THE bright, active minds of the 65 boys that Si and Shorty were put in charge of were aflame with curiosity regarding everything connected with the war. For two years they had been fed on stories and incidents of the mighty1 conflict then convulsing the land. Every breath they had drawn2 had some taste of battle in it. Wherever they went or were they heard incessantly3 of the storm-swept "front"—of terrific battles, perilous4 adventures, heroic achievements, death, wounds and marvelous escapes. The older boys were all at the front, or going there, or coming back with heroic marks of shot and shell. The one burning aspiration5 in every well-constructed boy's heart was to get big enough to crowd past the recruiting officer, and go where he could see with his own eyes the thunderous drama. There was concentrated all that fills a healthy boy's imagination and stirs his blood—something greater than Indian-fighting, or hunting lions and tigers. They looked on Si and Shorty with little short of reverence6. Here were two men who had captured a rebel flag in a hand-to-hand fight, both of whom had been left for dead, and both promoted for gallantry. What higher pinnacle7 of greatness could any boy hope to reach?
They began at once seriously imitating the walk and manners of their heroes. The tall, lank8 boys modeled themselves on Shorty, and the short, chubby9 ones on Si. And there at once rose contention10 between them as to which was the greater hero.
"I heard," said Henry Joslyn, "that Corpril Elliott was the first to reach the rebel flag, he havin' much the longest legs, but jest as he grabbed it a big rebel knocked him, and then they all piled on to him, and about had him finished when Serg't Klegg reached there at a charge bayonets, and he bayoneted everybody in sight, until a sharpshooter in a tree shot him with an explosive bullet that tore his breast all to pieces, but he kept right on bayonetin' 'em till he dropped from loss o' blood. Then they fired a cannon11 at the sharpshooter and blowed him to pieces just as you'd blow a chippy to pieces with a bullet from a bear-gun."
"'Twan't that way at all," said tall, lathy Gid Mackall. "A whole lot of 'em made for the flag together. A charge o' grapeshot come along and blowed the rest away, but Serg't Klegg and Corpril Elliott kep' right on. Then Corpril Elliott he lit into the crowd o' rebels and laid a swath right around him, while Sergint Klegg grabbed the flag. A rebel Colonel shot him, but they couldn't stop Corpril Elliott till they shot a brass12 six-pounder at him."
The boys stood on the banks of the Ohio River and gazed eagerly at the other side. There was the enemy's country—there the theater in which the great drama was being enacted13. Everything there had a weird14 fascination15 for them, as a part of, or accessory to, the stupendous play. It was like peeping under the circus tent, when they were smaller, and catching16 glimpses of the flying horses' feet.
And the questions they asked. Si had in a manner repelled17 them by his curt18 treatment of Harry19 Joslyn, and his preoccupied20 air as he went back and forth21 getting his orders and making preparations for starting. But Shorty was in an affable mood, and by pleasantly answering a few of their inquiries24 brought the whole fire of their questioning upon him.
"Are any o' them men you see over there guerrillas?" they asked.
"Mebbe," Shorty answered. "Kentucky's full of 'em. Mebbe they're peaceable citizens, though."
"How kin22 you tell the guerrillas from the citizens?"
"By the way they shoot at you. The peaceable citizens don't shoot—at least, in day time and out in the open. They lay for you with sole-leather pies, and chuck-a-luck boards and 40-rod whisky, and aid. and abet25 the Southern Confedrisy that way. They get away with more union soldiers than the guerrillas do. But you can never tell what an able-bodied man in Kentucky'll do. He may lay for you all day with wildcat whisky, at $5 a canteenful, to git money to buy ammunition26 to shoot at you at night. He's surer o' gittin' you with a canteen o' never-miss whisky, but there's more healthy excitement about shootin' at you from behind a bank. And his pies is deadlier'n his apple-jack27. A man kin git over an apple-jack drunk, but Kentucky pies 's wuss'n nux vomica on fish."
"Mustn't we eat none o' their pies?" asked the boys, with longing28 remembrance of the fragrant29 products of their mothers' ovens.
