XII
As he said, so it was; he hustled everything before him, permitting meto keep my horse and allowing Whistling Jim to go along. "Good-by,mother," he said; "I'm sorry to leave you in such a place as this. Isuppose you are waiting for Major Whiskers." He laughed gayly as hesaid this, and his mother slapped him playfully as she kissed him.
He invited me to ride with him at the head of his little squad oftroops, saying that when a colonel started out to command a corporal'sguard he assuredly needed assistance. He was perhaps thirty years old,but he had a tremendous fund of animal spirits, so that he had all theways of a gay youth of twenty. He paid no more attention to the man whohad been knocked about by Whistling Jim than if he had been a log ofwood, and yet he was very tender-hearted. Whatever was in the line ofwar appealed to his professional instincts. War was his trade, and heseemed to love it; and he had a great relish for the bustle and stirthat are incident thereto.
His sister rode in the top-buggy in which I had first seen her, and shemight have been the commander of the men, judging from the way she gaveinstructions. She seemed to know all the roads, for she went aheadwithout the slightest hesitation. She was driving a good horse, too;his trot was sufficient to keep our horses in a canter; and whenever heheard us coming up behind him he would whisk the buggy away as if hescorned company. Perhaps this was due to the little lady who wasdriving him.
But if she knew at all she must have known everything; her brother musthave come in response to a summons from her or her mother. In any caseI had been tricked--I had been made a fool of--and after what I haddone for her, I felt that I had a right to feel aggrieved. ColonelRyder observed my sullenness and commented on it.
"Don't be down-hearted, my boy. It is the fortune of war; there is notelling when it may turn its sunny side to you. In your place I shouldwhistle and sing and make the best of it. Still, I know how you feel,and I sympathize with you."
"I should not have gone to that house last night," he went on, "but Iknew that my mother was there, and I had received information that oneof our scouts by the name of Leroy was in great danger of capture. WhatI did discover was that Miss Ryder had been captured." He laughed as hesaid this, and gave me a peculiar look.
"Under the circumstances, you acquitted yourself wonderfully well, andGeneral Forrest has no right to be displeased with you," remarkedColonel Ryder.
"But you have not answered my question," I said.
"In the nature of things," he replied, enigmatically, "I prefer not totell you. Of one thing you may be sure--Leroy is not likely to botherthe rebels for some time to come. I think you have put him out ofbusiness, as the boys say."
"But Leroy is a very dear friend of mine," laughed the Colonel, "andyou may be sure I should not have left him there. You observed, ofcourse, that I was very attentive to the man your negro had whipped."He was still laughing, and I could not imagine for the life of me whyhe was tickled.