United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction
He met the dawn at the head of the flight, filtering down from a high
window. It fell quite distinct on the map of the town and its defences
that he had drawn, in the dust on the polished top of the cedar chest,
and suddenly a thought came to him altogether congruous with the garish
day.
"I know a chief of artillery who would like mightily to hear where that
masked battery is! I do believe he could reach it from Sugar Loaf
Pinnacle if he could get a few guns up there!"
Then he was reminded anew of the subterranean secret passage from the
grotto in the grove through the cave to the cellar of the old Devrett
place, where now there was a powder-magazine. "I'd like to get out of
the lines with that map set in my head precisely." He thought for a
minute with great concentration. "Better still, I'll draw it off on
paper."
He had half a mind to take Uncle Ephraim into his confidence to procure
pencils and paper, but a prudent monition swayed him. This was going
far, very far! He would possess himself of the map duly drawn, but he
would share this secret with no one. He resolved that when next the
family should be out of the house, for daily they and their invalid
guest strolled for exercise in the grove or wandered among the flowers
in the old-fashioned garden, he would then venture into the library
quietly and secure the materials.
The opportunity, however, did not occur till late in the afternoon. He
did not postpone the quest for a midnight hazard, for he daily hoped
that with the darkness might come news of the drawing in of the
picket-lines, affording him a better chance to make a run for escape.
Hence it so happened that when the elder members of the household came
in to tea, they found the "ladies" already at the table, the twins
gloomily whimpering, the dumb child with an elated yet scornful air, her
bright eyes dancing.
They had seen a ghost, the twins protested.
"Oh, fie! fie!" their grandfather uneasily rebuked them, and Captain
Baynell turned with the leniency of the happy and consequently the
easily pleased to inquire into this juvenile mystery.
Oh, yes, they _had_ seen a ghost! a truly true ghost! They mopped their
eyes with their diminutive handkerchiefs and wept in great depression of
spirit. It was in the library, they further detailed, just about dark.
And it had seen them! It scrabbled and scrunched along the wall! And
they both drew up their shoulders to their ears to imitate the shrinking
attitude of a ghost who would fain shun observation and get out of the
way.
Little Lucille laughed fleeringly, understanding from the motion of
their lips what they had said. She gazed around with lustrous, excited
eyes; then, she turned toward Baynell, and with infinite élan, she
smartly delivered the military salute.
"Why," cried Mrs. Gwynn, on the impulse of the moment, "Lucille says it
is Julius Roscoe; that is her sign for him. What is all this foolery,
Lucille?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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