“If you move an eyelid you are a dead conscript,” said the foremost of the two rebels at the door, and whom Marcy afterward knew as Captain Fletcher. As he spoke he came into the room and took the revolver from Marcy’s hand.
“Captain, I see the mate to that sticking out of his boot,” said the other soldier; and not until the captain had taken possession of that revolver also did his comrade think it safe to put up his weapon.
At this moment the firing outside ceased as suddenly as it had begun. Captain Fletcher noticed it if Marcy did not, and ordered his man to “go out and take a look and come in and report.” Then Marcy led his mother to the sofa and sat down beside her, while the captain stood in the middle of the room with his revolver in his hand and looked at him.
“You’ve got me easy enough,” said Marcy, trying to put a bold face on the matter. “And now I should like to know what you intend to do with me.”
“My orders are to take you to Williamston,” replied the captain, who seemed to be a good fellow at heart. “I am sorry, but you would have saved yourself and me some trouble if you had gone there the minute you were conscripted.”
“I never knew before that I had been conscripted,” answered Marcy.
“Every man and boy in the Confederacy who is able to do duty must go into the army,” said the captain slowly and impressively. “If he will not go willingly he’ll be forced in.”
“There are so many men and boys in the Confederacy who do not want to go into the service that I should think it would take half your army to hunt them up.”
“It’s a heap of bother,” admitted the captain, “and it takes men we cannot afford to spare from the front just now. Perhaps you had better take a few clothes and a blanket with you; but I shall have to ask your mother to get them, for I want you where I can keep an eye on you. Captain Beardsley says——”
“Go on,” said Marcy, when the captain paused and caught his breath. “You can’t tell me anything about Beardsley that I don’t know already. He and Shelby are at the bottom of this, and I am well aware of it. I don’t see why you don’t hang those men. They have taken the oath of allegiance to the United States Government.”