Frank Before Vicksburg Part 12

Frank then related the particulars of what had transpired at the house, and the captain readily agreed with him. But the question was, how to proceed, in order to ascertain what was going on, and what kind of information was furnished the rebels. It was impossible to follow the men on their trips without being discovered; neither was it policy to seize the man, accuse him of treachery, and compel him to confess the truth, for the plot, whatever it was, might not be completed, and it might be necessary to keep the Frenchman in ignorance of the fact that his complicity with the rebels had become known, in order that, when the work was completed, it might be finished up entirely.

"Well, to tell the truth," said the captain, rising from his chair and pacing up and down the cabin, "I really don't know how to act. That something is wrong, I have long been satisfied; but I don't know how to go to work to find out what it is."

"I believe I can find it out, sir," said Frank, who, with his usual promptness, had determined upon a plan. "They will return this afternoon about three o'clock, and, with your permission, I'll see what I can do."

"Very well," replied the captain, in a tone which showed that he did not antic.i.p.ate his success. "Go ahead; but be careful not to excite their suspicions."

Such a commission as this--something requiring skill and judgment--was just what suited Frank, and, having laid his plans, he felt confident of success. At half-past two a boat was called away, and he, in company with the mate--both armed with revolvers--went on sh.o.r.e. Frank walked up to the house and seated himself on the portico, while the mate, previously instructed, strolled off toward the barn.

There were two officers in the house belonging to the vessel, and Frank had spent but a few moments in conversation with them, when the Frenchman and the negro rode up. The former dismounted and greeted the officers with apparent cordiality, but Frank scarcely noticed him, for his eyes were upon the negro, who rode off toward the barn to put up the horses. Frank arose from his seat and followed slowly after him. As the officers were accustomed to roam wherever they pleased about the plantation, no notice was taken of his movements. When he reached the barn where the negro was unsaddling the horses, he entered and closed the door behind him. The negro became terrified when he found himself thus confronted, for suspicions that he and his master had been discovered instantly flashed across his mind.

"Ah, I know that you are guilty, you rascal," said Frank, triumphantly, as he noticed the man's trepidation. "Come here; I want to have a few moments' conversation with you on a very important subject. Come here."

The negro dropped the saddle which he had just taken from one of the horses, and stood for a moment undecided how to act; then springing forward like a tiger, he thrust the officer aside, and endeavored to open the door. Quick as thought, Frank grappled with him, but the negro was a most powerful fellow, and would no doubt have succeeded in escaping, had not the mate sprang from a manger, where he had lain concealed, and felled him to the floor with a blow from the b.u.t.t of his revolver. For some time he lay insensible, in spite of the buckets of water which were dashed over him; but at length he began to recover.

When he was able to sit up, the mate stationed himself at the door to guard against surprise, and Frank proceeded to interrogate the negro.

"In the first place," said he, "I guess you have found that we are in earnest, haven't you?"

The negro felt of his head, but made no reply.

"Now," continued Frank, "unless you answer every question I ask you, I'll take you on board the ship as a prisoner. What do you and your master go out into the country for, twice every week?"

The negro still remained silent, and Frank, finally growing impatient, exclaimed, "Here, Jack, take this scoundrel on board the ship; I guess we can find means to make him open his mouth."

"O, my master will kill me," whimpered the negro, trembling violently.

"If I don't tell you every thing, you will kill me; and if I do, my master will kill me, too; so I shall die any way."

"No you won't; just tell me the truth, and I'll see that no one harms you. Your master need know nothing about it; we shall not be likely to tell him. Now, what is there out in the country that you go to see so often?"

"Torpedoes," replied the negro, in a low voice, gazing about the barn with a frightened air, as if he expected to see his master appear before him in some magical manner.

"Torpedoes!" repeated Frank. "Where are they?"

"In a little creek about six miles from here."

"Who is making them? Are there any rebels there?"

"Yes; there is a colonel, major, and lieutenant there; but my master's black men are doing the work."

By adroit questioning--for the negro was very careful to answer no further than he was asked--Frank finally gleaned the whole particulars.

One piece of information troubled him not a little, and that was, an attempt was soon to be made to blow up the Trenton. He also learned the number of the torpedoes, the manner of operating with them, and other particulars that will soon appear. He was then as much puzzled as ever, and paced the floor of the barn, undecided how to act. The time set for the sinking of the Trenton was Friday night, (it was then Thursday), and as information of her movements was every day conveyed to the rebels, the question was, how to keep them in ignorance that their plot had been discovered, so that the work might be carried on as usual. There was, apparently, but one way, and that was to hold out inducements to the negro.

"See here," Frank suddenly exclaimed, "you are between two fires now."

"I know that," replied the negro, well aware that he was in a most precarious situation; "I know that. But what am I to do?"

