"Here are eight or ten pounds of pork," she said, "and some corn-cakes.If you are hiding away you will want something, and Ireckon anyhow you won't be able to make your way to our people for a bit.Now, if you are ready I will start with you.""You will start with us!" Vincent repeated in surprise.
"Certainly I will start with you," the woman said."How do you think you would be able to find your way a dark night like this?
No, sir; I will put you on your way till morning.But, in the first place, which line do you mean to take?""I do not think there is much chance of getting back the way we came," Vincent said."By morning Sheridan's cavalry will have got a description of me, and they will be scouring the whole country.
The only chance will be to go north and cross the river somewhere near Norfolk.""I think, sat, you better go on wid your horse at once.No use wait for me.I come along on foot, find my own way.""No, Tony, I shall certainly not do that.We will either get off or be taken together.Well, I think the best plan will be to go straight down to the river.How far is it away?""About fifteen miles," the woman said.
If we got there we can get hold of a boat somehow, and either cross and then make straight for Richmond on feet, or go up the river in the boat and land in the rear of our lines.That we can settle about afterward.The first thing is to get to the river bank.
We are not likely to meet with any interruption in that direction.
Of course the cavalry are all on the other flank, and it will be supposed that I shall try either to work round that way or to make straight through the lines.They would hardly suspect that I shall take to the river, which is covered with their transports and store-ships.""I think that is the best plan," the woman said."There are scarce any villages between this and the river.It's only just when you cross the road between Petersburg and Williamsburg that you would be likely to moot a soul, even in the daytime.There is scarce even a farmhouse across this section.I know the country pretty well.Just stop a minute and I will run up to the wood and fetch down the horse.There's a big wood about a mile away, and you can turn him in there."A few minutes later they started, Vincent leading the horse and Tony carrying the bundle of food and his castoff uniform.The woman led them by farm roads, sometimes turning off to the right or left, but keeping her way with a certainty which showed how well she was acquainted with the country.Several times they could hear the dull sound of bodies of cavalry galloping along the roads; but this died away as they got further into the country.The horse had been turned loose a mile from their starting place.
Vincent removed the bridle and saddle, saying: "He will pick up enough to feed on hero for some time.When he gets tired of the wood he can work his way out into a clearing."Here Tony hid away his uniform among some thick bushes, and the three walked steadily along until the first tinge of daylight appeared on the sky.Then the woman stopped.
"The river is not more than half a mile in front of you," she said;"so I will say good-by.""What will you do?" Vincent asked."You might be questioned as you get near home.""I am going to put up at the last house we passed," she said, "about three miles back.I know the people there, and they will take me in.I will stop there for a day or two, maybe, then walk back, so Ishall have a true story to tell.That's all right."Vincent said good-by to her, with many hearty thanks for the services she had rendered him, and had almost to force her to take notes for two hundred dollars from the bundle ho had sewn up in the lining of his coat.
"You have saved my life," he said, "and some day I hope to be able to do more to show my gratitude; but you must take this anyhow to tide you over the hard times, and find food for your husband and sons when they come back from the war."As soon as the woman had turned back Vincent and Tony continued on their way.The former had, as soon as they were fairly out from the Federal camp, told Tony in a few words that his wife was safe at home and their boy flourishing, and he now gave him further details of them.
"And how came you to enter the army, Tony?""Well, sab, dere wasn't much choice about it.Do Northern people, dey talk mighty high about der love for de negro, but I don't see much of it in der ways.Why, sab, dey is twice as scornful oh a black man as de gentleman is in de Souf.I list in de army, sah, because dey say dey go to Richmond, and den I find Dinah and de boy.""Well, Tony, I little thought when I did you a service that it would be the means of you being able to save my life some day.""Not much in dat, sab.You sabe my life, because dey would, for suab, hab caught me and killed me.Den you save my wife for me, den you pay out dat Jackson, and now you hab killed him.I could hab shouted for joy, sah, when I saw you hit him ober de head wid de shovel, and I saw dat dis time he gib no more trouble to no one.
