Part 23 (2/2)
”Captain Yeager? Of whose regiment?”
”n.o.body's,” replied the chief, boastfully. ”We go it alone.”
”Oh, I see,” said the other, a slight inflection of contempt in his voice. ”Er--ah--partisan rangers?”
”What?”
”Bushwhackers?--Guerillas?”
”That's what,” replied Yeager. ”I want to see General Price.”
”General Price is not here,” stated the Lieutenant. ”This is General Clark's brigade of Marmaduke's division. You can see General Clark if you wish.”
”All right,” said Yeager. ”Show us in.”
The officer of the guard instructed one of his men to conduct the guerilla band to the house occupied by General Clark as headquarters, near the centre of the town. The streets were swarming with Confederate soldiers, and long lines of cavalry horses were hitched along the sidewalks or tied to their picket lines in the middle of the streets.
Some of the soldiers were little better clothed than the guerillas, in civilian garments of various hues and cuts, while others wore threadbare suits of b.u.t.ternut jeans, and others still, many of them, were attired in new uniforms of Federal blue, doubtless recently captured.
As they approached General Clark's headquarters, Jim suddenly left his place and, spurring up beside Yeager, exclaimed, earnestly,
”Say, Cap, honest, I've got to be goin'. It's almighty important fer me to get to Lexington.”
”It's almighty important fer you to stay with me till you've saw General Clark,” replied Yeager, gruffly. ”Now, don't be foolish or you'll git hurt.”
Jim was pale to the lips but, looking around, he saw the short man following close after him and he continued riding beside Yeager. Arrived at headquarters, the column halted, and the Captain dismounted and entered. In a few moments a Confederate corporal with two men came out and, walking over to Al and Wallace, ordered them to dismount. Then the corporal noticed that their hands were tied behind them. He jerked out a jack knife and cut the cords on their wrists, which were swollen and bleeding.
”How long have you been tied that way?” he demanded.
”Since before noon, when we were captured,” replied Wallace.
The corporal glanced at the guerillas about him.
”That's a fine way to treat helpless prisoners,” he exclaimed, angrily.
”It 'ud take a gang like you-all, who da.s.sent fight in the open, to torture a kitten,--if yeh ever had nerve enough to catch one.”
Some of the guerillas looked ugly, but they dared do no more in the midst of a Confederate camp, and in great indignation the corporal marched his squad and prisoners through the doorway and into the presence of General Clark, who was seated at a table, with Yeager standing before him.
”These are the prisoners, General,” said Yeager, importantly.
”Yes, I see,” replied General Clark, dryly, as he measured the evident youth of the captives. Then he continued, addressing Wallace,
”Where have you boys come from?”
”From Dakota, where we have been fighting Indians,” returned Wallace.
The General looked disappointed.
”Oh, is that it?” he asked. ”You don't know much about matters around here, then?”
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