"Well, good-night. I must hurry along, an" git back afore the second relief goes off. All my friends air on it. See yo" ter-morrer, if I kin."

"You jest bet you"ll see me to-morrow," said Shorty grimly, as he heard Groundhog"s mule clatter away. "If you don"t see me the disappointment "ll come nigh breaking my heart. Now I"ll go in and learn Mr. and Mrs.

Hackberry how to spend the first night o" their wedded lives."

"I don"t keer ef yo" do shoot me. I"d a heap ruther be shot than not,"

she was saying to Si as Shorty{241} came up. "I"ve changed my mind sence I"ve bin put in here. I"d a heap ruther die than live with Jeff Hackberry."

"Never knowed married folks to git tired o" one another so soon,"

commented Shorty. "But I should"ve thought that Jeff" d got tired first.

But this it no time to fool around with fambly jars. Look here, Jeff Hackberry, you must make that wife o" yourn keep quiet. If she tries to give another signal we"ll tie you up by the thumbs now, besides shoot you in the mornin"."

"What kin I do with her?" whined Jeff.

"Do with her? You kin make her mind. That"s your duty. You"re the head o" the fambly."

"Head o" the fambly?" groaned Jeff, in mournful sarcasm. "Mister, you don"t seem to be acquainted with "Frony.

"Head o" the fambly," sneered his wife. "He aint the head o" nothin".

Not the head o" a pin. He haint no more head"n a fishworm."

"Look here, woman," said Shorty, "didn"t you promise to love, honor and obey him?"

"No, I didn"t nuther. I said I"d shove, hammer an" belay him. Hit"s none o" yer bizniss, nohow, yo" sneakin" Yankee" what I do to him. You hain"t no call t" mix betwixt him an" me. An" my mouth"s my own. I"ll use hit jest as I please, in spite o" yo" an" him, an" 40 others like yo". Hear that?"

"Well, you git back into that bed, an" stay there, and don"t you dare give another signal, or I"ll buck-and-gag you on your wedding-night."

"Don"t you dar tetch me," she said menacingly.

"I aint goin" to tech you. I"m too careful what I{242} touch. But I"ll tie you to that bed and gag you, if you don"t do as I say. Get back into bed at once."

"I ain"t gwine t", and yo" can"t make me," she said defiantly.

"Take hold of her, Jeff," said Shorty, pulling out his bayonet and giving that worthy a little prod.

Jeff hesitated until Shorty gave him a more earnest prod, when he advanced toward his wife, but, as he attempted to lay his hands on her shoulders, she caught him, gave him a quick twist and a trip, and down he went; but he had clutched her to save himself from falling, and brought her down with him. Shorty caught her elbows and called to Si to bring him a piece of cord, with which he tied her arms. Another piece bound her ankles. She lay on the floor and railed with all the vehemence of her vicious tongue.

"Pick her up and lay her on the bed there," Shorty ordered Jeff. Jeff found some difficulty in lifting the tall, bony frame, but Shorty gave him a little help with the ponderous but agile feet, and the woman was finally gotten on the bed.

"Now, we"ll gag you next, if you make any more trouble," threatened Shorty. "We don"t allow no woman to interfere with military operations."

They had scarcely finished this when the dogs began barking again, and Si and Shorty hurried out. The operations in the house had rather heated them, the evening was warm, and Shorty had taken off his blouse and drawn it up inside of his belt, in the rear.

The noise of the dogs betokened the approach of something more than usual visitors. Through the clamor the boys" quick ears could detect the clatter{243} of an ominous number of hoofs. The other boys heard it, too, and were standing around, gun in hand, waiting developments.

"Hullo, dere, de house!" came in a voice Si and Shorty dimly recognized having heard somewhere before.

"Hullo, yourself," answered Shorty. "Who air yo?"{243}

"I"m Capt. Littles," came back above the noise of barking. "Call off your togs. I"m all righdt. Is it all right up dere?"

"Yes. Lay down. Watch! Git out, Tige!" Shorty started to answer, when he was interrupted by the apparition of Mrs. Bolster-Hackberry flying out of the door, and yelling at the top of her voice:

"No, hit ain"t all right at all. Captain. The Yankees "ve got us. Thar"s a right smart pa.s.sel o" "em here, with we"uns prisoners. Jump "em, if you" kin. If yo" can"t, skeet out an" git enough t" down "em an" git us out."

Si and Shorty recognized that the time for words was pa.s.sed. They s.n.a.t.c.hed up their guns and fired in the direction of the hail. The other boys did the same. There was a patter of replying shots, aimed at the fire around which they had been standing, but had moved away from.

Apparently, Capt. Littles thought the Yankees were in too great force for him to attack, for his horses could be heard moving away. The boys followed them with shots aimed at the sound. Si and Shorty ran down forward a little ways, hoping to get a better sight. The rebels halted, apparently{244} dis mounted, got behind a fence and began firing back at intervals.

Si and Shorty fired from the point they had gained, and drew upon themselves quite a storm of shots.

"Things look bad," said Si to Shorty. "They"ve halted there to hold us while they send for reinforcements. We"d better go back to the boys and get things in shape. Mebbe we"d better send back to camp for help."

"We"ll wait till we find out more about "em," said Shorty, as they moved back. They had to cross the road, upon the white surface of which they stood out in bold contrast and drew some shots which came uncomfortably close.

The other boys, after a severe struggle, had caught Mrs.

Bolster-Hackberry and put her back in the cabin. After a brief consultation, it was decided to hold their ground until daylight. They could get into the cabin, and by using it as a fortification, stand off a big crowd of enemies. The rest of the boys were sent inside to punch out loop-holes between the logs, and make the place as defensible as possible. Si and Shorty were to stay outside and observe.

"I"ve got an idee how to fix that old woman," said Shorty suddenly.

"Buck-and-gag her?" inquired Si.

"No; we"ll go in there and chuck her down that hole where she kept her whisky, and fasten the hasp in the staple."

"Good idee, if the hole will hold her."

"It"s got to hold her. We can"t have her{245} rampaging round during the fight. I"d rather have a whole company o" rebels on my back."

They did not waste any words with the old woman, but despite her yells and protests Si took hold of one shoulder Shorty the other, and forced her down in the pit and closed the puncheon above her.

They went out again to reconnoiter. The enemy was quiet, apparently waiting. Only one shot, fired in the direction of the fire, showed that they were still there.

Shorty suddenly bethought him of his blouse, in the pocket of which was the precious letter. He felt for it. It was gone. He was stunned.

"I remember, now," he said to himself, "it was working out as I ran, and it slipped down as I climbed the fence."

He said aloud:

"Si, I"ve lost my blouse. I dropped it down there jest before we crossed the road. I"m goin" to get it."

"Blast the blouse," said Si; "let it be till mornin". You need something worse"n a blouse to-night. You"ll ketch a bullet sure"s you"re alive if you try to go acrost that road agin. They rake it."

"I don"t care if they do," said Shorty desperately. "I"d go down there if a battery raked it. There"s a letter in the pocket that I must have."

Si instinctively felt for the letter in his own pocket. "Very well," he said, "if you feel as if you must go I"ll go along."

"No, you sha"n"t. You stay here in command; it"s your duty. You can"t help if you do go. I"ll go alone. I"ll tell you what you might do, though. You might go over there to the left and fire on "em, as if{246} we wuz feelin" around that way. That"ll draw some o" their attention."

Si did as suggested.