Commodore Barney's Young Spies Part 32

"An' that would have made little difference, lad, for the open air in a summer's night is ahead of any canvas house. Howsomever, the tent serves as a place where we can keep our belongings without fear some of these clodhoppin' imitations of soldiers will get away with 'em."

"I suppose we shall be called upon to take a hand in throwing up breastworks?" I suggested, and a more cheerful look came over the old man's face than I had seen since word was given to fire the fleet.

"We who have just come in will be allowed to take it easy, if the Britishers don't interfere, till mornin', when, if there's time left us, we'll turn to at throwin' dirt."

All of us lads settled back with a certain sense of comfort and satisfaction difficult to describe. There were many in that small army who were hungry, because of the delay and confusion in sending out supplies, and yet more who would lie down with nothing to shelter them from the heavy dew, while we were well protected, and with a goodly food supply, all of which spoke well for the forethought and ability of Darius Thorpe.

"I'm goin' to turn in, if so be we've got nothin' to do till mornin',"

Jim Freeman said as he suited the action to the words, and Josiah and Dody followed his example.

I was not minded to close my eyes in slumber until after having heard from the old sailor all he could tell, although it goes without saying that I was tired enough to be able to sleep standing up.

"Have you heard anything new since we arrived?" I asked, and Darius replied in a low tone, as if afraid his words might be overheard by some one on the outside:

"The commodore says we shall have a battle within eight an' forty hours, an' you know how well he can smell out such things. It seems certain we can't meet the enemy here, unless more men are sent, an', as I take it, we shall march hither an' yon till we come to the fight fit for nothin' but to turn in."

"Where are the British now?"

"The main body is at Upper Marlboro; but there are a couple of columns movin' about in a way that betokens mischief for some of us 'twixt now an' mornin'."

"What have you been doing? I didn't see anything of you after we started back for this place."

"I came on ahead, ridin' part of the way, with the commodore, an'

we've been on the move pretty much ever since. General Stansbury is at Bladensburg, an' General Winder counts on goin' there to-morrow for a conference, leavin' our commodore in command here."

"But what have you been doing to tire you so thoroughly?" I persisted.

"Nothin' exceptin' tag around at Joshua Barney's heels, an' he's a reg'lar tiger at walkin', whereas it puts me in bad shape."

"Why not lie down while you may, and get some sleep?" I asked.

"Because I'm under orders to go back to the commodore. You lads turn in, an' I'll creep under cover whenever it's possible."

Having thus evaded my question as to what he had been doing, the old man went out of the tent, leaving Jerry and I gazing at each other, but not daring to speak the thoughts which were in our mind.

If Commodore Barney and Darius Thorpe were so anxious as to what might be the result of our meeting with the enemy, surely we two lads, ignorant of everything pertaining to warfare, save marching, had cause for alarm.

We sat facing each other a full ten minutes without speaking. It was possible to hear the laborers as they threw up the slight breastwork which could be of but little service save to mark our position, or the hum of conversation as the idlers paced to and fro near the tent, and all these sounds was token that we were a tiny part of the living machine with which nations waged war.

"There's no sense in sittin' here like a couple of dummies," Jerry finally said. "We'd best be gettin' all the sleep we can, an' then we'll be the better prepared for what is before us."

It would have pleased me well to find my father and have a talk with him; but I did not feel warranted in leaving my comrades at such a time, therefore I acted at once upon Jerry's suggestion.

It was not a difficult matter to fall asleep, after the long march, and until late in the night I enjoyed a most refres.h.i.+ng slumber, when the entrance of Darius awakened me.

"What is the time?" I asked.

"Near to midnight."

"Have you been working all this while?"

"Movin' around with the commodore, that's all," Darius replied, as he laid down beside me, and a moment later his heavy breathing told that the weary old man was resting after nearly twenty hours of labor.

Try as I might, it was impossible to close my eyes in sleep immediately. My thoughts would stray back to Benedict, and the more my mind dwelt upon mother and the children the less inclined did I feel for slumber.

