CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND GIVEN IN 1891 BY HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE PS 2194.C2"l89f ">' """'^ liiiiimi^irRfiSi,?,.,,?* Company K. 3 1924 022 162 238 Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924022162238 '* Detroit Free-Press" Competition, First-Prize Story. THK* Captain of Company K BY JOSEPH KIRKLAND, Late Major and A.-D.-C, U.-S. Volunteers. PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY HUGH CAPPER. CHICAGO; DONOHUE, HENNEBERRY & CO. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1891, by Joseph Kirkland, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. DONOHUE & HENNEBERRY. PRINTER|S |AN|p ,Bf Jsfi;)ERS, CHICAGp., To THE SURVIVING MEN OF THE FIRING LINE, THE Men who could See the Enemy in Front of Them WITH THE Naked Eye while they would have needed A Field-Glass to see the History- Makers Behind Them, this Story is Humbly AND Affectionately Dedicated. FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS. "Is THIS Really your Tent?" 3c "Tear— Cartridge!" 71 Mark Leaned Forward, 8j The Great Doors were Wide Open, - - - 131 "AuLD Colin 'll see ye Through," - - - 165 "My Remarks are not Drifting, Colonel," - 207 "My! Aint She Peaches?" ^ . . - - 253 "For God's Sweet Sake, Don't Leave Me!" - 275 "Send 'em Your Cards and then Get Down," 289 Mark Arrived, - ... 33^ WiLL.'s Cry burst on the Still Air, ... 343 CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. How THE Captain came to be Captain, - - . 9. CHAPTER II. Poor Sally! .... ... 20 CHAPTER III. Father and Sally visit Camp, - - - 28 CHAPTER IV. The Tompion, 42 CHAPTER V. The Meeting, 51 CHAPTER VI. Forward, March! . - - - 67 CHAPTER VII. The Skirmish, . - -. 81 CHAPTER VIII. The Flag of Truce, - .... gg CHAPTER IX. Bursting Shells, 113 CHAPTER X. Honor AND Oblivion, - .... 122 CHAPTER XL Chicago Again, - --..138 CHAPTER XII, Achilles Hectored, . . . - 152 CHAPTER XIII. "Will. Fargeon, You're A Goose!" .... - 163 7 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIV. Boat, Bivouac, and Breakfast, - - • - 176 CHAPTER XV. The Affair on the Right, 188 CHAPTER XVI. Grant to the Rescue, - - - 199 CHAPTER XVII. The Forlorn Hope, - - - - - 211 CHAPTER XVIII. What Mac's Field -Glass showed, - - 225 CHAPTER XIX. The Lady Burden - Sharers, 235 CHAPTER XX. Hard Lines in Pleasant Places, - - - - 248 CHAPTER XXI. Forward to Shiloh, - - 257 CHAPTER XXII. The Sixth at the Battle of Shiloh, ... 268 CHAPTER XXIII. Battle, Murder, and Sudden Death, - - -280 CHAPTER XXIV. O, Where is Mac? - - - - - 295 CHAPTER XXV. Now FOR A Cork Leg, - - - 308 CHAPTER XXVI. The Fortunes of War, .... ^22 CHAPTER XXVII. Advance, Friend, and Give Countersign! . j^e THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. CHAPTER I. HOW THE CAPTAIN CAME TO BE CAPTAIN, [H, Mr. Fargeon! why are men so foolish?" Her voice suggested weariness of some old subject, perhaps a suit long urged by him and de- nied by her. Her slender hand lay more heavily on his arm; and (as he saw by the gaslight they were passing) her upturned face was brightened by a smile that shone through its habitual seri- ousness like a star through rifted clouds. The face looked sweet and grave and perfect — almost saintly, surrounded as it was by a halo of snowy knitted woolen fabric worn to keep out the evening air. " Why are men so foolish? " "Because women are so fair, I suppose, Miss Penrose. " "I'd be willing to stop being — fair, if you choose to call me so — if it would persuade you to stop being foolish about me." "Perhaps I might never have begun being foolish — if 9 10 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. you choose to call me so — if you had never begun being fair; but now it would make no difference even if you were suddenly to begin looking like other women, instead of like a new-born angel, as you do this minute. " "Some day, if I live, my hair will be gray — " "That will be becoming." "And my face pale and thin and wrinkled; my shoul- ders bent, my hearing dull, and my steps tottering. Will all that be becoming, too?" "Yes; lovely, if it is still ^y^^." "I can already see where the lines will run in my face. Now — when we come to that gaslight — look!" [She raised her beautiful level brows and wrinkled her pretty fore- head.] "And my hands — see." [She slipped off the mitten that covered her left hand and compressed the back with her right until it took on a little of the corrugation of age.]' "How about the dimple?" [Dimple, on hearing its name called, promptly made its appearance in its accus- tomed haunt, Sara's left cheek.] "Oh, the dimple will turn into a wrinkle then." "What sacrilege! But I don't believe old Time him- self could dim the light of those eyes!" "Then I will put on green goggles, for I just long for the time when looks will be off my mind! Now, let's change the tiresome old subject. Isn't the lake air ex- hilarating?" They were walking briskly northward on the "long plank walk" which in those days (1861) separated the eastern front of Chicago from Lake Michigan. The ice was break- ing up, but not gone, and they could hear the sullen moan of floe-burthened waves beating on the breakwater, while all was blackness out there and overhead, except where HOW THE CAPTAIN CAME TO BE CAPTAIN. II some low- lying spring snow-clouds were silvered on their under side by the reflection of the city lights. "Yes, it is bracing. I hope it willbrace up the boys to enlist." "How goes on the good work?" she asked. "Oh, it seems as if the first regiments that went off had taken all the available men. Now we're trying to raise thi? one in our own line of trade. To-day I got almost a hundred firms to sign a paper promising to continue the wages of any of their employes sufficiently to make army pay as good as their present pay." "You are certainly doing your full duty." "I do my level best. But what do you think! To-day JJncle Thorburn asked me why I didn't go myself!" Both laughed at this suggestion. William Fargeon, merchant, philanthropist, Sunday-school superintendent, temperance orator — with hands white, linen spotless, and well-brushed hair growing thin in front — a soldier! "What did you answer?" "Oh, I told him my forefathers were non-resistant New Testament Christians, and I had been so long taught to turn the other cheek I didn't believe I could fight a flock of new-hatched wiggle-tail snipe." "Of course you can do more good to your country than that would amount to! This meeting at the Wigwam to-night is of your getting up, isn't it?" "Your father's and mine; but your father's speech will be the great card. Won't it, Mr. Penrose?" He said the last words looking over his shoulder, but the quick-pulsed younger folks had outwalked the min- ister and his wife, and the latter were out of hearing. "Never mind," said Sara, "we all have places on the platform. But who could imagine you a soldier! ' 12 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. "There' s not a soldierly hair in my head — and not too many of any kind." The vast plain auditorium of the Wigwam (where Lincoln had been nominated for the presidency less than a year before) was cloudy with dust and echoing with noise. And such a throng! Lydia Penrose (Sara's younger sister) afterward averred that she was so crowded that she hadn't room to stick her tongue out; but this was perhaps hyperbole. Her youthful brother expressed the view that it must be a pretty all-fired crowd that could make Bunny hold her tongue, whereupon she obtruded that member at him in a manner indicating scorn. Flags, music, speeches, thunders of applause — it seemed as if the Union must be almost saved already. Fargeon made the best speech of the evening. Wit, humor, invective, patriotism, poetry — all were at his com- mand, and at every pause a fresh cloud of dust arose from the stamping and was blown abroad by the waving of hats and handkerchiefs. On long tables in front of the platform were offered eleven subscription papers; ten for signatures of volun- teers for companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and K, and one pledging money for expenses, care of soldiers' families, etc. How the latter filled up sheet after sheet, and how the other ten — did not! When the meeting adjourned, one company, K, had only eleven names on its paper. A committee was appointed to keep the Wigwam open and the papers accessible through the week. On joining the Penroses, as usual, Fargeon found Mr. Thorburn — "Uncle Colin" — with them. He was a canny HOW THE CAPTAIN CAME TO BE CAPTAIN. 1 3 Scot — shrewd, blunt, outspoken; a merry twinkle in his eyes and a sharp tongue in his mouth. He was a favorite with them all, and he walked home with the party. All spoke well of Fargeon's efforts, Sally being especially ready with approving words — all, that is to say, except old Thorburn. H^ preserved an ominous silence until he and Fargeon were alone together. "Willum, ma lad," said he in his rich Scottish burr, which, by the way, he intensified purposely or suppressed entirely, according to circumstances, " I mak na doot ye will be cockerin' up yersel' wi' the thought ye' re put- tin' in yer vera best stroaks for this gre't cause." "Can you tell me how to do better. Uncle Colin?" "Aweel, if all did as weel as ye, dinna ye think Sumter' d be takken back in a wee bit?" "Oh, I don't complain of what others are doing or not doing. " "Noo, Willum, listen to me whilst I tell ye what'd be th' upshot if th' entire north wad rise oop and folly in your footsteps." "Oh, don't give me too much credit — " "Bide a wee, bide a wee, ma lad, until ye hear what kind o' creedit I'm a-gettin' at. Mayhap it'll no mak ye ower prood. Here it's. If a' were like William Far- geon, Esquire, evera last Yankee of ye all wad be seekin' aboot to find some ither mon t' gang doon Sooth an' do his fightin' for him." They walked on in silence. When their ways parted Thorburn said: "Aweel, ma laddie; all I've got to say til ye is just — good-night!" Will had one of his old wakeful nights. For the first time he began to appreciate what was the 14 THE cifPTAIN OF COMPANY K. kind of feast to which he was inviting his fellow-citizens — what a wrench of heart and soul and body and mind it is for an ordinary man to^say, "I will go to war. I will bid good-bye to all that I love, all my dear hopes of fort- une, my ease, my comfort, my safety of life and limb, and go forth to stand uP before the armed enemy in bat- tle." Next morning he walked abroad, breasted the sweet spring sunlight — lovely, familiar, natural, unwarlike — and, with face pale and set, went straight to the Wig- wam. The twelfth name on the list of Company K was: [So used he was to signing the firm name that he did it unconsciously, and had to erase the closing part.] What a buzz went up and down Lake street as the news spread! Company K had its 100 names before noon, and the regiment its 1,000 before night. The meeting which had been adjourned for a week had to be called for that very evening. The body of the hall was reserved for the enlisted men, the place of each company being designated by a little guidon. The ball was started and was gather^ ing strength. The great building could not hold the spectators, and the welkin could scarce contain the cheers as those solid ranks of the ten companies showed themselves in their respective places. After the band had played the "Star Spangled Banner," Mr. Penrose opened the meeting with prayer, as usual, and followed with a speech of high and fervid eloquence. He held his audi- HOW THE CAPTAIN CAME TO BE CAPTAIN. 1 5 ence spell-bound while he spoke, and even for a minute of silence after he closed, and then came a storm of cheers, with waving of hats and handkerchiefs, that only ceased when he again arose and asked a hearing. "This platform is short one man — its best man — the man but for whom we should not be here to-night. May I ask Mr. William Fargeon to—" But what he wanted'Will to do could only be guessed. The cheers were wilder and more persistent than ever, and cries of "Fargeon!" rent the air. At last Will arose and the tumult died down, only to break out again and again until it ceased froni sheer exhaustion. "Mr. Chairman, I am in the ranks, where I belong. I shall have to leave to some one else the work to be done outside of them." As he resumed his seat he knew, by inward conscious- ness as well as by public demonstrations, that he had made the best speech of his life. Already it sounded terse and soldierly. Already he was a man of deeds, not words. Yet his heart was troubled. The meeting adjourned, and again he found the Pen- roses awaiting him. He only got to them after his arm was stiff with hand-shaking; but they were very patient. All had hearty words for him — Sally not quite so fluent and clear-spoken as usual; but then her eyes had taken on what seemed a new and different shape and expres- sion from that he had been accustomed to in the years he had known and loved her in vain. They looked at his a little longer, and wistfully, as if studying something they had never found in his face before. Her mobile lips, too, seemed slightly changed and quivering, and her sweet face was paler than its wont. 1 6 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. I "You'll walk with us, Mr. Fargeon, won't you?" asked Mrs. Penrose. "Sorry I can't. Not my own master any more, you know. An enlisted man now! Company K meets in a few minutes to ballot for company officers." "Oh, indeed! So late? Well, if you must, you must. Good-night, then. Come and see us soon." "Good-night — and good-bye! " "What! " cried Sally. "We shall take the cars for Cairo to-morrow night, and I have not hours enough to do justice to my company and my creditors — not a minute for myself." Sara placed herself directly in front of him. "You can't go — like that." "That is what war means. " "I wish to see you before you go." "I have but twenty-four hours in which to do a thou- sand things." "One hour for me leaves twenty-three for the rest." He tried to smile, and gently, slowly shook his head. With a stubbornness in keeping with his new part he re- solved not to see Sally again. Away from her spell he could trust himself; but suppose he should see her and — break down! "I wish to see you before you go." The young beauty spoke with assurance, as to a sub- ject to whom her "wish" had long been law. But at this moment a voice called loudly: "William Fargeon' s ballot for captain of Company K is called for." So he tore himself away and plunged into the work. Already he had missed his chance to do what he had in- tended — work with might and main for the election to HOW THE CAPTAIN CAME TO BE CAPTAIN. 1 7 the captaincy of one McClintock, a man who had learned real soldiering by good service in the Mexican war. But the ballot was complete when he polled his vote — Far- geon, 99; McClintock, i ! In vain did he protest against such action— decline the place— insist on another ballot ; his voice was drowned in a storm of "ayes"' to a motion to proceed to ballot for first lieutenant. McClintock was elected, and the roster of the company was soon com- p4ete. He thought, as he got up next morning — it could hard- ly be called waking, so broken had been his slumber — that he was going to have hard work to keep his resolu- tion to see his.lady-love no more; but he was so over- whelmed with work of all kinds that there came no mo- ment when he had deliberately to deny himself the tempt- ing joy. Some far-seeing authority had requested that all offi- cers should provide themselves with uniforms before starting, so that at least a semblance of order and disci- pline might be maintained during the journey and on the arrival at Cairo. Fargeon was, of course, one of those whose energy and resources made it possible to comply with the instruction. Poor Sally ! She could not at all believe that, even after all her coldness, her bitter-sweet sisterliness, he would have the heart to leave her so. While he was working, she was waiting, waiting, starting at every sound that seemed to indicate the approach of her dear and splendid friend — her faithful lover through such long discouragement — now her soldier hero! "Going to war! Going to be killed in battle! I am afraid he never would run away — even if great big can- nons should be pointed directly at him and fired off — all 1 8 IHE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. covered with bIo;''d — nobody to take care of him — in all the noise and under the feet of the horses." Then she cried in pity of him and of herself. After the early parsonage breakfast came the hours of waiting, waiting, that seemed an age to her disordered fancy. At last she burst into her father's study. "Father, what are you thinking of?" "Of my discourse for the Sabbath, of course; what do you suppose, at this time, Thursday?" Then, after a glance at her face: "Why, Sara! What is the matter?" "Oh, father! " She burst into tears and kneeled down with her hands on his knee. "How can you — at such a time as this?" "How can I write my sermon? Is the girl mad? What do you mean, my daughter?" "I mean just that! How can you sit writing sermons when our friends are going to war?" "But, my dear, is not such a moment the very time when our thoughts should turn to the God of battles?" "Oh, father! don't write and talk.' Do, do something!" "Well, well, my love. There, there now — don't cry so. Stop, I say* stop at once — and tell me what you would have me do. " "Oh, put on your hat and go out like other men. Oh, I wish I were a man; I wouldn't be writing, writ- ing on such a day as this." "Sara, my poor Sally, I forgive you, and I hope God will forgive you for putting other interests before His, even in these days. Will you pray to Him to do so?" "Oh, father, I can't stop to pray now — or to argue. Was that a ring at our door-bell? No, it's only the milk! Oh, he is never coming! Dear father, do one thing for your poor Sally now, won't you?" HOW THE CAPTAIN CAME TO BE CAPTAIN.' 1 9 "What is it, daughter?" "Just go to .wherever Mr. Fargeon is and offer to do whatever he is doing, so he can come and see me — just for a few minutes. Ma/iehim come! — just for a few minutes." "There, there; get up, my daughter; I will do as you desire. My sermon I can — " "Now it's twelve o'clock. Do you think he'll be here by half -past?" "How can I tell, dear?" "Well, then, one o'clock. He must dine somewhere, why not here? If he can't come before one o'clock you'll come back and tell me just when he can come, won't you, father? Promise me, now! You'll have to come home to dinner, you know." The dear old parson was a man whose careful walk, list- ening look, benevolent smile behind gold-rimmed glasses, cordial recognition even of persons he couldn't ^m'fe re- member, proclaimed him one of those saints on earth, more careful of the rights and feelings of others than of their own. He gave his beloved first-born daughter — ap- ple of his eye — the required promise and walked forth, as it seemed to poor Sally, with slower steps than ever. She told herself at once that half-past twelve was im- possible, but she watched the clock as that hour went by. Then she tried to school herself into expecting her father instead of her soldier at dinner; but neither ap- peared at one, at two, or at three — it is five o'clock, and the pastor's dinner has been keptwarzn for him until it is almost dried up, when she hears a quick, firm young step on the plank sidewalk. It stops at the gate, it ascends the porch and echoes through the hall; the parlor door opens and her father enters, alone. CHAPTER II. POOR sally! "HERE is Mr. Fargeon?" "I'm just going to tell j'ou, Sally. Is my dinner saved? Let me have it at once, for I find myself famishing." All bustled about to do their service to the reverend head of the house. "Father, now tell me — " "Yes, yes, my daughter. Oh, how good this tea tastes! But to resume" (talking with his eyes full of fire, his mouth of food, and his voice of excite- ment); "1 found Capt. Fargeon at head- quarters, where it had just been de- cided what the men were to take along. He was very glad to see me and said I was the very man he needed; said I must go out at once and buy 20 camp kettles, 200 tin coffee-cups, 200 tin plates, 100 sets of knives, forks, and iron spoons, 10 axes with helves, 10 balls of strong twine, 100 double blankets — dear me, what did I do with my list?" "Then what did he say about coming here?" "Please wait, Sally, until I have finished," he pro- ceeded, dividing his time with much impartiality be- 20 POOR sally! 21 tween eating, drinking, and talking. Poor Sara clasped and unclasped her hands with trembling eagerness. One might observe that she was a right-hander — that the right thumb was always clasped over the left — so she was born to be ruler in her household; but who can rule the loquacity of excited self-satisfaction? As one of his con- gregation once remarked, "Brother Penrose is a very fluid speaker. " "Well, I started out, list in hand. Oh, what could I have done with that list? " [He paused to probe a myriad of pockets in vain. J "Never mind; I went first to Brother Bangs. Said I, 'Brother Bangs, I want 20 camp kettles, 200 tin coffee-cups, 200 tin plates-^'" "Yes, yes, father, we know what you wanted." " ' — 100 sets of forks, knives, and spoons; 10 axes with helves, 10 balls of strong twine' — where can that list be? I believe that was all in Brother Bangs' line." "Then did you — " "One moment. Said Brother Bangs, 'Brother Penrose, are those articles for Company K?' 'They are Brother Bangs,' said I; 'how much will they come to at whole- sale prices?' Said he, 'That is none of your business. Brother Penrose.' Said I, 'Brother Bangs, I never de- parted from you empty-handed, and I do not intend to do so now, though I know you are a Democrat.' Said he, 'Brother Penrose, I shall demand full value for each of those articles.'" "What! Bangs, who goes to our church?" cried Mrs. Penrose. "Did he speak so, knowing it was for Mr. Far- geon's company?" "He did, indeed, wife, greatly to my surprise. But mark what followed: He gave the order to one of his clerks, saying, 'Send those things up to headquarters of 22 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. Company K at once.' Then turning to me he added, 'Now, Brother Penrose, you are going to give me full value for those things, as I said, and that's just one penful of ink, and I'll furnish the pen and ink. You sign William Fargeon's name to that receipt, per Penrose, and the account is square.'" A silence fell upon the group, and some eyes filled with grateful tears. Just as Sara was thinking she might safely recur to the matter nearest her heart, her father began detailing his further experiences. "I wonder what I did with that list." [Further frantic self-searching, as for some ubiquitous but evasive insect.] "But to resume; everywhere was the same thing. 