第68章

You ought to go into a town until it's all over.""I have no one to go to," the girl said stmply."My father bought this place and moved here from Georgia only six years ago, and all my friends are in that State.Except our neighbors round here I do not know a soul in Tennessee.Besides, what can I do in a town?

We can manage here, because we have a few fowls, and some of our neighbors last spring plowed an acre or two of ground and planted corn for us, and I have a little money left for buying other things; but it would not last us a month if we went into a town.

No, I have nothing to do but to stay here until you drive the Yankees back.I will willingly take you down to the boat to-night.

Chloe can come with us and keep me company on the way back.

Of course it would not be safe to cross in the daytime.""I thank you greatly, Miss Kingston, and shall always remember your kindness.Now, when I finish my meal I will go out and join my boy, and will come for you at eight o'clock; it will be quite dark then.""Why should you not stay here till then, Mr.Wingfield? It is very unlikely that any one will come along.""It is unlikely, but it is quite possible," Vincent replied, "and were Icaught here by Mullens, the consequence would be very serious to you as well as to myself.No, I could not think of doing that.I will go out, and come back at eight o'clock.I shall not be far away; but if any one should come and inquire, you can honestly say that you do not know where I am.""I have two revolvers here, sir; in fact I have three.I always keep one loaded, for there is never any saying whether it may not be wanted; the other two I picked up last spring.There was a fight about a quarter of a mile from here and after it was over and they had moved away, for the Confederates won that time and chased them back toward Nashville, I went out with Chloe with some water and bandages to see if we could do anything for the wounded.We were at work there till evening, and I think we did some good.As we were coming back I saw something in a low bush, and going there found a Yankee officer and his horse both lying dead; they had been killed by a shell, I should think.

Stooping over to see if he was quite dead I saw a revolver in his belt and another in the holster of his saddle, so I took them out and brought them home, thinking I might give them to some of our men, for we were then, as we have always been, very short of arms; but I never had an opportunity of giving them away, and Iam very glad now that I have not.Here they are, sir, and two packets of cartridges, for they are of the same size as those of the pistol my father gave me when he went away.You are heartily welcome to them.""Thank you extremely," Vincent said, as he took the pistols and placed the packets of ammunition in his pocket."We cut two heavy sticks the night we left Nashville so as to be able to make something of a fight; but with these weapons we shall feel a match for any small parties we may meet.Then at eight o'clock I will come back again.""I shall be ready," the girl said; "but I wish you would have stopped, there are so many things I want to ask you about, and these Yankee papers, which are all we see now, are full of lies.""They exaggerate their successes and to some extent conceal their defeats," Vinceuf said; "but I do not think it is the fault of the newspapers, whose correspondents do seem to me to try and tell the truth to their readers, but of the official despatches of the generals.The newspapers tone matters down, no doubt, because they consider it necessary to keep up the public spirit; but at times they speak out pretty strongly too.I am quite as sorry to leave as you can be that I should go, Miss Kingston, but I am quite sure that it is very much the wisest thing for me to do.By the way, if Ishould not be here by half-past eight I shall not come at all, and you will know that something has occurred to alter our plans.Itrust there is no chance of anything doing so, but it is as well to arrange so that you should not sit up expecting me.Should I not come back you will know that I shall be always grateful to you for your kindness, and that when this war is over, if I am alive, I will come back and thank you personally.""Good-by till this evening!" the girl said."I will not even let myself think that anything can occur to prevent your return.""Golly, Massa Vincent, what a time you hab been!" Dan said when Vincent rejoined him."Dis child began to tink dat somefing had gone wrong, and was going in anoder five minutes to knock at do door to ask what dey had done to you.""It is all right, Dan, I have had breakfast, and have brought some for you; here is some bread and bacon and a bottle of coffee.""Dat good, massa; my teeth go chatter chatter wid sleeping in dese damp woods; dat coffee do me good, sah.After dat I shall feel fit for anyting."