A Lieutenant at Eighteen Part 37

shouted Cuffy, as soon as he could collect breath enough to speak.

"What are they, Cuffy?" demanded Warren.

"Sodjers! Mars'r Warren."

"Of course they are soldiers; but on which side do they belong?"

"Dressed in blue, Mars'r Warren. Mus' be Union."

"The force must be one, or both, of your companies, Lieutenant," added Warren. "I heard something said about sending them on a reconnoissance when Captain Woodbine dismissed the riflemen. Where is the company now, Cuffy?"

"Dey done halt behind dat hill, and send two men to de top ob it,"

replied the ferryman, who was quite cool by this time.

"Here comes the governor; and he will be glad to hear Cuffy's news,"

added the chief of artillery. "We shall be able to drive the brigands off now."

"Drive them off!" exclaimed Deck. "I hope we shall be able to do something better than that."

"What better than that can we do?" asked Warren.

"Do you want to put them in condition to raid the next plantation, and hang the owner if he won't give up his money by to-morrow?"

Colonel Hickman came into the fort, and his son promptly gave him the welcome news. He added that Lieutenant Lyon had some views of his own in regard to the situation, and did not believe in simply driving the enemy away.

"I should be glad to hear your views, Lieutenant," said the planter, turning to the young officer.

"Of course the major or captain in command of the cavalry does not know the country in this vicinity, though Cuffy says men have been sent to the top of the hill to obtain information," said Deck. "But they can see nothing, for there is another and higher hill between them and the enemy. With your permission, Sergeant Fronklyn and myself will join our company if they are in the road. Perhaps the entire squadron is there."

"What is your plan, Lieutenant?" asked the colonel, a little impatient in his manner.

"We ought to capture every one of that gang; and it can be easily done."

"How?"

"I don't know who is in command of the force; but I should suggest to him to send half of his command to a position under cover of the hill nearest to the road, and the other half around the north end of the same hill," replied Deck earnestly. "We shall have them between the jaws of a vise then!"

"Excellent, Lieutenant!" exclaimed the colonel. "The coming of this force is a G.o.dsend to us. You and the sergeant can go at once; but you must both have better horses than those old stags the runaways left."

The planter selected two of his best animals for them; and they galloped across the field to the road. As they approached the Riverlawns they were recognized, and a hearty cheer welcomed them.

CHAPTER x.x.xII

DECK LYON'S PLAN OF BATTLE

Lieutenant Lyon soon ascertained that the force in the road included the two companies of the squadron. The cheers of those who were on the right of the column brought Major Lyon and Captain Woodbine to the front; and as soon as they learned the cause of the cheering they rode forward to meet the returning wanderers.

"I am glad to see you again, Dexter," said the major, as he extended his hand to his son.

"I am just as glad to see you, father," replied Deck, returning the hearty pressure of the hand.

Sergeant Fronklyn was greeted in the same manner, and heartily welcomed by the commander of the battalion. The staff-officer had halted a couple of rods behind the major, to permit the father and son to meet without being observed.

"You come back as from the grave, or a Confederate prison," said the major, still holding the hand of his son, and betraying more emotion than he was in the habit of manifesting.

"I have been neither in a grave nor a prison," answered the lieutenant very cheerfully.

"We concluded that you had been either killed or captured; and I am rejoiced to see you again alive and apparently well."

"I am as well as I ever was in my life; but we must not stop to talk now, father, for the services of your command are greatly needed in this vicinity," said Deck.

"Where?" demanded the major, releasing his son's hand, and beckoning to the staff-officer, who immediately rode to the spot.

"I am very glad to see you again, Lieutenant Lyon," said Captain Woodbine, grasping the hand of the young officer. "We feared that you were a prisoner, or that something worse had happened to you."

"But Dexter tells me that my force is needed here, Captain Woodbine,"

interposed the major; "and we must hear his story at some other time.

Where are we needed, my son?"

"On a hill a mile from here is the mansion of Colonel Hickman," replied Deck, pointing in the direction of the house. "Part of a gang of guerillas have been in possession of it all the morning, and threatened to hang the owner if he did not give up his money."

"It is the old story," added the major.

"But we have shot all but one or two who were in the mansion; and the rest of the gang, twenty-four of them the servants say, are now approaching the hill," continued Deck.

"Then we will not remain here another moment. I sent Knox and Sluder to the top of the nearest hill to make an observation," said the major.

"They cannot see the ruffians, for there is another hill that conceals them," Deck interposed. "I know the lay of the land here, and if you will allow me to give advice which is not asked for I will do so."

"Certainly!" exclaimed the staff-officer, who was the superior of the major. "State your plan at once, Lieutenant."

"By this time Captain Grundy, the leader of the gang, has joined his force. They are advancing by a private road from Millersville," Deck explained. "Colonel Hickman has two field-pieces behind a breastwork, and a few riflemen; and he is ready to give the ruffians a warm reception, though the enemy are four to his one. My advice is that the second company march towards the mansion, with Sergeant Fronklyn as guide, and halt under cover of the hill nearest to the private road.

Let the first company march in the opposite direction, with me as guide, and halt behind another hill near the private road."

"Very good!" exclaimed the major. "That is all clear enough; and the plan is to put the enemy between the jaws of a vise."

"That is just what I said to Colonel Hickman when I explained the plan to him," added Deck.

The major led the way up to the main body of the troopers. While the commander was giving his orders to the two captains of the companies, the two sergeants returned from the hill, and reported that nothing was to be seen in any direction, for the view was obstructed by other hills. When Knox had made his report he happened to see Deck. He rushed upon him, grasped him in his arms, and lifted him from the ground as though he had been a baby, hugging him in a transport of rapture, to the great amus.e.m.e.nt of officers and soldiers.

"I was afeared you had gone where you couldn't hear the bugle-call, littl' un, and I bless the Lord with all my might that you ain't food for the worms or the crows," said the big Kentuckian fervently. "You oughtn't to gone off without me; but I reckon"--

"That will do for now, Sergeant Knox!" shouted Captain Gordon. "We have no time for long stories. Attention--company!"

As Deck rode to his place at the head of the second platoon, Captain Gordon and Lieutenant Belthorpe grasped his hand, and spoke a word of welcome to him. The men in the ranks greeted him with pleasant words.