the fellow hesitated so long in
adding anything to it, I began to think it was all off.
"Wal," he consented to say at last, ungraciously, "thar 's a blame pile
o' ye kim in lately, an' I calcalate we got 'bout 'nough fer our
business, but I reckon as how Red will use ye somewhar. Anyhow you uns
kin come 'long with me an' find out, but ye'll diskiver him 'bout ther
ornerest man jist now ever ye run up agin. He 's plum mad, Red is, fer
sartain."
He turned and strode off, without so much as giving us a backward
glance, and, with a hearty congratulatory kick to the mule, I and my
company followed him. A hundred yards further in we passed through the
fringe of trees and emerged into an open space from whence we could see
plainly the great white house still illumined by the flames which
continued to consume the stables. Shots were flashing like fireflies
out of the darkness on every side of us, the smell of burning powder
scented the air, and I could distinguish the black forms of men lying
prone on the grass in something resembling a skirmish line.
"Makin' a fight o' it, ain't they?" I asked of our taciturn guide, as
we picked our way carefully among the recumbent forms.
"Damn 'em, yes; a hell o' a fight," he admitted bitterly. "Reckoned we
hed a soft job yere, an' lots o' ther stuff fer ther boys. They've got
some Yanks in thar with repeatin' rifles, but I reckon as whin Red once
gits hold on 'em, they'll dance ter another tune."
"Ye mean ter stick it out, then?"
"Stick it out? I reckon ye don't know Red, er ye wouldn't be askin'
sich a fule question. He'll hev them Yanks now, if it wur ter cost
every man he's got. He ain't no quitter, Red ain't."
Just beyond musket-shot from the house, and nearly opposite the front
entrance, quite a group of men were standing beneath the black shadows
of a grove of trees. In spite of the gleam from the fire I could make
little of them, but as we approached from the direction of the rear,
one of them exclaimed suddenly:
"Who comes thar? What body o' men is thet?"
"It's 'nother party o' deserters, as wants ter jine us," said the
guide, sourly. "They's Johnnies from Lee's army."
"Oh, they dew, dew they? Hain't got 'nough o' fightin' yit, I reckon,"
and the speaker strode forward, with a rough, mirthless laugh. "Wal,
damn 'em, they will yere 'fore I 'm done. We 're a goin' ter rush thet
thar house 'fore long, an' hang 'bout a dozen Yanks, an' these yere
lads will come in right handy ter go in first. If you uns like fightin'
so durn well we'll give ye your bellies full. Who's ther boss o' this
yere crowd?"
I swung down from my seat on the mule's back, and stood facing him.
"We uns hain't got no boss," I answered, "but they sorter fell in ahind
o' me 'cause I wus astraddle o' this muel. Be you named Lowrie?"
"I reckon; I'm Red Lowrie," proudly. "'Spect, maybe, ye've heerd tell
o' me, an' if ye hev, ye know ye 've got ter step damn lively whin I
howl. Whut wus ye in ther army?"
"Corporal."
The flames of the burning barn leaped suddenly upward, as if fed by
some fresh combustion, and flung a brighter glare over the rough faces
clustered about us. I saw Red Lowrie plainly enough now, as he peered
eagerly forward to scan my face, a heavy-set, coarse-featured man, with
prominent nose, and thick, matted red beard. He wore a wide-brimmed
soft army hat, under which his eyes shone maliciously, and he grasped a
long rifle in one big, hairy hand. As I gazed at him curiously, some
one hastily pushed a way through the group at his back, and the next
instant a tall figure stood at his side. I recognized the newcomer at a
single glance, and for the moment my heart fairly choked me--it was
Craig.
"Lowrie," he said, pointing straight at me, "thar's somethin' wrong
yere. That feller thar is Captain Wayne, o' my ol' reg'ment."
All that occurred next was but the impulse of a second. I stood with
hand resting lightly upon the mule's neck, his long head drooping
sleepily beside my shoulder. I saw Red Lowrie throw up his gun, all his
evil nature written in his face, his cruel eyes instantly aflame with
anger, and, inspired by the desperation of our case, I stooped
suddenly, and blew with all my force into that long, pendant ear.
Beelzebub gave vent to one snort of mingled rage and terror, and then
let drive, backing into that cluster of choice rascals like a very
thunderbolt of wrath, cleaving his way by every lightning blow of those
nimble legs, and tumbling men to right and left.
There was a yell of fright, a wild scramble for safety, a perfect
volley of cursing--I saw Red Lowrie go tumbling backward, a heel
planted fairly in the pit of his stomach, and the next instant Craig,
swearing like a pirate, was jammed down on top of him, a red gash
across his forehead. It was all accomplished so speedily, that it
seemed but a medley of heels, of wildly cavorting mule, of scrambling,
falling men.
"Fire!" I cried excitedly. "Sock it into them, lads, and follow me!"
