Part 14 (2/2)

”What proof have you that you are what you say.”

”That I saw you before you saw me and hailed you.”

”It's not enough.”

”Then here is the message that I was to have delivered to the commander of the fleet. It's pretty wet, but I think you can make it out.”

He drew the dispatch from the inside pocket of his waistcoat. It was soaked through, but when they turned the s.h.i.+p's lantern upon it the captain could make out its tenor and the names. Doubt could exist no longer and he clapped his hands heartily upon the lad's shoulder.

”Come into the cabin and have something to eat and dry clothes,” he said. ”This is the converted steamer Union, and I'm its commander, Captain William Hays. I judge that you've had an extraordinary time.”

”I have, captain, and the hardest of it all was when I saw our army repulsed to-day.”

”It was bad and the wounded are still lying on the field, but it doesn't mean that Vicksburg will have a single moment of rest. Listen to that, will you, lieutenant?”

The far boom of a cannon came, and d.i.c.k knew that its sh.e.l.l would break over the unhappy town. But he had grown so used to the cannonade that it made little impression upon him, and, shrugging his shoulders, he descended the gangway with the captain.

Clothing that would fit him well enough was found, and once more he was dry and warm. Hot coffee and good food were brought him, and while he ate and drank Captain Hays asked him many questions. What was the rebel strength in Vicksburg? Were they exultant over their victory of the day? Did they think they could hold out? What food supply did they have?

d.i.c.k answered all the questions openly and frankly as far as he could. He really knew little or nothing about those of importance, and, as for himself, he merely said that he had hid in a cave, many of which had been dug in Vicksburg. He did not mention Colonel Woodville or his daughter.

”Now,” said Captain Hays, when he finished his supper, ”you can have a bunk. Yes, lieutenant, you must take it. I could put you ash.o.r.e to-night, but it's not worth while. Get a good night's sleep, and we'll see to-morrow.”

d.i.c.k knew that he was right, and, quelling his impatience, he lay down in one of the bunks and slept until morning.

Then, after a solid breakfast, he went ash.o.r.e with the good wishes of Captain Hays, and, a few hours later, he was with the Union army and his own regiment. Again he was welcomed as one dead and his own heart was full of rejoicing because all of his friends were alive. Warner alone had been wounded, a bullet cutting into his shoulder, but not hurting him much. He wore a bandage, his face had a becoming pallor, and Pennington charged that he was making the most of it.

”But it was an awful day,” said Warner, ”and there's a lot of gloom in the camp. Still, we're not moving away and the reinforcements are coming.”

d.i.c.k explained to Colonel Winchester why he had failed in his mission, and the colonel promised to report in turn to the commander that the hand of G.o.d had intervened. d.i.c.k's conscience was now at rest, and he resumed at once his duties with the regiment.

Many days pa.s.sed. While Grant did not make any other attack upon Vicksburg his circle of steel grew tighter, and the rain of sh.e.l.ls and bombs upon the devoted town never ceased. Reinforcements poured forward. His army rose to nearly eighty thousand men, and Johnston, hovering near, gathering together what men he could, did not dare to strike. d.i.c.k was reminded more than once of Caesar's famous siege of Alesia, about which he had read not so long ago in Dr. Russell's academy at Pendleton.

There were long, long days of intrenching, skirmis.h.i.+ng and idleness. May turned into June, and still the steel coil enclosed Vicksburg. Here the Union men were hopeful, but the news from the East was bad. Not much filtered through, and none of it struck a happy note. Lee, with his invincible legions, was still sweeping northward. Doubtless the Confederate hosts now trod the soil of a free State, and d.i.c.k and his comrades feared in their very souls that Lee was marching to another great victory.

”I wish I could hear from Harry Kenton,” said d.i.c.k to Warner. ”I'd like to know whether he pa.s.sed through Chancellorsville safely.”

”Don't you worry about him,” said Warner. ”That rebel cousin of yours has luck. He also has skill. Let x equal luck and y skill. Now x plus y equals the combination of luck and skill, which is safety. That proves to me mathematically that he is unharmed and that he is riding northward-to defeat, I hope.”

”We've got to win here,” said d.i.c.k. ”If we don't, I'm thinking the cause of the Union will be more than doubtful. We don't seem to have the generals in the East that we have in the West. Our leaders hang on here and they don't overestimate the enemy.”

”That's so,” said Pennington. ”Now, I wonder what 'Pap' Thomas is doing.”

”He's somewhere in Tennessee, I suppose, watching Bragg,” said d.i.c.k. ”That's a man I like, and, I think, after this affair here is over, we may go back to his command. If we do succeed in taking Vicksburg, it seems likely to me that the heavy fighting will be up there in Tennessee, where Bragg's army is.”

”Do you know if your uncle, Colonel Kenton, is in Vicksburg?”

”I don't think so. In fact, I'm sure he isn't. His regiment is with Bragg. Well, George, what does your algebra tell us?”

Warner had taken out his little volume again and was studying it intently. But he raised his head long enough to reply.

”I have just achieved the solution of a very important mathematical problem,” he answered in precise tones. ”An army of about thirty-five thousand men occupies a town located on a river. It is besieged by another army of about seventy-five thousand men flushed with victory. The besiegers occupy the river with a strong fleet. They are also led by a general who has shown skill and extraordinary tenacity, while the commander of the besieged has not shown much of either quality and must feel great discouragement.”

