Hurricane Hurry Part 37

"Open, friend!" I exclaimed; "we are not robbers, nor are we officers of the law, but we have a matter in which we want your a.s.sistance, but cannot delay."

Soft words often have an effect when rough ones would fail. The bolts were withdrawn, and, the door opening, a gentleman in a dressing-gown and slippers, his wig off, his waistcoat unb.u.t.toned, and his whole appearance showing that he had made himself comfortable for the evening, stood, candle in hand, before us. He held up the light and peered before him into the darkness to ascertain who we could be. When his eye fell on our uniforms and the red-coats of the soldiers his countenance a.s.sumed a most ridiculously scared appearance, and with a groan of terror he let the candlestick fall from his hands. The expiring flame, as the candle reached the ground, showed me a female arm stretched out.

It hauled him through a doorway, and the door was slammed and bolted in our faces. Directly afterwards we heard a window thrown up, and a voice exclaimed--

"Fly, Ebenezer, love! fly and hide thyself, or these red-coated villains will be the death of thee!"

We stood very quietly waiting the result. I knew pretty well what it would be. In two minutes a voice was heard outside the window--

"Oh, mercy, mercy! Bridget, let me in again, let me in!" it said. "The house is surrounded by armed men, and thy unhappy husband is truly caught in the snares of the enemy."

We had no time to spare, so I thought it best to catch our friend and see what we could make of him. I accordingly knocked at the door and desired to be admitted.

"Oh, mercy, mercy! oh dear, oh dear!" was the only answer I got.

"Well, my friends, I can wait no longer," I exclaimed, in a voice which showed that I would not be trifled with. "I have something to communicate to you, and if you come out peaceably it will save trouble, and be better for all parties. You have my word that no harm whatever is intended you."

There was some discussion inside. I knocked pretty loudly two or three times with the hilt of my sword. The hint was taken, and at length the door was slowly and cautiously opened, and the worthy farmer and his portly dame stood before us. I asked him his name.

"Ruggles," he answered, looking as if he did not love me certainly, "Ebenezer Ruggles, and that's my wife Bridget. And now, stranger, what is it you want of us?"

"Why, my friend, all I want you to do is to guide a party of his Majesty's troops and blue-jackets by the nearest and best road to the town of Hampton, and to give me such other information as I may reasonably require," I replied, somewhat sternly. "I have lost some time already, so put on your hat and great coat and come along."

"What! you are going to carry my husband off, are you? He'll not go; I tell you that he shan't!" exclaimed Mrs Bridget, walking up in front of him, like a turkey hen defending her young. "Whatever you want to know I'll tell you, but you shan't take away my good man from me. He'd catch his death of cold, I know he would. Here, Jeremiah! Boaz! Timothy!

Luke! Sarah! Martha! Jane! come and stop your dear father from being shot, murdered, drowned, hung up as a Tory! Oh, dear, oh, dear! I don't know what will happen to him."

As she spoke, a number of children streamed in from an inner room, the smaller ones in their night-gowns, and all more or less in _deshabille_, as if they had been hurriedly summoned out of their beds. They looked at me, and the soldiers and sailors behind me, and then threw themselves shrieking and crying round their father's neck. As I knew that we should take very good care of the poor man, I could not stand this scene very long, and had at last to tell him that he must put an end to it, or that I must order the soldiers to separate him from his children and to carry him off by force.

"Oh, you cruel, hard-hearted slave of a tyrant!" exclaimed their mother, advancing boldly towards me; "you will not take him away--you will not-- you dare not! You'll have his life to answer for if you do."

"Come, come, madam," said I, "we must end this business at once. Your husband must accompany me at all events. No harm will happen to him, so don't be alarmed. Now, sir, put on your hat and accompany me."

I had a strong suspicion that she wished to gain time, and had perhaps sent off some one to try and bring down the enemy on us.

Again there was a furious chorus of hugging and shrieking and crying and kissing.

"Don't go--you shan't go--Papa, you mustn't go--we won't let you go-- hard-hearted, cruel tyrants!"

Such were the phrases which reached my ears, but Ebenezer Ruggles saw that I was in earnest, and, signing to his wife, she brought him a thick pair of shoes, a great coat, a stick and his hat, and then, in spite of the renewed cries of his children, he signified, in a manly, fearless way, that if we compelled him he would accompany us without resistance.

I accordingly took him by the arm, and succeeded at last in separating him from his wife and children, and leading him out of the house. Even after we had got some distance off we heard the cries of poor Dame Bridget and her disconsolate brood. Ebenezer bore the trial very well.

"Now, friend Ruggles," said I, "you must understand that, if you guide us right and play us no tricks, we will restore you safe to your wife and family, but if you lead us into any difficulty I shall be under the disagreeable necessity of shooting you through the head."

"Oh! if that's the case, then, I must tell you that you have come two miles out of the road to Hampton," quoth Mr Ruggles. "If you had gone on, you would have run your noses against a pretty strong force of our States' army, who would have made mince-meat of you, I guess."