'Is it for the volunteers? Then tell us what they want — that's all we ask.' And I walked those streets until I had pro- vided every single thing that was needed." He beamed through his glasses on all about him (still refreshing ex- hausted nature), as if to say, "I am a humble instrument in the hands of a wise Providence for the maintenance of our Union — but I wonder what 1 could have done with my list !" "Father! Tell me this minute what Will Fargeon said about coming to see me! " "Why, daughter— in good sooth — I don't think I said a word to him on the subject." All adjourned to the sitting-room except the mother and elder daughter, who cleared the table and pre- pared it for tea and, as usual, friends dropped in and ad- ditional places had to be set at the hospitably elastic parsonage board. At each new arrival Sara glanced anx- iously into the hall, but no sign of Will Fargeon glad- dened her eyes. She could hear his name mentioned in POOR sally! 23 the animated conversation that came from the sitting- room, mingled with "100 double blankets' and "can't im- agine what I have done with my list." Once she appeared at the door and called to her sis- ter, a glowing and prett5' miss, as breezy as her elder was calm and masterful. "Lydia, see here a moment, please." "Oh, Sally, you needn't make any mystery about it. What dish am I not to take any of to-night?" "The cold tongue, dear," she replied without even a smile, though all thereat laughed so heartily. How could they laugh in the presence of battle, and murder, and sudden death? But at tea it came out that Mr. Seward had said there would be no fighting to speak of. The whole thing would be over in ninety days. Then her spirits took a sudden rebound, Mr. Seward was such a great man, and was right there in Washington, too. Yet Fargeon did not come! The soldier train was to start at eleven, and now the wretched time approached when there was nothing left to do but to go down to the Central station and mingle with the noisy, tumultuous crowd, bidding good-bye to the departing regiment. Thither they went — Sara and her father. "See, daughter ! Each man in Company K has one of my blue blankets rolled up and tied with my strong twine, passed over his right shoulder and under his left arm, and hanging to the strong twine are my plates and coffee-cups. The camp kettles are in the baggage car, I suppose — and the — other things — that were on the list." Sara saw it all, but did not see what she came to see. There was the interminable line of cars, stretching the 24 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. whole length of the long gas-lit station and out into the darkness beyond — more than a thousand feet in all. At the cars marked "K" she saw some faces she recognized, for many of Fargeon's old employes had enlisted in his company. Little family groups formed about some of the men; women trying to be brave, and volunteers try- ing at least to appear so. No one could tell her where Captain Fargeon was. "Probably at headquarters," said they. "Perhaps at our house," thought she. The happiest fellows were the young, the unattached, the adventurers, the laborers, to whom this meant food, clothing, pay, excitement, a sight of the world; the less happy, those who were better off, who just now began to realize how sweet home life had been, and what a blessed state is that of peace and privacy. The least happy were those who had to "bear up" and tear themselves away from clinging arms, tears, kisses — sobs not the less agonizing because they were suppressed. How they wished that the parting were over and they speeding along the track! Eleven o'clock approached and anguish was Sara's portion. She would have liked to go out and stand in front of the engine; for surely they would not run over a poor forlorn girl ! But after all no such desperate ex- pedient was called for. Just as the station clock marked eleven she (having forgotten all about the uniform) was startled to see a slender figure approach, tall, erect, glit- tering with sword, sash, shoulder-straps, and brass but- tons; the face that looked out from under the smart kepi — Fargeon's! "Oh, where have you been?" she asked, smiling and crying at once. "And why don't you shake hands?" "Getting the stuff into the baggage-cars, " he answered, POOR sally! 25 showing his gloveless hands begrimed with toil. "That kept me from looking for you and prevents me now from shaking hands." "Nonsense! Give them to me! I am proud to shake them! " He turned aside and tried to beat off the dust while he said: "I was hurrying fearfully — and as it turns out needlessly — for we shan't get off for some time. Seven men of Company C haven' t got here from Aurora yet. Excuse me a momentj I will go and wash my hands, so that I may clasp yours once more." He daited off; and while he was gone she overheard Superintendent Clark, whom she knew, talking with some one — probably the captain of Company C. "You see," said the superintendent, "this is a big train — can' t begin to make time — our regular passenger in the morning will pass it before it gets to Cairo. So we will start this now and let your men overtake you by the reg- ular. " And they passed on. "Splendid!" thought Sara. "Now Will can do the same — stay till morning! " And when Fargeon appeared she was radiant at the thought and greeted him gayly. "Oh, Will! Superintendent Clark says the regular pas- senger train in the morning will catch this before it gets to Cairo. So you can go home with us and start to- morrow! " As the captain's face broke slowly into a smile, and slowly but decidedly he shook his head in regretful ne- gation, the color faded from her cheeks and the light from her eyes. Said he: "What! start out among the laggards? Let my men go without me? Not if I know myself! " Now, pretty Miss Mischief, what plot is working in a6 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. your small, imperious head, that brings the color to your face and the light to your eyes? You surely are not con- triving a plan to make your lover lose his train, just to give him a chance to repeat all the sweet things he has ever said to you, and you a chance to take back all the rebuffs you have given him! Can one so young, so fair, be so deceiving? Alas that such duplicity should exist where we least look for anything but transparent candor! Let us watch. The first test point is: Will she tell him that Mr. Clark said the train should start at once? She says nothing about it. What next? I , gi,[| \ <^ She places herself leaning against a bar- rier, her face turned to- ward the train, so that he must have his back to it in talking to her. ipsThen her guns are un- masked. She knows that he thinks her the prettiest when her hair is pushed back from her temples and tucked behind her ears, so back it goes. The lips part smilingly; the , teeth gleam, the dim- ple establishes itself en permanence, the eyes — but words fail to describe their fringed splendor, their effulgence, their transparent frankness, just when they are engaged in the most heinous deceit — and then the artful tongue POOR sally! 27 opens fire, with a fusilade of nervous, laughing, flutter- ing, flattering words. "Oh, woman! Only once deceived, and evermore deceiving." Poor captain! Ambushed, surrounded and made pris- oner, even before he is mustered into service! She sees the train slowly start — victory must be -hers — but at this crowning moment her unaccustomed role of deceit becomes hateful to her. She cannot keep it up. Fargeon sees her face once more paling suddenly, her e5'es filled with tears, and the corners of her lips drawn downward like those of a repentant child. She seizes his hand, points toward the vacant track and cries: "Look! " He is off like a flash, running to catch the lumbering train, tearing through the obstructing crowd and disap- pearing as it closes behind him. Does she hope he will succeed? Or that he will fail and return to her yearn- ing eyes? CHAPTER III. FATHER AND SALLY VISIT CAMP. J H, how sorry I shall be if he misses his train! What will he think of me? And how sorry I shall be if he doesn't miss it! — goes away and doesn't think of me at all! " Sally and her father stemmed the tide of humanity which slowly came down the platform. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, wives, sweethearts, slowly dispersed to their homes; each home now, and perhaps forever, show- ing one vacant place at the fireside; each heart holding one image which can never grow old or change, except to fade slowly from memory if the soldier comes back no more. When the crowd had gone, the station grown empty, and no Fargeon appeared, the minister and his daughter walked slowly homeward. They were silent; or if the good dominie talked, Sara took no part, not even that of listener. She gradually concluded that it was infinitely better that Will was not with them. "Better away wish- ing he were here than here wishing he were away. " She had a revulsion of feeling. Her spirits had been low for twenty-four hours, and that is about the limit of sadness 28 FATHER AND SALLY VISIT CAMP. 29 at her age. Her thoughts wandered from Will and caught what her father was saying — the close of some long monologue. "Of the two horns of the dilemma, we will choose the least." She burst out laughing. "Why, daughter — what is there to laugh at in my view of the case?" "Oh, father — I don't know — I've been so wrought up that! laugh at nothing, I suppose. It just struck me — the funny idea— a dilemma — with one horn larger than the other — we taking the little one — leaving him a poor, lop- sided — kind of unicorn." Her laughter, bubbling up and over, interrupting her speech, was so catching that her father was fain to for- give her and join in the fun^such as it was. This untimely, undignified, unnatural hilarity lasted until after she got home, and did not pass without some mild disapproval — the only kind Sara had ever to meet. Her mother (addressing nobody in particular) remarked that some persons would feel differently on the departure of such a man on such an errand. But some other persons had always seemed to think that they knew best which side their bread was buttered on regarding Mr. Fargeon. This gave poor Sara a new attack — her bread buttered on one side regarding Will Fargeon and the other side re- garding somebody else! So she could only take refuge in her own room and let joyless cachinnation have its way, followed by a few tears after her face was buried in her pillow. Letters between Cairo and "home" were many and pleasant during the early weeks and months of camp- 30 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPAKY K. life. Photographs sped to and fro and made those ac- quainted who had never met face to face. Fargeon told his friends about the absurd though natural blunders into which the greenhorns fell, and how in all trouble Lieut. McClintock was the never-failing resource. Mac sup- plied every deficiency and remedied every defect; Mac made rough places smooth; Mac was the captain's right hand, his guide, philosopher, and friend. Mac's steady devotion to duty edified the many who were eager and willing to do well. Mac's hand fell like iron on a few who were disposed to break rules. Listen to Mr. Penrose, reading out one of Captain Far- geon's letters: "Friends, I cannot tell you what it is to me to see Mac's face, at early morning, at high noon, by evening camp-fire. No countenance my eyes ever rested upon has given me so much delight except one." Mr. Penrose paused in his reading and smiled on his hearers. "You see, my dears. Brother Fargeon excepts one. I am gratified to note that he does not forget the years through which he and I have fought in the Lord's war side by side." Sally did not laugh. She only reddened a little; but Lydia, the irrepressible, was not so discreet. She burst out: "Ho — ho! The idea of its \>&\'a% your face he meant, father!" "Oh, Bunny!" protested Sally (Lydia had always been called "Bunny" and "Rabbity" because of two pearly teeth that showed below her short upper lip). "Dear Bunny, now please, please don' t ! " "No, Sally; I will not 'don't' nor think of 'don' ting!' Father must be told whose faceis dearest toCapt'n. Far- FATHER AND SALLY VISIT CAMP. 3 1 geon. It's mine!"' All laughed at this unexpected turn, and Lydia went on: "But mercy my! Who cares for himi If it were Lieuten- ant McClintoch! Mmmm! Why, Captain Fargeon him- self says that the lieutenant is the finest man that ever lived. I guess he knows." Mac was the subject of bitter rivalry between Lydia and her younger brother, and this dragging his name into the discussion prevented the question of "whose face" from being settled, for those two branched off into other mat- ters — whether Bunny was so mighty old as she thought for, and whether it had been "fair" for Bunny to shut her mouth when she had her photograph taken to send to camp, seeing that she never kept it shut at any other time^and so forth, until Mr. Penrose put an end to the digression by going on with the letter. These letters were all very well, in their way, but far as possible from satisfying to the soul of the repentant Sara. Oh, if Will could only "read between the lines" of her letters as she could between the lines of his! Then he would know how sorry she was for — everything. Then a sigh, and a hope it would come out all right before long. In camp reigned toil and drill and study and heat and impatience at what the volunteers thought was an un- reasonable delay in setting them at work; and permeat- ing all, the ever-present homesickness. Fargeon would have been really an unhappy man if it were not for his instinctive effort to keep up the spirits of the rank and file. This, and the comfortable presence of Mac, kept him cheerful at his task. Suddenly, one day, after the usual sun-beaten drill, he 32 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. found as he took off his sword that it persisted in rattling as he hung it up; his teeth chattered in spite of himself; his hands grew blue and wrinkled with cold, notwith- standing the fierce heat; and his rude bed (a row of cracker-boxes), when he lay on it covered with blankets, shook as if it would go to pieces. He wished he could get hold of a huge anchor to hold things still, himself and everything about him. Ague, of course! He had seen it in others; now he could study it to the very best advantage, for, in spite of the external fierceness of both chill and fever, his mind was strong and well as ever, and even his body was slow to succumb. Small use in studying it, however. He could not see through its mysterious, inscrutable why and wherefore. It did not last many days, and when he could call it "broken up," he yielded to the persuasions of the regi- mental surgeon and his brother officers, took leave of absence and carried his gripsack into the town of Cairo. He found a room at the St. Charles Hotel, on the levee — it was only a six-by-nine sky-parlor, but how palatial it seemed! A locked door, a glazed window, plastered walls, a half-carpeted floor, a furnished wash-stand, and, luxury of luxuries, a mattress bed, with a pillow and bedclothes; and (for the first time in so many weeks) a chance to undress himself and get between the sheets like a Christian. He fairly reveled in the simple, plain little couch; luxuriated in it; explored all its corners with his long- hampered limbs, and rolled his face in the pillow like a strayed child restoired to its mother's breast. After hours of sleep he heard the dinner gong sound, and was glad to hear it and disregard it in the greater enjoyment of the blessed mattress, pillow, and sheets. FATHER AND SALLY VISIT CAMP. 33 His rest and recuperation went on for some days. The noisy, smoky bar and billiard room, full of soldiers drink- ing, smoking, talking, playing — officers and privates to- gether — had no attractions for him, but he did much letter-writing, and there was always the blessed bed wherein he found refreshment even in lying awake. (His letters suppressed the fact of his illness.) One morning he heard the usual tap at his door, and his second lieutenant, Barney Morphy, called out to ask how he was. He sprang up and began to dress. "Oh, Barney, is that you? I'm all right now, thank you, and will go to camp with you shortly." "By the way. Captain, here's a letter for you that came this morning." The captain opened the door and seized the missive, and as he read it Morphy saw a smile steal over his face, and a flush of pleasure over so much of it as the kepi had preserved from a general brown tan too deep to show blushes., "Oh, Barney, I beg pardon. We' ve got company com- ing. Our old friend Parson Penrose will be down to preach to the boys on Sunday." "Ahem! Anybody coming with him. Captain?" "Well — yes. Part of his family may be along." "Well, now, hadn't you better just keep your place here? Not come back to camp to stay until they go away — the minister and the — part of the family?" Fargeon's heart leaped at the suggestion. Everything seemed to favor it. Officers from every regiment in the brigade had taken leave of absence in order to disport themselves at the hotel, some of them in a manner scarce- ly creditable to the service. But good sense — or shall 3 - 34 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. we call it lover's instinct? — prevailed, and he put aside the temptation. "What!" he thought; "let Sara find me once more a civilian, staying at a hotel, idle and unsoldierly, wearing a uniform as a cow might wear a saddle, while a better man is commanding my company? Well — hardly." So he got back to his quarters in fine spirits, and even entered his tent with something like a home-com- ing feeling. Was he walking on earth or on air? Within twelve hours he should see her ! He pushed his eyelids to see if he was awake or only having another of those dreams. He was awake. And the lovely Sara on her way to the meeting from which she hoped so much! How her eyes shone as she looked out of the car window on the great, grassy, sun- lit, blue-gentian-spangled Grand Prairie! How the lids dropped when she recalled her gaze and found her face the cynosure of masculine eyes all unused to such visions! How she beamed with innocent triumph and with the happy anticipation of meeting — all her friends of the Sixth! Yes; decidedly, she had never been so happy in all her life. "Why, father, these men all have '39' on their caps! Is it possible that thirty-eight other train-loads like this have gone out before?" "Yes, daughter, thirty-nine with this, from Illinois alone. " "I wonder where all the men come from! " "So do I. I've been wondering at it for a long time. But I fancy that the men of fighting age must be about all gone now." FATHER AND SALLY VISIT CAMP. 35 What would the good dominie have thought if he had known that the stream would flow on until 175 such reg- iments should have been furnished by this young state alone? One man in the car, though so placed that he could have looked at her without rudeness, never did glance in her direction in all the long, long day's ride. On the con- trary, he seemed to avoid her eyes, and once, at least, she fancied that he held his cap beside his averted face on purpose to escape being seen by her. As he so held it, she saw above the visor the magic figure 6. So here, among the thousand and forty-five of the Thirty-ninth, was a man of her "own" regiment! Her interest was piqued, and she called her father's attention to the presence of a soldier who knew their friends and whom she would like .to talk with. The minister, with the simple directness of his kind, went to the stranger and introduced himself; and the man obediently, though reluctantly, came forward. His was a repulsive countenance, marred with a dread- ful facial deformity which, because of the lowness of the sphere wherein he was born, had never been treated to remove or mitigate its ugliness. Sally gave one startled glance and then looked away, unable to disguise her instinctive repugnance. The man spoke in a broad Irish brogue, and his pecul- iarity interfered with his speech. !"Yes, lehd}', I know the caftain. Me nehm's Marrk Liooney, and I'm the caftain's ordherly. He's the foinest gintleman in the sarvice. He is — oah he is, he is." [This in a kind of hopeless monotone, the closing words nearly inaudible, a tone that would have been appropriate 36 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPAKY K. to announce something the speaker knew to be true but despaired of making the world believe.] "When did you see Capt'n. Fargeon?" "A Winsday, lehdy. I got three days' lave an' wint uf to Chicagy huntin' things for the caf tain's mess. Meb- be the caf tain was expectin' your lehdyshif," "Was he quite well?" "Fehth he was not, lehdy; no moar was he bad. Jest a bit av a chill, wid the harrd livin' an' the harrd worrk. Ye may be sure the caf tain' 11 be well to resave your leh- dyshif. He will, oah he will, he will." At this Sally's heart softened a little toward the un- couth specimen of humanity, and she managed to look in his face, where (never losing sight of the blemish) she could see a paiir of sharp, observant eyes that might have been almost attractive but for^an expression of habitual suspicion or shamefacedness. The birth blem- ish gave his whole face a sinister look, and even his smile was a leer. They got to talking about the other officers. "What makes Mr. McClintock better than the rest?" "Well, lehdy, he was wid us in Mexico." "Oh; you were in the Mexican war, were you?" "I was, lehdy, I was, oah I was. I knew the liftin'nt there — he was ortherly sargint of my company. If it hadn't been for the liftin'nt I doubt wud they have left me into K company at-all at-all. " "Why — why not?" "Well, lehdy — " he passed his hand lightly across his eyes) "fer raysons best known to thimsilves. " They had some further chat, and at parting she gave him her fair little hand and a dimpled smile that belied FATHER AND SALLY VISIT CAMP. 37 the mixed feeling in her heart — that it would be a relief to have him gone from her sight and hearing, and that she hoped he did not suspect it. [But he did.] Once more Fargeon finds himself in his familiar place at evening dress-parade. The interregnum had made him half forget how childish it was, viewed in the light of common sense. "ATTENTION— BATTALION! Shoulder —ARMS ! Rear rank open order — MARCH ! — HALT! Right — DRESS ! FRONT ! Guides — POSTS! Present — ARMS! Sir, the parade is formed." While one is learning it he is buoyed up with the no- tion that there is some mighty hidden power and mean- ing in it, to come out later. Then when it becomes a matter of dull, mechanical routine, behold! there is noth- ing in it, except a reminder to each of those 3,-000 men that he is no longer a human being, but is turned into a mere cog in a machine. Before the ceremony was half over Fargeon saw and recognized among the citizen on-lookers the face and figure of his dear Lady Disdain; that beloved vision that had been his daily thought and nightly dream for so many sweet, hopeless years. As soon as possible he turned Company K over to Mac, joined the new-comers, gave his friends his greeting with enforced calmness, and explained to them the mysterious doings before them. Then he guided them to the camp, Sally's wonder and delight growing with every word and every step. "Is this really your tent? Do you really sleep on that long, low, rocky mountain? Oh, what craggy ridges and 38 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. chasms! Why, there is one precipitous cliff right in the middle! What is that ledge for?" "Oh, that's where one under-lying cracker-box sticks up higher than its neighbor. It just fits the small of my back. I shouldn' t know how to enjoy my night' s rest with- out that — shouldn't know I was asleep." "And there's where you hang up your sword. Oh, why did you take it off? It was so becoming!" "It was becoming — tiresome. We don't care to lug them around any more than we have to." "I should think you'd never go without them. And here's your Bible, I see — no, it's army regulations. Well, that is a kind of Bible in these days. And this is the corresponding hymn-book — yes, Hardee's Tactics. 