Who Goes There?

n our way in silent

spital; her evenings, however

Eleventh would come. The troops, as they landed, found roomy locations for their camps, for the rebels were far off at Yorktown, and with only flying

myself? The Doctor would not move his camp until the eve of battle, and he expressed the o

yme that I was willing to serve in the ranks

want you; the troops now here are more than are needed, except for future work. Besides, you might do better. You h

, you mean

es

it practicab

e suggested i

ctor; but you

ink of it

spy, or to act as one for a day even, but I liked the thought of creeping through woods and swamps and learning the positions and movements of the en

ish to begin?" a

e; this idleness is wear

o-morrow," said he; "I must t

ancied that she became more serious instantly. But she said little, and I coul

ent a sober suit of gray clothes, not military clothes, but of a cut that might deceive the eye at a distance, yet w

said the Doctor; "but I think

le, and, purposely, had been soiled somewhat after

d the map I gave

he roads and streams t

ur pocket, so that if you should be searched nothing can be proved. Leave all your money

need a

lines, and then destroy it; I want you to get back again. If you should be captured, a pass would betra

e already explaine

t sit down and eat; you don't kno

bel line, which was believed to rest on James River, near or at Mulberry Island, or Mulberry Point; I would then watc

h by the Young's Mill road. Darkness quickly came, and I was glad of it. The stars gave me enough light. My road was good, level, s

corner. A squad rode by, going toward Hampton, no doubt. I waited until they had passed out of sight, and then rose to continue my tramp, when suddenly, before I had made a step, another horseman rode b

me, I believed, were our patrol, and that I should find no more of our men; so I was now extremely c

vision, but from studying the map before I had set out I had some idea of the general character of the country at my right, as well as a pretty accurate notion of the distance I

nd then stopping to listen. My senses were alert; I thought of nothing but my present purposes

this fence was the junction of the road to Little Bethel, and as I had clearly seen before I started that at this junction there was danger of finding a rebel outpost, or of falling

road toward Young's Mill. The ground here I knew must be visited frequently by the rebels, and my attention became so fixed that I started at the slightest noise. The sand's crunching

el, at my rear and right, the sound of stamping hoofs. I slunk into a fence corner, and lay perfectly still, listening with all my

. The horsemen ha

Perhaps they had ridden down

the hoof-beats of advancing cavalry, and all at once a

wning, a man recalls in an instant all the deeds of his past. This may or may not be true; but

rty advancing on the ro

ow but a fe

y would pass me, or else

and run up the road, the horse

form, outlined against the sky,

ll, they might pass

I expect from

n me? ... Had the rebels, if indeed they were re

d come from the direction of Young's Mill. He

e had seen me, my plan sur

ie still ... if thes

s a friend to the rebels? If he was

ess I preferred being

unknown friend must be a rebel; and if I should decide to let the tr

the fugitive a rebel, still the ques

ly not; there was no reason for a log to be in such a place; there were no tree

mind while the horsemen moved ten paces; and before t

ided to l

to be a friend, my case might be better than before; if he should prove to be an enemy, I must act prudently and

uld have told whether they were from the North or

uniforms, and, indeed, I did not look at them

d on up the road t

t in one thing; he knew of my presence, else he would now rise and go his wa

ncluded that he was fearing m

d not doubt that I was hiding from the s

a fence corner was deliberate, in order to escape the observation of t

bout, that he doesn't do somethi

th fear, he dreads everything. He has not re

with fear that I cannot speak to a man

he, humbly, ri

upright;

aid I; "tell m

o,

what is y

ame N

e you do

o,

hat are you

tin', mahsa; I's

ding from t

ojers,

h side I belonged to. I must end this matter. The night was cool. I had no bla

, a supposition was heterodox; every slave must desire freed

oldiers who rod

nno,

did you hid

o,

did you ru

I dunno w

not relieve the complication. I m

to say rebels, but thought better of it; the word woul

ou gwine to

to speak first; he wa

sk if they were S

who dey i

they thought so attached to them as to be trustworthy. Who could know, after all, that there were no exceptions amongst slaves? My doubts became so keen

