"Unless they've been caught and sent back," added Sutherland.
Childs then inquired rather anxiously who Davis and Tige were. We told him who they were, where we had known them, and described them particularly. Davis had been steward at the hospital near Danville, and Tige had been a nurse. Childs then recanted his secession doctrines, and confessed he was a Union man, and had harbored Davis and Tige for three or four days. He also explained in full the reasons for his conduct toward us in pretending to be a Rebel.
It seems the Confederate commander in that district—General Echols, I think it was—had adopted a plan of ascertaining who were aiding Federal prisoners in their efforts to escape. He had dressed small squads of his men in tattered Federal uniforms, armed them with weapons concealed about their persons, and had sent them over the country to such persons as were suspected of Unionism; to whom they would apply for food and other assistance in making their way to the Union lines. These squads were called "bogus Yankees" by the Union people, who learned to keep continually on the guard against falling victims to their deceptive practices. Many true Union citizens of the South were made prisoners by the "bogus Yankees," taken from their homes, and imprisoned at Richmond, Atlanta, and other points, for many months.
Childs thought we were "bogus," and was glad enough to help us when he found the contrary was true. Paxton had not yet learned of the "bogus Yankees," and Childs had only been put on his guard a day or two before by hearing of the arrest and carrying off in irons of one of his Union friends, who had the misfortune to fall into the hands of the impostors. Childs said he would take it upon himself to go and see his friend Paxton, and warn him of the danger of playing into false hands. Robert Childs, in treating us as he had, only thought he was evading arrest and a hopeless imprisonment. He first assured himself of our genuineness; then, knowing our actual need of assistance, he did not withhold it. It was purely accidental—perhaps Providential—that our real character became known to Childs. The allusion to Davis and Tige was the merest accident in the world, but proved sufficiently powerful to dispel the mystery we had been unable to solve.
The day, March 7th, was drawing to its close. It was time for us to resume our secret march. Before we set out Childs went to his house and brought us enough provisions for one meal, which was all that we required, as he then gave us particular directions as to how we should find the house of David Hepler, another good Union man, only eight miles away. We then parted with Childs, who had so recently proved our friend, in a better mood than we had anticipated an hour before. We were sorry we could remain no longer with him after he had found us also true, and of the number in whom he could confide.
CHAPTER VI.
"HAD NO HORNS LATELY"—WE REACH HEPLER'S—HE IS ON HIS GUARD—WE KNOW HOW TO TAKE HIM—SUPPER AND LODGING—ADIEU TO HEPLER—WE GO TO LEWIS'S HOUSE—LEWIS NOT AT HOME—TROUBLE AT LEWIS'S HOUSE—ITS OCCUPANTS PROPOSE MAKING US PRISONERS—WE PROPOSE DIFFERENTLY—NEITHER PARTY ACTS—ONE-SIDED MISUNDERSTANDING—AN UNDERSTANDING NOT ATTAINABLE—WE RETURN TO HEPLER—HE DREADS TO SEE US—HE IS SOON ALL RIGHT AGAIN—HE ASCERTAINS LEWIS'S FATE—IS UNABLE TO SECURE US A GUIDE—WE ARE PRONOUNCED "SPURIOUS"—FINAL ADIEU TO HEPLER—WE RETURN TO LEWIS'S HOUSE—GET PROVISION THERE AND SOMETHING MORE—FURTHER TRAVELS—OUR MATCHES LOST—WE REACH GREENBRIER RIVER—COME UNEXPECTEDLY TO TWO WOMEN—THEY SEND US TO MRS. MANN'S—WE BEST OURSELVES—VOLUNTEER GUIDE.
It was near sunset when we separated from Childs. Just before dark we felt uncertain as to whether we had not got off the route to Hepler's. As there was a house a short distance to our left, we concluded to inquire the way, as we preferred risking a little to getting bewildered in the darkness. We found one young woman and two older ones at the house. On seeing us they seemed badly scared, and were about to forsake their dwelling as we entered it, leaving us in full possession. After some entreaty on our part, the young woman came in cautiously and deferentially, and was followed by the older ones. Our inquiries were principally addressed to the young woman, the older ones standing near gazing in mute astonishment. In the course of the talk we had occasion to acknowledge that we were Yankees, when one of the old women blurted out, "I'd say! I thought they had horns."
"We do have, sometimes," said Wood, "but not lately."