'Shoulder arms! One time and two motions! ' What does that mean? How can there be two motions of one gun at one time? Perhaps the man has two guns, one in each hand. What a splendid idea! Every soldier ready to kill two of the enemy! " The gay beauty was rattling on, all excitement and curiosity, when a message came from Colonel Puller, hop- ing the minister and his daughter would favor head- quarters with a call. "Oh, father!" she expostulated, "must we go? I don't believe they want to see me any more than I want to see them." "What do you think, Brother Fargeon?" Moved by a beseeching glance from Sally, Will an- swered: "Well, I don't doubt but that they wish to see Sara; but we can't have all we want in this world." "True enough!" cried Sally. "And besides, in Chicago it is customary for the gentleman to call on the lady be- 1) p-l H Z (d & o >< 1-1 Will joined in the singing, and many followed his ex- ample, so that the fine marching tune could have been heard far, far out over the great rolling river. Then he left them and strayed on and out, passed the line of sentries, climbed the high Mississippi levee and descend- ed its western slope to the very water's edge, stooping and dipping his fingers in to feel the water passing from right to left in its flow to the southward. The stream was so broad that he could only tell it had a farther shore by 78 - THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. the slight irregularities in the forest top outlined against the starry sky. "Reveille" (pronounced revelee) is a wild, romantic bu- gle sound, thrilling to the young soldier. In a large camp the bugler at general headquarters wakes the echoes at some appointed hour in the early dawn or before; and the buglers at other headquarters, "division, brigade, and regimental, take it up in succession ; each repeating the familiar notes in his own especial key. He wakes the echoes; and he wakes thousands of tired sleepers, un- willing to bid farewell to their short repose. No use to rebel, no use to protest, no use even to grumble. Good-bye, needful rest; good-bye, forgetful- ness of toil, pain, and danger; good-bye, dear dreams of home. Good morrow to hardship. The day has begun — for trying labor; for certain danger; for death to those whom the unseen, unheard messenger of fate has selected during the darkness. Fargeon failed, for once, to hear reveille and attend morning roll-call, and (by Mac's orders) was allowed to sleep late. His agitating experience as officer of the day, queller of mutiny, apprentice to tobacco-smoking, mid- night prowler and scribbler on the banks of the great river, made his morning nap a very welcome luxury, and he was only aroused by wild, wandering cheers, starting, dying away and breaking out afresh all over the camp. Will sprang from his cot and began his toilet. Mac poked his head through the tent flap, and Will lifted his glowing face from the tin toilet pail and let the water drip, drip, drip from hair, eyebrows, nose, and beard, on the towel spread across his hands, while Mac asked in bantering tones: FORWARD MARCH. 79 "Dressing for the theater, Capt'n. Fargeon?" "Well, Mac, not that I know of." "You'd better; you've got to go." "What do you mean? What theater?" "Theater of war. The J. R. Graham takes the Sixth, the Aspasia takes the Twelfth, the Memphis takes the Thirty-ninth, and the Ruby takes the battery and the wagon train — all goes, bag and baggage, and three days' cooked ra- tions." The spread towel continued to catch the drops until there were no more to catch ; and then Will buried his face in it, hoping that no perceptible pallor had intervened, and resolute that none , should remain when he had done rubbing. So death was at hand at last! TO the amusement of all. page 75 "Get there? Get where?" "Nobody knows; but it can't be to the rear. It doesn't need steamboats to carry us there, being there already." "When do we start?" "Draw the rations now; cook and distribute 'em as soon as possible; dinner at noon and strike tents by bu- gle call at one. We ought to steam away by two." "To the front?" "Of course. I see two of the gun-boats are getting up steam to go along." THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. The thought of the gun-boats w^ comforting. Their huge cannon carry so far! ' " I I f f f I r I f ij J r y ca/rtmaM'A ^0 r xj / / J I r; f j Ozr^tinUi^em, m uc ^inonjt^^ I I r. c.^r- J rif C:;x ■* r i C^*/zi^ ^frtniaHSaAiui^ ^ru^s^ I I ' I" I ' ' 1^ "' ^\^'^mfi^. mHe-fj^J^ "PKi^^^t-^ e^ if "I I I ill 11" ' CHAPTER VII. THE SKIKMISH. HERE was rivalry between regi- ments, and even companies, in the matter of striking camp. The tent- pegs were all loosened, and, at the bugle call, the great canvas town sank into nothingness like the base- less fabric of a vision, in twenty- eight seconds by the watch, Com- pany K's men straightened up and looked about them — then burst into a cheer of exultation, for every one of its tents was down and tied fast in its ropes, while no other company in thebrigade was within several sec- onds of the goal. ■*«^_^ The baseless fabric of a vision, f^ when it dissolved, left a multitudi- nous wrack behind, the comfortable paraphernalia which volunteers gather about them wherever they encamped for long. "Pulpits and pianofortes" Mac called the cum- brous and unmilitary contrivances. "Looks like the sack of Jerusalem by the Romans, doesn't it, Mac?" "I guess so — though I wasn't in service at that time," "What ought to be done about it?" 6 81 82 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. "Load the tents and the cooking utensils in the wagons, and then muster the men with arms, blankets, knapsacks, and haversacks, and march away." "Leave all the rest?" "The whole kit and caboodle! " It was but a short walk to the boat, however, and the officers allowed the men to load themselves down, even to the floor-boards of the tents being carried by many on their backs under their knapsacks and belts, while their hands and arms were miscellaneously overloaded. "Now what do things look like. Captain?" "Well, Mac, a little like the children of Is- rael starting for the Promised Land, loaded '///. with what they had bor- 7/// rowed from the Egyp- tians. " Mac chuckled. "Ya-as. Just so. It takes you literary men to state things about right. " To the infinite joy and relief of the rank and file, they had got march- ing orders 'at last." To "DRESSING FOR THE THEATER, these heroic, unsoldierly CAPTAIN? " PAGE 79. voluntccrs, three months of drill seemed an unbearable affliction; although it is a space of time about long enough to get an old-world recruit through the awkward squad. Handling the musket and bayonet, marching, wheeling, facing, ploying, deploying, loading, firing, charging, THE SKIRMISH. 83 halting, dressing, skirmishing, saluting, parading, for days and weeks (not to say years); all for the single purpose of bringing men into a double line, shoulder to shoulder, facing the foe; knowing enough (and not too much) to load and fire until they fall in their tracks or the other fellows run away. To such simple, mechanical, dull, dogged machine- work has the old art of war come down. No more "gau- dium certaininis, " no more crossing of swords or "push of pike," no more blow and ward, lance, shield,- battle-ax, spear, chariot-and-horse; no more of the exhilarating clash of personal contest. Nothing left but stern, de- fenseless, hopeless "stand-up-and-take-your-physic" — for- tuitous death by an unseen missile from an unknown hand. Is not the time coming when the rank and file, the stepping-stones on the road to fame, will call a halt on their own account? When they learn good sense they will cry with one voice : "It is enough. We will have no more of it." Whenever it shall become the rule that the man who causes a war shall be its first victim, war will be at an end. War flourishes by what Gen. Scott wittily called "the fury of the non-combatants." But to the average American brutal battle is better than irksome idleness. This found fresh expression when the men of- the Sixth were clustered in groups on the many and spacious decks of the Graham, filling every inch of space where a human being could sit, stand, or lie. The few Mexican war veterans laughed at the im- patience of the new volunteers. Said one: "Why, boys, wha' d'ye mean? Here ye've had it all yer own way. Plenty of grub, camp fixed up like winter quarters — couldn't live better at a county almshouse— 84 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. nothin' to do but play checkers and draw pay for doin' it ! Ye'd orter be'n prayin' Heaven night an' day to have the War Department ferget ye. Yer best luck would be if the card marked Sixth Illinois was to slip out of the pack an' lay on the floor under Uncle Sam's chair till the game was played out." "Oh, shucks! What in thunder did we come f er if they didn't want us! Might have staid to hum and 'tended to our little biz. 'List for a soldier and spend our time diggin' slippery-ellum stumps out of a Cairo bottom! Idle month after month; two dozen gone to kingdom come, an' goin' on two hundred sick or discharged for disability! " "That's sOj every time! It ain't right. If the head fellers don't know enough to git us to work they'd better resign, and we'll put in somebody that does." "They want to get a good ready." "Oh, shucks! They're like the boy that took a run of three miles to jump over a small hill, an' when he got thar he was so tired he couldn't jump over a caterpiller in the road! " The first speaker disdained to argue. He only drew out his pipe, and, producing a plug of tobacco, proceeded to fill it. "See that plug o' f backer? We'll call that the Sixth Illinois." Then cutting off a bit he added: "An' that's Company K. Now see what next." He chipped the piece with his knife and ground it between thumb and palm to small fragments. "Now it's gettin' drilled, ye see, ready fer use." Then he poured it carefully into the pipe-bowl. "Now it's loaded onto the J. R. Graham, goin' to the front." He scraped a match on his trouser-leg and lighted the pipe. "An' THE SKIRMISH. 85 now it's under fire and wishes it wasn't — wishes it had staid on the farm where it growed. " Loud and long they laughed at this graphic illustration of the fate of the volunteers, but the very laughter showed that they could learn nothing from it. Poor fellows! Another group fell todiscussing their company officers. "Oh, Cap Fargeon means well. Cap's a good feller, an' a perfect gentleman, too, but he won't never make a sol- dier, Cap won't." "No! He's be'n fed on spoon-vittles all his life — can't never learn to stomach bull-beef. " "Thasso! Takes Mac to do the hard chawin' !" "Cap's fustrate for this camp-trampin' an' book-keepin' business — psalm-singin' an' moral suasion — mark time, present arms, right oblique, tick-tacks, flubdub an' fol- derol; but whar'U he become to charge bay' nets an' the enemy in front?" "Boys," cried Caleb Dugong (a "blowhard" and favorite butt of the quieter men, who saw through him), "would ye believe it. Cap wanted us fellers t' leave our tent- boards behind! " " vVell, Cale," said Jeff Cobb, ain't you got yourn behind now? " "Oh, shut up! He wanted us to leave 'em in>camp. Said we was a-overloadin' ourselves an' couldn't stan' it. Now mine jest fits my back — kind o' holds me up. Blamed ef I don't believe I kin march better with it than with- out it." "Say, Cale," persisted Jeff, d'ye know what I advise you to do?" "No; what?" "Why, whenever ye go into battle, carry that board along an' wear it jest whereye'vegot it now, an' ye won't never git wounded." 86 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. A general guffaw burst out at this "burn" on Caleb, which did not tend to improve his humor. But he was brave, at least among his friends, and not easily bluffed. He turned to Mark Looney as easy prey. "What do you say, Looney Mark? You 'How you've be'n to battles where Mac was a-fightin' — ain't Mac jest about the right kind of a peanut fer a fight?" "Oah — the liftin'nt's all roight, " replied the discreet veteran. "Well, how do you say Cap Fargeon'd pan out?" "The caftain'd turrn as white as a shayt — " "I'll bet ye!" "An' he'd shiver an' shake fit to knock the tayth all out av his head — " "I knowd it!" "An' he'd shtan' there, pale an' shakin', facin' the music, whilst most av you red-faced divvles'd be out o' soight in the rayr. He wud — oah yis, he wud. " This quaint expression of confidence in their captain was greeted with low laughter and other marks of ap- proval. Caleb tried to turn the tide. "Tell me a brave man would git pale an' be a-tremblin' like that! Why, the wuss things git, the madder I git, an' the madder I git the redder my face gits." "All right, Cale," put in Chipstone. "I'll stand by ye." " 'Course ye will!" said the other, in a gratified tone. " 'Druther stan' by you than by Cap Fargeon. " "That's right. Chips! I oilers knowd ye wuz a friend of mine." "Well, it ain't that exactly; it's because I guess I'll git to live longer." Another general laugh at the expense of the helpless Caleb. "I guess yew fellers must a' found a ha-ha's nest with a 87 88 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. tee-hee's eggs in it. Well, laugh all yer a mine ter. I'll bet any man five dollars ye won't never hear my teeth a-chatterin' under fire! " "No, Caleb; not unless ye're tied there." "What's the use of a scairt man, anyhow? Cap's chatterin' teeth'd scare the other fellers." "Oah, whilst his tayth wor a-chatterin', av ye wor a-list- enin' ye'd hear em' chatterin', 'Shteady, b'yes, shteady; doa'nt hurry — ye' ve time a plinty — fire slow an' fire low! Shteady!' That's the how they'd chatter. They wud; oah yis, they wud." "An' where' d you be all the time, Looney Mark?" asked the angry bully. "Oah — shtan'in' somewhere' s thereabouts; or layin' down on me face takin' it aisy an' quiet-like, through havin' got through me job." "An' the rest of us'd be all runnin' away, would we? Is that what ye say, ye dam' little split-mouth Mexican Paddy? If I had such a mug as yours I'd lie on it all the time! " A shocked and angry silence fell upon the group at this brutal assault. Some looked with contempt at the speaker, some with sympathetic curiosity at Mark, to see what he would do. He leaned forward, with his eyes fixed on the ground, and covered his blemish with his hand, while in his disfigured face a look of patient ha- bitual endurance followed the discomposure; a look which might be interpreted, "I bide my time." "Well!" cried Clinton Thrush, after a moment of thought, "I'd rather be Mark Looney than any man who'd make such a speech as that! " "That's the talk!" added Chipstone. "Count me in there! " THE SKIRMISH. 89 "Why, fellers! Mark 'llowed we was all cowards but him !" "He never said no such a thing! " "An' if he had, what you said would go to prove it was true, regarding one of us, an' that's Cale Dugong.' It takes a coward to make a break like that! " Caleb was "squelched" — didn't open his lips for an hour, and was not spoken to again for a day or more. Proudly and triumphantly, the Sixth disembarked when it reached its destination, with all its comfortable impediments. Gleefully it pitched its camp on the low bluff bank. Stoutly — though with some misgivings — the men took up the march next morning, loaded down with "pulpits and piano-fortes. " Before they had gone a mile, however, some began to unburden themselves; Tolliver remarking: "I didn't enlist to be a pack-horse in Foot, Leggit and Walker's line." If Colonel Puller had asked Mac's advice, the men would have been forbidden to carry anything but the ordinary load of a marching soldier — twenty to thirty pounds under the best circumstances; but no such orders were issued, and all Mac and Fargeon could do (with-, out causing dissatisfaction, by putting restriciions on Company K different from those of other companies) was to tell the men the folly of starting out with a load they would have to drop. This advice was heeded to some extent at starting, and bore more fruit as the day wore on, for before noon there was not a floor-board in the company; and even other burdens were greatly les- sened. The consequence was that at night K reached camp entire, not a man missing, after passing, during the afternoon, hundreds of exhausted stragglers from the leading companies, some of which stragglers never reached go THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. their destination until after dawn on the following day. Very creditable was this to Company K, but perhaps not an unmixed blessing, for when the orders came next morning for the Sixth to deploy a company as skirmish- ers, "to feel the enemy," a very slight examination showed that K was the one best fitted for the job, and K was designated. Fargeon found time to make a few hasty preparations for "whatever might happen." He wrote a farewell note to Sara — "to be delivered if I fall" — and inclosed it in a sheet containing directions for the disposal of his personal effects and his remains. He donned his oldest suit, so that his best might serve as a burial garb; and then thought of his own face, drawn and ghastly, showing through an open coffin-lid in front of Mr. Penrose's pul- pit when the good minister should say, in sad, sonorous tones: "Friends will now be afforded a last look at our depart- ed brother. Pass up the north aisle, please, and round and out at the south door, where the line will be formed." As this scene rose before his mind's eye he felt a choking in his throat and moisture on his cheeks. It was all reasonable enough; then why, in later years, did he laugh at himself with shame — keep the weakness secret, and never let it be known to a living soul till now? To "deploy as skirmishers" (as the Sixth had learned the trick) is to separate the men and dispose of them at intervals of six paces, keeping about a third of them massed in the rear as a reserve. Company K had now about seventy-five men for duty; therefore, twenty-five being in reserve, the remaining fifty covered a front of about goo feet in extent — about the space occupied by a regiment in "line of battle! " To "advance as skirmish- * THE SKIRMISH. gi ers" IS for every second man to kneel, musket at "ready," while the alternate men move forward about twenty paces, (keeping the line as nearly straight as may be), and* kneel in their turn, while th^r brothers go forward twenty paces in front of them; and io on until checked by the enemy or halted by command. [In retiring, skirmishers keep the same order — half halting, face toward the foe, while the others get to the rear of them. J Behold Company K at length on soldierly duty! The men flushed or. paled, according to temperament. Sweat trickled down their chests, tickling as it flowed. How their hearts beat! How fast they emptied their can- teens! How their hands trembled! As Tolliver after- ward described his feelings: "I couldn't 'a' loaded my gun then to save my life. I couldn't 'a' steered a catteridge into the muzzle of a bushel-basket! " It was difficult to prevent them from firing whenever they knelt down, albeit there might be no enemy within three miles of them. They had strict orders against it; yet they sometimes fired, and when one did so the conta- gion was apt to spread along the line. The first offender felt the stinging weight of Mac's curse; and then Far- geon and Morphy, taking their cue from him, and the four sergeants learning their duty, aided in maintaining the needful discipline. Listen to Mac, stalking leisurely back and forth and drawling out in a voice clear as a bell: "Chipstone, don't get so far to the front! Your legs are too long; try fifteen paces. More to the left, Clin- ton! You're always leaning too much to the right! There!' Steady boys! Kneel down! Caleb Dugong, don' t let me catch you cocking your piece ! You' ve 92 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. Started the firing once — do it again, and you'll hear me do a gong you won't like." Fargeon listened to Mac with earnest attention, and tried to go and do likewise. He may make a soldier after all ! True, they have not yet seen or heard of a rebel. Well, when that happens we'll hope for the best. He thought to himself: "Now I ought to be hoping to find the enemy; that's what I'm here for. But I don't hope it — no — I hope 1 shall not hear or see one all day — or any other day — never while the world stands! I wish there were no enemy; no war; that I were at home where I belong." And a vision of a domestic fireside, a carpeted room, a shaded lamp, a well-spread board, a tea-tray furnished with a bell to call the maid, rose before his mind's eye, and sweet, friendly voices filled his soul. It was a long- forgotten parental tea-table, and his widowed mother sat at the head. All vanished. Here again was the unfamiliar forest ; the loaded, leveled muskets; the enforced seeking for what he feared to find. Their advance had been through a wood, rather thick with underbrush; now there seemed to be a little light ahead — either a clearing or low ground. Now listen to Fargeon: "Forward, second line! Steady! Dugong, I have got my eye on you! Double-quick to your places, boys! There — not too far — steady — halt and kneel down. Is that a clearing ahead? Now, first line forward! Double- quick! Now down! " Bang! "Curse you, Dugong — what do you mean? And you a corporal! " Had he really said a swear-word for the first time in THE SKIRMISH. 