University of Virginia Library

7. CHAPTER VII.

King Henry IV.

At two o'clock on the morning of May 5th, 1864,
Philip Sterling relieved John Briggs on guard. The
morning was clear and still, the Bay was fast asleep,
the stars were in an ecstasy, the enchanted trees seemed
to fear that a stir would insult the night and prevent
the day from coming.

“It 's beautiful, Phil, beautiful, beautif — beaut” —
and John Briggs was asleep. He had accomplished it
in one time and three motions, as the tactics say. He
had spread out a blanket, fallen down on it, and slept.
His comrades were sleeping soundly in all wonderful
attitudes, as they lay under a magnificent oak close to
the edge of the bluff.

The spot was a few yards from the niche which has
been described. The scouts had chosen it as a night-post,
since it offered a fair view of the Bay, and presented
a sward clear of undergrowth, along which the
sentinel could pace and relieve the tedious vigil of the
night. As Philip Sterling walked back and forth, a

large and luminous star appeared rising over the low
point at Newport News. He glanced at it and sighed,
and fell to dreaming of another star that had risen upon
him when Ottilie came wounded to Thalberg.

Half an hour later, his attention was suddenly attracted
to this star, he knew not why. He watched it
closely. It had not ascended, but was now shining
between him and the dim line of trees at Newport News.
It had become triple; three stars shone like illuminated
globes in front of a pawnbroker's shop.

Behind these his eye caught another golden light,
then a red one, then golden and red ones, close together
as dots on a page, stretching in a long curve
around Newport News and appearing on the other side
of it, until the land rising inland hid them from sight.
It was as if a glittering crown of stars had fallen down
out of the generous heavens and encircled the dark
land. It was as if an interminable serpent, with golden
and red scales, lay in an infinite coil upon the top of
the sea, and was slowly unwinding his folds and stealthily
ringing himself about the earth.

The fascination of these silent lights which moved so
rapidly yet so insensibly, which shone so serenely in
the tranquil water, which had sprung up so magically
out of the darkness, kept Philip Sterling for some moments
in a dream. Rather by some instinct of a scout,
than with any definite idea, he stooped down over Flemington
and shook him.

“Get up, Flem,” said he. “Queen Mab 's coming
up the river!”

“Ah — ah — ugh — umph!” observed Flemington,
yawning fearfully. “Phil,” he continued, without opening

his eyes, “present my complim — that is, if the
enemy 's not within a few inches give him the bayo —
I mean, wait till you can see the white of his — Yes,
Phil, wait till then — I 'm a little sleepy — umph” —
and he fell back and snored.

Philip shook more vigorously.

“Get up, Flem. No fun, boy. The Bay 's full of
gunboats!”

Flemington caught the last word and sprang to his
feet. He glanced down the Bay.

“Butler, Phil, by the Rood! Butler at last!” Flemington
could scarcely restrain a shout. Down in the
river, there, silently approached the danger which he
and his men had been sent here to announce.

Cain Smallin's long legs lay extended promiscuously
along the sward. Flemington placed himself between
them, as between the shafts of a wheelbarrow, and, seizing
hold of the feet for knobs, dragged the living machine
furiously round amongst the sleepers, and ran over
and crushed four dainty, childlike dreams. The wheelbarrow
creaked.

“Thunder and lightnin and — hello!” growled the
mountaineer, sitting upon the sward, breathless, and
gazing with wide eyes at the thousand lights in the
water below. “I thought, Bi 'gemini, a b'ar had me
an' was a-rollin' me down old Smoky Mount'in for pastime!”

“Whillikens!” groaned Aubrey, in a voice that came
as if from afar, he writhing under Rübetsahl and John
Briggs piled across him in a miscellaneous mass of humanity.
“Briggs, which of these numerous legs —
which I don't see, but am conscious of — is mine?

Wish you 'd just feel along, old fellow, and find out
which is my leg; one will do — I merely want to use
it to get up with!”

“Phil,” said Flemington, who had been scanning the
line with his glass, and counting the lights, “mount, and
ride to Petersburg in a hurry. I see the signal-men
up the river yonder are sending up the news, but a fog
might stop 'em, or something. It 'll be better to go
yourself. Briggs, ride with him; it 'll be lonesome.
Saddle up, boys; and don't mind about killing your
horses; ride 'em till they drop and then `press' some
more. Tell the general that forty vessels were in sight
when you left, and that I 'll send another courier with
details in the morning, soon as I can see by daylight a
little. The signal-line will be broken up of course, but
I 'll keep him posted with couriers. Wait a minute till
I make another count.” He swept down the line of
lights with his glass. “Forty-five of 'em, now; can't
swear to it, it 's so dark, but one or two monitors, I
think, in front. Off, boys! Good-by, and come back
as quick as you can. We 'll have some lively times
down here!”

In ten minutes Philip Sterling and John Briggs were
spurring lustily towards Petersburg.

The foremost lights had now passed the spot where
Flemington and his comrades lay, and were far on their
way towards a bold bend in the river, fifteen miles
above, which sweeps around the long projection of Hog
Island, and incloses the water-view. Fifteen miles
above and fifteen miles below — there were thirty
miles of lights, and still new ones kept rapidly gliding

into view from behind the dim shore-line far down the
river.

“Paul, it looks as if somebody had roused all the Ignes
Fatui in the world, and they were all going on a
pilgrimage to some vast marsh in the west,” said Flemington,
meditatively gazing on the slow-passing lights.

“Or like a stately Polonaise, with flames for the
dancers of it,” added Rübetsahl.

“I was just imagining,” said Aubrey, “a hundred
angels, each with his star on forehead, floating in a
wavy file behind General Michael yonder, in front,
triple-starred; executing, perhaps, a brilliant flank
movement on old Lucifer and his army in the black
bend up there!”

“Waal, now,” interposed the sturdy mountaineer,
“I cain't find it in my heart to look on them bloody
Yankee gunboats, an' call 'em angels 'ith stars upon
ther heads. To me, now, hit 'pears more like they was
a hundred devils, an' every man of 'em was totin' a
piece o' brimstone in his hand, ready sot a-fire, for to
blow up Richmond and Petersburg with!”

“You see, Cain,” said Flemington, “if the Yankees,
even in the act of attacking us, show us a pretty sight,
why, in Heaven's name, let 's take it! — even if we don't
say thank 'ee, gentlemen; nor fight any the less for this
unintentional beneficence! Indeed, I don't like the
gift any more than you: `timeo Danaos' — if you 'll
excuse me, but it 's too pat! I fear Beauregard has n't
reached Petersburg yet; likely as not Butler will gobble
it up before he can reach there!”

“Nary time, gobble it up!” sturdily rejoined the

mountaineer. “Ef Beauregard don't git thar in time,
God A'mighty will! He 'll hold 'em in check untwell
Beauregard does come up; an 'ith them two together,
hit 'pears to me likely 'at we kin about tan out anything
the Yanks kin bring up Jeems's River!”