christy passford had not gone out of his uncle's house for any particular purpose; though he saw percy, and joined him as he left the mansion. he had visited glenfield before, and he had some curiosity to see familiar objects again. it was nearly dark, and he wondered where the major's brother was going at that hour.
"where are you going now, mr. percy," he asked, as he approached the agent.
"i thought i would go up to the house and see my mother," replied percy. "won't you go over with me? it is only a short distance."
"no, i think not: i don't care to go a great way from the house."
"it isn't above half a mile, and i am coming directly back again."
180 "i will not go as far as you are going, but i will take a little stroll as far as the gate. where is your brother now?"
"i suppose he is at the fort. if i thought he were about here, i should not leave the steamer. he has got it into his head that i must join the army, and he will never be satisfied till i am there."
"he is certainly very much in earnest, judging by his conduct on board of the bellevite," added christy.
"he pretends to believe that my not joining the army will be a disgrace to the family; but, if my father don't think so, lindley need not worry his head about the matter."
"your brother seems to have a very strong will of his own," suggested christy.
"he will send me into the army in spite of my father and mother; and, for that reason, i don't mean to go where he can put his finger on me. of course, the bellevite is going into the confederate navy."
percy looked his companion in the face, as though he had been thinking of something which would benefit his own case.
181 "you will have to ask my uncle about that," replied christy, not willing to say any more than was necessary on this subject.
"there can be no doubt of it, and i would rather be in the navy than in the army. i hope your uncle will be able to do something for me."
"i don't know whether he can or not. for aught i know, the steamer may be sent to england, or to some other country," replied christy, as they approached the gate, which was to be the end in that direction of his walk.
"at any rate, i mean to stay on board of the bellevite; and i shall take my chances of getting a position of some kind on board of her."
"what kind of a position do you desire?"
"i am willing to be one of the lieutenants, or something of that kind," replied percy with becoming condescension.
"one of the lieutenants!" exclaimed christy. "of course you know all about handling a ship or a steamer."
"i can't say i do. in fact, i never went on the sea till i went to nassau with my father," replied percy candidly. "but i can soon learn all about it."
182 "a nice lieutenant you will make! why don't you apply for the position of commander of her?"
"i am willing to take a subordinate position till i learn something about the business."
"that's right! be humble at first, and you will be great afterwards."
"i should have been willing to go into the army as a captain, or even as a lieutenant; but i couldn't quite stand it to go in as a common soldier, while my brother made a beginning as a major."
"i think i will not go any farther, mr. percy," said christy, as he halted near the gate.
"oh, don't leave me now, mr. pierson! we are half way to my father's house," percy objected.
"i can't go any farther, for i may be wanted."
"you will be safe enough, mr. pierson, my mother is at home, and she will be glad to see you."
"i think i will not see your mother to-night," added christy, as he turned, and began to retrace his steps towards the mansion of his uncle.
illustration of quoted scene
four men sprang in front of him (page 183)
they had halted in the road near the gate, and on both sides of it was a thick undergrowth of 183 small trees and bushes; and in the shade of this foliage it had become quite dark. christy had not taken three steps before four men sprang out of the thicket in front of him, all of them armed with muskets, and wearing a uniform of gray. two placed themselves in front of christy; while the other two rushed after percy, who took to his heels as soon as he saw them.
the gate was an impediment to the latter; and before he could get over or through it, the two soldiers had laid violent hands on him. he could offer no effectual resistance, and it was evident that he was frightened out of his wits; for he looked and acted like the ghost of despair itself. the two men immediately tied his hands behind him; and, though they did not use any undue harshness, they did their work thoroughly.
christy was even more astonished than his companion at this sharp discipline. he did not regard himself as a fit subject for such treatment, and he could not understand why he had been subjected to it. he was not liable to do military duty, and major pierson could hardly think of pressing him into the service of the confederacy. his two captors were as prompt in their action 184 as the two who had taken percy, and his hands were also tied behind him.
"good-evening, gentlemen," said christy, as soon as the soldiers had bound him, and then stood in front to take a look at him. "don't it strike you that you are indulging in rather sharp practice?"
"we haven't any thing to do with the practice: all we have to do is to obey orders," replied one of the men.
