“He came in, bowed with old hat in his hand, and turned to the cook with the request, ‘You please ’scuse yo-se’f fum de room whiles I conflab wid de missus?’
“Cook tossed her head and went out, followed by everyone except Mr. and Mrs. Crudup.
“Tim turned his hat about in his hands for a time and then looked up smilingly and said: ‘I done squared myself wid you all fer makin’ dat blunner ’bout the Yank. I done gone and dug a tunnel fru fum de coal cellah to the fust storehouse on de fiel’. I fixed a doh to the cellar an’ heah’s de key to de padlock.’
“‘You what!’ exclaimed Mr. Crudup, in amazement.
“‘Yas’m, das whad I did!’ said Tim.
“Mr. Crudup threw back his head and laughed while he slapped Tim on the back and said, ‘Tim, it will take more than a company of Yankees to starve us out while you are about!’
“But Mrs. Crudup took Tim’s hand and thanked him with tears in her eyes.
“The supply question was easily solved after that. No one but Tim knew where the tunnel was, for Mr. Crudup never allowed anyone to be about when the old servant started his daily trip to the underground store-rooms. Oftentimes, the officers expressed their wonder as to how Southern cooks could manage the way they did, with so little on hand to cook with. If they suspected the truth they never hinted at it.
“The secret of Vernon’s prison had been kept, and several weeks after the fight that disabled him, his company was ordered to join the main army. The moment the place was entirely freed from the Yankees, Mr. Crudup ordered one of the guest-rooms prepared, and, to the surprise of Mrs. Crudup, told her he had a prisoner to bring in. That night Vernon was blindfolded, placed upon a stretcher, and taken to the house.
“As soon as he could sit up and come down upon the veranda, we wondered what to do with him. He was our prisoner but we had no use for him. Everyone liked him and disliked sending him to the dirty barrack-jail in Nashville.