with lee in virginia-第52章

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first　drank　their　tea；　and　the　mugs　were　then　handed　to　Dan　and

Chlce。



〃This　is　great　fun；〃　Lucy　said。　　〃If　it　goes　on　like　it　all　through　our

journey　we　shall　have　no　need　to　grumble。　Shall　we　Chloe？〃



〃If　you　don't　grumble；　Miss　Lucy；　you　may　be　quite　sure　dat　Chloe

will　not。　　But　we　hab　not　begun　our　journey　at　present；　and　I　spec

dat　we　shall　find　it　pretty　hard　work　before　we　get　to　de　end。　　But

nebber　mind　dat；　anyting　is　better　dan　being　all　by　ourselves　in　dat

house。　Terrible　sponsibility　dat。〃



〃It　was　lonely；〃　the　girl　said；　〃and　I　am　glad　we　are　away　from　it

whatever　happens。　　What　a　day　this　has　been。　　Who　could　have

dreamed　when　I　got　up　in　the　morning　that　all　this　would　take

place　before　night。　　It　seems　almost　like　a　dream；　and　I　can　hardly

believe〃…and　here　she　stopped　with　a　little　shiver　as　she　thought　of

the　scene　she　had　passed　though　with　the　band　of　bushwhackers。



〃I　would　not　think　anything　at　all　about　it；〃　Vincent　said。　　〃And

now　I　should　recommend　your　turning　in；　and　getting　to　sleep　as

soon　as　you　can。　　We　will　be　off　at　daybreak；　and　it　is　just　twelve

o'clock　now。〃



Five　minutes　later　Lucy　and　her　old　nurse　were　snugly　ensconced

in　their　little　bower；　while　Vincent　and　Dan　stretched　themselves

at　full　length　on　the　other　side　of　the　fire。　　In　spite　of　the　pain　in

his　shoulder　Vincent　dozed　off　occasionally；　butt　he　was　heartily

glad　when　he　saw　the　first　gleam　of　light　in　the　sky。　　He　woke　ban。



〃Dan；　do　you　take　the　kettle　down　to　the　river　and　fill　it。　We　had

better　have　some　breakfast　before　we　make　our　start。　　If　you　can't

find　your　way　back；　whistle　and　I　will　answer　you。〃



Dan；　however；　had　no　occasion　to　give　the　signal。　　It　took　him

little　more　than　five　minutes　to　traverse　the　distance　that　had

occupied　them　half　an　hour　in　the　thick　darkness；　and　Vincent　was

quite　surprised　when　he　reappeared　again　with　the　kettle。　　Not

until　it　was　boiling；　and　the　bacon　was　ready；　did　Vincent　raise　his

voice　and　call　Lucy　and　the　nurse。



〃This　is　reversing　the　order　of　things　altogether；〃　the　girl　said　as

she　came　out　and　saw　breakfast　already　prepared。　　〃I　shall　not

allow　it　another　time；　I　can　tell　you。〃



〃We　are　old　campaigners；　you　see；〃　Vincent　said；　〃and　accustomed

to　early　movements。　　Now　please　let　us　waste　no　time；　as　the

sooner　we　are　off　the　better。〃



In　a　quarter　of　an　hour　breakfast　was　eaten　and　the　basket　packed；

and　they　were　on　their　way。　　Now　the　bright；　glowing　light　in　the

east　was　sufficient　guide　to　them　as　to　the　direction　they　should

take；　and　setting　their　face　to　the　south　they　started　through　the

forest。　　In　a　quarter　of　an　hour　they　came　upon　a　little　stream

running　through　the　wood；　and　here　Vincent　suggested　that　Lucy

might　like　a　wash；　a　suggestion　which　was　gratefully　accepted。　　He

and　Dan　went　a　short　distance　down　the　streamlet；　and　Vincent

bathed　his　face　and　head。



〃Dan；　I　will　get　you　to　undo　this　bandage　and　get　off　my　coat；　then

I　will　make　a　pad　of　my　handkerchief　and　dip　it　in　the　water　and

you　can　lay　it　on　my　shoulder；　and　then　help　me　on　again　with　my

coat。　　My　arm　is　getting　horribly　painful。〃



Vincent's　right　arm　was　accordingly　drawn　through　the　sleeve　and

the　coat　turned　down　so　as　to　enable　Dan　to　lay　the　wet　pad　on　the

shoulder。



〃It　has　not　bled　much；〃　Vincent　said；　looking　down　at　it。



〃No；　sah；　not　much　blood　on　de　shirt。〃



〃Pull　the　coat　down　as　far　as　the　elbow；　Dan；　and　bathe　it　for　a

bit。〃



Using　his　cap　as　a　baler；　Dan　bathed　the　arm　for　ten　minutes；　then

the　wet　pad　was　placed　in　position；　and　with　some　difficulty　the

coat　got　on　again。　　The　arm　was　then　bandaged　across　the　chest；

and　they　returned　to　the　women；　who　were　beginning　to　wonder　at

the　delay。



CHAPTEP　XIIL　　LAID　UP。



〃YOU　MUST　see　a　surgeon　whatever　the　risk；〃　Lucy　said　when　the

others　joined　them；　for　now　that　it　was　light　she　could　se〃　by　the

