The Young Sharpshooter at Antietam Part 23

"Well, the next time you find anybody in Aunt Katie's cabin whom you don't know, you come and tell me, whether he has horns or not. I'm expecting somebody to be in her cabin pretty soon. You're sure, are you, there isn't anybody there now?"

"Yas, suh. You come 'long wif me," said the negro lad confidently, "and I'll show yo' all dat dere ain't n.o.body in dat cabin 'tall, 'ceptin'

mammy."

"I'll take your word for it. Now, Little Jake, don't you forget to come straight to the big house and tell me if you ever find any strangers there, whether they have horns or not."

The conversation ceased, and with a sigh of relief Noel turned once more to Dennis and said, "When do we move from here?"

"About midnight."

"Is Sam going to be our guide?"

"I don't know whether he is or not, but Aunt Katie told me that somebody would come for us about that time."

"Do you know how far the Union lines are from here?"

"No, I don't," replied Dennis. "I think the best thing we can do is to lie down here on these cornstalks and take a nap."

"But you haven't told me where you came from nor how you got here."

"'Tis a long story, lad, and I'm afraid to tell you here for fear somebody outside will hear our voices."

"All right," responded Noel. "You can tell me after we leave. I think we'd better do what you say."

Accordingly the boys stretched themselves on the earth which was covered with cornstalks and in a few moments both were sleeping soundly.

Just how long Noel had been asleep he did not know, but he was awakened by a vague feeling of uneasiness. Somehow he felt as if he were being smothered, and for a brief time he was unable to decide just where he was or why he was there.

The voice of Dennis in a hoa.r.s.e whisper recalled to him the incidents which had preceded the finding of the shelter within the strange hiding-place.

"What's that?" whispered Dennis.

Noel saw that his Irish friend was alarmed, although as yet he was unable to determine the cause.

"What is what?" responded Noel.

"'Tis smoke, I tell you!" said Dennis once more. "This place is on fire."

"You have been dreaming," protested Noel, although even as he spoke he was aware of the odor of burning wood.

"If I have been dreaming, I'm awake now," declared Dennis. "And the only thing for you and me to do is to get out of this place."

"It isn't midnight yet."

"It's time to get up. The sooner we get out of here the safer it will be for us both."

All this time Noel was sharing the alarm of his comrade. Not merely was there an odor of burning wood, but there was no concealing the fact that smoke was penetrating their hiding-place.

To add to his alarm, at that very moment there were sounds of men running about near the shack, and then abruptly above the noise was heard the voice of some one shouting, "Fire! Fire!"

The danger of meeting the owner of the plantation was not so great in the mind of the young soldier at the time as that of being burned or suffocated in the place where he and Dennis had been concealed.

"Come on, Dennis! Come on!" he called in a low voice, as instantly he crawled toward the opening.

The place, however, had been closed after the entrance of the two boys and in the darkness it was impossible at first for Noel to find the exit. By this time his fears had been greatly increased and the sounds of confusion outside were much more alarming.

Men were shouting and running about, and in the midst of it all were heard the screams of the terrified children.

"Lad," whispered Dennis, "we can't wait to find the door. We must make a break for it anywhere we can." As he spoke the young Irishman threw himself with all his strength against the side of the little room.

Instantly the part.i.tion gave way and to the consternation of Noel the entire structure collapsed. Both boys were buried beneath the cornstalks, but it was only the work of a moment for them to free themselves.

As they leaped to their feet they discovered that one of the little whitewashed cabins, which they had seen the preceding evening, was on fire. Surrounding it were crowds of colored people, and among them Noel saw a tall white man, who he instantly concluded was the man whose voice had been overheard by him and Dennis. Without question the man before him was the owner of the plantation and the one who had warned Aunt Katie's little boy against the "terrible Yankees with hawns."

Fortunately the collapse of the rude structure, within which a hiding-place had been made for the escaping soldiers, apparently was not noticed by the people on the plantation. It was evident by this time that only the little cabin was doomed and that the fire without difficulty would be prevented from spreading to the adjoining buildings.

Men in lines were pa.s.sing buckets of water from hand to hand and the flames promised to be under control in a brief time.

Convinced that there was no immediate danger now to be feared from the spread of the fire, Noel turned to Dennis and in a low voice said, "We must get away from this place before that chap sees us."

Even as he spoke, however, the man turned and instantly discovered the presence of the two young soldiers.

As he advanced toward them both boys turned and fled from the place, running swiftly, and hoping that the surrounding darkness would soon hide them from the sight of the man whom they believed to be a friend of the Confederate cause.

Unmindful of the direction in which they were running Noel and Dennis fled at their highest speed, keeping well together until they came to what seemed to be an abandoned cabin on the border of the plantation.

"We'll stop here and abide until mornin'," suggested Dennis, who was laboring hard and breathing heavily under the exertion.

"No! No!" replied Noel. "We must not stop a minute. The only hope we have is in getting as far away from the plantation as possible in the shortest time."

"I can't go any farther," said Dennis; "I'm winded."

"What's that?" demanded Noel suddenly as he turned and looked toward the plantation, which now was far behind them, but from which the glow of the fires still could be faintly seen.

"'Tis nothin', lad. What is it you think you hear?"

"I thought I heard the dogs. If they set the dogs on us, we shall have more troubles than we ever had before, Dennis," said Noel, speaking rapidly and excitedly.

"I can't help it if they do set the dogs on us," muttered Dennis st.u.r.dily. "I can't go any farther. My wind is gone, and my side is thumpin' as if--"

"Here!" said Noel excitedly; "here's a well! I don't know whether there's any water in it or not, but the thing for you to do is to hide there. You can do it," he added abruptly as he stretched himself on the ground and, peering into the depths, found that the old well was lined with rough stones that projected unevenly from the sides. "Go down a few feet and wait until the excitement is over."

"Will you come with me?"

Noel hesitated and then said, "No, I'll not stay here. There will be more danger if both of us try to hide in the same place. I'll keep on, and after a while you follow me and I'll be on the lookout for you, and not very far ahead."

"See that you are," said Dennis, as he at once prepared to make his descent into the forbidding hole which his companion had discovered.

Without waiting to discover what success attended his comrade's efforts, Noel Curtis instantly turned and resumed his flight.