There was a quick outburst of flame, a thunderous report, and, without
waiting to see or hear more, I sprang forward through the dense smoke,
and raced madly toward the front door. Caton panted at my side, and I
could hear the heavy feet of a score of men pounding the turf behind
us. The rush was so rapid, the noise so great and confusing, I could
not distinguish whether we were even fired upon from the rear, but I
marked a red flash at one of the windows in our front, and heard behind
me a sharp wail of agony.
"If any man drops, pick him up!" I called, and at that moment we sprang
up the steps, and began pounding loudly against the door.
"Open up!" shouted the Lieutenant, anxiously. "Brennan, open up, quick!
It's Caton with help."
I thought it never would open. A volley crashed into us, and Sands
pitched down upon his face, clutching at the man next him as he fell. I
glanced back anxiously--a dark, confused mass of men, without military
formation, were running across the open space toward us.
"'Bout face!" I shouted. "Load at will--fire!"
We poured one scattering volley into them. It halted their movement for
a moment, and then the door opened a scant crack.
"Is this you, Caton?"
"Yes; for God's sake, open up!"
The heavy door swung slowly inward, and with a wild rush to be first,
we surged headlong into the hall.
CHAPTER XXX
A UNION OF YANK AND REB
As the heavy door clanged behind us some one upon the outside began
pounding upon it, while with deadly chug a bullet crashed into the
oaken panel.
"Donnerwetter!" shouted a deep voice, wildly. "Captain, I am yet out
mit der bullets."
With a crash I flung aside the thick iron bar which answered as a lock,
and drew in the Sergeant, yet panting heavily from his hard run.
"By Chiminy, dot vas a narrow squeak," he exclaimed, as I released my
grasp upon him and hurled the door back into its place.
A dim light swinging suspended from the ceiling of the great wide hall
revealed clearly the scene within. As I turned I beheld Brennan for the
first time, and his face remains a memory. Standing with his back to
the stair-railing, a revolver grasped tightly in either hand, his eyes
burning, his countenance flushed with anger, and clouded by doubt, he
appeared almost like one distracted. At sight of me he gave up all
attempt to control his raging temper.
"What does all this mean?" he demanded hoarsely. "Who are these men?
Caton, if you have betrayed us, by God, I will shoot you dead."
"There is no betrayal," returned the Lieutenant, coolly. "These men are
friends."
"Friends?" he laughed cynically. "Friends? in that uniform, and you
attired in a Rebel cavalry jacket? Friends? that fellow over there?"
and he pointed derisively at me with his pistol barrel. "Damn you, but
I believe you are all a pack of lying thieves!"
Caton's face burned. He took one step toward him, his hands clinched,
and when he spoke his clear voice shook with intense indignation.
"Major Brennan," he said, coldly deliberate, "you are my superior
officer, but you go beyond all privilege of rank in those words. I say
these men are friends; they have sunk the issues of war in order that
they may answer the call of humanity. If you dare impeach my motives
any further, I shall hurl back the cowardly insult in your face. I will
take no such words, sir, from any living man."
Brennan looked at him, his lips struggling with the utterance that
would not come. Knowing well the danger of such delay, I hastily pushed
aside the ring of men, and fronted him, determined to end this
foolishness then and there.
"Major Brennan," I said firmly, ignoring his efforts to silence me,
"you must listen to reason whether you wish to do so or not. My
troopers are all around you; I have two men to your one in this house,
and can enforce my will if necessary. Now mark what I say--we are not
here in anger or in war, but to help you in the protection of
endangered women. We captured your courier, have despatched one of our
own number into the Federal camp for aid, and have fought our way in
here to stand beside you and your men in defence of this house against
those ruffians without. You can use us or not, just as you please; it
rests with you to say whether we shall be comrades in arms on this
occasion, or whether I shall assume command by the power of force which
I chance to control."
He seemed utterly unable to grasp my full meaning, to comprehend the
situation.
"You mean, you would fight with us? under my command?" he asked
incredulously.
"I offer my services under your orders," I replied clearly, "and these
men in gray will obey mine."
I actually thought he would extend his hand, but some remembrance
suddenly restrained him.
"I--of course, Captain Wayne," he stammered, at length, "I--I must
accept your offer. I--I am grateful for it, but I shall insist upon one
thing; there must be a final settlement of the personal matter existing
between us. I am not willing to waive my rights in this."
"There is no occasion for your doing so, sir," I answered coldly, for I
considered the reference at that moment in extremely ill taste. "When
our work here has been accomplished, you will find me very much at your
service."
He bowed gravely.
"I am exceedingly glad we understand each other," he said. "May I ask
the size of your command?"
"Sergeant," I questioned, "whom have we lost?"
"Nelson vos kilt, I dinks; der Kid is not here yet, und Sands vos
vounded bad."
"Very well; then, Major Brennan, I tender you sixteen men fit for duty,
besides myself. You are doubtless acquainted with the house, and can
assign us to positions where our services will prove of greatest
value."
He had completely recovered his self-control by this time, and spoke
now with the terse sentences of a tried soldier.
