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Three Miraculous Soldiers
by
“Oh, ma,” said the girl.
“I know it has–I know it. Oh, if your father was only here! He’d settle those Yankees mighty quick–he’d settle ’em! Two poor helpless women–“
“Why, ma, what makes you act so? The Yankees haven’t–“
“Oh, they’ll be back–they’ll be back. Two poor helpless women! Your father and your uncle Asa and Bill off galavanting around and fighting when they ought to be protecting their home! That’s the kind of men they are. Didn’t I say to your father just before he left–“
“Ma,” said the girl, coming suddenly from the window, “the barn door is open. I wonder if they took old Santo?”
“Oh, of course they have–of course–Mary, I don’t see what we are going to do–I don’t see what we are going to do.”
The girl said, “Ma, I’m going to see if they took old Santo.”
“Mary,” cried the mother, “don’t you dare!”
“But think of poor old Sant, ma.”
“Never you mind old Santo. We’re lucky to be safe ourselves, I tell you. Never mind old Santo. Don’t you dare to go out there, Mary–Mary!”
The girl had unlocked the door and stepped out upon the porch. The mother cried in despair, “Mary!”
“Why, there isn’t anybody out here,” the girl called in response. She stood for a moment with a curious smile upon her face as of gleeful satisfaction at her daring.
The breeze was waving the boughs of the apple trees. A rooster with an air importantly courteous was conducting three hens upon a foraging tour. On the hillside at the rear of the grey old barn the red leaves of a creeper flamed amid the summer foliage. High in the sky clouds rolled toward the north. The girl swung impulsively from the little stoop and ran toward the barn.
The great door was open, and the carved peg which usually performed the office of a catch lay on the ground. The girl could not see into the barn because of the heavy shadows. She paused in a listening attitude and heard a horse munching placidly. She gave a cry of delight and sprang across the threshold. Then she suddenly shrank back and gasped. She had confronted three men in grey seated upon the floor with their legs stretched out and their backs against Santo’s manger. Their dust-covered countenances were expanded in grins.
II
As Mary sprang backward and screamed, one of the calm men in grey, still grinning, announced, “I knowed you’d holler.” Sitting there comfortably the three surveyed her with amusement.
Mary caught her breath, throwing her hand up to her throat.”Oh!” she said, “you–you frightened me!”
“We’re sorry, lady, but couldn’t help it no way,” cheerfully responded another.”I knowed you’d holler when I seen you coming yere, but I raikoned we couldn’t help it no way. We hain’t a-troubling this yere barn, I don’t guess. We been doing some mighty tall sleeping yere. We done woke when them Yanks loped past.”
“Where did you come from? Did–did you escape from the–the Yankees?” The girl still stammered and trembled.
The three soldiers laughed.”No, m’m. No, m’m. They never cotch us. We was in a muss down the road yere about two mile. And Bill yere they gin it to him in the arm, kehplunk. And they pasted me thar, too. Curious, And Sim yere, he didn’t get nothing, but they chased us all quite a little piece, and we done lose track of our boys.”
“Was it–was it those who passed here just now? Did they chase you?”
The men in grey laughed again.”What–them? No, indeedee! There was a mighty big swarm of Yanks and a mighty big swarm of our boys, too. What–that little passel? No, m’m.”