Frank Before Vicksburg. The Gun-Boat Series

"I could manage them easy enough, sir, if they were here," answered the sergeant; "but, sir, they" —

"If they were here," repeated the colonel, who now began to suspect the truth. "If they were here! Have you allowed them to escape?"

"No, sir, we didn't let them; they went without asking us!"

"A plague on you lazy scoundrels," shouted the colonel, in a rage. "Let loose that blood-hound at once, and pursue them. No; stop! Tell the officer of the day that I want to see him."

The sergeant started off to execute the order; and the colonel, after pulling on his boots, entered the house, where Lieutenant Somers and the people of the plantation were assembled, awaiting breakfast.

"What's the matter, colonel?" inquired the lieutenant. "Any thing wrong?"

"Don't bother me with your foolish questions now," replied the colonel roughly, pacing up and down the floor with angry strides. "It's enough to upset any one's patience. That little Yankee has escaped again."

"Escaped!" repeated all in the room, holding up their hands in astonishment.

"Yes; escaped – gone – mizzled – cleared out," said the colonel, frantically flourishing his arms above his head; "and unless I catch him, which I don't expect to do, I'm short a captain, for he was to have been exchanged for one of my officers."

At this moment the officer of the day entered, and the colonel, turning to him, continued:

"That rascally little Yankee has escaped again. I thought I had him safe this time, but he has succeeded in giving me the slip when I least expected it. That sailor that we captured with him has gone too. Send a squad in pursuit of them at once. Use the blood-hound, but hold him in the leash, and don't injure either of the prisoners if you can avoid it."

The officer bowed, and left the room; and the colonel, after giving orders that the case should be investigated, in order to see who was to blame in allowing the prisoners to escape, mounted his horse, and, accompanied by Lieutenant Somers, set out in pursuit of the squad, which had already started and was following the trail of the fugitives, led by a large blood-hound, which was kept in check by a chain held by one of the men. In a couple of hours they arrived at the place where Frank and the mate had been fired upon by the steamer, and here the trail was lost. After several hours spent in unavailing search, the squad separated, and, for two days, scoured the country every-where, looking in vain for traces of the fugitives.

At the end of that time, the colonel, completely disheartened, collected his forces, and was returning to the plantation, when they were met by a negro, in a great state of excitement, who anxiously inquired for the commanding officer.

"Get away from me, boy," shouted the colonel, impatiently, "and don't bother me now."

"But, sar," persisted the negro, "Massa Thorne done kotched two white gemman, an' be gwine to kill 'em, shore."

"Bill Thorne in this part of the country again!" said the colonel. "He'd better keep clear of me. He and his pack of horse-thieves are more injury to us than a Yankee gun-boat;" and the colonel, without waiting to hear any more, put spurs to his horse, and galloped off.

"These two white men he caught," said Lieutenant Somers, "what were they? Yankees?"

The negro replied in the affirmative, and then proceeded to give a full and complete description of the prisoners, so that the lieutenant knew in a moment that they were Frank and the mate. After questioning him as to the locality where the execution was to take place, he galloped down the road, and soon overtook the colonel, to whom he related the circumstance. The latter at once ordered part of his men to follow him, (directing the others to keep on the trail, so that, in case the negro was misleading them, no time would be lost.) As we have seen, he arrived just in time to save his prisoners; one moment more, and he would have been too late.

The guerrillas were so completely surprised at the approach of the cavalry, and so dismayed at the death of their leader, that they did not think of retreat until it was too late. The Wild-cats had surrounded them, and the sight of half a dozen revolvers leveled at their heads caused them to throw down their weapons and cry for quarter.

