Part 16 (1/2)
”I pelieve I shoots one of them dorgs, ain't it?” said the captain; and he thrust his rifle cautiously through the bushes.
”No, no,” commanded the major, ”save your ammunition. The men will be here in a minute. Here they come now.” And, as he spoke, there was a loud cras.h.i.+ng in the bushes, and four hors.e.m.e.n came in sight.
”Thunder!” exclaimed one of them, who wore the uniform of a colonel, ”I was in hopes we should catch the rascal before he reached this place. Here, Tige,” he continued, addressing a powerful white hound, ”hunt 'em up, hunt 'em up!”
The hound ran down to the edge of the stream, and barked and whined furiously, but still hesitated to enter; for hounds are always averse to going into water.
”Hunt 'em up, sir!” shouted the colonel, angrily.
The dog, evidently, feared his master more than the water, for he plunged in, and commenced swimming toward the place where Frank and his companions were concealed; and the others, after a little hesitation, followed him.
”Ready, now, boys,” whispered the major. ”Captain, you shoot that white hound. Frank, you take the colonel, and I'll attend to the man just behind him. Don't waste your lead now.”
The three rifles cracked in rapid succession, and the colonel and one of his men fell heavily from their saddles. The white hound gave one short howl of pain, and sank out of sight. Every shot had reached its mark.
The remaining rebels stood aghast at this sudden repulse; and the smoke of the rifles had scarcely cleared away, when they wheeled their horses, and disappeared in the woods.
The death of the white hound produced no less consternation among his canine a.s.sistants, for they each gave a short yelp, and turned and made for the sh.o.r.e.
CHAPTER XV.
The Rescue.
”Now's our time, boys,” exclaimed the major; ”come on, and load your guns as you run;” and he started rapidly down the path.
All sounds of the rebels were soon left behind; but our party kept on their way, until they emerged from the woods, and found themselves in full view of a plantation.
”I pelieve somebody lives in that house,” exclaimed the captain, drawing back in the bushes.
”No doubt of it,” answered the major.
”Let's move back into the woods a little further, and eat some dinner,” said Frank; and he turned to walk away, and felt for the haversack the negro woman had given him. But it seemed that he was destined to disappointment, for the haversack was gone.
During all the perils he had encountered that day, he had been buoyed up by the thought that he had food sufficient to last him for a day or two, and that he was in no danger of suffering the pangs of hunger. But now his spirits fell again to zero.
”How unfortunate!” he exclaimed. ”But it's just my luck.”
”Yes, it is too bad,” said the major; ”for now we shall be obliged to run the risk of being captured, in order to procure food. But let us move on, and get as far away from this place as possible.”
Frank silently shouldered his rifle, and followed the major, who threaded his way along in the edge of the woods, taking care to keep out of sight of any one who might be in the house. They kept on until dark, and then halted in the rear of another plantation, to hold a consultation relative to the manner in which they should obtain food.
”Well,” said the major, ”we must have something to eat, that's certain; and the only way I can think of, is to draw lots to see who shall go up to the house after it. It is a dangerous undertaking, but that is the fairest way to see who shall run the risk;” and the major selected three sticks of different lengths, and continued, as he held them out to Frank, in his closed hand, ”Now, the one that draws the shortest stick must go to the house and procure us some food.”
Frank drew first, then the captain, and the major took the one that was left. The lot fell upon Frank.
”Now,” said the major, as he shook Frank's hand, ”be careful of yourself, my friend. We will remain here until you return. When you get into the woods give two low whistles, that we may know that it is you. Good-by.”
Frank silently returned the pressure of the major's hand, and moved away. He climbed over the fence that ran between the woods and the plantation, and walked fearlessly toward the house. He was not at all pleased with the part he had to perform, for he remembered the danger he had run the night before; but his determination was to do his duty, and trust to his skill to carry him safely through.
He shaped his course toward the negro quarters, which were in the rear of the house; but he soon discovered that these were entirely deserted. He carefully examined all the cabins, in hopes of finding a hen-roost, but in vain. His only alternative was to try the house. There was a light s.h.i.+ning in the window, and Frank determined to reconnoiter the premises, and, if possible, learn who were in the house, before asking admittance. With this intention he shouldered his rifle, and was about to move forward, when he was startled by the sound of horses' hoofs behind him, and a voice exclaimed: