Drummer Boy at Bull Run (18 page)

She said, “He was better than when we first saw him, Jeff. But they’re going to transfer him to the old Capitol Prison.”

Jeff caught something in her voice, glanced over at Tom, and then back at Leah. “What’s the old Capitol Prison?”

“It’s an old building that they’re using for a penitentiary now. We heard they’re going to put the Confederate officers in part of it,” Mr. Carter said.

“What’s it like?” Tom demanded.

Dan described the poor conditions, and finally Leah said, “But we’ll be going back, and we’ll be able to visit him regularly. We’ll see that he gets good food and blankets and things like that.”

Tom shook his head, and Jeff knew his brother’s dissatisfaction was mirrored on his own face. “I wish we could go be with him.”

“You wouldn’t last long in that place,” Dan Carter said sharply. “They’ve got secret agents out looking for Confederate spies. You’d get picked up in two days.”

Jeff said, “They wouldn’t be looking for a boy. I don’t see why I couldn’t go.”

“You’re in the army, Jeff,” Tom reminded him. “We’ve both got to be going as soon as we get the horses together.”

Little more was said, but all that day Jeff was very quiet.

Leah noticed that he was not cheerful, and late that afternoon she said, “Jeff, let’s go down and try to catch old Napoleon.” She had changed the fancy dress for a simple blue one.

Jeff did not feel like fishing, but at her urging they dug some worms, grabbed the poles, and made their way down to the river. It was growing late when they got there. The sun was red in the sky and cast red reflections on the water.

“Too hot to fish much,” Jeff said idly, “but I guess we might as well try.” They baited their hooks and found a deep pool where they had seen old Napoleon many times.

As they fished, Leah tried to be cheerful, but she could tell that Jeff was depressed. She said, “It’s been hard on you and Tom, hasn’t it?”

Jeff nodded. He looked miserable, and his face was drawn. “I worry about Pa,” he said quietly. “If there was only something I could do for him!”

Leah put her hand on his forearm. “We’ll do all we can, Jeff.”

He managed to smile. “I know you will, Leah. You’ve been swell. You’ve been great to take care of Pa the way you have. I just don’t know how to thank you—”

Suddenly Jeff’s cork disappeared with a loud
plop!
He let out a yell. “It’s a big ’un!” He heaved back on the pole and set the hook, but the line zigzagged frantically across the water. He held on.

Leah knew that if he gave any slack, he would lose the fish. “I wish we had a net!” he shouted. “I don’t think we can land one this big! He’ll flop off.”

“You can do it, Jeff!” Leah threw down her pole and watched with excitement.

Jeff fought, but the fish pulled so hard that she was afraid the pole or the line would break. Finally, however, he brought the fish to the surface and as soon as he did he yelled, “It’s him! It’s old Napoleon!”

“I’ll get him, Jeff. Pull him in! Pull him in!” Leah screamed. She waded out into the water, and when Jeff worked the fish ashore she put her thumb inside the huge fish’s mouth and clamped down on it.

“I’ve got him!” She squealed and turned to move to shore. But then she stepped in a hole and fell splashing into the water.

“Don’t let him go!” Jeff cried. He sloshed over, put one arm around her, and pulled her to her feet, still holding the fish. He picked her up and carried her ashore saying, “You hold on to the fish, and I’ll hold on to you.”

“All right,” Leah said, “but hurry up! He’s so heavy!”

Jeff carried her ten feet away from the bank, put her down, then reached out carefully and took the fish. The huge bass flopped frantically as he removed the hook, then seemed to give up.

Jeff stood watching as the red beams of the sun played over the beautiful scales of the fish. Then he gave Leah an odd look. Without a word he turned and walked back to the river. Leaning over, he slowly put the fish into the water and released him.

There was a powerful splash and the silver glint of scales as Napoleon disappeared into the reeds that lined the bank.

Leah walked up and stood beside him. “You let him go, Jeff?” Her voice was a whisper, and when he didn’t answer she pulled on his arm until he turned around. “Why did you do that?”

“I don’t know. He put up such a good fight. And somehow I want to think about Napoleon being in this river. Maybe when the war is over I’ll come back and have another chance at him. I’ve thought about him so often. I just want him to be here.” Then he said suddenly, “I’m going to see my father, Leah.”

She gasped. “But, Jeff—you can’t!”

“I’m going to see him,” he said stubbornly, “and that’s all there is to it.”