CHAPTER VIII

Taking Down the Captain

When Frank's consciousness returned, he found himself lying on the floor of the cabin, where the fight had taken place which resulted in his capture by the guerrillas, his head supported by a dirty blanket, rolled up to serve as a pillow, and the mate sitting on a three-legged chair beside him. Through the open door could be seen a squad of the Wild-cats, lounging under the shade of the trees.Slowly the recollection of the scenes through which he had passed, the sentence he had heard pronounced, the preparations he had seen made for his execution, came to his mind, and he instinctively put his hand to his throat, as if expecting to find it encircled by the fatal rope.

hen Frank's consciousness returned, he found himself lying on the floor of the cabin, where the fight had taken place which resulted in his capture by the guerrillas, his head supported by a dirty blanket, rolled up to serve as a pillow, and the mate sitting on a three-legged chair beside him. Through the open door could be seen a squad of the Wild-cats, lounging under the shade of the trees.

Slowly the recollection of the scenes through which he had passed, the sentence he had heard pronounced, the preparations he had seen made for his execution, came to his mind, and he instinctively put his hand to his throat, as if expecting to find it encircled by the fatal rope.

"Are you on an even keel now, my hearty?" asked the mate.

"Where are the guerrillas, Jack?" asked Frank. "Are we safe?"

"O yes, we're safe from them, but we are still prisoners."

At this moment a shaggy head, nearly covered up with a slouch hat, was thrust in at the door, and a voice inquired:

"Are you all right now, Yank? If you are, come out here, for we must be off."

Frank, although very weak, was able, with the assistance of the mate, to walk out of the cabin, where they found several of the rebels mounted, and waiting for them. They were each given a horse, after which the Wild-cats closed about their prisoners, as if to put all further attempts at escape out of the question, and conducted them down the road at a rapid gallop.

As soon as Frank's ideas had fairly returned, he began to make inquiries in regard to the singular manner in which he and the mate had been rescued, and learned that the men by whom they had been captured were guerrillas, in spite of what they had said to the contrary; that they made war on rebel as well as Union people, and being especially obnoxious to Colonel Harrison – from whom they had stolen several horses – they had been summarily disposed of. At first Frank could scarcely credit the statement that they had been rescued through the agency of the very negro to whom they owed their capture; but, after being assured that such was the case, it occurred to them that their approach had first been discovered by the rebels in the cabin, and that the negro, to save his own life, had acted in obedience to their orders; and then, to make amends for what had at first appeared to be an act of treachery, he had conveyed the news of their capture to Colonel Harrison.

As soon as they had fairly started, the orderly sergeant galloped up beside Frank, and inquired:

"Yank, how did you get out of that cabin that night? Nobody don't seem to know nothing about it."

"I have already told him, sir," said the mate, "that we walked by the sentinel when he was asleep; but he don't believe it."

Frank then proceeded to give an account of the manner in which their escape had been effected, and as it corresponded with the mate's story, the sergeant was compelled to believe it.

"Purty well done," said he. "But, mind you, don't go to tryin' it on agin, 'cause, if you do, it's the colonel's orders that you both go in double irons."

Having delivered this piece of information, the sergeant rode up to the head of the column. The prisoners did not again attempt to escape, for they knew that it would be an impossibility. They were closely watched, not a single movement escaping observation. Wherever they went, two stalwart rebels were at their heels; and when they slept, their guards stood over them with loaded muskets. That same evening they overtook the main body of the regiment, and on the sixth day after their rescue from the guerrillas, they arrived opposite the village of Napoleon, where the exchange was to take place. The Ticonderoga was not there, but two days afterward she made her appearance; and, as soon as she had dropped her anchor, a boat was seen approaching the shore with a flag of truce flying in the bow. The colonel waved his handkerchief in reply. As the boat drew near, Frank saw two men in rebel uniform seated in the stern-sheets, and he knew, from the remarks made by the Wild-cats, that one of them was the officer for whom he was to be exchanged.

As soon as the boat touched the shore, the executive officer sprang out, followed by the two rebels. After a moment's conversation with the colonel, the former advanced toward Frank and the mate, and, after greeting them cordially, exclaimed:

"Come aboard the ship, boys; you belong to Uncle Sam once more."