"I thank you, Captain Wayne, and will ask you to choose four men and
assume command of the east side of the house. Caton, you will take the
same number for defence of the rear. Captain, what is your sergeant's
name?"
"Ebers, an experienced German soldier."
"I should have suspected his nationality. Let him have command of four
more, and cover the west windows. I shall defend the front myself, as I
have been doing."
"Very well," I answered shortly, for his eyes had remained fixed upon
me all the time he was talking. "Take the positions assigned you, lads,
and do not permit a man from without to put foot on the veranda. If
they once succeed in getting under cover of the porch roof, they will
give us plenty of trouble."
"They have remained remarkably quiet since you came in," interposed the
Major. "Even my men seem to see nothing to shoot at."
"Probably they haven't recovered as yet from our little surprise
party," I said, with a smile of remembrance. "We left a mule out there
who will entertain them for some time, unless they adopt heroic
measures."
The position for defence assigned to my care took me into the dining-
room of the mansion,--a spacious, almost square apartment, containing
three large windows reaching nearly to the floor. The outside blinds
had been closed, but the glass in the panes was mostly broken, and
there were other evidences that the firing had been both heavy and
continuous. I found two soldiers of Brennan's party within, both lying
upon the floor, and peering cautiously through the apertures of the
blinds. They glanced up at us with undisguised amazement.
"It's all right, lads," I said heartily. "Never mind our colors to-
night; we are all fighting the same way."
I had taken with me Bungay, together with three of my troopers, and
after placing them as advantageously as possible, I stretched myself
out on the floor, and applying an eye to a convenient opening took
careful survey of the situation without. There was little to be
observed, for darkness securely hid the movements of the enemy.
Everything upon our side of the house, however, appeared comparatively
quiet, yet it was clearly evident that the besiegers had no present
intention of withdrawing from the attack; the flame of the stables had
already largely died away, but what little light remained enabled me to
perceive unmistakable signs of their presence. I could distinguish
frequent moving figures in the background, but was unable to determine
their distance from the house. Occasionally a flash out of the night
would evidence the discharge of a gun, and I heard a gruff voice
shouting forth an order. One shot struck the window just above me,
showering my shoulders with fragments of broken glass, and I noticed
one of the Federal soldiers in the room carried his arm in a rude
sling.
This present cessation of activity was, I felt convinced, only
temporary. I did not expect, from all I could now see, that the final
assault would take place upon my side of the building. The massing of
the main body of the besiegers before the front entrance, together with
the presence there of their leaders, was sufficient to convince me that
this was to prove the principal point of attack, and from my knowledge
of such affairs I decided that probably the first signs of returning
daylight would be the signal for a determined assault. The dark
interior of such a house as this offered too many defensive advantages
which the daylight would largely overcome.
"Have you had some hard fighting?" I asked of the man lying next me, a
manly-looking fellow, wearing the yellow chevrons of a corporal of
cavalry.
"They pitched in mighty strong at first, sir," he answered civilly.
"An' we had so few men they pretty nearly rushed us, fer sure. It was
our repeatin' rifles thet drove 'em back."
"You suffered to some extent?"
"Two killed, sir, and three or four wounded. It wus hot 'nough fer a
while, I tell you; as lively a little jig as I've ever bin in. McNeal,
there, got a lump of lead in his arm. Would you mind explainin' 'bout
you fellows comin' in here to help us, sir? It seems kinder odd to be
fightin' longside of gray-backs."
I told him briefly the circumstances, and his eyes danced merrily at
the recital.
"Be a rum story to tell if ever we get out of here, sir," he commented,
patting his gun. "I've mostly seen you fellows from the t'other side,
but, dern it all, this is more the way it ought to be."
I agreed with him thoroughly as to that, and we relapsed into silence,
each intent upon the uncertainty without.
As I lay there, gazing anxiously into the darkness, I could not forbear
wondering where Brennan had concealed the women to keep them from harm.
Would he inform them of our arrival? He could scarcely hope to keep the
fact long hidden, for they would certainly see some of my gray-jackets,
and ask questions. I doubted, however, if he would mention my name, yet
Caton surely would, and Caton could not be kept long away from Miss
Minor, unless serious attack was imminent. Unquestionably, I should be
compelled to meet them before this duty was concluded; how should I be
received, and how should I conduct myself? There was but one way--a
dignified courtesy, seemingly ignoring all that had previously
occurred. Any explanation at present was apparently out of the
question, and I certainly could not venture to intrude after the
coldness of my last reception. Besides, there was Brennan to be
considered. He would make use of my services in this emergency, but I
had been distinctly informed it could make no difference in the feud
existing between us. I had no wish that it should, and I could
consistently hope for very little consideration from the wife of a man
whom I was destined to meet upon the field of honor. No, the far better
way was to see as little of her as possible, to meet almost as
strangers, and then to part for ever. Difficult as this programme
assuredly was, it seemed the only honorable course left me. Even had
she loved me as truly as I did her, I could yet do no less.
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