"Nary a pie. If I ketch a boy eatin' a pie after we cross the river I'll buck-and-gag him. Stick to plain hardtack and pork. You'll git to like it better'n cake by and by. I eat it right along in preference to the finest cake ever baked."
Shorty did not think it necessary to mention that this preference was somewhat compulsory30.
"Why don't you hunt down the guerrillas and kill 'em off and be done with 'em?"
"You can't, very well. You see, guerrilain' is peculiar31. There's somethin' in the air and water down in Kentucky and Tennessee that brings it on a man. You'll see a plain farmer man, jest like them around your home, and he'll be all right, goin' about his place plowin' and grubbin' sprouts33 and tendin' to his stock, and tellin' you all the time how much he loves the union and how he and his folks always bin32 for the union. Next thing you know he'll be out behind a cedar34 bush with a shotgun loaded with slugs, waitin' to make a lead mine o' some feller wearin' blue clothes. You see him before he does you, and he'll swear that he was out after the crows that's bin pullin' up his corn. He'll take' the oath of allegiance like it was a dram of old apple-jack, and tears'll come into his eyes at the sight o' the Old Flag, which he and his'n has always loved. He'll go ahead plowin' and grubbin' sprouts and tendin' his cattle till the fit comes on him agin to go gunnin' for bluecoats, and off he is, to go through the whole performance agin. You kin never tell how long his loosid interval35 will last, nor when the fit's comin' on him. Mebbe the changes o' the moon's somethin' to do with it. Mebbe it's somethin' that they eat, like what the cattle eat out West that makes 'em go crazy."
"Will the guerrillas begin shootin' at us as soon's we cross the river?"
"Can't tell. Guerrillas's like the nose-bleed—likely to come on you at any time. They're jest where you find 'em—that's when they're jumpin' you.. When they aint jumpin' you, they're lawabiding union citizens, entitled to the protection o' the laws and to draw rations23 from the Commissary. To make no mistake, you want to play every man in citizen's clothes south of the Ohio River for a rebel. And when you don't see him, you want to be surer than ever, for then he's layin' for you."
Si came up at this moment with orders for them to pick up and go down to the ferry, and the lively hustle36 shut off Shorty's stream of information for the time being. The boys swarmed37 on to the bow of the ferry-boat, where they could scrutinize38 and devour39 with eager eyes the fateful shore of Kentucky.
"Don't look so very different from the Indiana side," said Harry Joslyn, as they neared the wharf40. "Same kind o' wharf-boats and same kind o' men on 'em."
"That's because we've taken 'em and have our own men there," replied Gid Mackall. "It'll all be different when we git ashore41 and further into the State."
"Wasn't expecting nothing else," said Albert Grimes. "I've been watchin' the Sargint and Corpril, and they're acting42 just as if it was every day bizniss. I'm not going to expect anything till I see them lookin' serious."
They landed and walked to the depot43 through the streets of Louisville, which were also disappointingly like those they had seen elsewhere, with the stores open and people going about their business, as if no shadow of war brooded over the land. There were some more soldiers on the streets, and a considerable portion of the vehicles were army wagons44, but this was all.
"When'll we see some rebels?" the boys asked.
"Don't be impatient," said a soldier on the sidewalk; "you'll see 'em soon enough, and more'n you want to. You'll have to go a little further, but you'll find the woods full of 'em. You'll be wishin' you was back home in your little trundle-beds, where they ought've kept you."
"Shut up, you coffee-boiler," shouted Shorty, striding toward him. "These boys 's goin' to the front, where you ought to be, and I won't have you sayin' a word to discourage 'em."
"Too bad about discouraging 'em," laughed another, who had a juster appreciation45 of the situation. "You couldn't discourage that drove of kids with a hickory club."
After the train left Louisville it passed between two strong forts bristling46 with heavy guns. Here was a reality of war, and the boys' tide of questions became a torrent47 that for once overslaughed Shorty's fine talent for fiction and misinformation.
"How many battles had been fought there?"