93 his life? He hadn't time to make sure whether he had or not, for the trembling culprit spoke. "Ca-cap! I heard 'em fire on the left." "That's a lie! Not a man fired till after you did. Is your piece loaded? No? Here — give me your ramrod! now fire again if you can!" "Sha-shall I go to the rear, Cap? I will, if you say so — go to the guard-tent in arrest." "No, sir! Go on and learn to behave yourself ! What's that — a fence? Halt at the fence — pass the word to halt at the fence! " "Oh, Cap ! Gimme my ramrod, and let me load before I go up to the fence! I'll get killed, sure! " "Will you behave yourself?" "Oh, yes, Cap! I won't fire till I see a reb right in range. " "Well, take your ramrod! Hello, Mac! what's the news?" "Did you «ay to halt at the fence. Captain?" "Yes. Let's take a look. Here! what's the use of standing up like that? Get down and let's take a sight. Here seems to be a field of growing corn and woods be- yond. What shall we do next?" "Skirmish right on across the field. I guess we shall find some rebs in those woods." "How far do you think we've come?" "Oh, three-quarters of a mile, or a little better." [Fargeon would have guessed two miles, j "No danger of our getting out too far? getting out- flanked and gobbled up?" "No, I guess not. We must take our chances. Can't drop it this way." "You think there are rebs in those woods?" "Shouldn't wonder. We can soon find out by going over there." 94 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. "Spoil the man's corn — and perhaps he is a Union man." Mac either said "Damn the corn," or he thought it so hard that you could hear him think. Just here a voice seemed to come from the sky. "Hi! I see 'em. Men movin' in them woods." It was Ben Town, who had climbed a tree, and whose example was soon followed by several others — so many, in fact, that orders had to be given for all to come down except Ben. "Well, Captain," said Mac, "will you give us the order to advance? Whenever you're ready, we are." "Why, Mac, if we go out in the open our men will be all exposed and sure to get hit." "We've got to go if we want to find out anything." "Suppose we fire from here, and see if we can't draw them out." "Oh, they're too sharp for that!" "Well, why not get a section of artillery and shell the woods?" "Why, Cap'n Fargeon, we can feel 'em and get done with it long before we could get a gun up here." "No, sir, nev^r! I should call that a needless waste of life. Keep the men quiet here, and I'll fetch up a gun or two in half an hour." He started on a run for the camp, and halted to speak to Lieutenant Morphy, commanding the reserves — all of which force was fuming with impatience and curiosity — and reached headquarters in less than ten minutes, much to his surprise, for he could not get rid of the feeling that they had skirmished over many times as much ground as they had really passed. On reaching Col. Puller's tent Will opened his mouth to speak, and found, to his surprise, dfsmay, horror, that he could not utter a syllable! His mind was clear, his THE SKIRMISH. 95 words were ready, but, miraculous to relate, his tongue "clave to the roof of his mouth," and the muscles of his throat refused to act. "Why, Capt'nFargeon! Are you wounded? Are you sick? What is the matter? Major, get the captain a glass of whisky." Will could only manage a ghastly grin and an imbecile chuckle as he sank into a seat. The colonel poured some whisky into a cup. Fargeon took the cup with per- fect composure, steadily added a quantity of water, and drank the mixture. He put his hand to his throat, found all apparently in order, tried once more to speak, and succeeded. "Excuse me. Colonel. I suppose I ran too fast — never felt so before in my life; hope I never shall again." Poor fellow! Many another citizen soldier has felt so; some as often as they took part in a battle; some only on their first experience. He made his report and the suggestion as to the aid he would like to have in the shape of a cannon or two. The colonel, being green like himself, thought it an excellent suggestion. [It takes some years of war and the loss of many guns to teach the lessop that artillery is a very poor reconnoitering arm.] While the colonel went off to brigade headquarters to ask for the guns, Fargeon retired to his tent for a moment to get some food. He fancied that the light- ness of his breakfast might account for his extraordinary temporary paralysis of the throat. There he saw Mark Looney, told him of the experiences of the company thus far, and ordered him to help the company's cooks fill two cracker-boxes with food and bring them to the men on the skirmish line as soon as possible. "Begorra, Caftain — that's the best news I heard since 96 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. me stef-father's funeral! I was afeard I was goin' to be left out here in the coald! I was — oah, I was! " "Why," said Will to himself, "I believe he'd rather go than stay here! " "There," he went on, as he took his way hurriedly to the front, "that shows I am not frightened. A man in a panic does not have his wits about him and attend to business like that. Why, I can talk as well as anybody! I can sing." And he sang low, but clear: "I wonder why all saints don't sing." "Frightened! Of course I'm not! Only excited. Never felt better in my life! My heart feels warm — glowing. " Then, after a few steps : "Great Scott! Can this be the whisky? Heavens and earth — I believe it is I Ho-ho! But I don't care! So this is what the joy of drink is like, is it? Contented self-conceit! Well, there is something rather pleasant about it — if it only lasted forever! "Ha! What's that? Firing on our line? Can Mac have disobeyed me and pushed forward? And the guns just coming? Lives lost for nothing! Oh, Mac, I didn't think it of you — I didn't think it of you! My poor boys! "God! How they rattle! Hark! What's that?" For he heard, far above him, a long, sharp wail, be- ginning high in the scale and nearly overhead; then lower, lower, as it died away in the distance behind him. "W-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-p," it seemed to say. It was the first hostile bullet he ever heard. He walked on, but more slowly. He instinctively directed his steps behind trees that stood near where his way led. Then a bullet passed him at his own level — THE SKIRMISH. 97 "Whip!" Then another that lodged in a tree — "Hitt! " Then something struck lightly on his kepi — it was only a twig that Had been cut off by one of the high-flying balls, but, at the same instant, "Spatt!" a bullet struck the ground at his right, and he rushed up to a tree in front of him and leaned, panting, against it, with both hands on the trunk. It was a white-oak, and the rough gray bark impressed on his staring eyeballs a picture of its long, pointed, diamond-shaped corrugations, which he never forgot. "Why am I halting here? Because I cannot go on! It is settled — the long doubt is over — I am a coward. My pot»r boys are in front of me; shame and disgrace are behind rne — are here with me. Yet I cannot quit this shelter. God help me, I cannot! Oh, if I could take a bullet in my hand — my arm — anywhere but in my face! " He thrust his hand out as far as he could reach, abso- lutely expecting it to be hit. "Oh, God! Send a bullet through my hand — my arm! Then I could lose a limb and go back home — my dear home — where I belong." He brought back his hand against the tree trunk ; and between his thumbs pressed- his forehead hard against the flinty bark, and rolled it from side to side, as if to get a little bodily pain to assuage his mental agony. "How they screech and scream! Oh, my dear home! I will never marry Sally. I will tell her how unworthy I am — and then bury my shame in solitude. " "What's that? Who said 'Come on, Ed?' Why- there' s Mark — poor, simple-hearted little Mark — marching forward as if on parade, with a cracker-box of provisions on his shoulder, and Ed Ranny behind him! I am saved. Thank God, they did not see me ! I must get to the line before they do, or die in my tracks." 7 gS THE CAPTAIN OF COMPAKY K. He darted past the tree on the side furthest from Mark, put his head down and ran like a racer to the front. The motion, the effort of mind and body, gave him new life. He passed the place where the reserve had stood, and observed that they had moved up to the support of their brothers. When nearly in sight of the fence he saw — almost stepped on — the body of a man lying on his face behind a log. The soldier's musket lay by his side; a corpor- al's chevrons were visible on his sleeve; and Will thought he recognized Dugong's stalwart form. Far- geon's heart seemed to stand still; but his legs kept moving and carried him whither his soul impelled. He was still afraid; but panic-stricken ("stampeded") no longer. He remembered Mac's saying: "The ball you hear never hits you; the ball that hits ycu, you never hear; " and tried, with some success, to gain comfort from it, aided by the wonderful fact that he was still alive. The enemy had deployed a line of skirmishers and were advancing doggedly across the open, in alternate stepfe, as has already been described. Our boys were crouching and firing through the fence, with every advan- tage on their side. Some stood erect, firing coolly over the top of the rail. Mac walked up and down, talking incessantly, in his fighting drawl: "Steady now, boys — don't waste your shots. Aim! aim now; aim every time, and aim low. Carberry, you fired almost before your gun touched your shoulder; might just as well have fired into the river! There! bully for you, Chip! You fetched him! They won' t make another step forward, see if they do ! What did I tell you? They are picking him up — that means they're going! Now, when- they get started, over the fence and after 'em! Now's your time! Forward! FORWARD, COMPANY K!" CHAPTER VIII. THE FLAG OF TRUCE. WILD cheer rose, and Company K swarmed over the barrier, firing and loading on the run as they went. Far- geon was with them, running, shout-. ing, waving his sword, till suddenly he saw one of his men stumble, fall for- ward, and not get up again. The man next the fallen one dropped his gun and called to another to do the same, and the two, in less time than it takes their hurt comrade raised up between about?" screamed "Drop that man. McClintock with a * * * and take to tell them. "What are you volley of curses, your guns again! " "Why, lieutenant — he's wounded — his leg's broke — and he's my brother, De Witt Clinton Thrush." "I don't care if he's your sister! Drop him and take your gun I " Poor Aleck obeyed; laid down his burden, tenderly kissed the pale face, rose with tears streaming from his eyes, loaded his piece, crying — still crying, went forward to the firing line, and cried and fought, and fought and cried, as long as there was any fighting to do. Country — duty — glory? Yes; but turning your back on an only 99 100 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. brother, a heart's twin, moaning in deep distress and bleeding to death for want of your help! The advance was tumultuous, yet not rapid, for the brave confederates fought well. With shrieking bullets, scattered puffs of smoke, and sharp reports, now soft- ened by distance, now near and deafening, the onward surge of Company K carried it some distance beyond where poor Clint Thrush lay moaning. He saw two of his comrades hurrying to the rear, and called to them with all his feeble strength, for help; but they paid no attention; they were nursing wounds of their own. Mark Looney passed him going toward the fray, and Clinton begged piteously to be carried back. "Arrah, me bye; tehk me canteen an' gimme yer gun an' yer cathridge-box! I'll jest give them divvies wan or two blessin's in yer oan name; an' thin I'll come back an' carry ye in like a lehdy a-ridin' in a coach an' four." And he too was gone. An officer from brigade headquarters came to the fence and shouted for Captain Fargeon. Nobody paid any atten- tion to him, so he was forced, against his will, to come on into the melee, making a detour to avoid running over Clinton. "Captain, I have orders from Gen. Peterkin that you are to halt as soon as you have developed the enemy's position, and retire at your discretion." Fargeon called McClintock to him and communicated the message. Said Mac: "Well, that means now. They are firing strongly from the woods; only, their own men being between them and us, they are forced to fire high." "Very well, sir. You have the general's orders." And the relieved aide darted for the rear. Mac went one way and Fargeon the other, shouting, "Back! back! " THE FLAG OF TRUCE. lOI and motioning toward the fence; and the excited men reluctantly began their retreat, luckily, before the con- cealed portion of their foes got a fair chance at them. They brought in the confederate wounded (such as fell into their hands) with as much tenderness as was pos- sible in the haste and confusion. The dead they left as they lay. Fargeon.went to poor Clint Thrush, and, with help from Aleck and others, got him to the fence, where the boys quickly laid down a length of rails to pass him through. The transit was not made without some groans, and one cry that was almost a scream. Sharp bone ends were evidently loose in his flesh- Then all the wounded were clustered together waiting for transportation homeward. "I wonder if anybody will have sense enough to send us some stretchers! Oh, yes; here they come. Thank God, Dr. McShane knows enough to know that shots call for stretchers. " A feeble voice was heard from near by. It was Clin- ton's, as he lay by a tree, his head supported by his brother. "Did we lick 'em, Lieutenant?" "You bet we did! I counted three stone-dead. And just see our boys fetching in their wounded! One, two, three, four — right where we are. " Company K halted behind the fence and watched the opposite woods while waiting for orders. The pork and crackers brought by Mark and Ed were sparingly dealt out and contentedly munched, the prisoners who were not too badly hurt getting their bite with the rest. Can- teens were generally empty before this, and certain men were now allowed to gather from their comrades as many as they could carry and go back to a little ditch they had crossed in their advance, fill them, and distribute 102 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. them to their thirsty owners. Fargeon noticed Corporall Dugong very active and audible among the workers, so he must have been mistaken in the identity of the dead man. The captain mingled with the men and ate a bit of cracker with a slice of cold boiled salt pork (sweeter than fresh grass-butter) laid on it; took a pull at one of the canteens newly filled at the ditch (delicious nectar), and, looking round for fresh, new worlds to conquer, accepted the loan of Morphy's pipe, from which he took several cautious whiffs. "Mac, what day of the week is this?" "Let's see: we got our orders Wednesday, we sailed Thursday, we landed Friday, we marched Saturday — that's yesterday — to-day's Sunday, by my reckoning." Captain William Fargeon, Sunday-school superintend- ent and temperance missionary, smiled grimly, then laughed aloud. "What's the matter, captain?' "Oh — nothing much," he answered; then, to himself, he added: "A fight, a swear- word, a drink of liquor, and a pipe — all on Sabbath morning! " and laughed again. The men are resting gayly, at their ease, some in the shady corners of the worm fence, some under the trees hard by, among whose branches the cicadas are screaming their delight in the hot sunshine. It is scarcely more than twenty minutes since our boys leaped the fence to pursue the retreating foe, yet to some men it is a life- time, to others the beginning of a long, slow, maimed existence. In front, the young corn spreads its deep green far and wide, broken and disturbed by the deadly work that went on in and through and over it a little while ago. THE FLAG OF TRUCE. IO3 Somewhere in its expanse, at some unmarked spots, lie three prostrate human figures. Enemies? No; former enemies, now insensate clods, to be neither hated nor feared. The rest following a small affair, wherein we have had a success, cr at any rate no serious loss or disaster, is a delightful interval to those alive and unhurt. One more yawning chasm past, one less deadly peril before us of those marked opposite our names in the illegible book of fate; a hard duty done this day, whether any one except us ever knows it or not; and perhaps a little dearly-loved honor and fame added to our few treasures. Something to talk of in camp; something to write of to the dear home-folks, now further away than ever. Something to remember to the day of death, be it near at hand or dim in the future. A great rebound of spirits from the terrible tension of the ordeal — a hilarity that seems natural even in caring for the suffer- ing wounded or the quiet dead. •"Well, Clinton, old boy! Your turn to-day, mine next time. How do you feel?" "First-rate, Captain." "I guess Clint will come out all O K, " said Aleck, who now had his arm under his brother's head as it lay on the stretcher, and was wiping off the sweat-drops of pain and weakness as they gathered on his forehead. "All right? Of course he will! He'll be singing in the quartet again before we know it." "I wonder if those fellows have any brothers on the other side!" said Clinton, turning his head with diffi- culty to where the wounded prisoners sat or lay in a row. "Might be," said Fargeon, while the laugh died from his face. But his blood was flowing too free for long 104 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. regrets. A smile chased away the pain and he added: "They had no business to be rebels — and then to come out and try to fight Company K! " "Bully for you! Bully for "all!" quavered Clinton. "What became of my gun?" "Oh, little Mark got it," answered Aleck, "and * * he used it too! " Fargeon had taken off his kepi. "Why, Captain, did you get hit? Your forehead looks as if it had been grazed by a ball." "No, no! " answered Will hastily, while the abraded forehead flushed up to the roots of his hair. "Brushed against something in passing." The stretcher-bearers were now told off to help the hospital men, and our wounded carried to camp. "Set the stretchers down at the hospital tent, and get four more and hurry back for the wounded rebs. Don't wait for these to be unloaded," shouted Mac. "Four? Why, there are five to go," said Will. "Oh, there's one who won't need a stretcher." They went over to where a fine specimen of humanity was lying (and dying), a little apart from the rest. Young, strong, handsome, high-bred — curls, that might have been the pride of a doting mother, clustermg round a brow that might have been the hope of an ambitious father. Eyes fit to shine as the heaven of love and trust to some happy bride, the light gone from them forever; the lids drawn back and the balls sunken so that it seemed as if their owner had been born blind. A bullet had torn clean through his lungs, and the breath made a dreadful noise escaping through the wound at every exhalation. Fargeon wiped away the bloody froth that oozed from the wounded man's lips and over his downy beard, and THE FLAG OF TRUCE. I05 tried to pour some drops of water into his mouth, but it ran out unswallowed. He asked the others the name of the dying man, and found it to be Huger. [Pro- nounced Hujee.] No more "joy of battle" for Captain Fargeon. He walked away along the line, trying to forget the dying boy, and listened to the usual free comments of the pri- vate soldier. "Now, why don't our boys back in camp move up and charge them woods? We've done our part, and now the big-bugs that sent us out ain't ready to follow up our victory ! " "Oh, dry up, Eph ! What do you know about war? Ye don't know no more about war than a fish knows about water! War's jest pushin' men out to git killed and then pullin' 'em back to die of old age. Kind o' 'mark- time march; ' keep a-steppin' an' never git ahead none. '■' In spite of the relaxation and repose, watchful eyes were always directed toward the front. "Hello! They're sending out a flag of truce!" The cry came from several parts of the line at once; and Fargeon ran to McClintock for advice, as usual. "Sarg'nt Coggill and Chipstone, leave your guns an' go out — double-quick — halt them where you meet them, and find out what they want. Tell them if they come any nearer we'll fire on them, flag or no flag. One of you stay with 'em — Sarg'nt, you stay with 'em; keep your mouth shut and your eyes and ears open. Chipstone, you bring back the message." The emissaries started, and our boys began to perch themselves on a fence. "Down! Git down, all of you, you fools! Do you want to let them knov/ how few there are of us? Let I06 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. 