with lee in virginia-第61章

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with　his　plan。　　Now　that　ho　was　back；　capable　of　returning　to　duty；

his　place　was　clearly　with　his　regiment；　but　he　determined　that

while　he　would　rejoin　at　once；　he　would　as　soon　as　the　battle　was

over；　if　he　were　unhurt；　take　up　the　search。　　His　mother　and　sisters

were　greatly　distressed　when　at　breakfast　he　told　them　that　he　must

at　once　report　bimself　as　fit　for　duty；　and　ready　to　join　his

regiment。



〃I　was　afraid　you　would　think　so；〃　Mrs。　Wingfield　said；　while　the

girls　wept　silently；　〃and　much　as　I　grieve　at　losing　you　again

directly　you　have　returned；　I　can　say　nothing　against　it。　　You　have

gone　through　many　dangers；　Vincent；　and　have　been　preserved　to

us　through　them　all。　We　will　pray　that　you　may　be　so　to　the　end。　

Still；　whether　or　not；　I　as　a　Virginian　woman　cannot　grudge　my

son　to　the　service　of　my　country；　when　all　other　mothers　are

making　the　same　sacrifice；　but　it　is　hard　to　give　you　up　when　but

yesterday　you　returned　to　us。〃



CHAPTER　XV。　FREDERICKSBURG。



　As　soon　as　breakfast　was　over　Vincent　mounted　Wi1dfire…　which

had　been　sent　back　after　he　had　been　taken　prisoner；　and　rode　into

Richmond。　　There　he　reported　himself　at　headquarters　as　having

returned　after　escaping　from　a　Federal　prison；　and　making　his　way

through　the　lines　of　the　enemy。



〃I　had　my　shoulder…bone　smashed　in　a　fight　with　some　Yankees；〃

he　said；　〃and　was　laid　up　in　hiding　for　six　weeks；　but　have　now

fairly　recovered。　　My　shoulder；　at　times；　gives　me　considerable

pain；　and　although　I　am　desirous　of　returning　to　duty　and　rejoining

my　regiment　until　the　battle　at　Fredericksburg　has　taken　place；　I

must　request　that　three　months'　leave　be　granted　to　me　after　that　to

return　home　and　complete　my　cure；　promising　of　course　to　rejoin

my　regiment　at　once　should　hostilities　break　out　before　the

spring。〃



〃We　saw　the　news　that　you　had　escaped；〃　the　general　said；　〃but

feared；　as　so　long　a　time　elapsed　without　hearing　from　you；　that

you　had　been　shot　in　attempting　to　cross　the　lines。　　Your　request

for　leave　is　of　course　granted；　and　a　note　will　be　made　of　your　zeal

in　thus　rejoining　on　the　very　day　after　your　return。　　The　vacancy　in

the　regiment　has　been　filled　up；　but　I　will　appoint　you　temporarily

to　General　Stuart's　staff；　and　I　shall　have　great　pleasure　in　to…day

filling　up　your　commission　as　captain。　　Now　let　me　hear　how　you

made　your　escape。　　By　the　accounts　published　in　the　Northern

papers　it　seemed　that　you　must　have　had　a　confederate　outside　the

walls。〃



Vincent　gave　a　full　account　of　his　escape　from　prison　and　a　brief

sketch　of　his　subsequent　proceedings；　saying　only　that　he　was　in

the　house　of　some　loyal　people　in　Tennessee；　when　it　was　attacked

by　a　party　of　Yankee　bushwhackers；　that　these　were　beaten　off　in

the　fight；　but　that　he　himself　had　a　pistol　bullet　in　his　shoulder。　　He

then　made　his　way　on　until　compelled　by　his　wound　to　lay　up　for

six　weeks　in　a　lonely　farmhouse　near　Mount　Pleasant；　that

afterward　in　the　disguise　of　a　young　farmer　he　had　made　a　long

detour　across　the　Tennessee　river　and　reached　Georgia。



〃When　do　you　leave　for　the　front；　Captain　Wingfield？〃



〃I　shall　be　ready　to　start　to…night；　sir。〃



〃In　that　case　I　will　trouble　you　to　come　round　here　this　evening。　

There　will　be　a　fast　train　going　through　with　ammunition　for　Lee

at　ten　o'clock；　and　I　shall　have　a　bag　of　despatches　for　him；　which　I

will　trouble　you　to　deliver。　You　will　find　me　here　up　to　the　last

moment。　　I　will　give　orders　that　a　horse…box　be　put　on　to　the　train。〃



After　expressing　his　thanks　Vincent　took　his　leave。　　As　he　left　the

general's　quarters；　a　young　man；　just　alighting　from　his　horse；　gave

a　shout　of　greeting。



〃Why；　Wingfield；　it　is　good　to　see　you！　　I　thought　you　were　pining

again　in　a　Yankee　dungeon；　or　had　got　knocked　on　the　head

crossing　the　lines。　　Where　have　you　sprung　from；　and　when　did

you　arrive？〃



