He avoided the camps as much as he could.He could see the smoke rising in front of him, and the roar of guns was now close at hand.He saw on his right an elevated piece of ground, from which a good view could be obtained of the fortifications upon which the Federals were working.A camp had been pitched there, and a large tent near the summit showed that some officer of superior rank had his quarters there.He made a detour so as to come up at the back of the hill and when he reached the top he stood looking down upon the line of works.
They were nearly half a mile distant.The intervening ground had already been stripped of its hedges, and the trees cut down to form gabions, fascines, and platforms for the cannon.Thousands of men were at work; but in some parts they were clustered much more thickly than in others, and Vincent had no difficulty in determining where the principal batteries were in course of construction along this portion of the position.He was still gazing intently when two horsemen rode up from behind.
"Hallo you, sir! What are you looking at?" one of them asked sharply."What are you spying about here?"Vincent turned slowly round with a silly smile on his lips.
"I am spying all them chaps at work," he said."It reminds me for all the world of an ant-hill.Never did see so many chaps before.
What be they a-doing? Digging a big drain or making a roadway, Iguess.""Who are you, sir?" the officer asked angrily.
"Seth Jones I be, and mother's sent me to sell some fowls and eggs.
Do you want to buy any? Fine birds they be.""Why, Sheridan," laughed the other officer, "this is a feather out of your cap.I thought your fellows had cleared out every hen-roost within twenty miles of Petersburg already.""I fancy they have emptied most of them," the general said grimly.
"Where do you come from, lad?"
"I comes from over there," Vincent said, jerking his thumb back.
"I lives there with mother.Father and the other boys they have gone fighting Yanks; but they wouldn't take me with them 'cause Iain't sharp in my wits, though I tells them I could shoot a Yank as well as they could if they showed me.""And who do you suppose all those men are?" General Sheridan asked, pointing toward the trenches.
"I dunno," Vincent replied."I guess they be niggers.There be too many of them for whites; besides whites ain't such fools to work like that.Doesn't ye want any fowl?" and he drew back the cloth and showed the contents of the basket.
"Take them as a matter of curiosity, general," the other officer laughed."It will be downright novelty to you to buy chickens.""What do you want for them, boy?""Mother said as I wasn't to take less nor a dollar apiece.""Greenbacks, I suppose?" the officer asked.
"I suppose so.She didn't say nothing about it; but I has not seen aught but greenbacks for a long time since.""Come along, then," the officer said; "we will take them."They rode up to the large tent, and the officers alighted, and gave their horses to two of the soldiers.
"Give your basket to this soldier."
"I want the basket back again.Mother would whop me if I came back without the basket again.""All right," the officer said; "you shall have it back in a minute."Vincent stood looking anxiously after the orderly.
"Do you think that boy is as foolish as he seems?" General Sheridan asked his companion."He admits that he.comes of a rebel family.""I don't think he would have admitted that if he hadn't been a fool.
I fancy he is a half-witted chap.They never would have left a fellow of his age behind.""No, I think it's safe," Sheridan said; "but one can't be too particular just at present.See, the trees in front hide our work altogether from the rebels, and it would be a serious thing if they were to find out what we are doing.""That boy could not tell them much even if he got there," the other said; "and from this distance it would need a sharp eye and some military knowledge to make out anything of what is going on.
Where does your mother live, boy?"
"I ain't going to tell you," Vincent said doggedly "Mother said Iwasn't to tell no one where I lived, else the Yankee thieves would be a-coming down and stealing the rest of our chickens."The officers laughed.
"Well, go along, boy; and I should advise you not to say anything about Yankee thieves another time, for likely enough you will get a broken head for your pains."Vincent went off grumbling, and with a slow and stumbling step made his way over the brow of the hill and down through the camps behind.Here he sold his last two fowls and his eggs, and then walked briskly on until he reached the cottage from which he had started.
"I am glad to see you back," the woman said as he entered."How have you got on?""Capitally," he said."I pretended to be half an idiot, and so got safely out, though I fell into Sheridan's hands.He suspected me at first, but at last he thought I was what I looked-a fool.He wanted to know where you lived, but I wouldn't tell him.I told him you told me not to tell any one, 'cause if I did the Yankee thieves would be clearing out the rest of the chickens.""Did you tell him that, now?" the woman said in delight; "he must have thought you was a fool.Well, it's a good thing the Yanks should hear the truth sometimes.Well, have you done now?""No, I have only seen one side of their works yet; I must try round the other flank to-morrow.I wish I could get something to sell that wouldn't get bought up by the first people I came to, something Icould peddle among the soldiers.""What sort of thing?"
