with lee in virginia-第53章

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

quantity　of　grass　and　piled　it　upon　an　old　bedstead　that　stood　in　the

corner；　and　Lucy　smoothed　it　down。



〃Now；　sir；〃　she　said　peremptorily　to　Vincent；　〃you　will　lie　down

and　keep　yourself　quiet；　but　first　of　all　I　will　cut　your　coat　off。〃



One　of　the　table…knives　soon　effected　the　work；　and　the　coat　was

rolled　up　as　a　pillow。　　Dan　removed　his　boots；　and　Vincent；　who

was　now　beyond　even　remonstrating；　laid　himself　down　on　his

cool　bed。



〃Now；　Chloe；〃　Miss　Kingston　said　when　they　had　left　Vincent's

room；　〃I　will　leave　him　to　your　care。　　I　am　sure　that　you　must　be

thoroughly　tired；　for　I　don't　suppose　you　have　walked　so　many

miles　since　you　were　a　girl。〃



〃I　is　tired；　missie；　but　I　am　ready　to　do　anyting　you　want。〃



〃I　only　want　you　to　attend　to　him；　Chloe。　　First　of　all　you　had

better　make　some　tea。　　You　know　what　is　a　good　thing　to　give　for　a

fever；　and　if　you　can　find　anything　in　the　garden　to　make　a　drink　of

that　sort；　do；　but　I　hope　he　will　doze　off　for　some　time。　　When　you

have　done；　you　had　better　get　this　place　tidy　a　little；　it　is　in　a

terrible　litter。　　Evidently　no　one　has　been　in　since　they　moved　out。〃



The　room；　indeed；　was　strewed　with　litter　of　all　sorts；　rubbish　not

worth　taking　away；　old　newspapers；　and　odds　and　ends　of　every

description。　　Lucy　looked　about　among　these　for　some　time；　and

with　an　exclamation　of　satisfaction　at　last　picked　up　two　crumpled

envelopes。　　They　were　both　addressed　〃William　Jenkins；

Woodford；　near　Mount　Pleasant。〃



〃That　is　just　what　I　wanted；〃　she　said。



〃What　am　you　going　to　do；　Miss　Lucy？〃



〃I　am　going　to　Mount　Pleasant；〃　she　said。



〃Lor'　a　marcy；　dearie；　you　are　not　going　to　walk　that　distance！　　You

must　have　walked　twelves　miles　already。〃



〃I　should　if　it　were　twice　as　far；　Chloe。　　There　are　some　things　we

must　get。　　Don't　look　alarmed；　I　shall　take　Dan　with　me。　　Now；　let

me　see。　　In　the　first　place　there　are　lemons　for　making　drink　and

linseed　for　poultices；　some　meat　for　making　broth；　and　some　flour；

and　other　things　for　ourselves；　we　may　have　to　stay　here　for　some

time。　　Tell　me　just　what　you　want　and　I　will　get　it。〃



Clilce　made　out　a　list　of　necessaries。



〃I　sha'n't　be　gone　long；〃　the　girl　said。　　〃If　he　asks　after　me　or　Dan；

make　out　we　are　looking　about　the　place　to　see　what　is　useful。　

Don't　let　him　know　I　have　gone　to　Mount　Pleasant；　it　might　worry

him。〃



Dan　at　once　agreed　to　accompany　the　girl　to　Mount　Pleasant　when

he　heard　that　she　was　going　to　get　things　for　his　master。



Looking　about　he　found　an　old　basket　among　the　litter；　and　they

started　without　delay　by　the　one　road　from　the　clearing；　which　led；

they　had　no　doubt；　to　the　town。　　It　was　about　two　miles　distant；　and

was　really　but　a　large　village。　　A　few　Federal　soldiers　from　the

camp　hard　by　were　lounging　about　the　streets　but　these　paid　no

attention　to　them。　　Lucy　soon　made　her　purchases；　and　then　went

to　the　house　that　had　been　pointed　out　to　her　as　being　inhabited　by

the　doctor　who　attended　to　the　needs　of　the　people　of　Mount

Pleasant　and　the　surrounding　district。　Fortunately　he　was　at　home。　

Lucy　looked　at　him　closely　as　he　entered　the　room　and　took　his

seat。　　He　was　a　middle…aged　man　with　a　shrewd　face；　and　she　at

once　felt　that　she　might　have　confidence　in　it。



〃Doctor；〃　she　said；　〃I　want　you　to　come　out　to　see　some　one　who　is

very　ill。〃



〃What　is　the　matter　with　him？　Or　is　it　him　or　her？〃



〃It　is…it's…〃　and　Lucy　hesitated；　〃a　hurt　he　has　got。〃



〃A　wound；　I　suppose？〃　the　doctor　said　quietly。　　〃You　may　as　well

tell　me　at　once；　as　for　me　to　find　out　when　I　get　there；　then　I　can

take　whatever　is　required　with　me。〃



〃Yes；　sir。　　It　is　a　wound；〃　Lucy　said。　　〃His　shoulder　is　broken；　I

believe；　by　a　pistol　bullet。〃



〃Urnph！〃　the　doctor　said。　　〃It　might　have　been　worse。　Do　not

hesitate　to　tell　me　all　about　it；　young　lady。　　I　have　had　a　vast

