A Daughter of the Union by Lucy Foster Madison
CHAPTER XXII
DICK TO THE FORE
Jeanne uttered an exclamation of joy as she stumbled upon a musket thatfor some reason had been thrown aside.
"This is the very thing," she cried.
"What are you going to do?" asked Bob.
"I am going to make the guards think that we are attacked," answeredJeanne, swinging the gun to her shoulder as she had seen the men do.Before the other could stop her she had pulled the trigger. There wasa flash followed by a loud report, and with a groan Jeanne fell proneupon the earth.
"Jeanne," shrieked Bob, falling beside her. "Jeanne, are you hurt? Oh,she's shot! She's shot!"
"Miss Bob! Miss Bob, where are you?" shouted the voices of the soldiers,and a number of those who had been left to guard the camp ran hither andthither in confusion.
"To arms!" came the hoarse command of an officer. "We are attacked."
"Here! Oh, come here!" called Bob as Jeanne lay groaning upon the ground."Captain Dallas, come here!"
In a few moments the soldiers were about them. Captain Dallas raised thefallen girl carefully.
"Where are you hurt?" he asked gently. "Which way did the shot come?"
"It was the gun," moaned Jeanne, feebly finding herself able to talk. "Itwent off at the wrong end."
"Well, by George," cried the Captain bursting into a laugh, "we're nicelyfooled, boys. The girl isn't shot. She fired the gun herself. The musketkicked. That's all. Now you girls go to bed," he ordered sternly, "andlet's have no more nonsense."
"But Dick," said Jeanne, getting upon her feet. "You haven't caught Dick,have you?"
"If you mean the fellow that left with the Colonel's son, no," answeredthe Captain. "We can't spare the men to give chase, but there will bea reckoning for somebody when Colonel Peyton gets back. Now go to bed.You'll let us keep the rest of our prisoners, I reckon," he added withsarcasm.
"Oh, yes," said Bob, laughing a little hysterically. "It was just ourbrothers that we were after."
"Better go to the surgeon and get something for that shoulder," calledthe Captain as they started off. "It's liable to be pretty lame for a fewdays."
Bob profited by his advice and sought the surgeon who gave her someliniment to rub on it, but the morning found it still so lame that Jeanneretained her bed.
On the morning of the third day the Colonel and his men returned, wornand jaded looking. There were no prisoners, and from the spiritlesscondition of the soldiers it looked as though they had been on a fruitlessenterprise.
"And if that is the case," remarked Bob to Jeanne, "dad will be in anawful humor, and we'll catch it."
It was afternoon before Colonel Peyton sought their presence. Bob's faceblanched as her father entered the tent, but Jeanne, strong in the beliefthat Dick was safe, faced him boldly.
"I want to hear the whole of this affair," said Colonel Peyton quietlyignoring his daughter's greeting. "Barbara, tell me just what happened."
Briefly Bob related the facts of the night's occurrence. Her fatherlistened attentively.
"And you threw up to Johnson the benefits conferred upon him," he saidas Bob finished her narrative. "I would not have believed it of you,Barbara. Johnson has been court-martialed and sentenced to the guardhouse for one month. The officers were merciful because that unhappyboy was my son. But I cannot risk a second offense of this nature.Hereafter, you will occupy quarters next to my own. I did not dreamthat my daughter would so far forget what was due to herself as to aidin the escape of the enemies of her country. I cannot but think itowing to the companionship of the past few weeks. That you may not beinfluenced further I forbid you to have any further communication withthis girl. As for you," turning to Jeanne and speaking sternly, "as I havepassed my word to you that you shall be sent to the Federal lines itshall be done. We leave for Jackson to-morrow. At the first opportunityI will send you to your people. Meantime, may I ask that you refrainfrom any intercourse whatever with my daughter? It is the smallestreturn that you can make, in view of your conduct of the last few days."
"I have no desire to do other than you wish, Colonel Peyton," said Jeanneproudly. "I am not sorry for anything I have done. Were it to do over, Iwould not hesitate for a moment to do anything I could to restore eithermy brother or your son to liberty. I am very sorry if my conduct has notpleased you. I should think that you would be glad to be saved from beingthe slayer of your son."
"We will not discuss the matter," said the Colonel coldly. "Come,Barbara, I will take you to your quarters, and under pain of my severestdispleasure, I expect that you will have no more to say to this youngperson."
Bob gave Jeanne a long sad look, and then silently gathering up herbelongings, left the tent.
And now began a dreary time for Jeanne. Cold looks greeted her on everyside. The old, pleasant, cheery companionship with Bob was no more. Shemissed even the tiffs they had had, and longed with a passionate yearningfor home and friends. The march to Jackson would have been a pleasant oneas it led through the autumn woods which shone through a silvery mistamid spicy breezes which blew cool and keen from the heart of the pines,had it not been for the manner in which she was treated.
No one paid the least attention to her comings and goings. Indeed itseemed to her that Colonel Peyton would gladly welcome the fact of herdisappearance, and so she grew into the habit of riding a little apartfrom the others and sometimes of loitering considerably in the rear of thecavalcade. It had been the original intention that she go in the wagonwith Bob, but under the altered conditions a horse had been given herwhile Bob rode in front with her father.
The afternoon of the second day out Jeanne dropped behind the regiment,for she was very tired, intending to wait for the wagons and to ask thedrivers to let her rest for a while in one of them. A bend of the roadhid the regiment from view. The wagons were far in the rear and for thetime she was alone.
"Jeanne," came her name in low tones from the underbrush at the side ofthe road.
Jeanne drew rein quickly and looked wonderingly about her. She saw nothingand thinking that she had imagined the call, she started to go on, whenit came again.
"Jeanne! Jeanne! Wait a moment."
Pale and trembling the girl stopped, and then to her astonishment Dickcame breathlessly though the undergrowth.
"Dick!" she cried. "Oh, Dick!"
"I have waited and watched for this chance ever since I left the camp,"cried the lad. "Come with me, Jeanne. You have no business with theserebels."
"But Colonel Peyton----" began Jeanne.
"Come," cried Dick seizing the bridle of her horse. "I do not understandwhy you are here, but it is no place for you. I will take you home."
"Will you, Dick?" asked the girl joyfully, preparing to dismount.
"Don't get off the horse. We will need him. I don't know just where ourmen are, and we may have a long distance to go."
"But he is not ours," objected Jeanne, whose residence among soldiers hadnot been long enough to render her conscience elastic on this point.
"Yes, he is," answered Dick. "The Government confiscated all the propertybelonging to the Johnnies long ago, and I guess this horse comes underthat act. I am only doing my duty in taking the animal."
"Do you think so?" asked Jeanne, dubiously.
"Certainly, I do," and the lad led the horse away from the road into thethicket. "I thought I was going to have lots of trouble to get you awayfrom those people," he said, when they were a safe distance.
"They don't care anything about me," said the girl, sadly. "O Dick, I'vehad such a time!"
"There! There!" Dick drew her head against his shoulder caressingly."It's all over now. I'll take care of you. But tell me, Jeanne, how inthe world did you come down here in this benighted country? I left yousafe at home in New York and find you here. How did it happen?"
"I thought that perhaps father had written," and Jeanne looked up throughher tears.
"No; I have not heard from the folks for quite a while, but we have beenon the ma
"Then I will begin at the beginning," said Jeanne, stroking his hairtenderly. "Oh, Dick, it is so good to be with some one who belongs to me!"