Part 2 (1/2)

”No! Ask him now, before he decides on someone else!”

Tom clapped his cousin on the shoulder, hurried out of the tent and up the company street.

CHAPTER TWO

THE RAIDERS START

”Come with me,” said Captain Moffat, as he emerged from Bert Brewster's tent. Tom had been waiting outside, while Bert and the Captain were talking. He had recognized several men from Cleveland in the company and had tried to carry on a conversation with them. But conversation was impossible. His mind was too full of hopes and plans to recall the news from home. Now, as he walked up the company street, he wondered what the Captain was thinking. Would he be allowed to take Bert's place? He hazarded a glance at the Captain's face, but he could find no answering expression there-always the same stern mask, from which black eyes flashed. Tom could feel his heart pounding as they entered the Captain's tent.

”Sit down,” said Captain Moffet, pointing to a box. He called his messenger. ”I don't want to be disturbed for a few minutes.”

”Very good, sir,” answered the messenger. He stationed himself a few yards in front.

”It strikes me,” the Captain said, as he sat in a folding chair directly before Tom, ”that you are entirely too young to be sent out on such an expedition as this. But I like to know that you volunteer for it. It gives me a comfortable feeling to have men in my company who are always ready for anything that comes up, who are perpetual volunteers for the dangerous jobs.”

Tom felt his heart sink. Then he wasn't to be allowed to go! This was simply a nice way of telling him that he couldn't!

”But, Captain,” he said explosively, ”I'd rather do this than anything else on earth. I am young-I'll admit that-but that'll make me all the more valuable. If it comes to carrying messages, I can run for miles without stopping. Why, I can move faster and fight harder just because I am young! Please give me the chance!”

The Captain looked at him narrowly. ”You really want to go, don't you?”

”Yes!” Tom almost shouted.

”All right,” said the Captain, rising from his chair. ”You are going.” Tom wanted to thank him, but he was speechless. ”You will hold yourself in readiness for orders.” The Captain had become the quiet, stern military man again. ”You will let it be known that you are here to visit your cousin, and when you leave camp you will say that you are returning home.”

”Yes, sir.”

”In the meantime, provide yourself with some rough clothes at Shelbyville, and some heavy shoes. I will provide you with a revolver. That will be all now.”

”Yes, sir.”

Tom hurried back to his cousin's tent in a daze.

The next afternoon at the general store in Shelbyville he bought a rough suit, and a heavy pair of shoes. ”Just wrap the suit up,” he told the clerk, ”I'll be in for it tomorrow, or the next day. I'll wear the shoes.” He tramped back to Murfreesboro, displayed his pa.s.s to the Sentry, and went to Bert's tent.

”The doctor has been in again,” Bert told him. ”He says that my ankle will be well in a week or so.”

”Good!” exclaimed Tom. ”Look at my pretty little shoes.” He displayed the heavy, rough boots he had bought at Shelbyville.

”You ought not to start in those things,” advised Bert. ”New shoes will cripple you. Here, we'll trade.” He produced a pair which had been worn soft in miles of marching. ”And here's a waterproof cape for you.”

”No, I don't want to take your things.”

But Bert insisted. ”I know this sort of life. You take 'em and don't argue.”

Bert had told him all that he knew of the raid, but, as he remarked, ”that's little enough.” None of the men who had volunteered knew the details of the expedition: they knew only that they were to accept orders from an unknown man, follow him blindly and willingly into whatever he might lead them. It was to be a raid of great importance, a raid that might change the course of the war if it proved successful. So great was the secrecy that no man knew who his companions were to be. All of them, as Tom, were waiting for orders to be given without knowing when the orders would come, nor what they would be. Tom spent hours, when his cousin's tentmates were away, studying the map, memorizing minute details of it.

Orders came on his third day at camp. He was clearing away the tin plates and cups from which they had been eating dinner, when the Captain's orderly appeared at the door of the tent. ”Cap'n wants to see you immediately.”

Tom and Bert exchanged a glance; then Tom followed the messenger to the Captain's tent.