Page:Randall Parrish--My Lady of the South.djvu/253

A RECONNAISSANCE making a noise," and I pointed toward the vague outline. "You had better creep, and keep your eyes wide open."

He was not absent more than ﬁve minutes, clinging close to the darker shadows in his passage, moving more like a snake than a man. Donald stirred and groaned, but I clung watchfully to the doorway until the boy came safe back.

"There was wather in the pail, sor." he explained, letting me feel the wet canteen, "an' there's two or three fellows sittin' there on the back porch."

"Were those all you saw? "

"I heard a noise by the head of the arbor, but it was too black in there to see anything."

"Well, you go inside and remain with Colonel Donald. Don't permit him any opportunity to get away or sound an alarm. Keep fresh water on his wound, but don't venture to leave him a minute. I am going to take a look around, but will not be gone more than twenty minutes. You understand?"

"I do, sor."

I waited in the doorway until he had vanished, and then crept cautiously forth, moving slowly backward down the short line of negro cabins, until I attained the edge of a small grove. Under this concealment I circled to the right, purposing to advance through the weeds along the east of the grape arbor. I remembered the lay of the land in this direction fairly well, and felt convinced the force of attacking Confederates would be drawn as close in to the house as the shelter would permit. I had no [ 239 ]