number　of　cases　on　hand　since　these　troubles　began。　　By　the　way；　I

do　not　know　your　face；　and　I　thought　I　knew　every　one　within

fifteen　miles　around。〃



〃I　come　from　the　other　side　of　the　Duck　river。　　But　at　present　he　is

lying　at　a　place　called　Woodford；　but　two　miles　from　here。〃



〃Oh；　yes！　I　know　it。　　But　I　thought　it　was　empty。　Let　me　see；　a　man

named　Jenkins　lived　there。　　He　was　killed　at　the　beginning　of　the

troubles　in　a　fight　near　Murfreesboro。　　His　widow　moved　in　here；

and　she　has　married　again　and　gone　five　miles　on　the　other　side。　　I

know　she　was　trying　to　sell　the　old　place。〃



〃We　have　not　purchased　it；　sir；　we　have　just　squatted　there。　　My

friend　was　taken　so　had　that　we　could　go　no　further。　　We　were

trying；　doctor；　to　make　our　way　down　south。〃



〃Your　friend；　whoever　he　is；　did　a　very　foolish　thing　to　bring　a

young　lady　like　yourself　on　such　a　long　journey。　You　are　not　a　pair

of　runaway　lovers；　are　you？〃



〃No；　indeed；〃　Lucy　said；　flushing　scarlet；　〃we　have　no　idea　of　such

a　thing。　　I　was　living　alone；　and　the　house　was　attacked　by

bushwhackers；　the　band　of　a　villain　named　Mullens。〃



〃Oh！　I　saw　all　about　that　in　the　Nashville　paper　this　morning。　

They　were　attacked　by　a　band　of　Confederate　plunderers；　it　said。〃



〃They　were　attacked　by　one　man；〃　the　girl　replied。　〃They　were　on

the　point　of　murdering　me　when　he　arrived。　He　shot　Mullens　and

four　of　his　band　and　the　rest　made　off；　but　he　got　this　wound。　　And

as　1　knew　the　villains　would　return　again　and　burn　the　house　and

kill　me；　I　and　my　old　nurse　determined　to　go　southward　to　join　my

friends　in　Georgia。〃



〃Well；　you　can　tell　me　more　about　it　as　we　go；〃　the　doctor　said。　　〃I

will　order　my　buggy　round　to　the　door；　and　drive　you　back。　　I　will

take　my　instruments　and　things　with　me。　　It　is　no　business　of　mine

whether　a　sick　man　is　a　Confederate　or　a　Federal；　all　my　business

is　to　heal　them。〃



〃Thank　you　very　much；　doctor。　　While　the　horse　is　being　put　in　I

will　go　down　and　tell　the　negro　boy　with　me　to　go　straight　on　with

a　basket　of　things　I　have　been　buying。〃



〃Where　is　he　now？〃　the　doctor　asked。



〃I　think　he　is　sitting　down　outside　the　door；　sir。



〃Then　you　needn't　go　down；〃　the　doctor　said。　　〃He　can　jump　up

behind　and　go　with　us。　　He　will　get　there　all　the　quicker。〃



In　five　minutes　they　were　driving　down　the　village；　with　Dan　in　the

back　seat。　　On　the　way　the　doctor　obtained　from　Lucy　a　more

detailed　account　of　their　adventures。



〃So　he　is　one　of　those　Confederate　officers　who　broke　prison　at

Elmira；〃　he　said。　　〃I　saw　yesterday　that　one　of　his　companions　was

captured。〃



〃Was　he；　sir？　How　was　that？〃



〃It　seems　that　he　had　made　his　way　down　to　Washington；　and　was

staying　at　one　of　the　hotels　there　as　a　Mr。　James　of　Baltimore。　　As

he　was　going　through　the　street　he　was　suddenly　attacked　by　a

negro；　who　assaulted　him　with　such　fury　that　he　would　have　killed

him　had　he　not　been　dragged　off　by　passers…by。　　The　black　would

hare　been　very　roughly　treated；　but　he　denounced　the　man　he　had

attacked　as　one　of　the　Confederate　officers　who　had　escaped　from

the　prison。　　It　seems　that　the　negro　had　been　a　slave　of　his　who　had

been　barbarously　treated；　and　finally　succeeded　in　making　his

escape　and　reaching　England；　after　which　he　went　to　Canada；　and

now　that　it　is　safe　for　an　escaped　slave　to　live　in　the　Northern

States　without　fear　of　arrest　or　ill…treatment　he　had　come　down　to

Washington　with　the　intention　of　engaging　as　a　teamster　with　one

of　the　Northern　armies；　in　the　hope　when　he　made　his　way　to

Richmond　of　being　able　to　gain　some　news　of　his　wife；　whom　his

master　had　sold　before　he　ran　away　from　him。〃



〃It　served　the　man　right！〃　Lucy　said　indignantly。　　〃It's　a　good　thing

that　the　slaves　should　turn　the　tables　sometimes　upon　masters　who

ill…treat　them。〃



〃You　don't　think　my　patient　would　ill…treat　his　slaves？〃　the　doctor

asked　with　a　little　smile。



〃I　am　sure　he　wouldn't