“But I’ve got a right to, to save the town. He’ll lay it in ashes. I wouldn’t like to tell yo, all the way they’re talking, and making big threats, and abusing us to everything yo’ can think.”
“To my knowance they’re mighty bad; and I’m mighty glad Mann Harris sent his wife off.”
“Well, Debby, yo’ go and get the baby, and take good care of her. I reckon you’d best tote her ovah to your mother’s ’cross the river. Some on ’em might hurt her if they knowed she was mine.”
They left the house together, and Doc locked the door, and put the key in his pocket.
“Oh, my lawses!” exclaimed Mrs. Doc. “Don’t yo’ go up thar, Doc! Jes see such heaps o’ men! Jes lots and piles of ’em! Now yo’ sha’n’t go!”
“No mo’ I won’t! They picks out all the hardest places for a man to go to; but his soldiers ’d follow the General anywhere. There he is now. He ain’t gwoine to meet me. See! He knows I’m here well enough, but he won’t look at me. Ah! He’s gwoine over to the city. P’raps he’ll just clar out, now he’s got the rest agoing. There’s Kanrasp, and Rives too.”
General Rives and his two neighbors met General Baker at the next corner. The latter was on horseback and rode up to General Rives and demanded the name of the Colonel of the Eighteenth Regiment.
“Colonel Williams,” was the reply.
“Where is he?”
“At his house, I reckon.”