“But if you get caught they might hang you for a spy!”

“They can’t hang me but once, can they?” He found a smile. “I don’t know if I’m an actor or not—but I’m sure going to act like a good Yankee just come to visit the soldiers in prison.”

Leah looked up at him. My, he did seem taller. She looked down at her dress, which was soaked and clung to her. Then she looked up again. Her lips were soft, and her eyes were filled with a strange affection. She said, “Well, if you go, I’m going with you. They’d spot a Rebel like you a mile off!”

“Why—you can’t do that!” Jeff argued. “You stay away from me. If I get caught I don’t want you caught too.”

Leah’s eyes flashed. “I can be just as stubborn as you can be, Jeff Majors, and we’re going to do this thing together.” She thought a moment. “Maybe we
can pretend to be brother and sister—that’d be a good thing, wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Jeff said, wonder coming into his voice. “That would help, wouldn’t it?” He grinned at her and said, “I’ve never had a sister like you. Just a baby one, like Esther.” Suddenly he put his arm around her and said, “All right, Sis, we’ll do it!”

Leah liked the pressure of his arm around her. She liked the way his teeth flashed white against his tan skin. But she said sharply, “I’m not really your sister, Jeff—we’re just pretending!” Somehow the thought of their being just brother and sister disturbed her.

He looked at her, puzzled, and said, “Sure, that’s right.” Then he said, “Come on, I’ve got to go tell Tom.”

When Tom left the next morning after arguing half the night against the scheme, he had finally given in. “All right, I’ll get you some extended leave, even if I have to go to General Jackson. But you watch yourself, you hear me?” Looking over at Leah, he said, “You mind what she tells you. That girl’s not only good-looking—she’s got a head full of sense.”

Tom kissed Leah, shook hands with his brother, and then gave Jeff a hug. “Write as soon as you find out something about Pa.”

When Tom had left, Jeff felt a little lonesome and a bit frightened.

They had told her parents and Sarah what they intended to do.

Mr. Carter said, “I guess I’ll have to be a part of it. Maybe I can pretend to be an old uncle or something like that. Anyway we’re going to get Jeff in to see his daddy—that’s the important thing.”

“Thank you, Mr. Carter,” Jeff said. He looked around and said, simply, “I thank all of you. I don’t understand this war—people like us, closer than anybody, yet on different sides.”

Mrs. Carter put her arms around him. “It’ll be over soon—someday—and then we’ll start living again.”

Later, Jeff and Leah walked along the road watching the stars, which looked like flickering candles high overhead. They were silent most of the time and then began to talk of how they might get in to see Jeff’s father.

Finally, Jeff turned to her and said, “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Leah. You’re like old Napoleon.”

“You mean I’m like a fish?” Leah exclaimed indignantly.

“Oh, shoot, no! I didn’t mean that!” Jeff stammered. “I mean like I wanted Napoleon always to be there. Well, when I think about this place—” he hesitated and his voice dropped to a whisper “—I always think about you being here.”

Without warning, Leah reached up, pulled his head down, and kissed him.

Jeff blinked. “Best friends, aren’t we, Leah?”

Leah looked up at him, took his hand, and led him along the road. “Yes, best friends always, Jeff.”

They glanced up as an owl passed over their heads, making a mournful sound. Somehow the cry of the night bird filled Leah with a sense of some sadness that lay ahead.

But she said, “We
are
best friends, Jeff. And whatever is ahead, our best-of-all friend Jesus will make everything right.”

Then Leah laughed and pulled at his sleeve. “Come on, let’s go home, and I’ll make you an apple pie!”

The Bonnets and Bugles Series includes:

• 978-0-8024-0911-9 Drummer Boy at Bull Run—#1
  

• 978-0-8024-0912-6 Yankee Belles in Dixie—#2
  

• 978-0-8024-0913-3 The Secret of Richmond Manor—#3
  

• 978-0-8024-0914-0 The Soldier Boy’s Discovery—#4
  

• 978-0-8024-0915-7 Blockade Runner—#5
  

• 978-0-8024-0916-4 The Gallant Boys of Gettysburg—#6
  

• 978-0-8024-0917-1 The Battle of Lookout Mountain—#7
  

• 978-0-8024-0918-8 Encounter at Cold Harbor—#8
  

• 978-0-8024-0919-5 Fire over Atlanta—#9
  

• 978-0-8024-0920-1 Bring the Boys Home—#10