"They must have been pretty strong to impede the progress of a thousand men," said I. "However, lead us by the best road and you shall be well rewarded."

"That's reasonable," said Ruggles; and forthwith turning round, away he trudged alongside me at the rate of nearly four miles an hour. He led us back right through the dark wood and into the open country, and at last we reached a fine broad open road. Along that we marched at a great rate. We soon, however, came to a house. We instantly surrounded it, and, very much to the surprise and alarm of the inhabitants, made them prisoners. I rather think that our friend Ruggles was not sorry to have a companion in his misfortunes. We soon had several. Every house we came to we surrounded, and had to capture the inhabitants, that they might not escape to give the alarm through the country. I cannot describe all the scenes that occurred. Some were rather amusing, as we knew that we were not going to injure the poor people. Others were painful, from the dreadful alarm into which both men and women were put when we appeared at their doors. Still greater was it when they found that they had to accompany us on our march.

The night was drawing on, and there were as yet no signs of the town for which we were bound. Every moment, of course, increased the probability of our being attacked, for, notwithstanding all our precautions, we scarcely hoped to have prevented some of the people getting off, who might give notice of our advance. I began to suspect that Mr Ruggles was playing us false. I told him so. He a.s.sured me that we were close upon Hampton. I c.o.c.ked my pistol to his ear, to remind him what would be the consequence should he be playing us false. He stood firm, and my confidence in him was restored. In five minutes he asked me to halt my people, and a.s.sured me we were close upon the town. Just then the advanced guard fell back, and reported that they had suddenly found themselves at the entrance of a town. We accordingly formed our force into three divisions. One party went round to the other side, one remained where we then were, and a third, which I led, entered the town.

Having made a rapid survey of the place, Captain Hawthorne and I placed a strong body of men at each end of the princ.i.p.al streets, and the outskirts of the town being at the same time strictly watched, we felt now that no one could escape or enter the place without our knowledge.

These arrangements being made, we commenced a series of visits to the abodes of all the princ.i.p.al inhabitants. So silently had we proceeded that many of them were not aware that the town was in our hands, and their dismay may be more easily conceived than described when they found armed men knocking at their doors, and in some instances breaking them open. One of the first houses we visited was that of an oldish gentleman--the richest merchant, we were told, in the town. We knocked at first gently, and then louder and louder, till we heard some one coming along the pa.s.sage, and a negro voice inquired who was there and what was wanted. The usual answer, "Your master--business of importance--quick--quick!" made the poor black without further consideration open the door, when in we rushed, and he, stepping back, tumbled head over heels, and upset two or three of the first men who got in. Amid shouts of laughter from us, and shrieks and cries from a whole posse of negroes who ran out from their own dormitories, we hurried up to the princ.i.p.al staircase. The hubbub, as well it might, roused the master of the house and his better half from their drowsy slumbers--so we concluded--for a gruff voice in tones irate began scolding away from the top of the stairs at the blacks, demanding why they made so terrific a noise--joined in occasionally by other far sharper notes.

"The blacks are not to blame, old gentleman," exclaimed Hawthorne, springing up the stairs. "How do you do! We call upon you at rather an unseasonable hour, I own, but our stay in the place is short you will understand. We will have a little conversation together on public affairs, and then I must trouble you for the keys of your stores, or an order for the delivery of such provisions as we may require, for which I am directed to offer you payment."

The old gentleman, not comprehending who we were, was almost struck down at first on hearing this address, but, after a time, recovering himself, he begged leave to slip on some more clothes, and promised that he would then come down into his sitting-room and speak to us.

We heard him and the sharp-voiced lady discussing matters up-stairs.

More than once Hawthorne had to sing out--

"We are in a hurry, sir--we are in a hurry," before his better half would let him appear.

I left Hawthorne and him to settle matters while I with my men proceeded to other houses. We had given strict orders that no violence whatever was to be used towards any of the inhabitants, and I fully believe that the lieutenants and mids.h.i.+pmen under us did their best to repress anything of the sort. Still it was necessary to keep a watch on all parties. Of course I was obeying the orders I had received in what I did, and had no choice; but, at the same time, I must own that I felt excessive repugnance in thus having to disturb and frighten out of their senses the inhabitants of a quiet town, who had in no way done anything to offend us. I resolved, however, to make amends to them by every means in my power, by treating them with the utmost delicacy and kindness. We had already seized on a dozen or more of the princ.i.p.al people, and marched them off to the square in the centre of the town, where they were kept under a strong guard as hostages for the good behaviour of the rest, and as a guarantee for our safety while we remained in the place. Not slight was the alarm and agitation when they were told that the instant any attempt was made, either by any of their fellow-townsmen or by any of the enemy's troops outside, to re-take the place, their lives would be forfeited, while a pistol was kept presented at the head of each of them to carry this threat into execution.

