“Come on, sister!” he exclaimed with brotherly crossness.
I grinned broadly, but the captain, his back to the lighter, gave me such a serious look that I sobered in an instant.
“Sister, come along! Don’t be a goose!” he said, and giving me a jerk pulled me over.
The Federal soldiers on the lighter could see and hear. One blunder now and we were lost. I yielded to the inevitable and slid down the bank with the captain; Mr. Holliway followed with Milicent. Another minute, and we stood on the lighter in the midst of Yankee soldiers and Yankee horses. A horse’s nose was over my shoulder the whole way. Soldiers were crowded up against me, there was ample occasion for swears, but I don’t think I heard an oath the entire distance, and they were courtesy itself to Milicent and me.
Landing at Berlin, we walked into the office of the provost marshal. The provost was out, and the deputy who was at his desk looked at us with cool, inquisitive eyes. He put the usual questions and received ready-made answers.
“Who are you?” he asked Captain Locke in a very suspicious tone.
“Humph!” with a glance that made me keenly alive to the lameness of that story told by the martial-looking captain.
“Humph! Who are you?” turning to Mr. Holliway.
“Are you taking these ladies back home too?”
“I am accompanying them, certainly,” said Mr. Holliway with asperity.
“My sisters,” said Captain Locke firmly, “and I am here to protect them on their way back home.”
“They are from Mr. Robert Bolling’s in Fauquier County, Virginia. They have been visiting at his house. We wished them to return to Baltimore, and I came south for them. My cousin, Mr. May, joined us.”
“And you--what are you doing down here?” with a touch of irony to Holliway.
“Got caught this side by the war, and am trying to get back home.”
“Ah, yes, of course. I can’t pass you. Take seats, please. The marshal will be in directly.”
It was plain the deputy didn’t believe in us, and we felt uneasy and miserable to the soles of our boots--except Captain Locke, who looked thoroughly at his ease.
It was an hour or longer before the marshal came in. It seemed a great deal more, yet I can’t say that I longed to see him.
“What’s all this?” he asked his deputy as he took in our party, braced up against the wall.