"but i think you have mistaken your orders," suggested the prisoner.
"i think not: if we have, we will set things to rights at once," replied the man, who appeared to be the sergeant in command of the party. "but our business is not so much with you as with the other young fellow."
upon this, christy was conducted to the gate, where percy had not yet recovered any of his self-possession. for his own part, he felt that a mistake had been made, which must soon be corrected. he knew nothing of the wide difference of opinion which had suddenly become apparent between his father and his uncle, and he was sure that the latter could soon effect his release.
185 "this is an outrage!" exclaimed percy, who perhaps felt that it was necessary for him to say something, now that christy had come within hearing distance.
"perhaps it is, mr. pierson," replied the sergeant. "but that isn't any of my business."
"you will be held responsible for it, sir!" protested percy.
"perhaps i shall; but i shall obey my orders," replied the soldier doggedly.
"who gave you your orders?" demanded percy imperatively.
"well, i don't belong to the class in catechism, and i don't answer all the questions that are put to me."
"my father will have something to say about this business."
"he can say all he likes, but he need not say it to me; for i only obey my orders, and i have nothing to do with giving them."
"what are you going to do with me?" asked percy, when he found he could make nothing of the sergeant.
"i don't know what they will do with you; but i reckon they won't shoot you, as they might a 186 fellow whose father was not a man of some consequence," replied the sergeant, as he ordered one of his men to open the gate.
"shoot me!" exclaimed percy, evidently appalled at the bare possibility of such an event.
"i reckon they won't do that," added the soldier.
"this is my father's plantation, and my mother is in the house," continued percy.
"she can stay there: we shall not meddle with her."
"but you are going to take me away from her."
"you look like a stout young fellow, and you ought to be able to get along for a while without your mother," chuckled the sergeant. "you belong in the army; and i reckon you will have to go back to it, in spite of your mother."
"i don't belong to the army," protested percy.
"well, they call you a deserter, anyhow."
percy seemed to be overcome by this statement, and christy thought there was something more of his story than he had told on board of the bellevite. it was possible, after all, that major pierson was not as much of a brute as be had appeared to be. but, if his companion was a 187 deserter, he certainly did not come under that head himself, and he could not understand why he had been arrested.
"i suppose you don't claim me as a deserter, do you?" asked christy good-naturedly.
"i don't think they do," replied the sergeant, as pleasantly as he had spoken himself.
"then, why do you arrest me?"
"my orders were to arrest any person with mr. pierson; and that is all i know about your case, and i am very sorry to give you any annoyance. things are a little mixed, and i hope they will soon get them levelled down. if you don't object, we will march."
"i suppose you will march all the same, if i do object," added christy. "i was not aware that it was a crime here to be in the company of that young man."
"i reckon i was ordered to arrest you as a matter of precaution; and i dare say they will let you return as soon as we report to the major," said the sergeant, leading his prisoner through the gateway.
the other men took percy by the arm; and, after they had closed the gate, they followed the road for a considerable distance, and then struck 188 across the fields. not far ahead, christy saw many lights; and he concluded that this must be the location of the mansion of colonel pierson, the father of percy, and for some reason best known to himself, the sergeant desired to avoid going very near it.
a march of a short distance farther across the field brought them to a road, which they followed till they came to a wagon drawn by two horses. the animals were hitched at the side of the road, and no one seemed to be in charge of the team. but the sergeant halted his party at this point; and, leaving the prisoners in charge of his men, he went to the wagon.
"major pierson," said he; but no answer came to his question, and he repeated it with no better success.
then he mounted the seat in front of the wagon, and looked over into the body of it. then he reached over; and a moment later the form of a man was seen to rise from a quantity of hay which filled the body.
"is that you, spottswood?" demanded the rising form.
"yes, sir, i am here; and i have two prisoners. 189 one of them is your brother, and i don't know who the other is," replied the sergeant.
"are you sure that one of them is my brother?" asked the major.
"i am as sure as i can be, for i heard the other fellow call him percy two or three times before i stepped in front of them."
"don't you know who the other one is?"
"i haven't the least idea. i arrested him as you told me, but i did not question him."
the major ordered him to put his prisoners into the wagon.
