The Young Lieutenant Part 9

"Isn't the word of an officer and a gentleman to be accepted?"

"Certainly, if he keeps within the bounds of reason; but when you talk about the Russians at Magenta, and over seven thousand cannons in a single army, we know that you are either 'drawing the long-bow,' or laboring under some strange delusion. Supper is ready."

"We can eat and talk too." And they did. "May I be allowed to ask, Lieutenant Somers, if you deem my statement inconsistent with reason?"

"To be sure I do. We have six guns to a battery; seventy-two hundred guns would make twelve hundred batteries. We have about one hundred and fifty men to a battery, which would make one hundred and eighty thousand men in the artillery arm alone; which is positively ridiculous. You said Russians----"

"Of course, that was a slip of the tongue. I meant Prussians," added the captain, entirely overwhelmed by the lieutenant's arithmetic, as well as by the laughter of Captain Benson and Lieutenant Munroe, who belonged to the mess.

"Worse yet," said Somers. "They were Austrians. Now, captain, you are a brave man, and a splendid fellow; but I think it is a great pity you should tell such abominably great stories."

"I accept the apology," laughed Captain de Banyan. "We will call it square, and turn in; for I think that we shall have hot work to-morrow."

CHAPTER VIII

AN ORDER FROM HEADQUARTERS

While Captain de Banyan and Lieutenant Somers were asleep, the commanding general received the intelligence of a movement on our right by the famous Stonewall Jackson. The position which had been gained by the advance at Oak Grove was abandoned, and the troops returned to their old line. The next day was heard the roar of the guns at Mechanicsville; and on that succeeding was fought the battle of Gaines's Mills--the only defeat in the field sustained by the Union army during that battle-week.

General McClellan then decided to change his base of operations; which, rendered into plain English, meant that he had been flanked, and was obliged to make the best move he could to save his army and material. The troops fought all day, and ran all night, till they reached the James River, where they were protected by the all-powerful gunboats. In the battles of Savage's Station, Glendale and Malvern Hills, they were victorious, and fought as no troops had ever fought before. As a retreat, it was successful; but it was the sad and inglorious end of the Peninsular campaign.

The whole brigade to which Lieutenant Somers belonged went on picket every third day. While the tremendous operations to which we have briefly alluded were taking place on the right, the soldiers on the left were leading their ordinary military life. But they were thinking men, and, while they were firm in their devotion to the good cause, they were disturbed by doubts and fears. They knew not, as they listened to the booming guns, whether they were in the midst of victory or defeat.

Occasionally, they were sh.e.l.led behind their breastworks; apparently for the purpose, on the part of the rebels, of keeping our forces from interfering with the work on the right.

The brigade went on picket, and here the troops were face to face with the enemy. Lieutenant Somers, by the illness of the captain and the absence of the first lieutenant, was in command of his company. But there was no chance to do anything to distinguish himself, except that steady and patient attention to duty which is the constant opportunity of every good officer.

"Well, captain, was there anything like this at Magenta?" asked Somers, as he met De Banyan.

"This is tame, Somers. Magenta was a lively scene."

"I fancy it will not remain tame much longer. We shall either be in Richmond as victors or prisoners within a few days."

"Don't croak, Somers. It will all come out right in the end."

"I have no doubt of that; but I feel just as though some big thing was going to happen."

"So do I; and I felt so just before the battle of Solferino. By the way, on the night before that battle, I captured a whole brigade with my single company, while I was out on picket-duty."

"Indeed!" laughed Somers.

"I'll tell you how it was."

"Don't take that trouble, captain; for I shall not believe you if you do."

"Do you mean to doubt my word, even before I utter it?" demanded the captain, apparently much hurt by the insinuation.

"Captain de Banyan, I wish I could persuade you to speak the truth at all times."

"Come, Somers, that's rather a grave charge; and, if it came from any other man than yourself, I should challenge him on the spot," added the captain, throwing back his head, and looking dignified enough to be the commander-in-chief.

"You may challenge me if you please; but let us be serious for a moment."

"I am serious, and have been all the time."

"You are a first-rate fellow, captain; I like you almost as well as I do my own brother."

"You are a sensible young man, Somers," replied De Banyan, slightly relaxing the rigid muscles of his face.

"You are a brave man, and as brilliant as you are brave. I have only one fault to find with you."

"What's that?"

"You will draw the long-bow."

"In other words, I will lie. Somers, you hurt my feelings. I took a fancy to you the first time I ever saw you, and it pains me to hear you talk in that manner. Do you think that I, an officer and a gentleman, would stoop to the vice of lying?"

"You certainly do not expect any one to believe those wretched big stories you tell?"

"Certainly I do," replied the captain with dignity.

"But they contradict themselves."

"Perhaps you don't believe there ever was such an event as the battle of Magenta."

"Come, come, my friend; just slide off that high horse."

"Lieutenant Somers, my word has been doubted; my good faith maligned; my character for truth and veracity questioned."

"Yes, I know all that very well; but answer me one question, captain.

Seriously and solemnly, were you at the battle of Magenta?"

"I decline to answer one who doubts my veracity. If I answered you in the affirmative, you would not believe me."

"I don't think I should; but, if you should answer me in the negative, I should have full faith in your reply."

"I cannot answer on those terms. Somers, I am offended. I don't know but that I am in duty bound to challenge you. Just after the battle of Magenta, I felt compelled to challenge a young officer who cast an imputation upon my word. We fought, and he fell. His brother challenged me then, and I had to put a bullet through his head. The family were Corsicans, I believe; and one after another challenged me, till they got down to fifth cousins; and I laid out fifteen of them--I think it was fifteen; I don't remember the exact number, but I could tell by referring to my diary. You are so precise and particular, that I want to give you the facts just as they are."

"You haven't the diary with you, I suppose?"

"Of course not; I couldn't carry a volume like that around with me. I only mention this circ.u.mstance to show you the sad results which sometimes follow in the wake of a duel."

"But I'm not a Corsican; and I don't think you need fear any such results in my case, if you should conclude to challenge me," answered Somers with abundant good nature.

"Now, seriously and solemnly, Somers, this doubting a comrade's word is a vicious habit. It shows that you have no confidence in what I say."