”But you're only stating the side of the besieged.”

”Don't interrupt. It's impolite. I mean to be thoroughly fair. Now come the factors favoring the besieged. The a.s.sailing army, despite its superior numbers, is far in the enemy's country. It may be attacked at any time by another army outside, small, but led by a very able general. Now, you have both sides presented to you, but I have already arrived at the determining factor. What would you say it is, d.i.c.k?”

”I don't know.”

”You haven't used your reasoning powers. Remember that the man who not merely thinks, but who thinks hard and continuously always wins. It's very simple. The answer is in four letters, f-o-o-d, food. As we know positively, Pemberton was able to provision Vicksburg for five or six weeks. We can't break in and he can't break out. When his food is exhausted, as it soon will be, he'll have to give up. The siege of Vicksburg is over. I know everything, except the exact date.”

d.i.c.k was inclined to believe that Warner was right, but he forgot about his prediction, because a mail came down the river that afternoon, and he received a letter from his mother, his beautiful young mother, who often seemed just like an elder sister.

She was in Pendleton, she wrote, staying comfortably in their home. The town was occupied by three companies of veteran Union troops who behaved well. They were always glad to have a garrison of good soldiers whether Federal or Confederate-sometimes it was one and sometimes the other. But she thought the present Union force would remain quite a while, as she did not look for the reappearance of the Southern army in Kentucky. But if the town were left without troops she would go back to her relatives in the Bluegra.s.s, as Bill Skelly's band to the eastward in the mountains was raiding and plundering and had become a great menace. Guerillas were increasing in numbers in those doubtful regions.

”The regular troops will have to deal with those fellows later on,” said d.i.c.k.

”Dr. Russell has had a letter from Harry Kenton,” continued Mrs. Mason. ”It was written from some point near the Pennsylvania line, and, while Harry did not say so in his letter, I know that General Lee is expecting a great victory in the North. Harry was not hurt at Chancellorsville, but he says he does not see how he escaped, the fire of the cannon and rifles being more awful than any that he had ever seen before. He was present when General Jackson was mortally wounded, and he seems to have been deeply affected by it. He writes that the Confederacy could better have lost a hundred thousand men.”

There was more in the letter, but it was strictly personal to d.i.c.k, and it closed with her heartfelt prayer that G.o.d, who had led him safely so far, would lead him safely through all.

After reading it several times he put it in a hidden pocket. Soldiers did not receive many letters and they always treasured them. Ah, his dear, beautiful young mother! How could anyone ever harm her! Yet the thought of Skelly and his outlaws made him uneasy. He hoped that the Union garrison would remain in Pendleton permanently.

His mind was soon compelled to turn back to the siege. They were digging trenches and creeping closer and closer. Warner had made no mistake in his mathematics. The army and the people in Vicksburg had begun to suffer from a lack of food. They were down to half rations. They had neither tea nor coffee, and medicines were exhausted. Many and many a time they looked forth from their hills and prayed for Johnston, but he could not come. Always the Union flag floated before them, and the ring of steel so strong and broad was contracting inch by inch.

The Northern engineers ran mines under the Confederate works. They used every device of ingenious minds to push the siege. Spies brought word that all food would soon be gone in Vicksburg, and Grant, grim of purpose, took another hitch in the steel belt about the hopeless town. The hostile earthworks and trenches were now so near that the men could hear one another talking. Sometimes in a lull of the firing they would come out and exchange tobacco or news. It was impossible for the officers to prevent it, and they really did not seek to do so, as the men fought just as well when they returned to their works.

June now drew to a close and the great heats of July were at hand. d.i.c.k was convinced that the defense of Vicksburg was drawing to a like close. They had proof that some of the irregulars in Vicksburg had escaped through the lines and he was convinced that Slade would be among them. They were the rats and Vicksburg was the sinking s.h.i.+p.

They heard that Johnston had gathered together twenty-five thousand men and was at last marching to the relief of the town. d.i.c.k believed that Grant must have laughed one of his grimmest laughs. They knew that Johnston's men were worn and half-starved, and had been hara.s.sed by other Union troops. Johnston was skillful, but he would only be a lean and hungry wolf attacking a grizzly bear. He was sure that all danger from him had pa.s.sed.

Now, as they closed in the Northern guns increased their fire. It seemed to d.i.c.k that they could have blown away the whole plateau of Vicksburg by this time. The storm of sh.e.l.ls raked the town, and he was glad that the people had been able to dig caves for refuge. Colonel Woodville must be doing some of his greatest swearing now. d.i.c.k thought of him with sympathy and friendliness.

”I don't think it can last much longer, Mr. Mason,” said Sergeant Daniel Whitley on the morning of the second of July. ”Their guns don't answer ours often and it means that they're out of ammunition, or almost. Besides, you can stand sh.e.l.ls and bullets easier than lack of food. 'Pears to me I can nearly feel 'em crumpling up before us.”

Trumpets blew the next morning. All the firing ceased suddenly and the three lads saw a Southern general with several officers of lower rank, riding forward under a white flag. It was Bowen, who came out to meet Grant.

d.i.c.k drew a deep, long breath. He knew that this was the end. So did his comrades. A cheer started and swept part of the way along the lines, but the officers quickly stopped it.

”Vicksburg is ours,” said d.i.c.k.

”Looks like it,” said Warner.

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