The Young Sharpshooter at Antietam Part 26

The surprise of Noel, when he discovered who his captive was, did not detract from his inclination to laugh as he heard the exclamations of the little sutler.

Without rising and still holding his prisoner fast to the ground, Noel said, "What are you doing here, Levi?"

"You vill let me up and I vill leave so quick you shall not see me."

"Before you go I want to know what you're doing here. Were you spying on me?"

"Not von leedle bit. I deed not know you vas here. Father Abraham! Vot a pinch you gif mine arm!"

"You want to be thankful it was only your arm, Levi. Now you tell me what you were doing here!"

"I vas chust stopping for to see vich vay the men vas going."

"What men?"

"Der men vot vas soldiers for the Johnnie Rebs."

"Did you find any of them?"

"Yes, I see some going up mit der road. Dey vas all gone, and den I starts for der house over yonder for to sell somedings vot I carry in mine bag."

"I believe you knew I was here all the time."

"Nefer did I know you vas here. Father Abraham! I vish you vere not here now. If you vill be gone I too vill go so fast you shall not see me in two minutes."

Aware of the perils which recently had threatened him, Noel was not inclined either to prolong the interview or to compel his prisoner to remain longer on the ground. Grasping the little sutler by his shoulder Noel quickly yanked him to his feet, but without relaxing his grasp.

"Levi, what have you got in that bag?" he demanded.

"Somedings vot I sells to the vimmins ven der men vas gone off to the var. Dot vos all. You shall belief mine vord. I chust carry somedings vat cannot be had ven the armies vas so near by."

"Let me see what you have," suggested Noel, as, compelling his prisoner to advance with him he moved toward the bag which Levi had left on the ground near the base of the straw-stack.

"No, I shall not do so!" screamed the little sutler. "You shall not open mine bag. It vas mine."

Noel's suspicions, greatly increased by the manifest alarm of the sutler, were almost strong enough to induce him to send his prisoner away and appropriate the bag. From the expressions he already had heard, he was aware that Levi was playing a dual part, or at least he believed him now to be in the employ of the Confederates.

Before he acted, however, he turned once more to his prisoner and said sharply, "How long since you have been inside our lines?"

"I do not go in der lines of der Yankees," protested Levi. "Dey vas steal mine goots. Dey vas take vat vas not theirs. I lose more nor two hundred dollars ven you and dot Dennis tear mine tent and tip ofer mine goots."

The expression of hatred which appeared upon the sutler's face when he referred to Dennis strengthened the conviction in the heart of Noel that his prisoner certainly did not entertain any cordial feelings for the boys in blue.

Noel, boylike, unmindful of the justice of the little sutler's complaints, was greatly angered at the treachery of his comrade.

"How long since you have been in the Confederate lines?" he demanded sharply.

"I do not go dere either. I have tolt you vat mine peesness vas. I sells mine goots to the peoples vat may be at home."

"All right, then," said Noel. "You let me see what is in your bag, and I'll believe you."

"I shall not trust von Yankee soldier!" screamed Levi. "You shall not open mine bag. I haf already had mine droubles mit der Yankees. Dey tears mine tent and tips ofer mine goots and steals vot vas mine. I shall not open mine bag for you yet von leedle bit."

"Too bad," said Noel, more soberly. "Then I shall have to open it myself, I suppose."

"No! No!" screamed Levi in tones still shriller. "Father Abraham!

Father Abraham! I shall call for some helps!"

"Levi," said Noel abruptly, "I think I shall send you away and take your bag myself."

"You shall not do so!" protested the sutler noisily. "You shall not take mine bag! It vas mine, I dells you! It vas not yours. You shall not have it."

"Then let me see what there is in there."

"If I open mine bag von leedle bit, you vill take vot is not yours. I haf known you. You are von of dose Yankee soldiers. Dey tears mine tent and tips ofer mine goots and takes vat vas not theirs. I shall not gif you von chance, not even one leedle bit of a chance."

"I'm sorry," said Noel, "but I'm afraid, then, that I shall have to take it myself." As he spoke Noel moved as if he was about to seize the bag, and instantly the little sutler, rushing savagely upon him, began to kick and strike, and before Noel was prepared to resist the sudden onslaught Levi bit him severely on the hand.

