Part 22 (1/2)
Tom nodded. ”What do you think we'd better do? I'm for staying to the road.”
”If it wasn't so blamed muddy we could go across the fields,” said Shadrack, ”but we'd get bogged again.”
”The road's our one chance,” added Wilson. ”Let's get to work.”
During the remainder of the afternoon they worked their way up along the edge of the road, hiding in the bushes time after time. Several small bodies of armed men pa.s.sed them, and once they caught a sc.r.a.p of conversation about ”Yank bridge burners.” The hunt was on.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CAPTURED
”Halt there!”
The command came from behind. They whipped about and found themselves facing a raised rifle. The man was a civilian, tall and lanky. He waved the rifle from one to the other.
”Where're you going?” he demanded.
”Chattanooga,” answered Tom. He said it coolly but it required an effort.
”And yer going with me,” replied the man.
”That so?” asked Wilson. ”I can think of better company if you're going to keep that rifle waving around in the air. What's the matter with you?”
”Put your hands up, an' keep 'em up,” ordered the man.
”Well, this way we won't take the wrong road again,” said Tom. ”I'd rather walk at the end of a rifle than drown in this mud. The folks at home'll laugh when they hear that we were held up just as soon as we got in the South.”
”Hey? What's that?” demanded the man.
”If you're after our money you won't get much,” Tom replied.
”I ain't after yer money,” said the man. ”I'm after you.”
”What sort of a Yank trick is this!” demanded Wilson.
”Huh?”
”I'm asking what sort of a Yank trick this is? Are you a Southerner or are you a Yank?”
”I'll unload this gun into your head if you call me a Yank,” answered the man.
”Then what do you want?”
”I'm arresting you in the name of the law for burning bridges. That's what I want.”
”Burning what?”
”Burning bridges!” shouted the man. ”An' don't stand there the rest of the day talking, either.”
”You seem to be running the talking match,” said Tom. ”What do you want us to do? Want us to run so's you can have a good excuse for taking a shot at us with that gun?”
”And you might have the decency,” answered Wilson, ”to ask us who we are before you go any further.”