Part 31 (1/2)
It was ”after taps,” a sultry, Southern-summer night. On the extreme edge of the encampment, on the side nearest the enemy, a sentinel paused in his walk, and peered cautiously out into the darkness. ”Pshaw!” he said; ”it's nothing but a dog.” He was resuming his walk, when the supposed quadruped rose suddenly, and walked along on two feet in a manner so unmistakably human, that the sentinel lowered his musket once more, and shouted, ”Halt!
Advance, and give the counter-sign!” A faint, childish voice said, ”Ain't got none, ma.s.sa.”
”Well, there now!” said the sentinel, ”if it ain't just a little darkey, and I guess I've frightened him half to death. Come here, s...o...b..ll.”
The child crept up, and said, tremblingly: ”'Deed, ma.s.sa, I ain't got nuffin ter gib yer.”
”Well, who asked you to give me anything?”
”Yer don ax me fer gib yer suffin jes' now; and I ain't got nuffin 'cep' my close what I got on.”
”Well, you needn't fret; I don't want 'em. Corporal of the guard! Post two.”
The corporal hastened to ”post two,” and found the sentinel with his hand on the shoulder of a little black boy, who, between fear, fatigue, and hunger, was unable to give any account of himself. ”I'll take him to Captain Leigh,” the corporal said; ”he's officer of the day. Maybe he'll be able to get something out of him.”
The captain stood in front of his tent, looking out into the night, when the corporal and his charge approached.
”Captain,” said he, ”here's a boy just come into the lines.”
”Very well; you can leave him here.”
At the first sound of the captain's voice the boy drew nearer to him, as knowing instinctively that he had found a friend.
”You can go into that tent and sleep till morning,” said the captain.
”What is your name!” was Captain Leigh's first question the next morning.
”Name Tobe.”
”Is that all?”
”Dat's all, Ma.s.s Cap'n.”
”How old are you?”
”Dunno, Ma.s.sa Cap'n. n.o.body nebber done tole me dat ar.”
”Where have you come from?”
”Come fum de back o' Richmon', Ma.s.s Cap'n.”
”What did you come here for?”
”All de res' ob 'em runned away; an' ole ma.s.s he wor so mad, I wor jes'
feared o' my life. 'Sides, I t'ought I mought fin' my mammy ef I got 'mong der Unions.”
”Where is your mother?”
”Dunno, Ma.s.s Cap'n. Ole ma.s.s done sol' her down in Georgy las'
corn-shuckin', an' I ain't nebber heerd ob her sence. But I t'ought mebby she mought ha' runned 'way too, an' I'd fin' her wid der Unions.”