with lee in virginia-第84章

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to　be　noticed　there。〃



〃I　can't　help　you　in　that；〃　the　woman　said；　〃but　there　are　certainly

some　boats　laid　up　along　the　shore。　　Now；　Maria；　who　has　got

boats　that　haven't　been　taken？〃



〃I　expect　the　Johnsons　have　got　one；〃　the　other　woman　replied。　

〃They　had　a　small　boat　the　boys　and　girls　used　to　go　out　fishing　in。　

I　don't　think　the　Yanks　have　got　that。　　I　expect　they　hid　it　away

somewhere；　but　I　don't　know　as　they　would　let　you　have　it。　　She　is

a　close…fisted　woman　is　Sarah　Johnson。〃



〃I　could　pay　her　for　its　value；〃　Vincent　said。



〃Oh；　well；　if　you　could　pay　her　she　would　let　you　have　it。



I　don't　say　she　wouldn't；　anyhow；　seeing　as　you　are　an　officer；　and

the　Yanks　are　after　you。　　Still；　she　is　close　is　Sarah　Johnson；　and　I

don't　know　as　she　is　so　set　on　the　Confederacy　as　most　people。　　I

tell　you　what　I　will　do；　sir。　　I　will　go　down　and　say　as　a　stranger

wants　to　buy　her　boat；　and　no　questions　asked。　　She　is　just　to　show

where　the　boat　is　hidden；　and　you　are　to　pay　for　it　and　take　it　away

when　you　want　it。〃



〃That　would　be　a　very　good　plan；〃　Vincent　said；　〃if　you　wouldn't

mind　the　trouble。〃



〃The　trouble　is　nothing；〃　she　said。　　〃Johnson's　place　ain't　above　a

mile　along　the　shore。〃



〃I　will　go　with　you　until　you　get　close　to　the　house；〃　Vincent　said；

〃then；　when　you　hear　what　she　wants　for　the　boat；　I　will　give　you

the　money　for　it；　and　you　can　show　me　where　it　is　hidden。〃



This　was　accordingly　done。　　Mrs。　Johnson；　after　a　con　sidorable

amount　of　bargaining　with　Vincent's　guide；　agreed　to　take　twenty

dollars　for　the　boat；　and　upon　receiving　the　money　sent　down　one

of　her　boys　with　her　to　show　her　where　it　was　hidden。　　It　was　in　a

hole　that　had　been　scooped　out　in　the　steep　bank　some　ten　foot

above　the　water's　edge；　and　was　completely　hidden　from　the　sight

of　any　one　rowing　past　by　a　small　clump　of　bushes。　When　the　boys

had　returned　to　the　farmhouse　the　woman　took　Vincent　to　the　spot；

and　they　then　went　back　together。



Here　he　and　Tony　had　a　long　talk　as　to　whether　it　would　be　better

to　put　out　at　once　or　to　wait　till　nightfall。　　It　was　finally　determined

that　it　was　best　to　make　an　immediate　start。　　A　boat　rowed　by　two

men　would　attract　little　attention。　　It　might　belong　to　any　of　the

ships　at　anchor　in　the　river；　and　might　be　supposed　to　have　gone　on

shore　to　fetch　eggs　or　chickens；　or　with　a　letter　or　a　message。



〃You　see；　both　shores　are　in　the　hands　of　the　Yankees；〃　Vincent

said；　〃and　there　will　not　be　any　suspicion　of　a　boat　in　the　daytime。　

At　night　we　might　be　hailed；　and　if　we　gave　no　answer　fired　upon；

and　that　night　bring　a　gunboat　along　to　see　what　was　the　matter。　

No；　I　think　it　will　be　far　best　to　go　on　boldly。　　There　are　not　likely

to　be　any　bodies　of　Federal　troops　on　the　opposite　shore　except　at

Fortress　Monroe；　and　perhaps　opposite　the　point　where　they　have

got　their　landing　below　Petersburg。　　Once　ashore　we　shall　be　safe。　

The　peninsula　opposite　is　covered　with　forest　and　swamp；　and　we

shall　have　no　difficulty　in　getting　through　however　many　troops

they　may　have　across　it。　You　know　the　place　pretty　well；　don't　you；

Tony？〃



Tony　nodded。　　〃Once　across；　sah；　all　de　Yank　army　wouldn't　catch

us。　　Me　know　ob　lots　ob　hiding…places。〃



〃Them　broad　hats　will　never　do；〃　the　woman　said；　〃but　I　have　got

some　blue　nightcaps　I　knitted　for　my　husband。　They　are　something

like　the　caps　I　have　soon　some　sailors　wear；　anyhow；　they　will　pass

at　a　distance；　and　when　you　take　your　coats　and　vests　off；　them

colored　flannel　shirts　will　be　just　the　right　thing。〃



〃That　will　do　capitally；　and　the　sooner　we　are　off　the　bettor；〃

Vincent　said；　and　after　heartily　thanking　the　two　women；　and

bestowing　a　present　upon　each　of　the　children；　they　started　along

the　shore。



The　boat　was　soon　got　into　the　water；　the　oars　put　out；　and　they

started。　　The　tide　was　just　low　now；　and　they　agreed　to　pull　along

