with lee in virginia-第77章

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〃There　is　no　saying　whether　I　shall　come　back　again。〃



〃I　will　not　say　no　to　your　paying　for　the　chickens　and　eggs；〃　she

said；　〃because　money　is　scarce　enough；　and　I　may　have　long　to

wait　before　my　man　and　the　boys　come　back；　but　as　to　lodging　and

food　I　would　not　touch　a　cent。　You　are　welcome　to　all　I　have　when

it's　for　the　good　cause。〃　Vincent　started　with　the　basket　on　his　arm；

and　after　walking　three　miles　came　upon　the　Federal　camps。



Some　of　the　regiments　were　already　under　canvas；　others　were　still

bivouacked　in　the　open　air；　as　the　store…ships　carrying　the　heavy

baggage　had　not　yet　arrived。　　The　generals　and　their　staffs　had

taken　up　their　quarters　in　the　villages。　　Vincent　had　received

accurate　instructions　from　his　hostess　as　to　the　position　of　the

various　villages；　and　avoided　them　carefully；　for　he　did　not　want　to

sell　out　his　stock　immediately。　　He　had　indeed　stowed　two　of　the

fowls　away　in　his　pocket　so　that　in　case　any　one　insisted　upon

buying　up　all　his　stock　he　could　place　these　in　his　basket　and　still

push　on。



He　avoided　the　camps　as　much　as　he　could。　　He　could　see　the

smoke　rising　in　front　of　him；　and　the　roar　of　guns　was　now　close　at

hand。　　He　saw　on　his　right　an　elevated　piece　of　ground；　from　which

a　good　view　could　be　obtained　of　the　fortifications　upon　which　the

Federals　were　working。　A　camp　had　been　pitched　there；　and　a

large　tent　near　the　summit　showed　that　some　officer　of　superior

rank　had　his　quarters　there。　　He　made　a　detour　so　as　to　come　up　at

the　back　of　the　hill　and　when　he　reached　the　top　he　stood　looking

down　upon　the　line　of　works。



They　were　nearly　half　a　mile　distant。　　The　intervening　ground　had

already　been　stripped　of　its　hedges；　and　the　trees　cut　down　to　form

gabions；　fascines；　and　platforms　for　the　cannon。　　Thousands　of

men　were　at　work；　but　in　some　parts　they　were　clustered　much

more　thickly　than　in　others；　and　Vincent　had　no　difficulty　in

determining　where　the　principal　batteries　were　in　course　of

construction　along　this　portion　of　the　position。　　He　was　still　gazing

intently　when　two　horsemen　rode　up　from　behind。



〃Hallo　you；　sir！　　What　are　you　looking　at？〃　one　of　them　asked

sharply。　　〃What　are　you　spying　about　here？〃



Vincent　turned　slowly　round　with　a　silly　smile　on　his　lips。



〃I　am　spying　all　them　chaps　at　work；〃　he　said。　　〃It　reminds　me　for

all　the　world　of　an　ant…hill。　　Never　did　see　so　many　chaps　before。　

What　be　they　a…doing？　Digging　a　big　drain　or　making　a　roadway；　I

guess。〃



〃Who　are　you；　sir？〃　the　officer　asked　angrily。



〃Seth　Jones　I　be；　and　mother's　sent　me　to　sell　some　fowls　and　eggs。　

Do　you　want　to　buy　any？　Fine　birds　they　be。〃



〃Why；　Sheridan；〃　laughed　the　other　officer；　〃this　is　a　feather　out　of

your　cap。　　I　thought　your　fellows　had　cleared　out　every　hen…roost

within　twenty　miles　of　Petersburg　already。〃



〃I　fancy　they　have　emptied　most　of　them；〃　the　general　said　grimly。　

〃Where　do　you　come　from；　lad？〃



〃I　comes　from　over　there；〃　Vincent　said；　jerking　his　thumb　back。　

〃I　lives　there　with　mother。　　Father　and　the　other　boys　they　have

gone　fighting　Yanks；　but　they　wouldn't　take　me　with　them　'cause　I

ain't　sharp　in　my　wits；　though　I　tells　them　I　could　shoot　a　Yank　as

well　as　they　could　if　they　showed　me。〃



〃And　who　do　you　suppose　all　those　men　are？〃　General　Sheridan

asked；　pointing　toward　the　trenches。



〃I　dunno；〃　Vincent　replied。　　〃I　guess　they　be　niggers。　There　be　too

many　of　them　for　whites；　besides　whites　ain't　such　fools　to　work

like　that。　　Doesn't　ye　want　any　fowl？〃　and　he　drew　back　the　cloth

and　showed　the　contents　of　the　basket。



〃Take　them　as　a　matter　of　curiosity；　general；〃　the　other　officer

laughed。　　〃It　will　be　downright　novelty　to　you　to　buy　chickens。〃



〃What　do　you　want　for　them；　boy？〃



〃Mother　said　as　I　wasn't　to　take　less　nor　a　dollar　apiece。〃



〃Greenbacks；　I　suppose？〃　the　officer　asked。