The mate could scarcely believe that he, too, was exchanged. He had expected nothing less than a long confinement in Vicksburg, or perhaps a march to Shreveport; but, as it happened, the captain of the Ticonderoga had found a rebel soldier on board the flag-ship, and had obtained permission from the admiral to exchange him for the mate.

"Yes, Yanks," said the colonel, "you are at liberty to make yourselves scarce as soon as you choose."

The prisoners lingered only to shake hands with Lieutenant Somers, who had treated them very kindly, and had often found means to procure them many little privileges and comforts, and then ran down the bank and sprang into the boat, which at once pushed from the shore and started toward the Ticonderoga. As Frank came over the side, the officers crowded around him, asking innumerable questions in relation to the treatment he had received while in the hands of the rebels; but he was scarcely allowed time to answer one-half of their inquiries before he was summoned into the presence of the captain.

That gentleman greeted him in the most cordial manner, requesting him to be seated and relate his adventures. Frank gave a minute description of the manner in which he had transacted the business intrusted to him with the flag of truce, his recapture by the Wild-cats, and the circumstances that had led to the retention of the boatswain's mate; recounted the plans he had laid for their escape, their reception by the guerrillas, and, finally, the rescue from a horrible death, to all of which the captain listened attentively. After Frank had finished, the captain said:

"It is, of course, needless to say that I am overjoyed to see you safe on board the ship again, Mr. Nelson, and that you have returned none the worse for your sojourn among the rebels. I am especially glad, because I wish to make you an explanation. You have been misrepresented to me, and I was very hasty in reprimanding you as I did on the day that you behaved so gallantly in the fight at Cypress Bend. It was on account of the report of Mr. Howe, who assumed command of the expedition after the captain had been killed. His report showed that we had been severely whipped; and when I learned what a slaughter there had been of the men I placed under your command, and which I find, upon inquiry, was caused by the ignorance of your superior officer, and not by any fault of your own – I say, when I heard of this, I was so completely disheartened that I scarcely knew what I was about. It was the first time that ever an expedition that I had planned failed, and also the first time in my life that I ever gave the order to retreat; and as I had every reason to hope for success, you can have some idea of how I felt. After you had gone, many facts came to light, of which no mention was made in Mr. Howe's report, and with which I was, of course, unacquainted, and I find that I have done you a great injustice. If ever a man earned a shoulder-strap, you did at that fight. I have, however, sent in your application for a court of inquiry, and have also represented the case to the admiral. As soon as we arrive at the flag-ship, you will report to him, and he will investigate the case."

Frank, as can easily be imagined, listened to this statement with a much lighter heart than when he had received that unjust reprimand. After the captain had finished questioning him in relation to incidents that had transpired during his captivity, he left the cabin, and went forward into the steerage, where he found his mess just sitting down to dinner.

"Well, Frank," exclaimed Keys, as the former entered and took his place at the table, "was the captain glad to see you?"

"Yes, he appeared to be," replied Frank.

"I thought as much. He has been as uneasy as a fish out of water ever since you were captured. He told the executive officer that if there was any thing he had ever done that he regretted, it was that he had given you that blowing up. He said that he had no right to talk to you as he did, and that he would make amends for it at the very first opportunity."

"Did he?" inquired Mr. French, eagerly. "I was certain that the navy regulations state distinctly that the captain of a vessel has no right to reprimand an officer, and that, if he does do it, he can be made to apologize. He once gave me a blowing up, and said that I was of no more account on this ship than an extra boiler; and, if he has apologized to Mr. Nelson, he must do the same by me. I'll go and see him immediately after dinner."

The effect of this speech on the older members of the mess can be easily imagined. They looked at Mr. French for a moment, to see if he was really in earnest, and then burst into a fit of the most uproarious laughter. The idea of forcing the captain of a gun-boat to apologize to one of his subordinate officers for administering a reprimand that he really deserved, was ludicrous in the extreme. Mr. Keys was the only one who could keep a straight face. He, with his ready wit, at once saw that here was a capital chance to satisfy his love of mischief. He dropped his knife and fork, looked first at one, then at another, and, when the noise had subsided, said, quietly: