Raiding with Morgan Part 23

"Will your horse carry double?" asked Calhoun.

"No, he is a poor swimmer, he would drown us both."

"Latham, I am afraid I shall have to shoot you. I don't see any other way to get rid of you."

Latham thought a moment, and said: "Let me ride the horse across and you swim."

"A brilliant idea, declined with thanks."

Latham scratched his head as if for an idea. "Perhaps I can hang on by the horse's tail," he remarked, hesitatingly.

"That's better. It's either a parole, the tail, or death. Which shall it be?"

"I will take the tail."

"All right; but you must give me your word of honor that you will hang on."

"Like grim death," answered Latham.

"Come, then, I have fooled away too much time already."

Marching his prisoner up to where his horse was tethered, Calhoun took Latham's sword and carbine which hung to the saddle and pitched them into the river after the revolver.

Mounting the horse, Calhoun said, "Now, no fooling. The slightest attempt on your part to escape, and I shall shoot you without compunction of conscience."

"I am not fool enough to run when there is a revolver at my head," growled Latham.

"Nevertheless you will bear watching. I am of the opinion you are a slippery customer. You just walk by my side here until we reach deep water."

They entered the river. Latham wading quietly by the side of the horse, until the water became so deep the horse began to plunge.

"Now, grab his tail," commanded Calhoun, and he watched Latham until he had taken a firm hold of the horse's tail and was in water beyond his depth.

"For the Lord's sake, keep his head above water," shouted Latham from behind, as the horse made a fearful plunge.

For the next few minutes Calhoun had enough to do without looking to see what had become of Latham. The horse, as the Sergeant had said, proved a poor swimmer. Twice he came near drowning; but at last managed to struggle through. When he got to where the water was shallow enough for the horse to wade, Calhoun looked around to see how Latham had fared.

To his surprise he saw that worthy leaning against a tree on the bank from which they had started, and apparently he had been watching the struggles of the horse in the water with a great deal of satisfaction.

Calhoun hardly knew whether to laugh or get angry. Riding to the edge of the water, he turned his horse around, and yelled over, "You are a pretty fellow, you are! Like most Yankees, your word of honor is worthless."

"Did just what I said I would!" yelled back Latham.

"You did not. You told me you would hold on that horse's tail like grim death."

"And so I did. I am holding on to it yet," and to Calhoun's surprise Latham shook a large piece of the horse's tail at him. He had neatly severed it.

Calhoun shook with suppressed laughter, but a.s.suming a severe tone, he said: "You lied to me like a Turk, anyway, you miserable Yankee; you told me you could not swim."

"I told you no such thing, you skulking Rebel," yelled back Latham, wrathfully. "Come back here and fight me like a man, and I will wallop you until you can't stand, for calling me a liar. I would have you know I am a member of the church in good standing."

"Didn't you tell me you couldn't swim?"

"No; I told you I had never learned to swim when a boy."

"When did you learn to swim?"

"After I became a man."

Calhoun exploded. "Say, Latham," he cried, "I forgive you. You are the slickest Yankee I ever met. I must be going, for I see your men are coming. Ta! ta!"

Calhoun turned and urged his horse up the bank, but not in time to escape having two b.a.l.l.s sing uncomfortably close to his head.

Sergeant Latham had little trouble in recovering his arms from the river, as the water was not deep where Calhoun had thrown them.

The Sergeant made the following report of the affair to his superior officer:

Sir: I have the honor to report that a Rebel scout crossed the c.u.mberland to-day near the post where I was stationed. I followed him into the river, but my horse being a poor swimmer, I was forced to abandon him in mid-stream to save myself.

SILAS LATHAM, Sergeant.

The capture of Latham's horse and the ludicrous affair with him put Calhoun in the best of humor. He reached the house of Mr. Edmunds without further adventure, and met with a hearty welcome from that gentleman, who informed him that his men had lingered a day longer than he had ordered, in the hope that he would return.

After satisfying his hunger, Calhoun bade his kind host good-bye, and without trouble reached Morgan's camp that night. Here he was received as one s.n.a.t.c.hed from the jaws of death, for they had given him up as lost.

The valuable information which he had collected was forwarded to General Bragg, and in due time an acknowledgment was received from that general, warmly congratulating him, and saying he had recommended him for a captaincy.

It was but a few days after his return that Calhoun was with a regiment reconnoitring near Braddyville, when they were suddenly attacked by a whole brigade of Federal cavalry. The engagement was a spirited one, but owing to the superior numbers of the Federals, the Confederates were forced to fall back. During the retreat Calhoun with his scouts was holding back the advance of the enemy. They were furiously charged by two companies of the Federals, and a hand-to-hand conflict took place. During this combat Calhoun became engaged with a Federal captain, and to his surprise he saw that his antagonist was Captain Haines. The recognition was mutual, and it must have unnerved the hand of the Captain, for although but a few feet from Calhoun, he fired and missed him. Before he could fire again, Calhoun dashed his empty revolver into his face. The force of the blow caused him to reel in his saddle, and before he could recover, Calhoun had cut him down.

The b.l.o.o.d.y repulse of these two companies cooled the ardor of the Federals, and the Confederates withdrew without further molestation.

Major Conway noted Calhoun's growing popularity with the command, and his hatred, if possible, grew more bitter. The sting of the blow he had received still rankled in his heart, and he swore sooner or later to have his revenge. His attempts to a.s.sa.s.sinate Calhoun in time of battle, so far had failed, and Calhoun's extreme wariness now usually kept them apart during an engagement. The crafty Major was busily thinking of some other scheme by which he could kill Calhoun without bringing suspicion on himself, when an incident happened which he thought would not only cause Calhoun to die a most disgraceful death, but redound greatly to his own credit.

Calhoun was out with his scouts when he fell in with a small party of the enemy. As he outnumbered them, he thought their capture was easy. But he was met with such a rapid and accurate fire that his men were forced to fall back.

"Them Yankees have repeating rifles," growled one of his men, "and they know how to shoot."

This was true, and Calhoun was thinking of withdrawing from the fight entirely, when he caught sight of the leader of the Federals. The horse which he rode he would know among ten thousand. It was Prince, the famous horse of his cousin, and the rider must be Fred. Ordering his men to cease firing, Calhoun tied a white handkerchief to the point of his sword, and rode forward.