The War Library: Phil, the Scout — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Le in dangerous places. There is blood on them,”’ ‘You are right, sir; they have been brought to you with some difficulty. It would take too long for me to tell the story of how I came to get on the track of these dispatches. It is not of much importance anyway, now that they are here. The main point is to make available the information they contain. I judge no time is to be lost in examining them.” With a smile, General Buell returned to the papers. He liked the earnest, unassuming manner of this stranger. Opening: the soiled envelope, he spread the papers out on the table, and bent over them for some time in silence. Then he exclaimed: ‘“‘Heavens! Can that be? See here, young man, do you know the contents of this pack- e?" ‘*Not a word.”’ ‘““You may have performed service of the greatest value to the Union cause by bring- ing these papers here. Let me tell you what they reveal. The Confederates intend to move up to General Grant secretly and at- tack him unawares, while heis waiting for me. These dispatches were to hurry Price and Van Dorn up 10 render assistance in this plan. The question now is, can I reach Grant in time to avert the impending dis- aster ?’’ ‘How soon can we move, general ?”’ ‘““Within two hours,’’ said Buell, rising quickly, and pulling a bell-rope. ‘‘I am angry with myself for not pushing forward more rapidly, asI might have done easily enough.’ A messenger appearing, General Buell gave orders in a quick, excited way for the entire force under his command to get under wins for the march to Pittsburg Landing. nexpected as was the command, in a marvelous short space of time all was com- motion among the troops. ‘“*T want you to undertake a task of grave importance, my young friend,’’ said General Buell, after meditating a while over the dispatches which still remained on the table. **Itis——”’ ‘*‘To carry a message from me to Grant. As yet he is ignorant of this intended move upon him, and is quietly awaiting my ar- rival before going on to Corinth. I want to acquaint him of this scheme of the Confed- erates, and at the same time inform him that I shall march night and day to join him. Will you accept the commission ?”’ ““General,’’ was the dignified reply, as Phil drew himself proudly up, ‘if you think me worthy to serve you and my country in the way you suggest, lam happy to tell you that nothing could compel me to refuse the trust. Write out the message, please.’’ ‘*You are a true soldier,’’ said Buell. ‘I wish my men were alllike you. I shall not forget to speak to General Grant of this mat- ter at the earliest possible moment; for I know the danger I ask you to face as we!l as you do, and that your bravery oughu not to go unrewarded.’’ The general then seated himself and wrote rapidly for fifteen minutes, now and then stopping to consult the mutilated Confeder- ate dispatches before him. Attheend of that time he folded the let- ter he had written, and sealing it placed it in the hands of Phil Lamonte, saying: ‘“‘There is what I wish you to carry to Grant. I need not tell you how important itis that he receive the packet as soon as opie: I believe you appreciate that as yond ‘‘T willdo my best,’’ was all Phil replied, as he placed the papers in his bosom. ‘‘ These letters are safe, believe that. IfI fall, they \zo out of existence with me! Good-night, / general,"’ In a moment he was gone. ‘‘A true hero,’’ said General Buell, pacing up and down his room with a thoughtful brow. Asfor our hero, looking ahead over the route, at every step of which lurked hidden peril, when he went forth on his mission it was with the courage which ever marks the movements of a brave man. Applying at the proper place he obtained a horse suited to his taste in every way. Furnished with the password, he delayed notin placing the city of Nashville behind his back. Although he was constantly on the out- look for Confederate scouts, with whom the country was at that time swarming, his atest anxiety was lest Oglethorpe, sneak- ing like a serpentin the grass, should inter- eept Lope THE WAR LIBRARY. Not that he feared the manin an open- handed contest, but this he knew his rival never would grant him. Half the night long be sped on his way, un- molested, and hopeful. The night proved more auspicious than he had feared. The late storm had spent its force appar- eutly for the present, and the dun black clouds had rolled away to the westward, leaving only here and there a few seattering flakes, like the stragglers of a retreating army, Descending a sharp declivity in the road, Phil came to the edge of a rapid stream, shut in on every hand along shore by crags that seemed almost insurmountable. So swift was the current that he hesitated to attempt to ford it lest his horse might be swept down the stream. He remembered that there had formerly been a bridge at that point. The recent heavy tempest had carry it away. He wondered if there were not some point either above or below which would afford a better crossing. For some time he groped his way along the bank where the rocks hung beetling above his head, and at certain points, he was compelled to dismount and lead his horse in order to make any progress. The hope which had inspired him finally began to vanish, and there came i11 its place a grim resolution to plunge boldly in and fight it out with the watery element. This determination having fully taken possession of him he stood for a moment on the shore in the shadow of an overhangiu cliff and stroked the neck of his beautiful steed. ‘“*Poor old fellow!’’ he said, ‘Sit is worse for you than for me, I know not what else to do but to drive you out into the current.”’ With these words he mounted, when sud- denly the icy muzzle of a pistol sent a chill through his whole being. ‘“‘T know what you will do, my dear sir,”’’ said a voice, which he instantly knew to be that of his evil genius, Oglethorpe; ‘‘ not to- night will you ford this stream. It is not set down in the book of fates thus.”’ ‘*Well, what will prevent it?’ said our hero, calmly. eA Will, ‘“You? May Lask who you are?’’ ‘“Phil Lamonte—you know who I am!”’’ hissed the Confederate. ‘‘We have met te- fore. You escaped me. But it was the last time. Oliver Oglethorpe never misses in the end. In the end, understand.”’ ‘What is the meaning of this attack?’ continued Phil, now determined to draw from the lips of his rival the true object he had in pursuing him. ‘I am a stranger to you. Lam not aware that I have injured you. Itcertainly has been through ignor- ance if I have.”’ “The folks back at Corinth want you.’’ ‘But that isn’t your motive in haunting me like this. I knowit.’’ There was a moment’s silence. ‘*‘]} am fool enough to love Molly Grame.”’ The Confederate spoke like one half ashamed of the admission. “¢ Well ?’’ ‘“‘She loves you,”’ ‘*‘ Ah! she never told me so. hear if from her own tips,”’ ‘Make the most of the knowledge. Gain what happiness you can out of it; for [swear never shull you listen to those words from her.”’ ‘* What do you intend, then ?’’ Not a trace of fear in the tone. “Stir but a muscle and you will know sooner than you think. Phil Lamonte, Iam a desperate man. I have followed you here to rid myself of your presence. If I cannot have the love of Molly Grame, you shall not, so hear me Heaven!”’ At that moment the Confederate gavea shrill whistle. The echoes took up the sound and sent it back from a hundred different points along the stream. In a trice a score of men leaped from their concealment close by, and sprung to the spot where their leader stood with his weapon yet upon the brow of Phil Lamonte. ‘“*Men,’’ said Oglethorpe, ‘‘ here is the man we have been seeking—the Union scout. He is, as you know, just from the quarters of General Buell, where he has been to deliver messages taken from us. The result may be everlasting ruin tousif we do not take vig- orous steps to arrest the disaster he hopes to precipitate upon us. What shall his fate be?” ‘* Death |" The word souuded hollow and sepulchral, “By what means ?’’ I had rather $ a ~ = ‘Let him find a grave in the center of this stream, the noisy Launton!’’ said one of the number, pointivg out over the current. ‘* Agreed !”’ was the united response. Without another word three men seized Phil, and pinioning his arms to his side, boré him to a boat which they drew from the bank. Lifting himin they rowed rapidly into the middle of thestream. Then raising him they held him over the edge of the boat ready to hurl him over- board. As they stood thus with the young man poised in mid-air two shots rung out on the still night, and two of the Confederates dropped dead in the boat. f The next momenta second boat cleft the water and came to a pause beside that which had brought Phil thither. | $ In it WigLe aman and woman. + ‘ - CHAPTER NII. 5 ym CARRYING OUT THE COMPACT. ON Night in the woods. e\e Oglethorpe, after leaving the old house’ near Nashville in flames, spent some time in skirmishing around in that vicinity expect- ing momentarily to find his rival lurking there. ya But when at the end of an hour the mem-— bers of his band came in one by one report- ing no success, he began to think that ae had indeed perished in the burning building. — Perhaps this belief was strengthened in some deeres by the hope he cherished that it might — e true. ao This conclusion having been reached, the young man ordered his men to fall backirto > the wood lying a mile ortwo from the cit -- and encamp for the night. ' Rae The location selected was in a deep ravine sheltered in every direction and apparently - safe from detection. ; Oglethorpe, instead of hitching orse with those of the men who followe Lie stole away in the darkness and directe his” steps still further back from Nashville. oh ‘This is a part of this night’s work that EA wish was over,’’ he muttered, when once fairly on the way. ‘If the colonel had given — it to some other manit would have suited — me better. I would not have undertaken it — if I had not thought he would stand by me in my little affair with Molly Grame. I don’texactly fancy this crawling up toa man, and without cause, sending him to Davy ~ Jones’ Locker. Butifithas to be done, ands I have promised it shall be, why, what is the use in having conscientious scruples about the way it is tobedone? Conscience! Pshaw what nonsense! Ags if an Oglethorpe e had a conscience.” Convenient that’ the haven't, at times. To-night, for instance. Lucky I came across the camp of that fel- low accidentally to-day. Oglethorpe wal right; no man could ever look in his eyes — without remembering them till death. ie ! hope they will not fasten themselves on me this evening, for they would haunt me for-— ever. I know they would. I wonder wha the secret is between that unknown and the colonel? I’ll find that out sometime." yi: Thus the paltroon soliloquized, picking his way around in the silence of the great forest. There is something about the solitude of the woods which arouses within a mana sense of his positive insignificance as a par of the great creation. If he be a criminal, such a place brings up before him every act of his which he wishes” to hide from his fellow men and to push out of his own memory. Here he seems nearer to his Maker. py All these things came again and again into the mind of Oglethorpe, threading the de- vious paths of the forest. 4 No wonder he wished his errand done. In an hour he drew his horse up and threw himself from his saddle, ; The narrow track he had been pursuin lost itself in a dense growth of shrubs and low bushes. No longer could he have even And that meant . = the company of his horse. a great deal to Oglethorpe. e dreaded to be alone. What wonder? — Fastening his horse securely, the man struck a match and carefully looked at his pistols and drew his thumb across the edge of his keen hunting-knife. ‘“Thisis the weapon of my choice,’’ he whispered. “It gives out no sound, and does its work swiftly and well. I will try it first. Ifit fails, then these others must be needy Fails? The word must not be spoken. ail ?”’ - With a sound, partly a laugh, partly a sigh, the bird of the night thrust his weapons and parted the thicket be- into their places, LL fore him(¢(0)