'em think there's a battery and a whole brigade in line^ of battle right here, if they want to." Soon Chipstone came running back. "They want to see an ofBcer who can treat for a truce to bury dead and care for the wounded." "What's the rank of the officer with the flag?" "I — don't know. He had no shoulder-straps." "No; they don't wear 'em. You go back and find out." Soon he made the journey out and back. "A captain and a lieutenant." "Well,Capt'nFargeon, you will probably meet the cap- tain, and take either me or Morphy with you." "Oh, come along, McClintock. We'll see what they want." "Well, sir, will you instruct Lieut'nt Morphy to take charge of our men — to keep them hidden and watchful in front and/ on flanks?" Morphy got his orders, and the others started. "Mac, could it be that they are moving to cut us off?" "No, not while the flag of truce is out. They ain't In- jins. " As they walked on, he added: "Same time, this flag of truce is a mere pretense. They want to find out if there's a chance for a rush on us, to retrieve their little repulse of this morning. Now, suppose your two guns were there and only K company to support them, and they found it out by this smart trick, and had a regiment in the edge of those woods — " "Well, what then?" "Why, the confederacy would be two guns ahead to- night. Guns without infantry to back them are as help- less as baby-carriages." They approached the two officers and the sergeant bearing the flag — a handkerchief tied on a gun-rammer. THE FLAG OF TRUCE. I07 The captain was a tall, pale, rather elderly gentleman, silent and rigidly grave. The lieutenant was the typical southern officer; thin and sallow, smooth-faced except a fringe of mustache over a sharp mouth, long black hair brushed behind his ears and falling to his collar; level brows and black eyes that shone with fierce, untamable light. The four officers touched their caps as they met. The confederate lieutenant spoke: "Gentlemen, I make you acquainted with Capt'nHuger, of the Lou' siana Fire-Eaters. I am Lieut. Judah, of the same reg'ment. " As the junior officer had spoken, McClintock replied, introducing Captain Fargecn and himself. Then the south- erner went on: "Gentlemen, as we were ovahmatched — I would say out numbahed — in our little affaiah of this morning, we thought best to retiah, and, in disobedience of the ordahs of Capt'n Huger and myself, some of ouah dead and wounded were left on the field." The northerners bowed. "Now, sah, Majah Leroy commanding the fo'ce in your immejate front, sen's his compliments and requests th'e cou'tesy of a truce fo' two houahs to cayah fo' ou' wounded and bury ou' dead." Fargeon made an inclination to Mac to authorize him to reply, and he did so. "Lieutenant, we have already cared for your wounded; and as to your dead, we are willing to send them over to your line by details of our men; or, according to rule, to forward your request to our commanding officer." "Very well, sah. Do you mean that you will insist that yo' men shall be allowed to bring ou' dead quite I08 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. to ou' own lines, sah? Or that we shall leave them un- buried, or come and take them by fo'ce, sah?" "As to coming to take them by force, you know,Lieu- tenant, you didn't need a flag of truce to authorize you to do that." "By God, sah, if I had my way we would have had no flag of truce, sah! We'd have had our battle-flag, sah, to recovah ou' dead, sah! " "We should have been glad to see you, Lieutenant. There's room behind our lines for the rest of your force." "By God, sah! — " But the silent gentleman at his side laid his hand on the youth's shoulder and quelled him by a look. Far- geon now interposed. "Pardon, gentlemen, I think we should feel authorized to have your dead brought to this place, and your men allowed unmolested to take them into your lines." The elder man, to whom Fargeon had addressed him- self, bowed a silent assent to this. Mac wrote a few lines in his book, and, tearing out the leaf, gave it to Chipstone to deliver to Lieut. Morphy. In a few minutes eight men were seen to leave the fence and begin s'earching about among the corn-hills. Before long three bodies clad in shabby gray, dirty and blood- stained, were being slowly dragged toward the little group, their helpless heels leveling the corn-plants as they passed, their hatless heads dropped back, their white mouths wide open, and their dead eyes staring hid- eously toward the pitiless sky. Captain Huger stood with his back to the work, but as each corpse was laid down he gave one quick, searching, agonized glance, and then turned instantly away. "That is all, gentlemen." THE FLAG OF TRUCE. lOQ The old captain heaved a long, deep sigh, seemingly of relief and hope. "Are all the six others whom we miss, wounded and in your hands?" "We have six in our hands, wounded or not." ■'Are there any prisoners not wounded?" "One. I have not yet taken his name." "Can you describe him?" asked the lieutenant. But CaptainHuger shook his head, intimating that he knew it was not the man they had in their minds. So the lieu- tenant changed the question. "Can we obtain him by parole, exchange, or otherwise? " ' Personally we have nothing to say about parole or ex- change. " "If we could lay our hands on him he would be shot at sundown. " "Then of course he can in no case be paroled or ex- changed. " The Confederate lieutenant here whispered a few words to his senior, who replied v/ith a nod; then turned his back and stood like a statue. "There is one man in yo' hands, gentlemen, I wish informally to ask about, undah circumstances — " "Do you mean Private Huger?" "I do, sah." "He is wounded in our hands." "Severely? " "Mortally." A dreadful silence fell upon the group. No one knew how to break it. Fargeon, with a question in his look, pointed to the heroic figure beyond; and Judah answered with a nod that seemed to say, "Father and son." The grief-stricken father never raised his hand to his eyes; but his frame wavered a little, and from time to no THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. time he bowed his head and shook it slightly, when one or two scattered drops would shine for an instant in the sun as they fell to the ground. At last Mac spoke: "With Capt'n Fargeon's permission, I propose that if Private Huger shall have died before the flag is with drawn, we shall deliver his body as we have the others. " "Very good, sah. And if not, sah?" "Then I don't know what more we can say," said Mac; to which Fargeon added: "Except that we shall treat the rebel wounded as we do our own. ' Judah flared up again in an instant. 'I'll thank you, Capt'n Fargeon, not to presume upon the protection affo'ded you by a flag of truce! I'll thank you, sah, to speak of Confederate soldiers befo' Confed- erate ofificahs with propah respect, sah! " "Lieutenant, it was quite accidental. I will repeat the remark in the form I should hive given it at first: We shall treat wounded enemies as we would wounded friends." "Very well, sah. I am moah than satisfied. You speak of us as yo' enemies; I reg-yahd that as the most honorable name you could bestow, sah!" Fargeon answered with a good-humored smile. How far he was from looking at them as they seemed to look at us! Said Mac, listlessly plucking a corn-leaf and tearing it into long, thin, green ribbons: "I need not say that if Private Huger shall live long enough, we shall be glad to favor an exchange for one of our men, if you have one to offer." "A wounded man, sah?" "No; a well man." THE FLAG OF TRUCE. Ill "Well, sah, I assume to say that that would be an exchange giving you-uns an advantage which Capt'n Huger would decline to give you, sah." "Then, gentlemen, as we have no more immediate busi- ness, we propose to withdraw." "And how about ouah flag, sah?" "We shall consider it withdrawn within half an hour after we leave you, unless we in the meantime act under it as proposed." "Very well, sah! Capt'n Huger, the gentlemen are iready to retiah. " The dignified father turned toward them, his face like that oi a stone image. Fargeon impulsively extended his hand, but the other seemed not to see it. He touched his hat, turned on his heel again, and stood motionless while our men retraced their steps, pushing down their sword-hilts so that the scabbards should not drag against the corn-blades. Our wounded had been sent in and the stretchers brought back for the rebels. All were loaded except Huger, who was'still alive, though nearly done with his struggle. Mac went to the stretchers and made a slight examination of the sufferers. Then he said to one of them: "Get up and walk." "Oh, Lieutenant, my arm's shot to pieces; I can't travel. " "You don't travel on your arm. Get out of that. I want it for Huger." "Oh, for Cap Huger' s son? Surely I'll get up. Could ye give me suth'n' to tie my arm so it won't hang down?" "Get up! I ain't here to wait on you," and he made as if he would tip the man off on the ground. "Oh, hold on!" cried Fargeon. "I can't stand that! Here, boy, let me tie my handkerchief in your button- 112 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. hole; now let me slip your wrist through and clasp your hands together — so!" The fellow submitted in wondering silence, and then got up and sat down on a log, nursing his unlucky arm as if it were a pet dog. They lifted Huger on the stretcher. Mac looked at him critically. "Guess we'll call him dead, captain, and give his friends the job of burying him. What do you say?" "I say yes." "All right, then. Here, Mark, you and Chipstone and Bob and Coggill carry this body over to the men at the flag. Remember it's a dead man — never anything else — you remember?" And he winked at them individually and collectively. Fargeon saw them reach the place; saw them lift off the load and come back with the stretcher; saw that there were only two figures instead of three visible at and about the flag; and felt what he could not see — the desolate old man prone among the corn-hills, with his son in his arms. One more embrace, after so many, to the baby, boy, youth and man. "Now, Mac, what do we do with our dead man? Who was it?" "One of our men killed? First I've heard of it. Must be out on the flanks somewhere." "No; right near here. I passed him as I came up. Here — I can find the very log he lay behind, in half a minute." "Well, let's be quick," said Mac. "I'm expecting some shells over. Of course you noticed that their white flag was tied onto a gun-rammer." Will was ashamed to confess that he had not noticed anything of the kind. CHAPTER IX. BURSTING SHELLS. ■ARGEON and McClintock found the gap in the fence, debated which way from that had been the point where the former had rejoined after his trip to headquarters, started back, and soon came upon the very log. Will ap- proached it with awe-struck seriousness, ready to turn over the corpse and look in the face of a dead friend. There was nothing there. "No body — nobody! " cried Fargeon, whereat Mac laughed. "What does it mean?" asked Will, standing on the log and looking about to see if he could be mistaken. No ! There in the distance stood the memorable white-oak! Then he got down where the man had lain, and found dim foot-tracks, and marks that might have been made by the toes of boots. Also a dint that might have come from the butt of a musket. Then he cried to Mac to come and look — at not less than a dozen cartridges, partly hidden under the log. "It means a skulker, " said Mac. "A corporal, too, you say? If I can prove it on him, I go for tearing his stripes off in the face of the whole regiment; then hav- ing him bucked arid gagged, put on police duty for a 8 113 1 14 THE CAlTAtN OP COM?ANy K. month and docked of a year's pay! That's a thing that's got to be squelched !" "Why, Mac — is it common?" "Common? Don't ask me! Every battle is fringed with 'em. The fine fellows get killed and wounded and the skulkers live forever, and their widows draw pen- sions afterward." "I guess I can pick him out, Mac. P 11 let you know if I succeed." He strolled off to the line and joined one group of gossipers after another, telling them a little of the scene at the flag of truce, concerning which they were ex- tremely curious. "Cale Dugong, where were you in the fight?" "I was right in over yonder, Cap, or a leetle more to the left. I was just telling the boys how I knocked over two of the Johnnies — I shouldn't wonder if one of the wounded men see me aim at him. Maybe not, though. But I know one of the killed did; and it was the last thing he ever did see, too." "Which two of our men were you between?" "Oh, I started in between Eph Tolliver an' Tom Looser, didn't I, boys?" "Yes; that's the way we stood coming up through the woods, an' after we got to the fence, before the rebs come out. " "Well, there's where it was, then. After the reserve jined, I dunno who I was with, I was a-firin' so fast. I bet there ain't a man in the company fired more car- tridges than I did! " He opened his cartridge-box, and, to be sure, it was half empty. "Maybe that's because you fired so often before you were told to fire! Step this way, Caleb: I've got to have a talk with you." BURSTING SHELLS. 1 15 Caleb obeyed, his face turning rapidly from "red as a beet to white as a sheet," the boys said, winking at each other as he disappeared in the wake of the captain. - They walked to the log in grim silence. "Pick up those cartridges and put them back in your box." "Why, Cap—" "Silence, sir! Now throw some leaves over where your toes and the butt of your gun scratched the dirt. Hide your shame ! " Caleb obeyed. "What ye goin' t' do to me. Cap? I was sick — honest, I was." And he proceeded to give some plausi- ble functional reason for his defection. When he had done, Fargeon pointed back to his place in the ranks, saying sternly: "Private Dugong, go back to your duty." "Ain't I a corp'ral no more, Cap?" "No. We don't want skulking corporals. If you resign and rip off your stripes,- all right; if you don't, it will be done for you. If you are brought before a court-martial, you may be shot for leaving the ranks under fire. Your life depends on your future conduct." He left Caleb sitting on the log, helpless with fright. The culprit soon braced up, however, and blustered back into his place. "Well, I won't stand it! I'Jl go back to the ranks! Any private could make a mistake an' fire without orders, an' nobody'd say a word to him; but let a corp'ral do it wunst and he gits abused like a dog! Yes, sir! You needn't call me Corp'ral Cale no more! " And they did not. Fargeon told Mac what he'd done, and the latter re- marked : Il6 THE CAPTAIK OF COMPANY K. "Well, that's good in one way, anyhow, even if it's bad in another. It gives us another chance to promote a man. Clinton Thrush is a sergeant; he'll be off for a long time, if he ever comes back. We can promote a corporal to his place and raise two men from the ranks." "Hard on Clinton." "No! He ought to be a lieutenant by that time. Lots of vacancies coming; not to speak of new regi- ments." "I'd like to see little Mark a corporal, for particular reasons. " "Mark' 11 be one, of course, though we'll lose him as our orderly. Ought to have been one from the start, knowing as much as he does; How would Clinton's brother Alec do for a sergeant, and Chipstone for a cor- poral? " "Couldn't be better." Orders now came from headquarters to return to camp at once. [The two guns had been overtaken and turned backward.] Word was passed along the line to come to "attention" and "prepare to retire as skirmishers;'' but before the order could be obeyed a flash in the opposite woods sent across the corn-field a slight gleam visible in spite of the sunshine. Soon followed the roar of a dis- tant field-piece, and, almost at the same instant with the sound, the shriek of a near shell passing over their heads; then among the trees behind them there was another great bang as the shell burst; then a humming, as of a hun- dred gigantic bees, from the fragments of the shell as they flew through the air, hunting the neighborhood for victims. The men in the immediate vicinity dropped flat down as if they had been struck by lightning. It seemed^im- possible for human nature to stand up before and be- BURSTING SHELLS. II7 neath the yelling, flying beast. Fargeon dropped among the rest. He felt as if he could not hug mother earth closely enough — he would have liked to dig a hole, with his nails, to hide in. Almost before the echoes of the first shot died away another rang out, with the same series of sounds. The shriek of a shell is more appall- ing than the scream of an angry horse. Will knew that something must be done, but what? He wished he could ask Mac. As he framed the wish he heard Mac's drawl above him; raised his head, and there was the bold fellow erect and cool, standing on the top rail of the fence, steadying himself with his left hand on a fence stake, while he peered under his right at the opposite woods. "Two pieces — that's all. I wish I knew how much infantry they've got! Can't have been much while we were fighting, or they'd have come out and supported their skirmishers. No matter, though. We couldn't venture to go for the guns with only one company. It would take all our men to drag the pieces — allowing for losses before we got hold of 'em. If I had a regiment I'd try it; I would! That is, of course, with your con- sent. Captain." Will got up and began to brush thedustoff his clothes, but by this time the first gun was reloaded, and again he saw the flash and heard the shriek, the double ex- plosion and the humming— heard them from the ground as before; Mac still perched high above him. The third missile struck in the corn-field, the fertile soil being too mellow for a ricochet. "They are getting the range," coolly observed Mac. "Let's get back, Captain, whenever you are ready." "The sooner the better," said Fargeon, now shamed Il8 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K, out of his nervousness. "If you'll go to the right I'll go to the left." "Very well — oh, I thought you said I was to go to the right." "Do; and I will go to the left." "Yes, Captain; but you are going to the right now." "Surely, surely! There; I'll go to the right and you the left. I forgot that I should always talk of right or left as if we were facing the enemy." The long, straggling, scattered line now worked slowly toward camp, the halting portion of the men always selecting trees, and peering out from behind them as the moving men retired past. The shells still rang merrily, and the tree-tops suffered some damage, but no- body was hurt. Will asked Mac if it wasn't wonderful. "Naw! " answered Mac contemptuously, true infantry- man that he was. "Artillery scares, but doesn't kill. It's only the musket that means business." And he tramped back and forth along the line, talking incessantly, as was evidently his habit in action. As the sense of danger again wore off. Will's spirits took another rebound, and he moved and talked as Mac did, just as if there were no peril in shells. Then he heard a man near him cry out "Ouch! " and saw him drop his gun and begin squeezing the right hand under his left arm as a boy might who had pounded his thumb with a hammer. One of the buzzing iron bees had evi- dently stung. Will picked up the gun, and caught a glimpse of the hurt hand as the man hurriedly and anx- iously inspected it. It was a mere glimpse, but it showed a broken bone, and bloody skin and flesh both fat and lean. Will told the sufferer to hurry on to camp; and himself resumed his tramping back and forth, carrying the gun and feeling a little nausea. BURSTING SHELLS. IIQ A new depression seized him; his mind's eye saw only the horrors of the day, and his mind's ears heard only the bubbling escape of air from private Huger's breast. His fancy pictured this last wounded man going through life with a maimed, misshapen, hideous, useless right hand; a burden to himself and the world. The cannon firing behind them suddenly stopped. "Now, look out for them, boys! " shouted Mac. "Every man take a tree when he halts, and give 'em 'Hail Columbia' if they're tryin' for a rush." Will repeated the order, and as Mac didn't take a tree he did not either, but moved back and forth as before. "Cap Fargeon don't take no tree," he heard one halted man call to his neighbor. "Cap hain't got no use for no tree," called back the one addressed. / Once more a happy glow filled his heart, and he felt a lump rise in his throat and dew start to his eyes. He loved the men who had praised him. He loved all the men in his company. Then he thought of their being food for powder; the mere sport of fate. "The best fel- lows get killed'; while the skulkers live forever, and their widows draw pensions afterward," Mac had said. Oh, how can a just God permit such things? So did pleas- ure and pain follow each other across his abnormally ex- cited soul. No enemy appeared, and soon the movement became a mere scattered tramp to the rear. Fargeon approached McClintock-and they walked along together. "They got their full ration in the corn-field," said Mac. "Yes — poor devils!" "If we hadn't met their flag of truce where we did, they would have found out how weak we are, and tried to get back at us, for keeps." 120 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. They walked on in silence, Will thinking of Private Huger and his father. "Oh, Mac! can't this business be stopped?" "It ought to be. It's a cursed shame." "Think of that poor oldCapt'nHuger !" "Ya-as. The old cuss ought to know better. But, then, both sides do it when they get a chance." "Do what, do you mean?" "Why, use the flag of truce to snoop information." "Oh! that was not what I had in mind." "What then?" "Oh, the whole beastly job -the slaughter, the wounds, the maimings, the bereavements." "Oh, I seel Well, how can we help them?" "Just look at it! Take that young Huger, cutoff inhis prime and promise, shot through the lungs in a corn-field by a man that had nothing against him — Chipstonfe, as good a fellow as ever lived, without a hard feeling in his heart toward any man on earth; I can see that Chip feels it. He looks like a ghost, and hasn't opened his lips since we picked up the poor boy." "Oh, Chip' 11 get over it." "I hope he will; or I'm afraid he will; I don't know which." "Let him go and take a good look at Clint Thrush's leg. That'll help him." "Oh, my God! It makes me sick." Will threw his disengaged hand up toward the unanswering sky. "Well, how are we going to carry on war if you look at all those things?" "It ought never to be carried on at all! " "Oh, of course! Bad the best way you can fix it. But that's none of my business. Our job is to make war; somebody else's job is to make peace." BURSTING SHELLS. 121 "I wonder there aren't lots of our fellows poking over to see what Ihe firing is all about." "Like as not they never heard a thing — except these last cannon-shots." "What? That fusilade not heard in camp?" "No. You see the wind is in our faces as we go back. And then the air is dry and thin; that makes a wonder- ful difference. If it had been rainy they might have heard the muskets in spite of the woods." "Well, that young aide-de-camp must have told we were engaged." "Yes, he told it at headquarters of course; and then probably the stretchers were started and the brigade was called out under arms on the color line. No chance for anybody to wander in the woods after that. Still, as you say, there ought to have been messengers constantly going and coming — would have been if headquarters amounted to shucks. " "To be sure, he brought us orders to retire." "Ya-as, but how did they know we could retire in proper order, bringing dead and wounded. Suppose we'd met a regiment, instead of a company, and they'd out- flanked us and wrapped us all up!" "The prisoners we sent in told the story." "Thanks to our good luck and good fighting, not to their good management." So they tramped along through the scattered under- brush, spotted with sunshine and shadow. Meanwhile an unlooked-for glory and pleasure was in store for them. CHAPTER X. HONOR AND OBLIVION. OMPANY— HALT! By the right flank, close intervals— MARCH!" The skirmishers were coming in sight of camp. They faced into line (front- ing toward the enemy, of course), and re-formed, re-counted and re-dressed the ranks disordered by their losses. The officers drew swords. 'By fours, right— FACE I Right shoulder-shift— ARMS! Forward by file right— MARCH! Left— left— left— left." As they neared the camp they saw that the three regiments of the brigade were under arms on the color line, stand- ing at "rest." [They had been called out, as Mac had guessed they would be, at the sound of the cannon.] A wild "Heigh! " started spontaneously from the long brigade line when the head of Company K came in sight. Again and again it rose, springing up in one part of the line after another, and always spreading along the ranks from end to end, while the men swung their caps or raised them high in air on the points of their bayo- nets. Somewhere in K's rank was heard a strong voice (alas! - 123 HONOR AND OBLIVION. 