"How many union soldiers had been killed?"
"How many rebels?"
"Where were they buried?"
"How big a ball did the guns shoot?"
"How far would it carry?"
"How many men would it kill if they were put one behind another?"
"How near would the guns come to hitting a man a mile off?"
"Could the gunner knock a man's head off, or one of his legs, just as he pleased?"
"Were the guns rifled or smooth-bore?"
"How much powder did it take to load them?"
"How hard did they kick when they were fired?"
"Did they have flint-locks or caps?"
"Did they ever fire chain-shot, which would cut down trees and sweep away companies of men?"
"If all the rest of the men were killed wouldn't the powder-monkey get a chance to fire the gun?"
"Look here, boys," gasped48 Shorty, when he got a chance to answer, "I'd like to answer your questions and fill you so plumb49 full o' information that your hides'd crack to hold it. But I aint no complete history o' the war with heavy artillery50 tactics bound up in one volume. All I know is that the worst dose them forts ever give was to the fellers that had to build 'em. After you've dug and shoveled51 and wheeled on one of 'em for about a month you'll hate the very sight of 'em and never ask no questions about 'em. All you'll want'll be to find and kill the feller that invented them brick-red eruptions52 on the face o' the earth."
This was a prosaic53 side of the war that had not occurred to the boys.
'here, You Young Brats54, What Are You up to 225
As the train ran out into the country there were plentiful55 signs of war to rivet56 the attention of the youngsters—hospitals, with the emaciated57 patients strolling feebly about; corrals of mules58 and horses, the waste and wreckage59 where camps had been, and bridges which had been burned and rebuilt.
"But we haint seen no guerrillas yit," said Harry Joslyn and Gid Mackall, whose minds seemed more fascinated with that species of an enemy than any other, and they apparently60 voiced the minds of the rest. "When're we likely to see some guerrillas?"
"O, the guerrillas are layin' purty low now, betwixt here and Nashville," Si carelessly explained. "After we pass Nashville you kin begin to look out for 'em."
"Why," Gid Mackall complained to the rest of them, "Corpril Elliott said that we could begin to look out for guerrillas jest as soon's we crossed the Ohio—that the whole o' Kentucky was full of 'em. I believe Corpril Elliott knows more about his business than Sargint Klegg. Sargint Klegg seems careless like. I see lots o' fellers along the road in butternut clothes that seemed savage61 and sneaky like. They looked at us in a way that made me certain they wuz spying us, and had their guns hid away somewhere, ready to jump us whenever there wuz a good chanst."
"So did I," chorused the others.
The train made a long stop on a switch and manuvered around a while, taking on some cars found there, and Si and Shorty seeing nothing to do went forward to another car, where they found some returning veterans, and were soon absorbed in a game of seven-up. Shorty had just successfully turned a jack from the bottom, and was snickering to himself that his fingers had not lost their cunning by long idleness, when the game was interrupted by a train-hand rushing up with the information:
"Here, you fellers, you want to git out there and 'tend to them kids o' your'n. They've got a couple o' citizens down there in the brush and I believe are goin' to hang 'em."
Si and Shorty ran down in the direction indicated. They found the boys, stern-eyed and resolute62, surrounding two weak-eyed, trembling "crackers," who had apparently come to the train with baskets of leathery-crusted dried-apple pies for sale. The men were specimens63 of the weak-minded, weak-bodied, lank-haired "po' white trash," but the boys had sized them up on sight as dangerous spies and guerrillas, had laid hands on them and dragged them down into the brush, where Gid Mackall and Harry Joslyn were doing a fair reproduction of Williams, Paulding and Van Wert searching Maj. Andre's clothes for incriminating documents. They had the prisoners' hands tied behind them and their ankles bound. So far they had discovered a clumsy brass-barreled pistol and an ugly-looking spring dirk, which were sufficient to confirm the dangerous character of the men. Two of the boys had secured ropes from the train, which they were trying to fashion into hangman's nooses65. Gid and Harry finished a painstaking66 examination of the men's ragged64 jeans vests, with a look of disappointment at finding nothing more inculpating67 that some fishhooks, chunks68 of twist tobacco and cob-pipes.