Having, in my rounds, visited the square, and comforted our prisoners as much as I could venture to do, I again went on with my domiciliary visits. At the next house at which I stopped the door was instantly opened by the black servant.

"Oh, ma.s.sa officer! oh, ma.s.sa officer! you frighten de poor young ladies till all die!" he exclaimed as we entered the hall. "Oh, ki! oh, ki!

dey kick and squeal on de sofa like little pigs going to have dey throat cut. Oh, ki! oh, ki! what shall we do?"

"Where are the ladies?" I asked. "I will try what I can do to banish their alarm."

"Dis way, den, sare--dis way," said the negro, ushering me in a great hurry into a large and handsomely-furnished room, lighted by several candles. There were several sofas. On two of them lay two ladies, apparently in hysterics, while several other ladies and female attendants, black and brown, were bending over them and applying restoratives.

"There, sir! that is what you and your people have done!" exclaimed an elderly and rather portly lady, turning round and advancing towards me while she pointed at the younger females, whom I took to be her daughters, on the sofa.

Some of my men were following me. When the ladies saw them they shrieked louder than ever, so I ordered them all to go outside the house with the exception of Tom Rockets, and then addressed myself to the lady who had thus spoken to me--

"I regret excessively the cruel necessity thus imposed on me, madam,"

said I, "but accept the honour of an officer and a gentleman that no harm shall be done to any member of your family. Let me entreat the young ladies to calm their fears. My people are under perfect command, as you may have seen by the way they obeyed my orders, so that you need be under no apprehension either from them."

"I'll trust you, sir; I'll trust you," said the lady, frankly putting out her hand. "There is something in your countenance and manner which a.s.sures me that you speak the truth."

I could only bow to this pretty compliment--I hope it was deserved.

These words had great effect in calming the agitation of the young ladies, and in a few minutes they were able to dismiss the negro girls and the scent bottles and the plates of burnt feathers, and to sit up and enter into conversation. The room was still too dark to enable me to see much of their countenances, but I thought their voices sounded very pleasant and sweet, and I pictured them to myself as very charming young ladies.

"The hour is somewhat unusual for tea," observed the lady of the house, "but I doubt not after your long march you will find it refres.h.i.+ng."

I thanked the lady very much, and a.s.sured her that I should particularly enjoy a cup of tea. She accordingly gave the order to an attendant slave, and in a short time a whole troop of black girls came in with urn and teacups and candles, and in a twinkling a table was spread, and all the party drew round it.

As I was approaching the tea-table, I started and stood like one transfixed, for there appeared before me, with the light of a candle falling full on her countenance, a young lady the very image of Madeline Carlyon. "It must be her," I thought; and yet my heart told me that it could not be, for she did not appear to recognise me. The young lady, however, saw my confusion, and looked up with an inquiring glance at my countenance. Women have, I suspect, very sharp eyes in discovering where anything connected with the heart of the opposite s.e.x is concerned, and are generally equally clever in concealing what is pa.s.sing in their own. She kept looking at me, and I looked at her for a minute or more without speaking. More than once I made a move towards her as if the lady I saw before me must be Madeline, and then the expression of her countenance showed me I was mistaken.

At last I was aware that I was making myself somewhat remarkable or, as some of my friends would have said, very ridiculous; so, trying to overcome my agitation, I drew my chair to the table and sat down. I watched the young lady, and observed that she still cast an inquiring glance at me, as much as to say, "For whom do you take me?" On the strength of this I thought I would venture to inquire if she was in any way related to Madeline. Just as I was going to speak, a cup of tea was handed to me. I first emptied half the contents of the sugar-bason into it, then said I took very little sugar, and asked for a spoonful. Then I threw off the tea as if it were a doctor's dose, and pa.s.sed my cup for some more. At last I mustered courage to look across the table and to say, "I beg pardon--I fear that I must have appeared very rude, but your resemblance to a young lady whom I know is so very striking that I should suppose you to be her sister if I was not aware that she has none."

"Then you must be Mr Hurry!" she said quickly. "I am considered very like my cousin, Madeline Carlyon. She has spoken to me about you--of your kindness and generosity--oh, how very fortunate!"

The countenances of all the party were turned towards me, and they looked at me with an expression of interest and pleasure. The elder lady got up and, taking my hand, exclaimed--

"We welcome you indeed most cordially, Mr Hurry. Our kinswomen have spoken most warmly of you, and we consider ourselves most happy in having met you, though you come in the guise of an enemy."

I had not said all this time who I was, it must be understood. It made my heart b.u.mp away very hard when I found the manner in which Madeline had spoken of me to her relatives. I made as suitable a reply as I could to all the complimentary things which were said to me; and then, as soon as I could, I inquired in a trembling voice where Madeline Carlyon then was, and how she was. I felt very sure that my secret was out, and that there was no use in disguising my sentiments.