Nick, "is you

"yes, I have some

se'f; won't you please

as a little loose tobacco in one of my pock

acoo makes me bleeve yo

wha

man," sa

, "I want to g

gwine up de

ee some peop

that I was wanting to take him int

fear I yet had that he might betr

--I mean I want to look at

t up the road d

they will co

maybe dey will en

come from

ome you ain't

thrust; but I managed to parr

n officers

ern office

ords and pistols," said I;

id Nick, ve

is it,

you ain't no S

s you thin

ud des' say, 'Nick, you dam black rascal, git back to dem breswucks on' to dat pi

s not to be feared. He was willing for me to be

e enough niggers working on the fortifications without you. I'd

you talkin'

obey my order

hatto do

road with m

hat is to say, that he wanted, to make his way to the Union army and to freedom. I felt so sure of this that I should not have been surprised if he had suddenly set out running down t

what you want: you want to go to Fortress Monroe. You shall not go unless you serve me first; if you

to go wid you fer?

o the breastworks; show me how to see

you gwine

is "mahsa." Did he think it out of place, n

I will give you a note to a friend of mine, and the note

rd it of any importance, finally, he said that if I would make it two dollars he would be my man

go with me and be faithful, and I will

d Nick, heartily; "

e first Conf

dem Southe

es

-gwine up de road, or dem dat

in this direction

lf a mile up dis

ou see

true, but dey

keep them fro

es; ef dey see me,

was it since

ndown," s

u leave the

' ni

a whole day and n

said Nick; "caze I dunno w'

ave you co

I reckon. I laid up in de

ave anythi

ain't got noth

we can get anything

e a-gwine to hole out

t. I hope we sh

mon' er summers[1] en' I don't know w'at we's a-gwine to do; I don't. I don't know w'at we'

mewher

bacco; but I expect you to find something to

time; I wanted

o to Young's Mill, or as near it

want to do?

I want to see the breastworks. Fi

l?" asked Nick; "d

wo

on de Worrick road; de yudda one is de

on the Warwick

Nick; "all you got to do i

not show ours

don't want nobody to see me

ast for half a mile, then northwest for a mile

de fust ones; we's done got aroun' 'em; dis is twicet I's done go

it to Young'

s 'bout fo' mi

d long stride, and I had difficulty in keeping him in sight. The night was getting cold, but the walk heated me. Here and there were dense clum

round; just beyond it

ttle, Nick

ed in low tones; we could see a

that road

inting to the left; "hit

s old Youn

ly; I reckon '

the right-

Cheeseman's dey is calvry, on' at ole Young's Mill d

it to Mrs. C

ly; I reckon '

We came to a road running almost west; a

said Nick, "en' dat ro

oes the righ

Mis Cheeseman

s Young's Mi

same road we's on, e

that Nick was telling me the truth, in the main, fo

oung's Mill without

t-line dis sid

ar thi

uta' en' a h

we get to th

to 'em, caze dey's g

ut down in t

os' all de trees ou

o this edge of th

falled timba', but we's

pond first; we shall th

line at You

es

ot roun' de picket-line, en' de trees w'at

e way around the pond, and

his negro could see in the darkness a great deal better than I could; where I should have groped my way, had I been alone, he went boldly enough, putting his foot down flat as t

it by the side of the road for a while, to see if any soldiers should pass. We sat in the bushes; soon Nick was on his back, asleep,

a leisurely trot, and passed on, his sabre rattling by his side. When the sound of the horse'

tter now, Nick

n dem pickets a

ave we go

t we's mos' up on dem pi

e are

k; ef we gits up to de place

ylight, so that I can see the

you gwin

eir line as near as I can

to be a-layin' out in de woods widout no fiah

any place where we could get an hou

to say; fo' God it was; ef dat'

left. We passed through woods, th

d I; "it won't do to

id Nick; "all done runned

nd a general air of des

after him. There was a little loose hay in the loft; we speedily stretched ourselves. I made