133 not Clinton Thrush's!) starting the company song, to which all burst into chorus at the proper time: "Company K has shown the way. BULLY FOR YOU ! BULLY FOR ALL ! Your turn's acoming some other day. BULLY FOR YOU ! BULLY FOR ALL I" The other companies of the Sixth took up the song, and then the rest of the brigade caught on in a hearty though desultory and irregular fashion. They paid small attention to words. "Company K! Company K!" was good enough for the song, and "Bully for you! Bully for ail!" was always ready when anybody thought it was time for the chorus. Fargeon was going to lead his men straight in, past the right flank of the brigade, but as he approached he s5w the commanding officer (lieutenant-colonel) of the nearest regiment motioning him down toward the left flank. Not knowing just what he would be at. Will changed direction to the right, and soon found that K was to be highly honored. The lieutenant-colonel brought the regiment to "atten- tion," with arms at shoulder. Then, to the surprise and delight of the home-coming skirmishers, he cried: "PRESENT— ARMS!" Fargeon turned to the happy, excited faces of Company K, and called "SHOULDER— ARMS! " [The marching salute was with arms at "shoulder."] Tears of gratified pride rose to his eyes — why, he did not know. The springs of smiles and tears lie close together. The other regiments in turn were called to "attention," and the salute repeated; and the Sixth, when its turn came, gave three regular cheers and a "tiger" to its dis- tinguished brothers. At last K reached its tent-street. The coats were old ; 124 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. the caps, once so jaunty, were in all possible shapes of crushed, misshapen disfigurement — the whole uniform vsas shabby, with various shades of faded blue and various signs of sun and rain, wear and tear; but yet its wearers were clothed with honor and distinction. Company K had fought, suffered, triumphed, and had brought in prisoners and trophies. "Company— HALT! Break ranks— MARCH! " And with a last "Heigh! " and the usual slapping of musket- stocks, the boys darted into their tents, laid aside their arms and accoutrements, and flung themselves flat on their backs for welcome, grateful rest. They had not known till now how tired they were. The absence of their comrades under arms on the color line, gave them an interval of delicious solitude; utter silence reigned; their eyes closed as if by magic, and some were asleep almo^ on the instant. t But George Chipstone lay staring at the canvas above him as if he could never sleep again. Fargeon had noticed that Colonel Puller was not with the regiment under arms. In fact, all the regiments were in charge of lieutenant-colonels. He went at once to the colonel's tent to report, but learned from an orderly that his commander, with the other colonels, was at brigade head- quarters, where some festivity was in progress on the occasion of a sword presentation to the valiant Y. R. Puller, of the Sixth Illinois. A committee from his home district had arrived, which would have taken him greatly by surprise if he had not known all about it beforehand, and now he was entertaining the delegation at headquar- ters, where speeches' were being made, toasts drunk, and a "good time" was enjoyed at a spread given by Colonel Puller to the general, his staff, the visitors, and other invited guests. HONOR AND OBLIVION. 125 Will made his way to brigade headquarters — a neigh- boring farm-house — and heard, from the open windows, sounds of merriment that jarred on his ears; that festive volubility which is so repulsive to a sad and sober list- ener. He sent in his name to Colonel Puller; no answer came out for along time, because the messenger dared not' interrupt the speaking; and when word did come it was: "Colonel Puller sends his compliments to Capt. Far- geon, and requests him to call at his quarters in an hour." He went back to his own tent sick at heart, the reac- tion from excitement and tension of nerves taking full possession of soul and body. He threw himself prone along his rude couch and pressed his eyeballs hard with his lingers. "Who am I? Am I Will Fargeon, or am I a Sabbath-breaking, tobacco-smoking, swearing, drinking, murdering ruffian? Who was it storming up and down that man's corn-field, glad to see my friends killing other peo- ple's friends? Glad Chipstone's bullet plowed through the lung of that splendid old man's splendid son! Glad my men fired low and sure while theirs fired high and wild! Glad about those corpses with 'flies sucking the unshed tears from their eye sockets ! "That was just about church-time; when Sally was sitting at the sweet-toned organ, playing soft and low; while the sun was throwing through the stained glass that special ray that always makes her hair look like an aureole. I can hear her voice chanting, 'And on earth peace, good will to men; ' while I was screaming through the din, 'Fire low, men! Aim every time!' "Is it all a horrid nightmare? No — there is the wall of the tent; I can feel the roughness of it with my fingers. What a looking hand! How horribly shabby I am all over! On earth fire low — peace — aim your piece every time. That's a pun, isn't it?" And he fell asleep. 125 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. "Hello! " called a vinous voice in spirituous accents. "Hello! Capt'n Fargeon, I believe." "Ye-es, sir; I believe so too." "Well, Captain, I represent the 'Fulcrum,' as you may have heard. I just asked Colonel Puller who had the honor of commanding our force in the little ruction this morn- ing, and he named you." [Silence.] "Now, Cap, I being who I am, and you being who you are, you may readily fancy my object in disturbing your rosy slumbers." "And what can I do for you, Mr. ?" "Call me whatever you please, Cap — it's all one — when you talk to me you talk to the 'Fulcrum.' That is, I presume, a sufficient introduction. You had but one company, I understand; and I suppose the force you met outnumbered yours two to one, eh? Or was it ten to one this time?" "Mr. — Mr. — Fulcrum, I may be wrong, but as I under- stand my duty, it is to make my report in the first in- stance to my immediate superior, Colonel Puller." "Oho! Red tape, eh? First lesson in tactics for new beginners is red tape!" [Silence.] "Now, once more, Captain, and for the last time, I ask if you will furnish the public through our columns the details of your alleged skirmish of this morning." Will slowly rose, slowly pulled aside the tent-flap, pointed in silence toward the outside, and waited till the upstart, with a contemptuous snort, departed. All was dark, dismal, disgusting, degraded — well-nigh intolerable. Will said to himself: "Lucky there's no whisky at hand — I should be almost tempted to take some to put me back into that contemptible state of ignoble self-complacency." Suddenly he bethought himself of his pipe. He found it and filled it ; then, looking around for a paper to light HONOR AND OBLIVION, 127 at the camp-fire, his eye fell upon he letter to be deliv- ered "if I fall," and he hastened to crumple and burn it, as if it had been something to be ashamed of. After Fargeon had made his report to Col. Puller, the latter joyfully welcoined the young dispenser of fame, and submitted to the inevitable interview with scarcely disguised gratification, flattering frankness, and unlimited whisky "and cigars. Fargeon was very glad of this, for he would have been sorry to be the means of depriving his brave fellows of the solace that flows from public mention of public serv- ice. As to his personal share in the skirmish, he held it in very humble esteem, and would try not to grieve if the offense he had given should result in his being deprived of anything beyond a bare mention of his name as commanding the fighting force. He knew that some bright eyes would glisten, and some friendly faces would smile with approval, on merely knowing that he was on hand and had his share in the manly fray. Then he let his fancy roam a little along the road to fame — so easy for the eyes of the soldier, and so hard for his feet — and read in advance the letters and news- papers that were to reach him through the mails of the next month or two if he should live so long. Sara Pen- rose? Surely; sweetest and best of all. Iler father? Yesj urging that to God should be given the glory. Families of his soldiers? Yes, indeed! Business friends? Probably some; perhaps even one from Mayer Moss- Rosen, his close competitor in the bitter rivalry of trade. How gratifying and consoling that would be ! To return to our resting boys: The men of the brigade under arms were relieved from their tiresome confinement on the color-line; not as_soon as they might have been, but as soon as the attention of the brigadier- 128 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. general could be drawn from Puller's hospitable board and turned in their direction. Then the rest of the Sixth swarmed over Company K's quarters and put a speedy end to all repose. Over and over did the men have to tell of their "bap- tism of fire." Cale Dugong was perhaps the most graphic and soul-satisfying narrator; George Chipstone the least, for he lay in his tent and scarcely opened his lips. "Killed a fine young chap," said the others in a whis- per, to account for his "horrors." "Well, what of it? That's what we come out for," said Dugong. "I expect I killed two. Seen 'em drop, anyhow, an' I'm glad of it!" -When Mark brought up the officers' supper he men- tioned Chip's predicament to Captain Fargeon, and the captain thought he ought to do something for the good fellow. He had Mark send him up. "Chipstone, you and Clinton are great friends, aren't you?" "Yes, Captain," answered the other in a hollow voice. "Let's go over to the hospital, and cheer him up a little. You get his things together and bring them with you. I'll pass you along." As they walked Will said: "A Chicago newspaper- man is in camp. I suppose our friends at home will get news by day after to-morrow of the good job we did to- day. " No answer. "Those rebels seem to think they are going to destroy the great United States of America! We have got to teach them that it can't be done, while any of us are living. You and I may fall ; some other good men will step into our places. The southerners will find they've 'bit off more than they can chaw,' as the country folks HONOR AND OBLIVION. I3g say. They began it, but we'll stay and finish it. Don't you say so?" "Oh, I suppose it's got to be done by somebody." "Of course it has! And the bitterer the lessons we give them, the sooner they'll learn the great truth. Did you notice how savage that rebel lieutenant was?" "Wasn't he!" "Slave-holding seems to have made those men crazy with pride and foolishness. Now, I haven't got any- thing against that fellow, but I can see that nothing but blood-letting will give him common sense." "It's no use to go easy on 'em." "No. Any kind of half-way fighting would be sheer cruelty. It would be like the fellow who was too soft- hearted to cut his dog's tail off all at once, so he cut it off an inch at a time." Chipstone gave a half laugh at this illustration, and they reached the hospital— a neighboring barn pressed into the service. Long rows of cots covered the floor in every direction. They were chiefly occupied with sick men, as the visitors observed as they passed and asked the way to the corner devoted to the wounded. The great doors at each side of the barn were wide open, the breeze swept through, and the low-descending sun shone kindly in with level rays. Attendants moved about here and there, carrying to the disabled soldiers such rude comforts as a field hospital affords. Pale faces looked at the visitors, and two or three voices called to them: "Cap, got any newspapers?" Will was sorry he had no reading matter to relieve their tedium, and made a mental note of what should be his first care on the morrow. They made straight for the cots devoted to their own 9 136 *ilfi CAPTAIN OP COMPANY K. companions, and the eyes of the Company K boys lighted up at their approach, and even the wounded confederates seemed to smile at their late antagonists. Familiar voices greeted them: "Hello, Captain! Hello, Chip- stone! " Both gave a hearty hand-clasp to each prostrate comrade. Clinton Thrush was the most seriously wounded, and an- other — the man who had his hand hurt — sat by his side waving a leafy branch to keep the flies off his exposed and bandaged leg. Clint knew them, but fever had come on, and he talked incessantly and incoherently, in a voice of weakness and excitement. "Bully for you! Bully for all! Company K in the corn-field. Says Mac, 'Forward, boys!' and I heard him say 'Forward boys!' and I did forward boys! Cap, I'll leave it to you if I didn't forward boys when he sung out 'Forward boys!' First thing I knew I didn't know anything! Give a man all the appellations in the world and take away his consignments, and what' 11 he offer at next? But then! Aleck is my brother. That's nothing against him. Mac had no call to be hard on Aleck for being my brother. Oh, Captain — you'll stand by Aleck, if he is my brother, won't you? Don't let Mac hurt him for being my brother. Him an' I are all the boys mother's got — except the girls. Oh, mother! Oh, mother!" And he began to cry in a foolish fashion. To divert his thoughts, and if possible calm his shat- tered nerves. Will began in a gentle voice: " Our God h? saw us from on high." And almost on the instant the poor fellow took up the melody, and in a voice like his own clear tenor, only sublimated, as if made of the breath of Heaven itself, he sang and sang until every other sound was hushed into silence; and still the sweet, touching strain soared 131 132 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. aloft and floated out into the fading, dying day. Never afterward, never as long as he lives, can Will sing that strain; nor can he even hear it sung without a choking in his throat and a rush of tears to his eyes. An attendant brought the sufferer a soothing drink, and he became calm and quiet. Will let go^his hand and turned to talk with the surgeon, who was attending the confederate wounded. "Captain," said the doctor, "I'm glad toseeyou. The boys are all doing well except Clinton. We are going to try to save his life and maybe his leg, but I don't know about it. If he were at home, in his natural cli- mate and surroundings, he would be all right. But here — blood thinned by hot weather, hard work, and poor food—" "Why not send him home at once, doctor?" "Oh, of course we can't send every wounded man home. Ambulances can't be spared, nor attendants pro- vided for individual enlisted men, sick or wounded. They have to be treated together. " "Great heavens! Must the brave boys stay here and die when they might go home and live?" "Well, how would you fix it?" "Oh, I don' t know ! Any way to save lives and limbs. The whole State of Illinois ought to come down for them if necessary! " "The state won't do it, and can't. If she'll send us well men to take their places when we lose them, that's all we can ask." "When will you decide about Clinton?" "In the moring we shall know. We won't amputate if we can save' the leg, and we won't amputate if it isn't going to be any use." "How — any use?" HONOR AND OBLIVION, 1 33 "Well, if he can't live anyhow. In Mexico we didn't have much luck with large stumps. So much against the patient; so many died of trouble with the stump — they call it blood-poisoning notvadays — that we got to feel as if we might as well let them die without the knife as after it." "Clinton's brother Aleck ought to be with him." "Well, why not have him detailed as hospital nurse?" "The very thing! I'll attend to it to-night." The doctor smiled enigmatically, but did not say any- thing more. Fargeon spent the next hour passing from cot to cot; chatting with the men, making memoranda of their little needs and wishes, comforting and encour- aging them in every way; his own spirit growing calmer and happier in this congenial task. It was the pleasantest hour of his day, this stormy Sunday. "Here's where I belong," said he to himself. "Saving life, instead of destroying it; giving comfort and consola- tion; making peace, instead of war. Blessed are the peacemakers. Oh, how I wish I had such a job as this instead of that other — that infernal corn-field!" As they walked back, Chip said: "What did the doc- tor say about Clint?" "Very doubtful." "Which, leg or life?" "Both. If the fever goes off, the leg must probably come off; and if they amputate the leg, he' 11 have a poor chance to get over it. " "Great God! Is that so?" "Yes. Likely that bullet has silenced Clinton Thrush' s singing for good." "Curse the bullet — and the man that fired it! " "And those who sent him to fire it," added Fargeon. As they walked on in silence he said to himself: 134 "^^^ CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. "I guess Chip is all right again." When he spoke to Mac about sending Aleck to serve in the hospital, the lieutenant gave a snort of dissatisfac- tion. "Why, Aleck Thrush is one of the best men in the company! If they call on us for a hospital detail we can pick out men who will be no loss; but Aleck Thrush ! The hospital's the place for the trash that haven't got snap enough to fight — the grannies in trousers — but Aleck, he's a man!" "All the same. Company K won't keep him away from his brother while I have anything to say about it." ("But I guess I won't go into the hospital service myself just at present.") Next morning was rainy, but the requisition in Company K for an enlisted man to serve as hospital attend- ant came promptly, and Aleck was sent. He carried with him every old newspaper there was in the whole brigade. The poor fellow's trembling delight was a sight to see. He sang for joy and set off for Clinton's bedside running like a deer. "See him scoot! Aleck always was the beater to run; he beat us all in a foot-race like we was standing still; but I'll bet this time he's a-beatin' himself!" Speed uselessly made. Aleck might as well have run in the opposite direction. Before he reached the barn-hospi- tal he met four men carrying a stretcher, using their dis- engaged hands in restraining the weak, frantic struggles of Company K's first martyr — the brave fellow, the good man, the sweet singer, De Witt Clinton Thrush. His ravings had become a terror and a danger to the other sick and wounded, and he was being carried away out of their hearing. "Christ! Is that my brother? Here, Clint! Old HONOR AND OBLIVION, I35 boy, don' t ye know Aleck? There, there, there, there!" The soothing tones reached the sufferer's ears and heart, and he threw his arms around Aleck's neck and tried to climb off the stretcher by their help, while the wounded leg bled afresh. Expelled from the hospital, surrounded by sigh- ing woods through'which the rain dropped drearily, no shelter in the world open to him to die in, home and mother and sisters five hundred miles away! Late the next afternoon Aleck crept back to camp with a piece of board he had somewhere found; and all night he hacked and carved at it until he had made a deep- cut and legible inscription to distinguish his brother's lonely grave. Our forces did not hold this position ; and after we retired it is probable that some enemy found the spot and destroyed the simple record, or perhaps the wood-fires burned it, or hogs rooted it up. But what difference did that make? Nobody ever went back to look for it. A mail from home! Oh, joy! Oh, love! Oh, curi- osity! Oh, wild excitement! In every place that offers anything like privacy in the rude publicity of camp-life eager faces bend over letters. Lavish dimes (from the private soldier's scanty purse) are spent for every news- paper that has reached the sutler's tent for sale. "Dear, dear, dear soldier — otherwise known as William Fargeon, captain of Company K. "= * * To tell you what happens (of interest) in Chicago while you all are away making the only news we care about, wouldn't take a page. To tell you all that doesn't happen would take a quire, a ream, a prairie of foolscap. * * * "Dear old Colin Thorburn comes often. I think he feels as if hg verg j-esjponsible for your ' leaving us, and 136 ■ THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. calls as a kind of expiatory duty. Last night he sang "There is nae luck aboot the hoose, There is nae luck at a', There is nae luck aboot the hoose Syne our gude mon's awa," in a cracked old voice, so gentle and sympathethic that it wrung tears from the eyes of a poor goose who is too, too fond of you. "I have come to the conclusion that woman is an ab- surdly incomplete being. I think that if Eve had been made before Adam she would have spent all her time moping about the garden, crying, 'Why — is this all? Nothing but sun, moon and stars, sky and earth, ani- mals, flowers, fruits, and tneP (She wouldn't know gram- mar yet, poor thing!) 'I don't think much of such a show as this, and I want my money back.' * * * "Oh! Merciful Heaven! Here comes the Fulcrum say- ing that the Sixth has had a fight and that some men were wounded! Oh, I hope you were not in it! I am sure you were not hurt or they would have said so. They only mention Col. Puller, and say that he was not hurt. How my heart beats! I hope you were not in the fight at all — I don't know why — it is a useless thing to wish or to hope. It is what you went for! "How unhappy I am! I am leaning back so that my tears shall not fall on the paper. There — I have leaned forward so that some should fall on it. Do you see those two crinkly spots? Those are tears, dear, shed for you. Now I must stop before I write down past them. "Your sorrowing, loving, "Sally." As soon as Fargeon could look at Sally's letter with any eyes but those of tenderness and happiness, he began to wonder at the fact that there should be any doubt as HONOR AND OBLIVION. 137 to whether he had been wounded, or had even been pres- ent at the skirmish. He secured a copy of the paper which had sent down the correspondent whom he had met. He got it, he read the narrative it contained — read it with amazement. "DID WE LICK 'EM, CAPTAIN?" PAGE lOI. CHAPTER XI. CHICAGO AGAIN. jT the time of the war, Chicago was already great — even down to her daily press. It was the Fulcrum which had sent forth the reporter whom Fargeon had met and had . offended j and he pounced upon the .J3.^ Fulcrum with all the eagerness of a young citizen-soldier look- ing for the home-picture of his maiden fight. First there was a column and more of the 'sword-presentation ceremonies," including a full report of the "impromptu remarks of our correspondent." Then followed a short statement of the "affair." This is the substance of the tale: Col. Y. R. Puller, of the Sixth, had been surprised by a demand for a detail of skirmishers "to find the enemy," on the very morning after his arrival. But when did that brave patriot ever hesitate at the call of duty? He instantly deployed a company for the service, perilous and bloody though it promised to be, and as the result showed it was destined to be in fact. And right well was that service performed! The brave colonel "found 138 CHICAGO AGAIN. 