"Well, this is what you must do," answered Frank; "go off and attend to your business, just as you did before. Of course you won't be foolish enough to say a word about this meeting to any one around the plantation; but if every thing does not transpire to-morrow night just as you said it would, I shall think that you have been telling some one, and that the plot is discovered, and then you're a goner. But if you will a.s.sist me, I will take care of you; I will take you on board the ship, and make a free man of you."

The negro, who had been worked up to the highest pitch of terror at the turn affairs were taking, brightened up when the words "free man" struck his ear, and Frank, who was a pretty good judge of human nature, could easily read what was pa.s.sing in his mind, and knew that in the negro he had a faithful coadjutor.

"Now, if you are certain that you understand what I mean," said he, "be off. Go out the back door, so that no one will see you from the house; and remember that your freedom depends upon the manner in which you behave yourself."

The negro arose from the floor, and speedily made his exit. After waiting long enough to allow him to reach the house, Frank and the mate slipped out of the front door. Giving the negro quarters a wide berth, they approached the house in a different direction from that in which they had left it.

The mate had been instructed to keep the affair a profound secret, for, now that they had succeeded in working out so much of the plot, they wished to have the honor of completing it.

After a few moments' conversation with the Frenchman at the house, they repaired on board the vessel.

"I have returned, sir," said Frank, as he entered the cabin.

"So I see," replied the captain, good-humoredly, "and have, I suppose, accomplished nothing."

"No, sir; I can't say that," answered Frank, guardedly. "I HAVE accomplished considerable. I know that the Frenchman is a spy; that he has daily communication with the rebels, and that his story of visiting his stock in the country is nonsense. He has about as many cattle there as I have."

"Have you indeed succeeded?" inquired the captain, in surprise.

"Well, no, sir, not entirely," replied Frank, who did not know how much it was best to tell the captain. "I have learned more than that, but it takes time to complete the work. Before I go further, sir, I should like authority to manage the affair myself. After I have gone as far as I have, I shouldn't like to be superseded."

"That was not my intention. No one shall be placed over you. If you can accomplish any thing more, do it. But what else did you hear?"

Frank then related the result of the interview between himself and the negro, and then left the cabin, with repeated a.s.surances that his plans for capturing the rebels should not be interfered with.

The next day, it seemed to Frank, moved on laggard wings; but afternoon came at length. He then went on sh.o.r.e, and after having learned from the negro that every thing was working as nicely as could be wished, returned, and commenced making his preparations for the night's work. At eight o'clock he again left the vessel in a small skiff, with two negroes for a crew, and the mate shortly followed in the cutter, with twenty men, all well armed. The former held up the river, and the cutter pulled in an opposite direction. The officers of the ship were, of course, very much surprised at these movements. As they had not been informed of what was going on, they thronged the forward part of the deck, watching the expedition as long as it remained in sight.

The night was dark as pitch, but it could not have been better for their purpose; and Frank was highly delighted at the handsome manner in which all his plans were working, and which promised complete success. He held his course up the river until he arrived at a small creek whose mouth was almost concealed by thick bushes and trees. He boldly entered this creek, but had not proceeded far when a voice hailed:

"Who comes there?"

"Death to the Yankees," promptly replied Frank.

"Why, you're half an hour ahead of time," said the voice. "Didn't the Yanks see you as you came up?"

"I'll wager a good deal they did," said another voice. "It would be just our luck to have the whole affair knocked in the head. But we'll make the attempt, any way. Come up here."

It was so dark in the creek that Frank could scarcely see his hand before him; but he knew pretty well who it was addressing him. Pulling up the creek, in obedience to the order, he came in sight of a boat lying close to the bank, in the shade of the bushes that hung out over the water. In this boat were seated three men, two of whom were holding in their hands several ropes that led to a dark object that lay in the water astern of the skiff.

"Here's the torpedo," said one of the men, as Frank came alongside, and as he spoke he pa.s.sed the ropes over to the young officer. "Just drop silently down the river as far as you can without being discovered, and then cast off the torpedo, and let it float down on to the Trenton.

We'll go up on the bank and watch the experiment."

"Gentlemen," said Frank, suddenly pulling a brace of revolvers from his pocket, "you are my prisoners."

As he spoke, the negroes threw down their oars and sprang into the skiff. Before the rebels could draw a weapon, they were powerless in the strong grasp of Frank's sable coadjutors. The prisoners were the colonel and major of whom the negro at the plantation had spoken. The third person in the boat was one of the Frenchman's slaves, who had rowed the boat down the creek for the rebels. He had jumped to his feet as if about to escape, but had been collared by one of Frank's negroes, and thrown into the bottom of the boat, where the fear of the revolvers kept him quiet.

"What's the meaning of all this?" asked the colonel, as he struggled furiously to free himself.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"It means," replied Frank, coolly, "that you are prisoners in the hands of those you sought to destroy. So surrender yourselves without any more fuss. Make their hands fast, boys."