"They must have 'em in their boots, boys. Pull 'em off," said Harry. "There's where spies usually carry their most important papers."
"Here, you young brats, what are you up to?" demanded Si, striding in among them.
"Why, Sargint," said Harry Joslyn, speaking as if confident of being engaged in a praisworthy work, which should receive the commendation of his superiors, "these're two spies and guerrillas that we ketched right in the act, and we're searchin' 'em for evidence to hang 'em."
"Spies nothin'!" said Si. "Why, them fellers hain't brains enough to tell a battery from a regiment69, nor pluck enough to take a settin' hen offen her nest. Let them go at once."
"Why, Corpril Elliott told us that every man in Kentucky, particularly them what sold pies, wuz dangerous, and liable to go guerrillying at any minute," said Harry in an aggrieved70 tone. "These fellers seemed to be sneakin' down to find that we hadn't no guns and then jump us."
"Well, what I said wuz true on jineral principles," laughed Shorty. "But there's occasionally exceptions to even what I tell you. These fellers are as harmless as garter-snakes. Why didn't you come and speak to us?"
"Why, you shoved our car out there into the brush and went off and left us. We thought we had to look out for ourselves," explained Harry. "Can't we hang 'em, anyway?" he added in an appealing tone, and the rest of the boys looked wistfully at Si for permission to proceed.
"No, you can't, I tell you. Turn 'em loose this minute, and give 'em back their things, and go yourselves to your car. We're goin' to start now. Here," he continued to the two men, "is a dollar. Take your pies and dig out. Don't attempt to sell any o' them pies to these boys, or I'll hang you myself, and there won't be no foolishness about it. Git back to your car, boys."
"There won't be no hangin', and we won't git none o' the pies," complained the boys among themselves. "Sargint Klegg's gittin' overbearin'. What'd he interfere71 for? Them fellers was guerrillas, as sure as you're born, just as Corpril Elliott described 'em before we crossed the river."
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1
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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aspiration
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| n.志向，志趣抱负；渴望；(语)送气音；吸出 | |
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6
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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7
pinnacle
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| n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰 | |
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lank
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| adj.瘦削的；稀疏的 | |
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chubby
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| adj.丰满的，圆胖的 | |
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10
contention
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| n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张 | |
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11
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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12
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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13
enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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15
fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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16
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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repelled
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| v.击退( repel的过去式和过去分词 )；使厌恶；排斥；推开 | |
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18
curt
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| adj.简短的，草率的 | |
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19
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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20
preoccupied
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| adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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abet
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| v.教唆，鼓励帮助 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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27
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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compulsory
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| n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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sprouts
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| n.新芽，嫩枝( sprout的名词复数 )v.发芽( sprout的第三人称单数 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出 | |
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cedar
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| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
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interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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hustle
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| v.推搡；竭力兜售或获取；催促；n.奔忙(碌) | |
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swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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scrutinize
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| n.详细检查，细读 | |
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devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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depot
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| n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站 | |
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wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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plumb
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| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
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50
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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51
shoveled
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| vt.铲，铲出（shovel的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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eruptions
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| n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 ) | |
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prosaic
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| adj.单调的，无趣的 | |
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brats
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| n.调皮捣蛋的孩子( brat的名词复数 ) | |
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55
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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56
rivet
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| n.铆钉；vt.铆接，铆牢；集中(目光或注意力) | |
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emaciated
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| adj.衰弱的，消瘦的 | |
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mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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wreckage
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| n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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63
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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64
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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65
nooses
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| n.绞索，套索( noose的名词复数 ) | |
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66
painstaking
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| adj.苦干的；艰苦的，费力的，刻苦的 | |
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67
inculpating
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| v.显示（某人）有罪，使负罪( inculpate的现在分词 ) | |
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68
chunks
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| 厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分 | |
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69
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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70
aggrieved
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| adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词) | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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