And Stuart wheeled round and pointed to a chair.

Nighthawk sat down modestly.

"Not exchanged, exactly, general; but safe!" he said.

"He escaped?"

"Exactly, general."

"And you helped him?"

"I believe so."

"Good! You really are a trump, Nighthawk--and you seem to have a peculiar fancy for Mohun."

"He is the best friend I have in the world, general."

"Well, that accounts for it. But how did he escape?"

"I will tell you in a few words, general. I rather pride myself on the manner in which I conducted the little affair. You remember, Colonel Mohun was very badly wounded when you defeated Kilpatrick at Buckland.

It was in a fight with Colonel Darke, of the Federal cavalry, who was also wounded and left dying, as was erroneously supposed, at a small house on the roadside, when you fell back. Colonel Mohun was left at Warrenton, his wound being so severe that he could not be brought farther in his ambulance, and here he staid until he was convalescent.

His recovery was miraculous, as a bullet had pa.s.sed through his breast; but he is a gentleman of vigorous const.i.tution, and he rallied at last, but, unfortunately, to find himself a prisoner. General Meade had reoccupied the country, and Colonel Mohun was transferred from hospital to Fort Delaware, as a prisoner of war.

"I have informed you, general," continued Mr. Nighthawk, smiling, and turning the rim of his black hat between his fingers, "that Colonel Mohun was one of my best friends. For that reason, I went to see him at Warrenton, and had arranged a very good plan for his escape, when, unfortunately, he was all at once sent away, thereby disappointing all my schemes. I followed, however, saw that he was taken to Fort Delaware, and proceeded thither at once. You have probably not visited this place, general, or you, colonel. It is a fort, and outside is a pen, or stockade as it is called, covering two or three acres. Inside are cabins for the prisoners, in the shape of a semicircle, and grounds to walk in, except in the s.p.a.ce marked off by the 'dead line.' If any prisoner crosses that he is shot by the sentries, whose beat is on a platform running round upon the top of the stockade.

"Well, I went to the place, and found that Colonel Mohun was confined with other officers in the pen, where they had the usual Federal ration of watery soup, bad meat, and musty crackers. For a gentleman, like himself, accustomed before the war to every luxury that unbounded wealth could supply, this was naturally disagreeable, and I determined to omit no exertion to effect his escape.

"Unfortunately, the rules of Fort Delaware are very strict, however. To cross the 'dead line' is death; to attempt to burrow is confinement in irons, and other degrading punishments; and to bribe the sentinels invariably resulted in having the whole affair revealed, after they had received the money. It really seemed as if Colonel Mohun were doomed to the living death of a filthy prison until the end of the war, since exchanges had ceased, and it was only by devising a ruse of very great risk that I accomplished the end in view."

"What was your plan, Nighthawk?" said Stuart, rising and moving to the fireplace, where he stood basking in the warmth. "Original, I lay my life, and--quiet."

"Exactly that, general."

And Nighthawk smiled sweetly.

XVIII.

THE UNIFORM.

"I have always observed, general," said Mr. Nighthawk, raising his eyes in pious meditation, as it were, "that there is no better rule for a man's conduct in life than to make friends with the mammon of unrighteousness--people in power."

"A profound maxim," laughed Stuart; "friends are useful--that was your principle?"

"Yes, general; and I made one of the quartermaster of the post--a certain major Woodby--who was exceedingly fond of the 'root of all evil.' I made that gentleman's acquaintance, applied for the place of sutler in _the pen_; and this place I acquired by agreeing to pay a heavy bonus in thirty days.

"This was Sat.u.r.day night. On Monday morning I presented myself before the gate, and demanded admittance as the newly appointed sutler of the pen.

"I was admitted, and taken before the officer of the day, in his quarters.

"'Who are you?' he asked, gruffly.

"'The new sutler, lieutenant.'

"'Where are your papers?'

"I had them ready, and presented them to him. He read them carefully, looked at me superciliously, and said:--

"'That is wholly informal.'

"I looked at him. He had a red nose.

"'I have some excellent French brandy, captain,' I said, promoting him.

"At sight of the portly flask which I drew half from my pocket and exhibited to him, I saw his face relax.

"'You are a keen fellow, and know the world, I perceive,' he said.

"And taking the flask, he poured out nearly a gla.s.s full of the brandy, and drank it.

"'Do you intend to keep that article of brandy?' he said.

"'For my friends, captain,' I replied, with a wink which he evidently understood.

"'Let me see your papers again.'

"I unfolded them, and he glanced at them.

"'All right--they are in regular form. There is the key of the sutler's shop, on that nail. Take possession.'

"And my friend the captain emptied a second gla.s.s of the brandy, and made me a sign that I could go.

"I bowed profoundly; took the key; and went and opened the sutler's shop; after which I strolled out to look at the prisoners in the area.

The sentinel had seen me visit the officer of the day, and go to the sutler's shop.

"Thus he did not interfere with me when I went into the area, as I was obviously a good Union man and an employee of the post.

"Such was the manner in which I secured a private interview with Colonel Mohun: we could talk without the presence of a corporal; and we soon arranged the plan for his escape.

"I had determined to procure a Federal uniform, to be smuggled in to him, and an hour afterward, I left him, promising to see him again as soon as I could visit Wilmington, and return with the intended disguise.

"A strange piece of good fortune aided me, or rather accomplished my purpose at once. I had scarcely returned to the sutler's shop, and spread some blankets to sleep upon, when the officer of the day came in, and I saw at a glance that he was half intoxicated, in consequence of the large amount of brandy which he had swallowed. In a thick and husky voice he cursed the 'stuff' vended at the post, extolled 'the article' I carried, and demanded another pull at the flask. I looked at him--saw that a little more would make him dead-drunk--and all at once resolved on my plan.

"This was," continued Mr. Nighthawk, with modest simplicity, and smiling as he spoke, "to make my friend, the officer of the day, dead-drunk, and then borrow his uniform; and I succeeded. In half an hour he was maudlin. In three-quarters of an hour, drunk. Five minutes afterward he fell out of his chair, and began to snore, where he lay.