at　a　short　distance　from　the　shore　until　it　turned。　　As　soon　as　it　did

so　the　vessels　at　anchor　would　be　getting　up　sail　to　make　up　to　the

landing…place；　and　even　had　any　one　on　board　noticed　the　boat　put

out；　and　had　been　watching　it；　they　would　have　other　things　to

think　about。



〃It　is　some　time　since　we　last　rowed　in　a　boat　together；　Tony。〃



〃About　three　years；　sah；　dat　time　when　you　got　me　safe　away。　　I

had　a　bad　fright　dat　day　you　left　me；　sah。　　It　came　on　to　blow　bery

hard；　and　some　oh　de　men　told　me　dat　dey　did　not　tink　you　would

ever　get　back　to　shore。　Dat　made　me　awful　bad；　sah；　and　me　wish

ober　and　ober　again　dat　me　hab　died　in　de　forest　instead　oh　your

taking　me　off　in　a　boat　and　trowing　away　your　life。　　I　neber　felt

happy　again；　sah；　till　I　got　your　letter　up　in　Canady；　and　knew　you

had　got　back　safe　dat　day。〃



〃We　had　a　narrow　squeak　of　it；　Tony；　and　were　blown　some

distance　up。　　We　were　nearly　swamped　a　score　of　times；　and　Dan

quite　made　up　his　mind　that　it　was　all　up　with　us。　　However；　we

got　through　safe；　and　I　don't　think　a　soul；　except　perhaps　Jackson

and　that　rascally　overseer　of　ours；　who　afterward　had　a　hand　in

carrying　off　your　wife；　and　lost　his　life　in　consequence；　ever　had　a

suspicion　we　had　been　doing　more　than　a　long　fishing　expedition。　I

will　tell　you　all　about　it　when　we　are　going　through　the　woods。　

Now　I　think　it's　pretty　nearly　dead　water；　and　we　will　begin　to　edge

across。〃



CHAPTER　XX。　THE　END　OF　THE　STRUGGLE。



VINCENT　directed　his　course　so　that　while　the　boat's　head　was

still　pointing　up　the　stream；　and　she　was　apparently　moving　in　the

same　direction　as　the　ships；　she　was　gradua＇ly　getting　out　to　the

middle　of　the　river。　　Had　he　tried　to　row　straight　across　suspicion

might　at　once　have　been　excited。　　In　half　an　hour　they　were　in　the

middle　of　the　stream。　　A　vessel　passing　under　full　sail　swept　along

at　a　distance　of　a　hundred　yards；　and　they　were　hailed。　Vincent

merely　waved　his　hand　and　continued　his　course。



〃I　dare　say　those　fellows　wonder　what　we　are　up　to；　Tony；　but　they

are　not　likely　to　stop　to　inquire。　　In　another　quarter　of　an　hour　we

shall　be　pretty　safe。　　Ah！　there's　a　fellow　who　might　interfere　with

us；〃　he　added　looking　round。　　〃Do　you　see　that　little　black　thing

two　miles　ahead　of　us？　that's　a　steam　launch。　　If　she　sees　us

making　over　she's　likely　enough　to　come　and　ask　us　some

questions。　　We　had　better　head　a　little　more　toward　the　shore　now。　

If　it　comes　to　a　race　every　foot　is　of　importance



Up　to　now　they　had　been　rowing　in　an　easy　and　leisurely　manner；

avoiding　all　appearance　of　haste。　　They　now　bent　to　their　oars；　and

the　boat　began　to　travel　a　good　deal　faster　through　the　water。　

Vincent　glanced　over　his　shoulder　frequently　at　the　steam　launch。



〃She　is　keeping　straight　on　in　the　middle　of　the　channel；　Tony；

evidently　she　hasn't　noticed　us　yet。〃



Ten　minutes　after　passing　the　ship　he　exclaimed　sharply：



〃Row；　Tony；　as　hard　as　you　can；　the　launch　has　just　passed　that

ship；　and　has　changed　her　course。　　I　expect　the　captain　has　called

their　attention　to　us。　　It's　a　race　now。〃



The　boat；　at　the　moment　the　launch　changed　her　course；　was　rather

more　than　halfway　between　the　center　of　the　channel　and　the

shore。　　The　launch　was　in　the　center　of　the　channel；　and

three…quarters　of　a　mile　higher　up。　　She　had　evidently　put　on　steam

as　she　started　to　cut　off　the　boat；　for　there　was　now　a　white　wave　at

her　bow。



〃I　think　we　shall　do　it；　Tony；〃　Vincent　said。　　〃I　don't　suppose　she

can　go　above　eight　miles　an　hour　and　we　are　certainly　going　four；

and　she　has　more　than　twice　as　far　to　travel　as　we　have。〃



Those　on　board　the　launch　were　evidently　conscious　that　they　were

likely　to　lose　the　race；　for　in　a　few　minutes　they　began　to　open　fire

with　their　rifles。



〃Fire　away；〃　Vincent　said。　　〃You　ain't　likely　to　hit　us　a　thousand

yards　off；　and　we　haven't　another　three　hundred　to　row。〃



The　bullets　whistled　overhead；　but　none　of　them　struck　the