第67章

But is not your brother here? Your servant called to him.""There is no one here but ourselves," the girl replied."That was a fiction of Chloe's, and it has succeeded sometimes when we have had rough visitors.And now what can I do for you, sir? You said you wanted to buy a loaf of bread, and therefore, I suppose, you are hungry.Chloe, put the bacon and bread on the table, and make some coffee.I am afraid that is all we can do, sir, but such as it is you are heartily welcome to it.""I thank you greatly," Vincent replied, "and will, if you will allow me, take half my breakfast out to my boy who is waiting over there.""Why did you not bring him in?" the girl asked."Of course he will be welcome too.""I did not bring him in before because two men in these days are likely to alarm a lonely household; and I would rather not bring him in now, because, if by any possibility the searchers, who are no doubt after me, should call and ask you whether two men, one a white and the other a negro, had been here, vou could answer no.""But they cannot be troubling much about prisoners," the girl said.

"Why, in the fighting here and in Missouri they have taken many thousands of prisoners, and you have taken still more of them in Virginia; surely they cannot trouble themselves much about one getting away.""I am not afraid of a search of that kind, Vincent said; "but, unfortunately, on my way down I had a row in the train with a ruffian named Mullens, who is, I understand, connected with one of these bands of brigands, and I feel sure that he will hunt me down if he can."The girl turned pale.

"Oh!" she said, "I saw that in the paper too, but it said that it was a minister.And it was you who heat that man and threw his revolver out of the window? Oh, then, you are in danger indeed, sir.He is one of the worst ruffians in the State, and is the leader of the party who stripped this house and threatened to burn it to the ground.

Luckily I was not at home, having gone away to spend the night with a neighbor.His band have committed murders all over the country, hanging up defenseless people on pretense that they were Secessionists.They will show you no mercy if they catch you.""No.I should not expect any great mercy if I fell into their hands, Miss Lucy.I don't know your other name.""My name is Kingston.I ought to have introduced myself to you at once.""Now you understand, Miss Kingston, how anxious I am to get across the river, and that brings me to the question of the information I want you to give me.How far is it from the next bridge on the south, and are there any Federal troops there?""It is about seven miles to the hridge at William sport, we are just halfway between that and the railway bridge at Columbus.Yes, there are certainly troops there-""Then I see no way for it but to make a small raft to carry us across, Miss Kingston.I am a good swimmer, but the river is full and of considerable width; still, I think I can get across.But my boy cannot swim a stroke.""I know where there is a boat hid in the wood near the river," the girl said."It belongs to a neighbor of ours, and when the Yankees seized the boats he had his hauled up and hidden in the woods.He was a Southerner, heart and soul, and thought that he might be able sometimes to take useful information across the river to our people; but a few weeks afterward his house was attacked by one of these bands-it was always said it was that of Mullens-and he was killed defending it to the last.He killed several of the band before he fell, and they were so enraged that after plundering it they set it on fire and fastened the door, and his wife and two maid-servants were burned to death.""I wish instead of throwing his pistol out of the window I had blown his brains out with it," Vincent said; "and I would have done so if I had known what sort of fellow he was.However, as to the boat, can you give me instructions where to find it, and is it light enough for two men to carry?""Not to carry, perhaps, but to push along.It is a light boat he had for pleasure.He had a large one, but that was carried away with the others.I cannot give you directions, but I can lead you to the place.""I should not like you to do that," Vincent said."We might he caught, and your share in the affair might be suspected.""Oh! there is no fear of that," the girl said; "besides, I am not afraid of danger.""I don't think it is right, Miss Kingston, for a young lady like you to be living here alone with an old servant in such times as these.