Aroused by the sudden attack and maddened by the pain which Levi's bite had caused, Noel flung the little sutler far from him and eagerly watched him as he rolled over upon the ground.

Almost as nimbly as a monkey the sutler leaped to his feet, and instead of trying to run from the place started once more fiercely at his enemy.

Noel was prepared for the attack now, and as Levi ran savagely upon him he thrust out his right foot and, at the same time giving him a hard push, sent him once more sprawling upon the ground. This time he did not wait for the sutler to recover from his fall but at once advanced and seized his carpet-bag.

The sight of his possessions in the hands of Noel again proved too much for Levi's feelings. In a thin, piping voice he screamed, "Father Abraham! Father Abraham! You shall not steal from mine bag. It vas not yours. You vas like some of dose Yankee soldiers. Dey tears mine tent and tips ofer mine goots and takes vot vas not theirs. I shall shoot!"

Startled by the threat, Noel glanced keenly at Levi, who was almost beside himself with rage, to see if any weapons were upon his person. He had not thought of the sutler as one who would carry firearms of any kind. The man was undersized and was lacking in physical strength. Noel had never thought of him other than as a weakling and one who might obtain his way by deception rather than by force. The thought that he might be armed was startling, and before the man could act Noel leaped forward and, seizing him again, threw him upon the ground, where he satisfied himself that no pistols were in his possession.

"You go back from here the way you came," ordered Noel as he swung his prisoner in his arms and, giving him a violent push, sent him in the direction he had indicated.

But Levi was not to be so easily turned aside from his purpose. Once more he leaped toward his tormentor, who now had taken the carpet-bag in his hands and stood facing him. Screaming, chattering, lamenting, Levi would have been a pathetic object under other circ.u.mstances. But Noel was so thoroughly convinced that in the bag which he held in his hands he would find something of value to the leaders of his army that he was determined now to investigate the contents and compel the little Jew to give it over.

Levi's screams of impotent rage and his childish attempts to compel Noel to relax his hold upon the bag were alike without avail. At last the young soldier said more sternly to the angry sutler, "Levi, if you know when you are well off you'll leave this place as I told you. Now, go!"

There was something in Noel's voice that caused Levi to heed the command. Tears were coursing down his cheeks and his two little fists were working very much after the manner of a pump-handle when he saw the expression on the face of his captor, and, aware that further efforts would be useless, he abruptly turned away and, without once glancing behind him, sped swiftly toward the fork in the road from which he had come.

For a brief time Noel watched the man as he sped across the field, and then suddenly, aware that his own problems were sufficient to demand his entire attention, he turned toward the house in the distance.

He had expected to learn from Levi the direction in which the Union troops might be found, but his sudden determination to investigate the carpet-bag, as soon as he discovered that it was not heavy, had changed his plans. Levi was gone and if he possessed the desired information he had taken it with him.

And yet Noel Curtis was aware that his own predicament was such that if other bodies of the Confederate cavalrymen should soon pa.s.s along the road, Levi would be able to inform them of what had occurred. If his suspicions were correct, that the contents of the carpet-bag were of considerable value, there would be an added incentive for the little sutler to rescue them.

Perhaps Noel's decision to start toward the house which he saw in the distance was formed simply because it was the only place within sight which indicated the presence of people. His own plight now was such that he keenly felt the need of food and drink. No little streams were near him, and as for food there were no indications that the shallow soil itself had produced any of late.

His determination once fixed, Noel, with the carpet-bag firmly grasped in his hand, moved swiftly across the field toward the distant house.

Twice he stopped and looked back to see whether or not Levi had held to his course. Once he saw the little sutler, but he was moving steadily toward the fork in the road. The second time Noel looked he was unable to see the man anywhere. Concluding that Levi had sought the little building in which he himself had found shelter a short time before, Noel's efforts increased, and he ran swiftly toward the place he was seeking.

When Noel drew nearer the house he was aware of the aspect of neglect and even of dejection that was manifested by every living object within his sight. The two dogs, which came out of the building as soon as they were aware of his approach, were mangy and spiritless. Even the few chickens in the yard seemed to be affected by the general air of desolation. The fence was broken in many places, the gate was lying flat upon the ground, and as for paint or whitewash, it had been long since the house or barns had seen anything of that kind.