Part 5 (1/2)

She was silent a moment, and then went on: ”I thought that if the two would take the trouble to call on the wounded man it would do him good--though I am astonished that he should desire to see rebels and traitors. I hate them all without exception, and the more I see of them the more I hate them.”

The little lady had worked herself into a grand fury against the rebels, and I am sure she believed what she said for the moment. ”I shall take pleasure in informing Herndon that his friend is here,” said I. ”Shannon, as I have told you, I never met.”

”You are fortunate,” she replied. ”I met him once, and it needed only a glance to tell me what he was.”

”And what was he?” I inquired.

”The matter is not worth speaking of,” she said. ”I have just as much contempt for him as you have. Good-night!” and once more the little fluttering hand touched mine, and away she marched into the darkness.

At the steps she turned and listened, but, as neither Whistling Jim nor I had stirred out of our tracks, she could hear nothing. ”Why don't you go?” she called.

”I want to see you safe in the house,” I said.

”You are taking a deal of responsibility on yourself,” she responded.

”You must think me a child or a woman.” With that she slipped through the door, which yielded to her touch, and disappeared in the house.

VII

Now, when the foolish girl disappeared behind the door, I turned away from the gate full of anger at all mundane things. But the only human being near at hand was Whistling Jim, and him I seized by the collar.

”You scoundrel!” I exclaimed, shaking him vigorously; ”what do you mean by going off and leaving the stable-door unlocked?”

”Mar--Ma.r.s.e Cal--Cally--lem--lemme tell you 'bout it!” he cried, affrighted; and then, ashamed of my silly display of temper, I turned him loose. ”What make you so fractious ter-night, Ma.r.s.e Cally? A little mo' an' you'd 'a' shuck my head off. I declar' ter gracious, Ma.r.s.e Cally, I thought I locked dat stable-door. I know I turned de key--dey ain't no two ways 'bout dat. I tuck de key out'n de lock when I went in, an' put it back in de lock when I come out--I put it in de lock an'

turned it des like I allers do.”

”But what you didn't do,” said I, now angry with myself, ”was to make sure that the bolt of the lock had caught. It didn't catch, and when I went there to-night the door yielded to my hand. It was a piece of pure carelessness, and if you ever do the like again----”

”Don't talk dat way, Ma.r.s.e Cally; you sho is been mighty good ter me, an' I don't want ter make you mad. I never is ter do dat trick ag'in.”

Then I told him that there was a plot on foot to steal the horses, and advised him as to the ident.i.ty of the two men. He knew them both--especially did he know the prominent citizen, who, on various occasions, had invited him into the store and made him presents of pipe and tobacco, and had even hinted to him that he could find a good job for him when he grew tired of working for nothing. He had also given him whiskey, which was a contraband article in the recruiting camp.

We walked along very friendly, for I was ashamed of myself for giving way to my temper. When the negro thought I was in a sufficiently good humor, he endeavored to ease his own curiosity on a matter that had evidently been worrying him. ”Ma.r.s.e Cally,” he said, ”who wuz dat little chap we tuck home des now?”

”I don't know his name. Why do you ask?”

”Kaze he look so funny an' done so funny. He ain't look like no man ter me.”

”Why, of course not; he is little more than a boy; that's the reason I made him come out of that house.”

”He moughter been a boy,” remarked Whistling Jim, after taking some time to think the matter over. ”He wuz right knock-kneed, an' when he walked he walked des like de flo' wuz burnin' his foots.”

I could only pretend to laugh, but I wondered at the negro's keep observation. Seeing that I made no reply, he went on: ”You know what I think, Ma.r.s.e Cally? Dat uppity li'l chap is des ez much a man ez you is a 'oman.”

”Well, it may be so,” I replied. ”He is nothing to me.”

Whistling Jim laughed one of his irritating laughs. ”Dat's so, suh, but I tuck notice dat you helt han's wid 'im a mighty long time.”

This was intolerable, and I remarked with some severity that I proposed to make it my special business to inform Harry Herndon how his negro had neglected his duty. ”Now, don't do dat, Ma.r.s.e Cally, please, suh!