1 39 the enemy," as he had been ordered to do — found them in force, not only infantry, but artillery ! Yet he man- aged by his admirable arrangements and gallant fighting, to inflict loss far in excess of what he sustained. Four rebels were left dead on tne field; five prisoners, most of them wounded, fell into our hands. Including the dead and wounded carried off by the retreating foe, their loss could not have been less than forty or fifty, while our entire loss was only five wounded. Fortunately Col. Puller was not himself among the wounded, for the army and the country could ill spare officers of his cali- ber. Whenever Col. Y. R. Puller leaves the field it should be at the call of his fellow-citizens of the ninth district, who think that he can do more service to the great cause in Congress, battling the fire in the rear, fighting the insidious enemy at home, than at the front, facing the more honorable and less dangerous foes in, the field. That was all. The gentlemanly dispenser of fame and maker of history had avenged his affront by omitting all mention of the real fighters, wounded and unwounded, in his words sent home for the eager perusal of their fami- lies, friends, and neighbors. He had managed to wound the unwounded, and to withhold balm from the hurts of the disabled. That particular movement southward, wherein Com- pany K took its baptism of fire, turned out to be "one of our failures." The brigade was ordered back to Cairo, and back it journeyed, leaving to our enemies our foot- prints and the graves of our dead. In the twenty-mile march it made to reach the steam- boats. Company K was again honored with the post of danger and distinction, this time the rear guard. Con- 140 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. federate cavalry followed us sharply, and for many hours our boys kept up a running fight; suffering some loss, but inflicting more on the brave southern horsemen, many of whom were seen to fall, and some of whom, dashing recklessly through our line, were "gobbled up," horses and all; the men to be marched in as prisoners and the horses to be used to carry our wounded. The temptation to describe this day's fighting must be. resisted; because, in cold blood and black and white, it would seem to a reader too much like the corn-field job to bear the needful detail. So, too, the resumption of camp life at Cairo. As the men said: "Same old story, only wuss an' wuss, an' more of it." When the snow was half mud, and the mud was half water, and the three were combined into an enemy more invincible than an army with banners, an enemy which not merely invested but infested Cairo, Will Fargeon yielded to the pressure of circumstances and of home urgency, took a leave of absence and the noon train for Chicago. What a lot of miles! 365 — one for every day in the year — but they were homeward miles, and sweet to the soul. Did a fellow-passenger yearn for communion of spirit? Well, it was grudgingly given, for the moments of anticipation were too near absolute fruition to be wasted in talk when fancy might be running riot in thoughts of to-morrow. "Centralia! Twenty minutes for supperl" Snow, mud, darkness, glaring refreshment-room. "Rosbeefmuttonchopscoldamfish! ■" Not alluring to the common Christian, but quite so to the camp-weary cam- paigner — if they would only hurry through it and move on! CHICAGO AGAIN. I4I Rumble, rumble, rumble; sit awhile, stand awhile, walk awhile — always rumble, rumble, rumble, and always the rosy dream. Not an unhappy minute except when stopping at stations. (Then rises a chorus of snores.) Nine o'clock; time to wind his watch. Ten o'clock, eleven o'clock. Already? It seems impossible that these hours should be so full of delight and yet pass so quickly. Midnight — "Tolono! Ten minutes for refresh- ments!" He crossed the dripping platform, shining under the lamps, and smiled as he heard the man ahead of him give the wholesome order: "Piece o' pie, cup o' coffee, and a paper o' chewin' tobacker. " Then the long ten minutes of stop came to an end and the short hours of progress began again. Well, there was a to-morrow coming — a Chicago to-mor- row. He ought at least to try for a little sleep. Gripsack pillow is soft enough, army overcoat is warm enough, double seat is long enough — but heart is not calm enough. There is too much joy in waking to get to sleep. Rumble, rumble, rumble; more walking up and down the long-drawn aisle of the passenger coach. There were a mother and child who had got on at Tolono ; and the baby cried until the mother was forced to cry too. Very good — here was Will's chance — he always was lucky! So he took the child wit4iout asking leave, raised it high in his strong arms and resumed his walk. Not another sound from the infant; it was fast asleep. The mother would have taken it from him; but no, she must put up her feet, cover her head in her shawl, and sleep, too. "Kankakee! " Only fifty-five miles more; of course it would scarcely pay to go to sleep now, so he would sit down, make himself into cradle-shape for the baby's sake, and watch the snow-flakes as they flitted past the window, showing for an instant in the light of the car lamps. 142 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. What's all this? Why — why it's broad daylight, and the mother, up and refreshed, is trying to remove the sleeping baby from his arms without waking either of them! The late winter sunrise is shining over the black and wrinkled face of Lake Michigan as he enters his native city. "Sweet, sharp, frosty air fills his nostrils and re- freshes his heart. When he alights from the cars he stamps hard on the frozen soil; joyful to feel that it does not sink mushily under his heel. He hears the ringing, steely sound of sleigh-bells in the air. Inside the station he sees men capped and muffled against the cold, and through the doors he catches sight of horses' heads all white with their congealed breath. All is fresh, cold, wholesome, and exhilarating! After caring for his scanty luggage he turns up the high collar of his long blue army overcoat with its broad- shouldered cape, ^ seizes-hTS—SWOrd-SHitl swwd-feelt with one hand, pulls down his kepi with the other, and pre- pares to face the sweet, dry frost. "Richmond House!" "Adams House!" "Briggs House!" "Sherman House! " "7>^^-mont House! " "Mas- sasoit House!" shout the representatives of those hos- telries. "My house! " cries the deep, sonorous, clerical voice of Mr. Penrose, who comes pushing his way through the crowd, closely followed by a lithe little figure all in furs. The sword falls clanging to the ground, for the indis- creet preacher seizes one of his hands, and somebody has to have the other! Somebody wants to call him her sol- dier — her hero — her own love; while he wants to take some- body bodily into his arms and hold her there forever- more. For manifest reasons all these natural and blameless CHICAGO AGAIN. 143 wishes must be suppressed. Even the silent hand-clasp and the long, loving look do not pass unnoticed. Cor- dial glances and sympathizing smiles center upon the little group, telling that more than one looker-on takes delight in the joy of the returned volunteer and his trembling, tearful, smiling welcomer. "Oh, you bearded warrior ! I didn' t know you ! You, bronzed veteran — I want you to be introduced to me again! " "If I am changed, it is only on the outside. My heart is just the same." Then to Mr. Penrose: "Oh, my dear friend, don't trouble yourself with those things — there, the sword is falling out of the scabbard — let me relieve you of it." "No, no! I am proud to carry it!" And getting the weapon right end up at last, he marched forth in triumph. "Here's the covered sleigh. You and Sally can ride inside and I will drive." "There, there, Capt. Fargeon! That will do. How bold soldiers are, to be sure! " "But I may keep my arm around you, surely! " "Well — if you'll be very discreet — since arms are your profession. But, oh, how changed you are!" "Yes, I suppose so. Either I have changed or the world has changed; all looks so different to me in these few months. All but you, my sweet love! " * * * "Now, now — didn't I tell you to be discreet?" "How am I changed?" "Oh — take your face further away, so that I can see you. There ! You are very brown, and very thin. A deep wrinkle has come between your eyebrows; and your eyes, when they are not actually smiling, are sad.- Your beard and mustache hide your mouth, but from your 144 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. voice I'm sure your lips have grown grave, and — almost stern." "My eyes have looked on blood and death. My ears have heard awful sounds — mini6 bullets — the screaming of shells and the groans of dying men." He turns away his face and a far-away look comes into his eyes as the past comes back to him. Sally puts up her little mittened hand and pulls his face toward her again, saying in a soothing tone: "Never mind now, dear! Never mind now. Forget it all for awhile." And he gladly obeys her. What a breakfast Mrs. Penrose gave him! How good the home-made bread and sweet butter tasted! So good that Will wanted to make an entire meal on them. And then when the broiled wliitefishcame on it was so mirac- ulously delicious that he was sorry he had eaten anything else. Yes, the world was changed. Everybody looked only at him, listened only to him. The boy — spes gregis in the Penrose fold — never took his eyes off him, and never opened his lips except to express silent a^we and wonder — and to eat when he happened to think of it. Even the irrepressible Lydia was abashed for once in her life. Lydia, when he saw her last, had scarcely yet got used to long dresses, which she said made her feel as if her skirts were coming off. Now she had blossomed into a girl as pretty as her sister was beautiful. Then she had been still "Bunny ; " and even yet, as of old, her dainty upper lip usually showed those two dainty upper teeth in a rab- bit-like fashion. But now she was "Lydia" (except when some one forgot, or wished to tease her), and made spas- modic efforts to subdue that rebellious lip — to "hold her lip," as Spes Gregis rudely and slangily expressed it. CHICAGO AGAIN. I45 She had also nearly outgrown her old condition of chronic protest against the domination of the masterful Sara; so calm, so indomitable because irresistible, to her younger sister as well as to the rest of the world.. Having a sphere of her own, she could let Sally reign su- preme in hers. "Well, Miss Bunny, how has your world gone on since I went away?" Lydia's lips suddenly closed, and she began looking all about the floor and even under the table. The others laughed, and Will asked: "What is she looking for?" "I am looking for Bunny, Capt. William Fargeon. I thought you had perhaps lost your pet rabbit." "I hope I haven't lost my pet little girl." "Well, if you haven't you soon will if you call her by a horrid nickname." "Any name would be sweet that had ever been associ- ated with you." Lydia tossed her lovely, curly head, but deigned to smile as she replied: "You had to say it, but I thank you all the same. Please try Lydia, and see if the rule about sweetness won't hold good." "The fact is. Will," said Sally, "I favored the name- reform movement because I have seen how bad it is to grow old with a nickname. We know two middle-aged ladies, regular mothers in Israel, who are called 'Chips' . and 'Pinky' and always will be, by reason of the early errors of fond, foolish, misguided parents. " 'And Bunny blacked her teeth," cried Spes Gregis. This brought new laughter and the explanation that Lydia, in despair at the obstinate forgetfulness of her 10 146 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. family and friends, had daily stained her teeth with ink until she thought the reform was effected. "Now, Brother Fargeon, I presume you would like me to give you a full account of the progress of the Lord's work in this part of His vineyard. " "Oh, I have no doubt it is going on as it should." "To begin with your own especial garden, the Sabbath- school, you will remember that last year, just previous to our Christmas-tree, the average attendance rose to three hundred and eighty-four and a quarter; and, after the festivity, fell off to seventy-eight and two-thirds, a loss of eighty per cent. This year I am grieved to say that the highest average before the tree only rose to two hun- dred and six and two-fifths; but I am glad to be able to state that the proportionate decrease was less, following the festivity, than the year before, being only to fifty- two and one-third, which, throwing off the fraction of a child—" "But, papa, why do you throw off the fraction of a child? "Isn't a third of a child worth saving?" "Lydia, my daughter, no levity, if you please. Let me see, where was I?" "You were cutting up a child into fractions." "Lydia!" "Call her Bunny, father, and see how quick she'll stop!" advised the experienced Spes Gregis, unheeded. "But perhaps it was a fractious child, "persisted Lydia. In the laugh which followed this jest Sally managed to . "head off" the earnest pastor from his salvation statis- tics, saying: "Well, papa, the amount of it is that the Sunday- school doesn't do as well as it did when Capt'n Fargeon was Superintendent Fargeon. But I, for one, would rather have him captain." CHICAGO AGAIN. I47 "Doubtless, Sally. He who doeth all things well will not leave Himself without a witness, nor let His sheaves go ungarnered, because one of His servants is called to another field. But to resume — " "Of course," said Fargeon. "He can get along without me — or any of us — if He tries hard." A silence that followed this suggested to Fargeon that such expressions jarred on their reverent ears, and he hastenfed to add: "It would be the height of arrogance to count one's self necessary to the work of the church. Now, Mr. Pen- rose, did you think of taking a walk city-ward this morn- ing?" "Why, yes; I shall be very happy to accompany you. And we can continue our talk on this great theme as we walk. Let us sally forth." "Going to leave us already?" cried Sara, in pleading tones. "You ought to think of Sally first, and sally forth afterward." "Oh, ho!" cried Spes Gregis. "That joke came over in the ark. We will soon be hearing how all the pigs in the pen rose." "Stop squealing, littlest pig," observed the polite Lydia. "Business first, pleasure afterward, Sally. Being here with you — with all of you — is too joyful! I must dilute it a little, so as not to grow drunken with delight." "If I were invited to walk with you — " "But, Sally," interposed her mother; "your daily tasks — " "Oh, mamma, duty is nowhere with me to day! I am not a pattern; at this moment I am a reprobate ! I am utterly bent on a wicked, violent, unscrupulous, outra- geous course of turpitude! I will not sweep and dust the 148 THE CAPTAIK OF COMPANY K. parlor, and I will not give Lydia her music lesson, and I will go out like a raging lion seeking whom I may de- vour somebody ! I will walk down town with papa and Capt. Fargeon, even though I have to be brought back in fetters and manacles!" "Fetters and manacles are the same, Sally." "Bunny! — middle-sized pig!— don't talk on subjects you know nothing about ! I am usually harmless, but dangerous when roused. Papa, wait till I put on my things." "But, Sally dear," began her mother, between laugh- ing and fault-finding. 'Avaunt! Exemplary person, I know you not!" And she threw up her little hand like a tragedy queen or a statuette of liberty, and ran out of the room. 'It is weeks and months — years, I might say — since we have seen our dear angel so gay," said the minister. "You must make allowances for her, captain." "Allowances!" cried Will, and then paused, at a loss for words to say how irresistibly lovely she seemed to him. Down the old familiar plank-walk they sped through the bracing air. The boards cracked and resounded under their tread. The sun sparkled on the icy waters of Lake Michigan. Each of the men gave an arm to the young woman (the walk being slippery with frost), and her feet scarcely touched the ground, her steps keeping pace with the dancing of her happy, innocent heart. She had long been accustomed to feel the eyes of men (and women, too,) constantly fixed on her exquisite face as they approached. Now she was delighted that it was Will in his uniform whom all looked at with flattering, welcoming attention. CHICAGO AGAIN. I49 ft And Fargeon? Well, he was far from a vain man, but it was not a disagreeable thing to find face after face, whether of friend or stranger, man or woman, glowing and smiling at him. Some men and boys, meeting his answering eyes, took off their hats and swung them in flattering salutation. Those who recognized him shouted his name. One elderly woman — perhaps a soldier's mother — seized his disengaged hand and detained him long enough to press it to her veiled face, and then hur- ried on without a word. A little school-girl, sachel on arm, after he had passed her, made haste and thrust her mittened hand into his glove and trotted by his side, looking up at him in undisguised admiration. By and by, when they came to Quincy street, she seized his hand with both hers and hung back, saying, "Good-bye, soldier! " He stooped and kissed his rosy admirer, and when he walked on his eyes were full of tears. Said he huskily: "Sally — it almost pays for all!" The happy Sara could only press her handkerchief to her eyes and bury her face in his sheltering cape. They turned westward from Michigan avenue, and as they passed Dearborn street they came upon a little crowd clustered about two men struggling and fighting, in the snow in front of a grog-shop. A poor woman was screaming: "Oh, he'll kill him! He's killin' my man! " ''Where are the police? " angrily cried Mr. Penrose as he edged away. -"One moment, Sally," said Fargeon, disengaging his arm. "Oh, Will! Come away! Let us find a policeman — let the police attend to that." But he paid no attention to her; elbowed his way into the crowd; thrust aside the inefficient, fussing spec- 150 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. tators, all afraid to interfere; seized the uppermost man, who was raining blows on the bloody, averted face of his prostrate foe — seized him with both hands and dragged him off, and with help of knee and foot flung him into the street. "Go on now! Go on about your business!" he said sternly, advancing toward the fellow as he struggled to his feet. The wretch cursed him and made as if he would have jumped at him; but the crowd, emboldened by leader- ship, closed around the fellow and forced him away, one of his friends saying in an expostulating tone and a rich brogue: "Arrah, Dinny, go on wid ye I Wud ye be afther shthrikin' the so'jer?" Will looked back to see that the wife and her friends were taking the vanquished combatant out of harm's way, and then hurried on to rejoin Sally and her father. "I think the constituted authorities are bound to deal with such things," said Mr. Penrose. "Yes, they are; but I guess the under fellow would have been killed before any constituted authorities got here." "And j'ou might have been stabbed or shot, Will." "Not likely." "But, to resume," said the minister, resuming accord- ingly, and detailing wise views at some length, while the yoimg folks walked on in silence, until Sally suddenly broke forth, squeezing Will's arm: "How changed you are! " "Ha, hal " he laughed. "I suppose I am. A year ago I should have hunted for a policeman if it had taken all the morning, and then entered the complaint, followed up the trial, secured the conviction of the murderer — also CHICAGO AGAIN. 151 his conversion before execution — buried the dead and provided for the support of the widows and orphans." "Will, dear, this was better." "Thank you, Sally. Glad you like the religion of force. " "Oh, I feel as if nothing could hurt you; as if you were invulnerable. Why isn't your name Achilles?" "Ah, I see you haven't forgotten our old reading-club evenings." "No, indeed ! And I think I'll begin calling you Achil- les — Killie instead of Willie! " "Well, now, Sally, here's the counting-house door, and I've got to leave you and plunge into a fight where Achilles himself would be helpless." "Oh — that horrid business! Mean> narrow, sordid!" After a pause she added: "It was an arrow wound that killed Achilles! " They laughed. "But not a sword did," said Will; and even Mr. Pen- rose had to laugh at the classic joke (when it was made clear to him) before "resuming" the previous subject. So the lovers parted, each thinking how witty and how classic they both were, and that no matter how dull the lives of common folks grew after marriage, their married life would be one long, happy, gay, intellectual paradise. But now the captain fell into sore trouble. CHAPTER XII. ACHILLES HECTORED. HINGS were blue, very blue indeed, at Fargeon & Co.'s store. Will's part- ners were pale and thin; more worn down than Will himself. The pinch of war had already come, while the drunkenness of inflation was not yet. Customers' notes were uncollectible, and their own obligations necessarily postponed in consequence. They had taken some govern» ment contracts which they were filling at a loss, because goods were rising in price at the East, though not yet higher in Chicago. At the same time, their chief rival, Meyer Moss-Rosen, was said to be doing well, now that the great Fargeon was no longer personally an active competitor. Before noon Fargeon was inclined to wish himself back in camp with his poor, simple-hearted, single-souled sol- diers. Instead of having, as of old, to tear himself away from his business, he had to force himself to stay among its discouraging, confounding, confounded intricacies. In a month or two he could have got into harness once more; could perhaps have peered into the future and foreseen the towering rise in prices that was bound to follow the issue of greenbacks. If he had not thrown himself into the gulf of war, he could, like others, have flown high upon 153 ACHILLES HECTORED. I53 its vapors. He, like others, could have made millions in the days when "the biggest fool was the wisest man of business," because wild speculation, piling up mountains of debt, buying, begging, borrowing, stealing— anything to get hold of property — during the huge inflation of 1862-65, was for once in the country's history the sure and only road to wealth. The monthly trial-balances which had found their way to him in camp had half broken his business heart; now the actual, physical contact with the reali-ty went near to finish him. Such prices as goods were marked at for sale! Not because they were worth the new values, but simply because nothing less would bring the firm out whole. "Uncle Colin, what do you say to all this?" "Aweel, ma lad, be it peace or be it strife, the warld's na changit. Fast bind, sure find. Brag's a gude dog, but haudfast's a better. Wha gangs a-borrowin' gangs a-sorrowin'. Mind ye this: whate'er the pace, slow and steady wins the race. Mackerel skies an' gray mares' tails male high ships carry low sails. Never syne the warld standit was the sky mair clapperclawit than noo, an' wae's me for the ship-man that heeds not they signs. Ye maun buy what ye see the surety o' sellin', an' mak nae promises that ye see nae surety o' keepin'. Thae preenciples hae guided me, an' hae stood me in gude stead a' my life, when ither men — aiblins better men — went doon. I just tuke heed that the day's refection sjiould bear the morrow's reflection. That's a' the wit your Uncle Colin knaws — but ye' 11 gang yer ain gait. You Yankees are neither to hand nor to bind." "Surely, surely. Uncle Colin, " Will hastened to answer, "those are the lessons I was brought up on. The other fellows seem to have learned some new ones, but if they 154 "^'^^ CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. are good sense — why, I have been out of school while the old wisdom was rubbed out and the new written on the blackboard." One little circumstance, corrective of any lingering tendency to puffed-up-ness on Fargeon's part, was the comparative indifference which business men felt and showed for his war record. William Fargeon had gone off to fight — a very proper and creditable thing for William to do, but — business is business. "Well, Meyer, how goes it?" "Why, William ! is that you? Glad to see you back ! Let's see — two arms, two legs, one head — goods seem to agree with inventory and sample so far." "Oh, yes; I'm all here yet." "Well, that's first-ratel Been in any battles yet?" "Some skirmishes." "And never touched, eh?" "Not yet." "You're in luck! Well, you always were a lucky cuss. Shouldn't wonder if you came out safe and sound after all! You'll save the Union and be back again, under-buy- ing and under-selling the rest of us, like old times, before we know it! " "Can't most always tell what we may least expect. What do you think of trade?" "Oh, don't ask me." [Fargeon was not a purchaser, so the most bearish views were in place.] "Some pre- tend to think they can see their way out, but hang me if / can." " 'It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer, but when he is gone his way then he boasteth.' " "Ha, ha! You always were a cuss at quoting Script- ure! I'd like to see the buyer that can boast nowa- days. I buy a bale of goods, sell it at what looks to be a ACHILLES HECTORED. 