〃I　suppose　so。　　She　didn't　say　nothing　about　it；　but　I　has　not　seen

aught　but　greenbacks　for　a　long　time　since。〃



〃Come　along；　then；〃　the　officer　said；　〃we　will　take　them。〃



They　rode　up　to　the　large　tent；　and　the　officers　alighted；　and　gave

their　horses　to　two　of　the　soldiers。



〃Give　your　basket　to　this　soldier。〃



〃I　want　the　basket　back　again。　　Mother　would　whop　me　if　I　came

back　without　the　basket　again。〃



〃All　right；〃　the　officer　said；　〃you　shall　have　it　back　in　a　minute。〃



Vincent　stood　looking　anxiously　after　the　orderly。



〃Do　you　think　that　boy　is　as　foolish　as　he　seems？〃　General

Sheridan　asked　his　companion。　　〃He　admits　that　he。　comes　of　a

rebel　family。〃



〃I　don't　think　he　would　have　admitted　that　if　he　hadn't　been　a　fool。　

I　fancy　he　is　a　half…witted　chap。　　They　never　would　have　left　a

fellow　of　his　age　behind。〃



〃No；　I　think　it's　safe；〃　Sheridan　said；　〃but　one　can't　be　too

particular　just　at　present。　　See；　the　trees　in　front　hide　our　work

altogether　from　the　rebels；　and　it　would　be　a　serious　thing　if　they

were　to　find　out　what　we　are　doing。〃



〃That　boy　could　not　tell　them　much　even　if　he　got　there；〃　the　other

said；　〃and　from　this　distance　it　would　need　a　sharp　eye　and　some

military　knowledge　to　make　out　anything　of　what　is　going　on。　

Where　does　your　mother　live；　boy？〃



〃I　ain't　going　to　tell　you；〃　Vincent　said　doggedly　〃Mother　said　I

wasn't　to　tell　no　one　where　I　lived；　else　the　Yankee　thieves　would

be　a…coming　down　and　stealing　the　rest　of　our　chickens。〃



The　officers　laughed。



〃Well；　go　along；　boy；　and　I　should　advise　you　not　to　say　anything

about　Yankee　thieves　another　time；　for　likely　enough　you　will　get

a　broken　head　for　your　pains。〃



Vincent　went　off　grumbling；　and　with　a　slow　and　stumbling　step

made　his　way　over　the　brow　of　the　hill　and　down　through　the

camps　behind。　　Here　he　sold　his　last　two　　fowls　and　his　eggs；　and

then　walked　briskly　on　until　he　reached　the　cottage　from　which　he

had　started。



〃I　am　glad　to　see　you　back；〃　the　woman　said　as　he　entered。　　〃How

have　you　got　on？〃



〃Capitally；〃　he　said。　〃I　pretended　to　be　half　an　idiot；　and　so　got

safely　out；　though　I　fell　into　Sheridan's　hands。　　He　suspected　me　at

first；　but　at　last　he　thought　I　was　what　I　looked…a　fool。　　He　wanted

to　know　where　you　lived；　but　I　wouldn't　tell　him。　　I　told　him　you

told　me　not　to　tell　any　one；　'cause　if　I　did　the　Yankee　thieves

would　be　clearing　out　the　rest　of　the　chickens。〃



〃Did　you　tell　him　that；　now？〃　the　woman　said　in　delight；　〃he　must

have　thought　you　was　a　fool。　　Well；　it's　a　good　thing　the　Yanks

should　hear　the　truth　sometimes。　　Well；　have　you　done　now？〃



〃No；　I　have　only　seen　one　side　of　their　works　yet；　I　must　try　round

the　other　flank　to…morrow。　　I　wish　I　could　get　something　to　sell　that

wouldn't　get　bought　up　by　the　first　people　I　came　to；　something　I

could　peddle　among　the　soldiers。〃



〃What　sort　of　thing？〃



〃Something　in　the　way　of　drinks；　I　should　say；〃　Vincent　said。　　〃I

saw　a　woman　going　among　the　camps。　　She　had　two　tin　cans　and　a

little　mug。　　I　think　she　had　lemonade　or　something　of　that　sort。〃



〃It　wouldn't　be　lemonade；〃　the　woman　said　　　〃I　haven't　seen　a

lemon　for　the　last　two　years；　but　they　do　get　some　oranges　from

Florida。　　Maybe　it　was　that；　or　perhaps　it　was　spirits　and　water。〃



〃Perhaps　it　was；〃　Vincent　agreed；　〃though　I　don't　think　they　would

let　any　one　sell　spirits　in　the　camp。〃



〃I　can't　get　you　any　lemons　or　oranges　neither；〃　the　woman　said；

〃but　I　might　make　you　a　drink　out　of　molasses　and　herbs；　with

some　spirits　in　it。　　I　have　got　a　keg　of　old　rye　buried　away　ever

since　my　man　went　off；　six　months　ago；　I　am　out　of　molasses；　but　I

dare　say　I　can　borrow　some　from　a　neighbor；　and　as　for　herbs　they

are　about　the　only　thing　the　Yankees　haven't　stole。　　I　think　I　could

fix　you　up　something　that　would　do。　　As　long　as　it　has　got　spirits　in

it；　it　don't　much　matter　what　you　put　in　besides；　only　it　wouldn't　do

to　take　spirits　up　alone。　You　can　c