〃I　only　got　in　yesterday　after　sundry　adventures　which　I　will　tell

you　about　presently。　　When　did　you　arrive　from　the　front？〃



〃I　came　down　a　few　days　ago　on　a　week's　leave　on　urgent　family

business；〃　the　young　man　laughed；　〃and　I　am　going　back　again　this

afternoon　by　the　four　o'clock　train。〃



〃Stay　till　ten；〃　Vincent　said；　〃and　we　will　go　back　together。　　There

is　a　special　train　going　through　with　ammunition；　and　as

everything　will　make　way　for　that　it　will　not　be　long　behind

the　four　o'clock；　and　likely　enough　may　pass　it　on　the　way。　　There

is　a　horse…box　attached　to　it；　and　as　I　only　take　one　horse　there　will

be　room　for　yours。〃



〃I　haven't　brought　my　horse　down；〃　Harry　Furniss　said；　〃but　I　will

certainly　go　with　you　by　the　ten　o'clock。　Then　we　can　have　a　long

talk。　　I　don't　think　I　have　seen　you　since　the　day　you　asked　me　to

lend　you　my　boat　two　years　ago。〃



〃Can　you　spare　me　two　hours　now？〃　Vincent　asked。　〃You　will　do

me　a　very　great　favor　if　you　will。〃



Harry　Furniss　looked　at　his　watch。　　〃It　is　eleven　o'clock　now；　we

have　a　lot　of　people　to　lunch　at　half…past　one；　and　I　must　be　back

by　then。〃



〃You　can　manage　that　easy　enough；〃　Vincent　replied；　〃in　two

hours　from　the　time　we　leave　here　you　can　be　at　home。〃



〃I　am　your　man；　then；　Vincent。　　Just　wait　five　minutes　　　I　have　to

see　some　one　in　here。〃



A　few　minutes　later　Harry　Furniss　came　out　again　and　mounted。



〃Now　which　way；　Vincent？　and　what　is　it　you　want　me　for？〃



〃The　way　is　to　Jackson's　place　at　the　Cedars；　the　why　I　will　tell　you

about　as　we　ride。〃



Vincent　then　recounted　his　feud　with　the　Jacksons；　of　which；　up　to

the　date　of　the　purchase　of　Dinah　Morris；　his　friend　was　aware；

having　been　present　at　the　sale。　　He　now　heard　of　the　attack　upon

young　Jackson　by　Tony；　and　of　the　disappearance　of　Dinah　Morris。



〃I　should　not　be　at　all　surprised；　Wingfield；　if　your　surmises　are

correct；　and　that　old　scoundrel　has　carried　off　the　girl　to　avenge

himself　upon　Tony。　　Of　course；　if　you　could　prove　it；　it　would　be　a

very　serious　offense；　for　the　stealing　a　slave；　and　by　force　too；　is　a

crime　with　a　very　heavy　penalty；　and　has　cost　men　their　lives

before　now。　But　I　don't　see　that　you　have　anything　like　a　positive

proof；　however　strong　a　case　of　suspicion　it　may　be。　　I　don't　see

what　you　are　going　to　say　when　you　get　there。〃



〃I　am　going　to　tell　him　that　if　he　does　not　say　what　he　has　done

with　the　girl；　I　will　have　his　son　arrested　for　treachery　as　soon　as

he　sets　foot　in　the　Confederacy　again。〃



〃Treachery！〃　Furniss　said　in　surprise；　〃what　treachery　has　he　been

guilty　of？　　I　saw　that　he　was　one　of　those　who　escaped　with　you；

and　I　rather　wondered　at　the　time　at　you　two　being　mixed　up

together　in　anything。　　I　heard　that　he　had　been　recaptured　through

some　black　fellow　that　had　been　his　slave；　but　I　did　not　read　the

account。　Have　you　got　proof　of　what　you　say？〃



〃Perhaps　no　proof　that　would　hold　in　a　court　of　law；〃　Vincent

replied；　〃but　proof　enough　to　make　it　an　absolute　certainty　to　my

mind。〃



Vincent　then　gave　an　account　of　their　escape；　and　of　the

anonymous　denunciation　of　himself　and　Dan。



〃Now；〃　he　said；　〃no　one　but　Dan　knew　of　the　intended　escape；　no

one　knew　what　clothes　he　had　purchased；　no　one　could　possibly

have　known　that　I　was　to　be　disguised　as　a　preacher　and　Dan　as　my

servant。　　Therefore　the　information　must　have　been　given　by

Jackson。〃



〃I　have　not　the　least　doubt　but　that　the　blackguard　did　give　it；

Wingfield；　but　there　is　no　proof。〃



〃I　consider　that　there　is　a　proof…an　absolute　and　positive　proof；〃

Vincent　asserted；　〃because　no　one　else　could　have　known　it。〃



〃Well；　you　see　that　as　a　matter　of　fact　the　other　officer　did　know　it；

and　might　possibly　have　given　the　information。〃



〃But　why　should　he？　　The　idea　is　absurd。　　He　had　never　had　a

quarrel　with　me；　and　he　owed　his　liberty　to　me。〃



〃Just　so；　Wingfield。　　I　am　as　certain　that　it　was　Jackson　as　you　arc；

because　I　know　the　circumstances；　but　you　see　th