Within The Enemys Lines | Page 5

the localities.
As he passed the boat-house, he noticed that the Florence, which was Christy's favorite sailing craft, was not at her moorings, and he concluded that his cousin was away in her on some excursion. When he reached the boundary line of the estate, he discovered the sailboat with her bow on the beach, though her mainsail was still set. A gentle breeze was blowing, with which the Florence could make good headway; but there seemed to be no one on board of her. Corny watched her for some time, waiting for the appearance of Christy. It was not an easy matter to climb the high fence which bounded the estate, and the planter's son could hail the boat, and be taken on board of her as soon as she got under way again.
But Christy did not appear, and it was getting darker and darker every minute. Something must have attracted the attention of the skipper on shore, and he had doubtless landed. But while Corny was waiting for his cousin, he saw two men making their way through the grove on the other side of the fence towards the river. One of them he recognized, and gave a peculiar whistle, which drew the two men in the direction from which it came.
"Is that you, major?" asked Corny, in a low tone.
"Hush! You are a simpleton, Corny!" exclaimed one of the men, as he came up to the palisades of the fence. "Didn't I tell you not to call me by name?"
"I didn't call you by name," replied Corny, smartly.
"You called me major, and that is about the same thing," added the speaker on the other side of the fence.
"The woods are full of majors now, both in the North and the South, and no one knows you especially by that name. But I will remember in future, Mr. Mulgate," replied Corny.
"That sounds better, Neal. If we lose the game it will be by your blundering," continued the major, or Mulgate, as he preferred to be called on the present occasion.
"I suppose you have no talent for blundering, Mulgate; and that is the reason why you happen to be here at the present moment," retorted Corny, not at all pleased with the speech of the other.
"None of your impudence, Neal!" said Mulgate, sharply.
"If you lose the game, you say that it will be by my blundering, Mulgate," continued Corny. "That makes it seem as though I was to bear the responsibility of a failure; and I don't like the looks of things. If I am to be responsible for a failure, I ought to have something to say about the manner of conducting the enterprise."
"Shut up, Neal! We have no time to talk nonsense of that sort. I am to conduct the enterprise, and you are to obey my orders. That is the whole of it," replied Mulgate, impatient at the position taken by the young man. "You are still under my command, and you will obey me or take the consequences. Now to business: what have you learned?"
"Nothing at all," answered Corny, rather sullenly.
"What have you been about? Haven't you discovered anything?"
"Nothing at all; I have but just arrived here. I took supper with my uncle, and told him the fish story you invented for me."
"Did he believe it?"
"I don't know whether he did or not; but he and the rest of the family treated me very handsomely, which made me feel meaner than a dead catfish."
"Never mind your feelings; you are here to assist in a great enterprise, and you are expected to do your duty to your country without regard to your own notions. Report what you have done."
"I haven't done anything but introduce myself into the house, and explain how I happen to be here," replied Corny, as he proceeded to give the details of his meeting with his uncle.
"Is Miss Florry at home?" asked Mulgate, in a more gentle tone, as though he had a deeper interest in the direction he had indicated.
"She is at home, and was at the supper table with us."
"How does she seem to be?" asked the stranger.
"First rate; she is as jolly as though no one ever heard of such a thing as war," replied Corny, with enthusiasm.
"Did she say anything about her stay at Glenfield?" inquired Mulgate, whose interest seemed to mount to the pitch of anxiety.
"Not a word; she did not even hint at Glenfield, or anything connected with it," answered Corny; and, after the sharp tones of the other, he seemed to take pleasure in thorning him with negative answers.
"Did she say anything about me?"
"Not a word."
"Didn't she mention my name?"
"She did not."
"Didn't she ask about my health, or want to know where I was?"
"Florry did not allude to you in any manner. If she wanted to