I twisted and turned while my tent-mates slept more or less noisily, until by the cries of the sentinels I knew it was two o'clock in the morning, and then the idea that in a few hours I must be at work with no chance for rest, caused me to feel drowsy.

Save for the measured tread of the sentinels, and their calls from time to time, the silence of the encampment was profound, and I was idly saying to myself that it seemed difficult to fancy one was in the midst of more than two thousand men, when suddenly came a sharp cry from a distance, followed by another and another until the long roll of the drums rang out on the night air like distant thunder.

"What is it?" I cried, as Darius sprang to his feet.

"The call for all hands," the old man said as he groped around for his musket and ammunition. "The Britishers have shown themselves, hopin'

to take us by surprise, most like. Move lively, lads, for Joshua Barney's followin' must be the first in line."

How we contrived to arm ourselves and get out of the tent into the midst of a throng of apparently bewildered men, I know not; but certain it is we found ourselves there following Darius, who was the only one I saw that evidently had his wits about him. Left to ourselves we would have wandered aimlessly around the encampment, as did many hundred of the men; but the old sailor, who surely should have been born a soldier, led us to the proper place as if he had always served his country on land instead of water.

We found our people from the flotilla in fairly good formation, ready to repel an attack, while the raw militia were scurrying to and fro like frightened sheep, and such fact made me feel proud that I was a member of "Barney's seamen."

"You've done well, lads," the commodore said approvingly, while he moved to and fro in front of us to make certain that we were all there. "We'll show these landsmen before this little scrimmage is over, that we old sh.e.l.l-backs are not web-footed when it comes to obeying orders."

Then it was that I began to understand why those who served under Joshua Barney were so proud of, and had such confidence in, him.

There was in the ring of his voice, in his way of looking at a fellow, and his every movement, something which bespoke him a friend, and from that moment, I became as ardent an admirer of the fighting captain as ever was Darius Thorpe.

Of a verity I believe a full fifteen minutes elapsed before all our people were in line of battle, which spoke badly for what might happen in case the enemy planned a surprise, and then we learned that the alarm was a false one.

"Some weak-kneed sentinel was frightened at his own shadow," the commodore said, speaking quietly to his men. "But it hasn't done us any harm to be routed out in short order, for now we can see how necessary it may be to know our stations. Turn in, my hearties, and get what rest you can before we stand up in front of the red-coats to give them a lesson which they're needing."

Then we went back to our tent; but not to sleep. There is a mighty lot of excitement in turning out at night to be shot at, and Darius was the only member of our party who felt inclined to lie down.

We sat under the canvas talking in whispers, lest we disturb those near at hand, and the old sailor was soon giving good proof that he had sailed over into dreamland.

Of what did we talk? I can't really tell; but you might put yourself in our places, and say if you would not naturally speak of those most dear when you knew beyond a peradventure that within a few hours at the most you would be standing face to face with death.

When the day broke we stole softly out of the tent that Darius might get all the sleep possible, and, building a small fire, toasted the strips of bacon which made up the greater portion of our rations.

Then all hands sat around the tent to prevent any one from awakening the old man without good and sufficient cause, until sunrise, when word was pa.s.sed from one to another that orders had been given to load all tents on the baggage-wagons, for the army was to move within an hour.

Then it was that we felt obliged to call Darius, and he came up on his feet at the first word, having all his wits about him at the moment of awakening, as is the habit of sailormen.

"Goin' to move, eh?" he said, when we told him of the order. "Then I'm thinkin' the next halt will be at whatsoever place General Winder has picked out for a battle-field. Look after the tent, lads, while I get a word with the commodore."

He marched off in the direction of headquarters, and we set about the task, I observing while pa.s.sing among the militia, that the men as a rule were looking mighty glum, which augured ill for their performances if indeed a battle was near at hand.

CHAPTER XV.

BLADENSBURG.