Part 2 (1/2)
I think the confident air of Harry saved us considerable trouble at the moment; but while he was putting on a bold front and trembling in his shoes--as he told me afterward--I had my eyes on the lady. She looked at me once, and turned her face away; twice, and frowned; thrice, and blushed. ”I was afraid at first that you were a prisoner,” I remarked in a tone that was intended to be apologetic, but the lady calmly turned her head away and ignored me.
”To what command are you attached?” inquired the Federal officer, very brusquely.
”We are serving under General Forrest,” replied Harry.
”Why are you so far away from your command?” the officer inquired with real curiosity. His tone was so puzzling that Harry hesitated an instant--but in that instant a detachment of Forrest's troopers came around the bend in the road.
”Are we indeed so very far from our command?” I inquired.
The troopers came rattling up, and the officer turned to the lady, somewhat ungraciously, I thought, with the remark that they had been led into an ambuscade.
This was so ridiculous that I laughed aloud, though I felt little like laughing. ”What amuses you?” the lady asked in some surprise. ”I am sure I can see nothing humorous in our situation.”
”Perhaps you have heard ladies placed under such accusations before?” I suggested.
”Miss Ryder knows I meant no such thing,” said the officer with some heat.
”Is this Miss Lucy Ryder?” I inquired.
”What do you know of Lucy Ryder?” the lady asked.
”I know she has a sister Jane,” I answered, whereupon the lady blushed again. ”And I have heard that Miss Jane doesn't like a friend of ours--a young fellow named Jack Bledsoe, who is greatly in need of sympathy at this time.”
”I like him well enough to go on a wild-goose chase in search of him,”
the lady replied. ”We had an idea that he had been left on the battle-field.”
Harry, who had been consulting with our comrades who had just arrived, returned in time to overhear a part of this conversation. He fumbled in his pocket and finally produced Jack Bledsoe's note. He lifted his hat as he handed it to the lady. She read it very calmly, and then pa.s.sed it to the Federal officer who had escorted her: ”You see, I am justified in coming.”
”We sat up with Jack last night, my friend and I,” Harry remarked.
”Well, you know the Bible tells us to love our enemies,” remarked the lady, dryly.
”It was an easy matter to carry out the commandment in this particular instance, for, with the exception of this gentleman here”--indicating me--”Jack Bledsoe is the dearest friend I ever had.”
”I know you well enough,” the lady remarked with a smile. ”You are Harry Herndon, and your friend there is Carroll Shannon, and the negro is Whistling Jim. Why, I know your grandmother, although I have never seen her.”
”That doesn't help us now. How are we to find Captain Bledsoe?” asked the officer. I could have slapped him for the tone he employed.
”It is all provided for,” replied Harry Herndon, curtly. ”All you have to do is to hold on to the pommel of your saddle. There is a non-combatant here who will guide you. Bill!”
”I'm a-lis'nin' at ye,” responded the guide from the bushes.
”This is one of the natives,” Harry explained. ”His wife is taking care of Jack Bledsoe and he will have no difficulty whatever in showing you the way.”
The officer thanked us ungraciously, though why he took that att.i.tude I was unable to discover, and we were on the point of joining our comrades when the lady remarked: ”You'll probably know me again when you see me, Mr. Carroll Shannon!” This was a rebuke, I knew, and it upset me not a little, but there was something in the tone of her voice that sounded like a challenge, and I remarked that I should be sure to know her. ”Then call my attention to the fact when you next see me,”
she cried as she touched up her horse.
”With great pleasure,” I answered, raising my hat, and with that we were off to join our waiting comrades. It seemed that General Forrest was somewhat concerned for our safety, knowing that the country was strange to us, and he had sent William Forrest's company of Independents to watch the road for us so that we might come to no harm.
While engaged in carrying out this order they saw the lady and her escort far ahead of them, and a detachment was sent to investigate, the rest of the company remaining to see whether other Federals would follow. Thus they came upon us in the very nick of time, for I judge that the Federal officer would have held us prisoners, in spite of the information we had for him, for he was very gruff and surly.