155 profit, and hang me if it don't take every cent I got for it to buy another like it! " "How are collections?" "Collections! There ain't any. Nobody pays in any- thing but promises. " "Come over and buy us out. I'll take your promises for every stitch we've got." "Buy you out? Yes, if you'll take pay in the bad debts we've got owing to us!" He laughed and turned away to hide the flash that came from his shrewd eyes at the thought of getting hold of that great njass of goods at last year's prices. "Think it over, Meyer." Meyer Moss-Rosen did think it over. Little sleep did he get that night, and before morning he was a millionaire in his waking dreams. "Oh, Sally, how tired I am!" "Why, Will, d,ear Will, you look perfectly worn out ! What have those horrid, sordid, low counter-jumpers been saying to my splendid soldier?" "The truth, I believe." "Never mind them, my poor dear! " "But I must mind them, love. I owe vast sums of money that must be paid." "Well, I have hundreds of dollars of my very own. That will help. And how much is your pay as captain?" He laughed almost gayly, as he replied: "Oh, you blessed little simple-hearted financier!" (squeezing her pretty chin until its dimple was as profound as her wisdom). "Your hundreds of dollars, added to my pay as captain for a hundred years, would just make a little bit of a beginning toward paying those debts, if no interest were charged meanwhile." 156 THE CAFTAIN OF COMPANY K. "Interest? Our whole interest is in you! We owe you soldiers all our interest in life!" "Well, how about the principal?" "Oh, bother the principal! Don't tell me that people who don't goto the war are going to demand money from those who do! " "Oh, won't they, though; that's all!" "Well, Captain Fargeon," broke in Mr. Penrose, "now let me tell you what I've been doing for Company K this morning." "Again have you come to our rescue, Mr. Penrose? I remember how you got our outfit." "A hundred double blankets, twenty camp-kettles, ten axes with helves — " began the minister. "Father!" screamed Lydia, clapping her hands to her ears. "Father! " murmured Sally, doing likewise. "Now, my dear! " expostulated Mrs. Penrose, while the boy made a pretense of hiding under the table — from which demon- strations Will guessed that Mr. Penrose must have men- tioned the matter before. "There, Captain; that's the way they gibe and jeer at me whenever I allude, even in the most casual manner, to the little service I was able to render you — buying the things you wanted, whereof, by the way, I unluckily lost the list. One would think that I had frequently spoken of the circumstance, while in fact the case is quite the contrary. And such is the gratitude of republics! But to resume: You know it was the Fulcrum which sent down its reporter on the sword-presentation occasion. Well, the Rostrum is bitter as ever against the Fulcrum, so I went to see its editor, whom I know well, and told the story of your skirmish and the shabby way in which the Fulcrum behaved about it." "You did? You frighten me! Where should I stand ACHILLES HECTORED. I57 in the army if I were to show up as using my leave oi absence to hunt for newspaper notoriety?" "Oh, I took care to say that I called without your priv- ity, and they premised to make that plain." "And what did you tell them?" "Simply and truly that the reporter had taken offense at your proper reticence, and had vindictively and wan- tonly suppressed the identity of the fighters." "Mmm! Well, it's the truth, anyway. Poor Clint Thrush! " "They are crazy to get hold of the thing, and are going to send a short-hand man here to-night to get your story of the battle—" "Skirmish." "Well, whatever you call it. But to resume: They say that they will have something simply terrible — a scoop, I think they call it — on, or in, or over, or under, or some- where about the Fulcrum. I asked in vain for further information as to the nature of 'scoop' — whether it was anything explosive, or poisonous, or disgraceful, or in the nature of a legal or punitive process; they only laughed, and said it was worse than any of those, and advised me to wait and see if it didn't make the Fulcrum people lie down and howl and feel sorry for the day they were born!" "Oh, a 'scoop' is only the seizure of an interesting item by one journal to the exclusion of another." "Ah! is that all?" said Mr. Penrose, rather crest-fallen. But to resume. War correspondence had not then risen to the high art it afterward became. Fargeon (through years of prac- tice as philanthropic platform-speaker) was expert in the putting of things into simple, graphic language, and 158 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. he was able to talk to the Rostrum's reporter half an hour in a flow of homely narrative that placed the events of the corn-field before the reader like a photograph; while, at the same time, partly by instinct and partly by design, he managed to keep himself almost out of sight in fhe picture. In reply to a direct question regarding his interview with the Fulcrum's representative, he said: "Oh, I have no disagreement with the young man. If he had come to me an hour later, after I had reported to my commanding officer, I should have told him the same story I have told you. But I suppose he knew his business, and took what would interest his readers." The modest tale, pathetic, touching, harrowing, inspir- ing, made a sensation. It was an education to its readers concerning the realities of war from the point of view of the front-line men. Hitherto they had been confined to the old-fashioned, upholstered, historical form — charging battalions, triumphant tactics, masterly combinations, and other stuff, chiefly manufactured at headquarters after the musket-carriers had won or lost a day. For example : "Gen. Rearview now observing a wavering on the left, led forward the brigades of the reserve, and right gal- lantly did they spring to the rescue. Passing through the decimated ranks of their comrades, and over the bodies of the fallen, lying so close together that it was' difficult to avoid stepping on them, they soon crossed bayonets with the foe." Here, on the other hand, was a narrative of what Brown and Jones and Robinson did and tried to do; how they loaded and fired and bled and died, and how they felt about it; how prisoners are taken, and dead and wounded are cared for; and, incidentally, how the ACHILLES HECTORED. I59 Fulcrum failed to get hold of the matter. It was break- fast-table-talk in the morning, and town-talk by noon; and the Fulcrum "couldn't stand the pressure," but sent one of its editors to Fargeon to try to set itself right. "Capt'nFargeon, it appears that you think you have a grievance against the Fulcrum." "You are mistaken, sir." "Well, to read what the Rostrum says this morning it looks that way to a man up a tree. " "The Rostrum got nothing from me except the ac- count of my company's skirmish, and the fact that your young man asked me to make my report to him before I had seen Colonel Puller." "You did not inspire the attack they made on us?" "Not in the remotest degree." "Well, noV we propose to do full justice to you, and shall be glad to publish whatever you have to say." "Thank you." "What shall it be?" "Nothing. " "Why, you know the Fulcrum has a good deal of influ- ence on the public mind in Illinois." [No reply.] "We really desire to give you a chance to place yourself in the light you would wish to appear in." "Thank you again. Whenever I wish to make any per- sonal explanation through your columns I shall certainly call on you." [A beaming smile reinforced this asser- tion.] "Well — now — " [evidently disconcerted] "is not some- thing due to us, in view of the virulent attack the Ros- trum has made?" "I'm sure I can't say." [More smiles.] "It's none of my funerah" l6o THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. "Why shouldn't you treat us as well as you did the enemy?" "What? The rebels?" "No, the Rostrum." "Oh, I beg your pardon. I do say to you exactly what I said to the Rostrum; that is, that Company K, of the Sixth Illinois, largely a Chicago regiment, did its duty, did its best; and that Private De Witt Clinton Thrush, of Kingsbury street, was killed, and Privates Robinson, Alger, Corson, Bryan, and Taylor were wounded, and that four rebels were killed and four wounded that we know of — and that I shall be glad to have the friends of the company, especially of the sol- diers named, made aware of these facts." "And that is all?" "That is all I have told and all I have to tell." [Smiles — always smiles in plenty.] A very crest-fallen editor soon departed from Mr. Pen- rose's door and returned to the office of the Fulcrum; while Will and Sarah went forth for a long and lovely walk, during which they talked over the "interview" with much happy laughter and many congratulations regard- ing the day's doings, especially the discomfiture of the Fulcrum. When they returned, two hours later, behold the same gentleman, reinforced by a short-hand writer, impatiently waiting for a second interview. "Captain, since I saw you we have telegraphed Col. Y. R. Puller, and ascertained that it was Company K which covered the retrograde movement, and had another fight with the enemy." "That is the fact, sir." "Mmxr wrill Trnii Vifi rrnnA f^rtnitcfh tn dirtnt*^ tn mv re* ACHILLES HECTORED. l6l porter an account of that operation — that is, if you have no objection?" "Certainly not." "You won' t? Now let me tell you, sir, that the Ful- crum is not to be trifled with! It is a power in the land, and can make and unmake such men as William Far- geon, late trader, now company officer of volunteers! " "Very possibly. It is also possible that you misunder- stood me. I meant to say that I certainly had no objec- tions to stating the facts of the operations of the day you speak of for publication in the Fulcrum — seeing that I have long since reported them to my commanding officer." [Smiles as before.] "Oh — I beg your pardon." [Quite humbly for an editor.] "Then at your convenience the reporter will take down all you have to say; and, Captain [with con- descension], "I assure you, the more the better!" The Fulcrum of next morning had two columns to the Rostrum's one concerning Company K's doings; and in order to out-Herod Herod, and quite leave the Rostrum in the shade as a friend to the volunteers, it pursued the unpleasant course of plastering Fargeon himself with fulsome praise: "The modest hero and patriot." "But for the enterprise of the Fulcrum in telegraphing to Cairo for the information the world would never have known even that that splendid company had rendered the valorous and dangerous service so graphically set forth in our columns this morning. Its captain, a true Chicagoan, was far too modest and retiring to volunteer the information." So were all wrongs righted, and honor given to whom honor was due. Fargeon had no end of "glory" in the days following. Invitations showered on him. Mr. Penrose's church was l62 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. crowded with people anxious for a glimpse of his shoul- der-straps. Sally Penrose was happy and proud and smil- ing and talkative. She accepted congratulations without reserve. Oh, no, she could not say when "it" could be — perhaps never — but she could hope — all could hope and pray for Captain Fargeon's safety, and that even if wounded his precious life might be spared. Then she added to herself: "He doesn't seem to be in a dreadful hurry to marry me. I thought men always were. I' m sure in novels girls are everlastingly pressed to name the day ! Perhaps I am too repellant." So she tried hard not to be. And she was utterly, entirely, absolutely, perfectly happy — almost. "Gabriel," said the editor-in-chief to the managing editor of the Fulcrum, "it was Parson Penrose that started that thing in the R., wasn't it?" "Yes." "That d — d old cuss has had a good deal of free adver- tising from us, hasn't he?" "No end of it, for years — ever since he came to that church. " "Well, stop it." So the word went down through the establishment, "Drop Penrose." And his name was never again men- tioned in the Fulcrum. No more reports of sermons. No more sketches of "remarks." No more of the thou- sand and one little recallings of him to the public heart, which had been sweet and dear to the good dominie through all the years of his able, earnest, hearty, valuable, toilsome, ill-paid service to the cause of religion, temperance, patriotism, charity, and morality. But to resume. CHAPTER XIII. '"WILL FARGEON, YOUR'e AN AWFUL GOOSE." jERHAPS he'll ask me to-day! " But he didn't. "Good evening, Mister Cap- tain William Fargeon, Esq. How are things at the store? Any better? " A sad smile, a sigh, and a lit- tle, quick, almost imperceptible shake of the head — more like a shiver than a negation. "Oh, dearj Willie — or, if you like it better, oh! dear Willie — why are you not like a novel hero? Why don't j'ou sink ll \ gracefully on one knee, gestic- ulate loudly with your right hand, and say: 'Miss Penrose, I am a capitalist, wealthy, affluent and rich, with a large fortune and plenty of money besides. Take this hand ! Be mine!' That is the nice way to behave! " "Delightful! Only I should have to finish my speech by adding that my other name was Ananias." "Well, now, Achilles Ananias William, do tell me exactly how it is. I can bear it. All my life I have had so many disappointments that nothing can surprise me except an — appointment." "Oh, Sally, as things stand, I have less than nothing. 163 164 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. The best news I could have, would be that somebody would take all we have and pay our debts," "Well, dear, what difference should that make to us? I never loved you for your money. When you had most I liked you least. And now the reverse is true. " [She meant the converse.] Will's reply to this was not in words. It was gratify- ing, even consolatory; but it was not an acceptance of her flattering advances. "If my time was not otherwise pledged, I could do as I did once before; get an extension of credit from my creditors, and think and work and strive and contrive until I had again paid every cent I owe. But now I sup- pose I must leave it all at loose ends — go off to the front — give to the great cause the time I owe to those who have trusted me — hear of their trust's being disappointed — and almost wish a heaven-directed bullet might wipe out the score." "Oh, don't — don't talk so! You are horrid! How you overestimate money and underestimate life — and courage — and love I " "Shouldn't we rate highest what is most in demand and least in supply?" "Well — you seem to do so, at any rate/' [A little air of injury and offended pride had to be charmed away.] "Uncle Colin Thorburn is coming this evening. Let us talk to him, and perhaps he can build you up a bit." Thorburn had the old-time and old-world view of things. "The deil is gaun ower Jock Wabster. Ye canna whup the dom secesh — it canna be done — heest'ry shows that whaur a' the folk in a gret deestrict o' country are banded thegither to set up fortheirsels they canna be o'ercome." "You thought we ought to try." i6s 1 66 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. "Sae ye should strive, an' sairly, an' sae ye have striven. An' Bull Run's the upshot! I thocht that a gude show o' force and speerit wad haud the Southrons back frae fechting; but it didna — it didna — an' noo, the deil's gaun ower Jock Wabster. " "Well, Uncle Colin, you say the South cannot be over- come: I say the North cannot be defeated. We are bound to maintain the Union, and we will do it, too! But that's aside from the matter of making my store pay its debts." Then, upon solicitation, he told the old man just how things stood — how the stock on hand was inventoried, how much the good bills receivable amounted to, and how much the delayed, doubtful and bad; then, the awful sum of the bills payable— some past due and un- paid — "Six figures and neither of them a one." "Aweel, ma lad; gin ye'll stay and settle up the thing yer ain sel' — " "That is out of the question." "Then leave orders to buy nothin' an' sell everythin' — and auld Colin' 11 see ye through." "What?" "I lo'e the Union, whaur I hae made ma fortin'. I'm ower auld to gang doon a-fechtin' for it — but I'm no too auld to care for a fine young sprig that I lo'e like I'd lo'e my ain son if I had ane. So gang yer gait. Gie me your poo-er of attorney to close up yer matters, an' I'll gie ye ma obligation to pay evera cent ye owe in the warrld." "Impoverish yourself for me?" "Aiblins aye, aiblins no. Dinna fash yersel' aboot that. I might come oot squar. I might e'en save a wee bittock for a hansel for you and the bonnie lassie here whan a's said an' done." "will fargeon, you're an awful goose." 1671 The bonnie lassie went up to the old man and gave him a kiss and hug that showed what she thought of him, even if it did not altogether balance the magnificent offer he had made. "Well, Uncle Colin," laughed Will, "I might as well let my creditors suffer as strip you; but I thank you all the same." "Na, na, ma lad. Ye're no the mon to tak their ain f rae them by force, when ye can tak mine frae me by ma frae will. An' then as to streepin' — I'm no sae easy streepit. It wadna streep me. Auld Thorburn could pay it a', an' yet no gang wantin' a bite an' a sup in his auld age." "What! Those biUs payable?" "Aye; thae bills peeable. Colin's nae booster, an' ye're the only mon and Sally's the only woman in the warrld he'd tell it til; but noo ye ken the truth, the vara truth. " "Well, well!" cried Fargeon. "That is good news! That is another instance to prove what I always believed — that a good life well spent is sure of its reward." "Aye, lad, sure eneuch — if not in this warld, in some ither. " "No, no; I mean right here and now. Mankind does not take benefits from men without repaying them." "Aye, aye, lad. Gang yer gait an' think sae whilst ye can." "Why, Uncle Colin ! " said Sally in expostulating tones. "How dismally you talk! We love to reward our bene- factors. Just see how all the land is trying to be kind to the soldiers ! There is nothing too good for them. " "Bide a wee, lass, bide a wee. The war is only just begun — gratitude is weel said to be a lively sense of future fayvors — bide till the fayvors are a' rendered, then mark how sune they'll be forgot!" 1 68 THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY K. "Oh, it's not so! It's not so! I won't listen to such horrid talk) " And she covered her ears with her hands, "Aweel, ma bonnie lass; gin ye list me or no, ye maun learn byexper'ence an' no by ma puir guess-warrk. An' ye' 11 learn that to mak' the warrld pay its debts, ye maun hand an' bind it hard an' fast before ye do your part of the bargain." Then he told them a fable. Once there was a "puir simple body" who thought, as Sally thought, that man- kind would care for its servants, small and great. He tried many experiments in the line of rendering public benefits which nobody seemed to appreciate; he himself growing poorer and poorer as time went on. At last, one day, when he was starving, he observed that a certain park gate was an obstruction to travel, thousands of per- sons being obliged to open it for passage every day. He seized his opportunity, posted himself at the gate, and, with a bow and a smile, opened it for every comer, large and small, high and low, ricl}_and poor. Then his wants were relieved, for they put him in a mad-house. After Uncle Colin had departed, the lovers talked over his munificent offer, and his great fortune, hitherto un- suspected. Sally urged her hero to accept the proposition, so that his soul might be freed from these sordid cares — free for war, and friendship and affection. But at the same time her gratitude to the old man was sadly interfered with by her indignation at his cruel, hateful cynicism — his skepticism regarding the undying gratitude in store for the volunteers. Her father agreed with her. "Capt'n Fargeon, I hope that neither you nor any other volunteer will give weight to such words — unpatriotic I should call them, but that Brother Thorburn is an alien. Coming from the mouth of any American, I "will fargeon, you're an awful goose. 169 should feel impelled to rebuke them as being unjust toward man and blasphemous toward God. If I err rfot, He would pour but the vials of His wrath on this nation, were it ever to justify the gloomy prophecies of Brother Thorburn." Will thought of the "squeeze" he was undergoing in his business matters, sighed and shook his head doubt- fully. Sally looked at him with anxious, sympathetic eyes, yearning to reassure and comfort him. When they parted (for he had insisted on transferring himself to his own