paleness　of　Vincent's　face；　and　the　drawn　expression　of　the　mouth；

how　much　he　had　suffered。



〃You　have　made　so　light　of　your　wound　that　we　have　not　thought

of　it　half　as　much　as　we　ought　to　do；　and　you　must　have　thought

me　terribly　heartless　to　be　laughing　and　talking　when　you　were　in

such　pain。　　But　it　will　never　do　to　go　on　like　this；　it　is　quite

impossible　for　you　to　he　traveling　so　far　without　having　your

shoulder　properly　attended　to。〃



〃I　should　certainly　be　glad　to　have　it　looked　to；〃　Vincent　replied。　

〃I　don't　know　whether　the　bullet's　there　or　if　it　has　made　its　way

out；　and　if　that　could　be　seen　to；　and　some　splints　or　something　of

that　sort　put　on　to　keep　things　in　their　right　place；　no　doubt　I

should　be　easier；　hut　I　don't　see　how　it　is　to　he　managed。　　At　any

rate；　for　the　present　we　must　go　on；　and　I　would　much　rather　that

you　said　nothing　about　it。　　There　it　is；　and　fretting　over　it　won't　do

it　any　good；　while　if　you　talk　of　other　things　I　may　forget　it

sometimes。〃



In　two　hours　they　came　upon　the　railway；　whose　course　lay

diagonally　across　that　they　were　taking。　　They　followed　it　until

they　caught　sight　of　the　houses　of　Mount　Pleasant；　some　two　miles

away；　and　then　crossed　it。　　After　walking　some　distance　farther

they　came　upon　a　small　clearing　with　a　log…hut；　containing

apparently　three　or　four　rooms；　in　the　center。



〃We　had　better　skirt　round　this；〃　Vincent　suggested。



〃No；〃　Lucy　said　in　a　determined　voice。　　〃I　have　made　up　my　mind　I

would　go　to　the　first　place　we　came　to　and　see　whether　anything

can　be　done　for　you。　　I　can　see　you　are　in　such　pain　you　can　hardly

walk；　and　it　will　be　quite　impossible　for　you　to　go　much　further。　

They　are　sure　to　be　Confederates　at　heart　here；　and　even　if　they

will　not　take　us　in；　there　is　no　fear　of　their　betraying　us；　at　any　rate

we　must　risk　it。〃



Vincent　began　to　remonstrate；　but　without　paying　any　attention　to

him　the　girl　left　the　shelter　of　the　trees　and　walked　straight　toward

the　hon　so。　The　others　followed　her。　Vincent　had　opposed　her

suggestion；　but　he　had　for　some　time　acknowledged　to　himself　that

he　could　not　go　much　further。　　lie　had　been　trying　to　think　what

had　best　be　done；　and　had　concluded　that　it　would　be　safest　to

arrange　with　some　farmer　to　board　Lucy　and　her　nurse　for　a　time；

while　he　himself　with　Dan　went　a　bit　further；　and　then；　if　they

could　get　no　one　to　take　them　in；　would　camp　up　in　the　woods　and

rest。　　He　decided　that　in　a　day　or　two　if　no　improvement　took　place

in　his　wound　he　would　give　himself　up　to　the　Federals　at　Mount

Pleasant；　as　he　would　there　be　able　to　get　his　wound　attended　to。



〃I　don't　think　there　is　any　one　in　the　house；〃　Lucy　said；　looking

back　over　her　shoulder；　〃there　is　no　smoke　coming　from　the

chimney；　and　the　shutters　are　closed；　and　besides　the　whole　place

looks　neglected。〃



Upon　reaching　the　door　of　the　house　it　was　evident　that　it　had　been

deserted。　　Lucy　had　now　assumed　the　command。



〃Dan；〃　she　said；　〃there　is　no　shutter　to　the　window　of　that　upper

room。　　You　must　manage　to　climb　up　there　and　get　in　at　that

window；　and　then　open　the　door　to　us。〃



〃All　right；　missie；　me　manage　dat；〃　Dan　said　cheerfully。　　Looking

about　he　soon　found　a　long　pole　which　would　answer　his　purpose；

placed　the　end　of　this　against　the　window；　and　climbed　up。　　It　was

not　more　than　twelve　feet　above　the　ground。　　He　broke　one　of　the

windows；　and　inserting　his　hand　undid　the　fastening　and　climbed

in　at　the　window。　　A　minute　later　they　heard　a　grating　sound；　and

then　the　lock　shot　back　under　the　application　of　his　knife；　and　the

door　swung　open。



〃That　will　do　nicely；〃　Lucy　said；　entering。　　〃We　will　take

possession。　　If　the　owners　happen　to　come　back　we　can　pay　them

for　the　use　of　the　place。〃



The　furniture　had　been　removed　with　the　exception　of　a　few　of　the

heavy　articles；　arid　Chloe　and　Lucy　at　once　set　to　work；　and　with

bunches　of　long　grass　swept　out　one　of　the　rooms。　Dan　cut　a

quantity　of　gra