The knaves now unfastened my wrists and ankles, which had red marks around them where the ropes had chafed the skin. Then Jackson threw a blanket over my naked body, telling me that I might go to sleep if I could, as they had got as much out of me as they wanted. Drawing the blanket over my head, I huddled myself up, crying miserably. The men took no further notice of me, but sat smoking and talking in low tones for about half an hour. Then, leaving the lamp burning, they threw themselves, still wearing their clothes, upon the other beds. In a short time, I knew by their snoring that they were fast asleep.
My mouth was dreadfully parched and my spot was throbbing painfully. I wanted a drink, so, slipping quietly off the bed, I got a tin cup and, going to the bucket of water, quenched my thirst. Then I bathed the red and swollen lips of the spot and washed from my body all outward traces of the horrible pollution. This accomplished, I dressed myself in my tumbled garments and lay down again upon the bed, hoping to forget in sleep the horrors through which I had passed.
But, though I was physically and mentally worn out, sleep would not come to me. I shall never forget the misery of the long night I spent in that shanty, tossing and turning on the dirty bed. I was feverish at one moment and chilly the next But all the time I felt sick with disgust. Moreover, I was haunted by a dreadful fear that the wretches might not let me go in the morning.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
I don’t think that I ever once lost consciousness during the weary hours, and I thought that the morning would never come. But at last I saw the welcome daylight showing through the clinks in the shutter. Presently the men woke and, getting off the beds, stood yawning and stretching for a moment or two. Then, looking at me, they laughed, making remarks about my pale cheeks and red eyes, while I lay in dire suspense, fearing that one or other of the ruffians would take it into his head to poke me again. But to my intense relief no one touched me.
The window was opened and a fire was lighted. Some bacon was fried and a pot of coffee was made. Then the men sat down to breakfast, ordering me to sit at the other side of the table and join them in their meal. With downcast eyes and flaming cheeks, I seated myself opposite the three brutes who had outraged me so shamefully, and, since I was very faint, I tried to eat a bit of bread, but it stuck in my throat. However I managed to drink a pannikin of the milk-less coffee, which, bad as it was, refreshed me a little.
When the meal was over and the men had lighted their pipes, I raised my eyes and, addressing Jackson, reminded him of his promise to let me go. Oh, do please let me go, I pleaded earnestly, bursting into tears and stretching my hands towards him appealingly. You have nearly killed me. Surely you won’t be so cruel as to keep me.
He looked at me for a short time and my heart seemed to stand still. At last he said: You are a pretty girl, and, though you are a bad poke, you are better than nothing. We’d like to keep you for further doings, but you’d be in our way, so we’ll let you go. I’ll put you through the woods to the road, and then you can either go back to Woodlands or run to Richmond. Both are the same distance away, about sixteen miles. You can come along at once if you like.
A dreadful weight was lifted from my heart, and I rose from my seat eagerly. Oh, I am quite ready to start, I said.
He laughed. All right, he said, but first you must shake hands with us, bid us goodbye and give us each a nice kiss on the lips.
So I had to kiss each of the ruffians in turn, bidding him goodbye. As I did so, each man put his hands up my clothes and felt the spot.
Jackson then left the shanty, and I followed him. He evidently wished to confuse me as to the exact position of the place, so he led me by devious paths through the woods for at least a couple of miles before bringing me out onto the road. After pointing to the direction in which Richmond lay and telling me that I could not miss my way, he disappeared in the bushes.
There was not a person in sight, and I sat down on a log at the side of the road, uncertain whether to go back to Woodlands or on to Richmond. But I did not quite see how I was to get to either place, as I could not possibly have walked the distance. Under ordinary circumstances I was a good walker and would have thought very little of a walk of sixteen miles, but at that moment I was weak and faint, sore and stiff, and every movement of my legs caused me pain. Not knowing what to do, I began to cry in sheer helplessness, thinking what a dreadfully unfortunate woman I was in every way.
But a bit of luck came to me. I had been sitting by the roadside for about ten minutes when I saw in the distance a farm wagon coming along the road. When it had drawn close to me, I saw that it was driven by a respectable-looking middle-aged man. Rising from my seat on the log, I tearfully asked him if he would kindly give me a lift towards Richmond.
He pulled up his horse at once and said that he would. Then, giving me his hand, he helped me into the wagon and made me as comfortable as he could, looking rather curiously at me but asking no questions. I gave him a short account of how I had been stopped on my journey and robbed by bushwhackers, but I was silent as to the other things which had been done to me.
The stranger was full of sympathy for me and anger against the bushwhackers in general, who, he said ought all to be lynched. Then he added: I reckoned that there was suthin’ wrong when I seen a lady like you a sittin’ by the roadside cryin’. Dern this war! There’s no law or order now in the whole state of Virginny. I wish I was out of it and back in Connecticut, whar I come from.
I was glad to hear that he was a Northerner. The fact seemed to give me greater confidence in the man. (I had grown frightened and suspicious of all Southerners.) I told him that I also came from the North, and that I heartily wished to be back there. On hearing that, he insisted upon shaking hands. Then he informed me that he would take me all the way to Richmond and that we could expect to get there in about three hours.
The wagon was heavily laden, so we jogged along the road slowly and almost in silence. He was a taciturn man, while I, as you may suppose, was not inclined to talk at that moment. In fact, it was as much as I could do to prevent myself from crying.
When at length we reached the outskirts of the city, the man said most kindly that, if I would give him my address, he would drive me to it. I thanked him gratefully, telling him where to go, and, in about half an hour, we reached the house which Randolph had taken. It was a comfortable looking, three-storied building standing in a garden and situated in one of the best parts of Richmond.
The kind man got out of the wagon and helped me down. I asked him to come into the house and see my husband, who would like to thank him and also reward him for the service which he had rendered me. But the good fellow said that he wanted no reward and that he was glad that he had been able to help a Northern lady in distress. Then he bade me goodbye, and drove off.
I knocked at the door, which was opened by a good-looking, smartly-dressed, white servant-girl. I asked her if Mr. Randolph was at home. She looked curiously at me for a moment, then asked civilly if I was the lady Mr. Randolph had expected to arrive the previous night? I said that I was, and she at once asked me to come in.
She ushered me into a handsomely furnished room where I found Randolph seated at lunch.
He did not rise from his chair, but sat staring at me in surprise, noticing my pale face, red eyes and generally draggled appearance. After a moment, he said in an aggrieved tone, Why, Dolly, what an object you are! Where on earth have you been? What has happened to you? I expected you at eight o’clock last night. Where is Jim and the buggy?
I had not expected to be received with much show of affection, but his cold manner annoyed me very much. I was in need of sympathy and kindness at that moment. Oh, don’t bother me with questions, I said sharply. I have had hardly anything to eat for twenty-four hours and I am faint with hunger, so I mean to have something to eat and drink before I tell you what happened.
