Tillie’s heart squeezed in her chest, and shestruggled to draw breath. That couldn’t be the Union Cavalry.
As if offering a challenge, a rider appeared,separated from the cloudy mass, alone on the hillcrest.
A chill rippled up Tillie’s spine as the masscaught up to him and moved toward them. She clasped Belle’shand.
The girls murmured in low voices and glancedat each other, nervous fear contorting their faces. Then all eyesfixed on their teacher.
Mrs. Eyster’s hand went from her mouth to herthroat. Her fingers shook as they played with her lace collar.Keeping her eyes fixed on the cloud, she addressed her students.“Girls, run home! Fast as you can and stop for nothing!” Her voicetrembled.
Tillie started to suggest Beckie come to herhouse, thinking it impossible for her to make the long three mileshome in safety.
Beckie grinned, squeezed her hand, and tookoff running in the direction the soldier went.
The rest of the girls scattered as the darkmass drew to the end of Chambersburg Street.
A sharp prick of fear goaded Tillie. Liftingher skirts to her knees, she ran for her life. She lived two blocksfrom school, but no sooner reached the front door than a commotionclamored behind her. Confederate cavalrymen entered the Diamond andfanned out. She estimated at least one hundred men turned rightonto Baltimore Street, headed straight for her.
She screamed, flung herself against the door,and leaped inside, slamming it closed. She sped into the sittingroom.
“Tillie, you’re home, and so early!” Mothercame from the kitchen, her eyes wide. “What’s the matter?”
“Mother, they’re here!” Tillie’s voicecracked, and she started to cry. She flew across the room and threwherself into Mother’s arms.
“Who’s here?”
“The Rebs.”
Mother held her tight. “Don’t weep, child.We’ll be all right.”
“Oh, Mother.” Tillie hiccupped. “I’m soscared. I’m certain some of the girls didn’t get home ahead ofthem. I barely got inside myself. What about Beckie? What’ll happento her if she doesn’t make it home?”
“Calm yourself. She’s a smart girl, andwhatever else these Rebels think they are, they’re still Americans.They know how to treat a young lady.”
Bloodcurdling shrieks and popping cracklesreverberated in the street.
Mother pushed Tillie aside and rushed to thefront window. Leaning her legs against the arm of the couch, sheeased up the green velvet curtain to peek out. Tillie followed,crowding close to Mother’s skirts.
Gray and butternut clad men marched past thehouse, uttering an ululating screech and firing pistols into theair.
“That must be the Rebel Yell.” Tillie’s hearthammered, and her hands shook.
Mother didn’t answer. She continued to holdthe curtain against her cheek and watch.
More soldiers appeared, muskets and pistolsover their heads, firing into the air, all the while whooping andhollering.
To a man, they looked as if they hadn’tbathed in months. Their faces unshaven, some with beards down totheir waists. A man raised his arm to fire his pistol, displaying amass of hair pushing through a gaping hole in his underarm. What’smore, he walked barefoot, as did many others. One even had a ropetied around his waist to keep his britches up.
They came into the packed street and fannedout, shouting and cursing as they pounded the butts of their rifleson doors, demanding entrance.
Across the road, half a dozen soldiers bangedon Mrs. Buehler’s front door. No one answered. One soldier steppedup and used the butt of his rifle on the door, while two othersattempted to force the lock. The door flew open from within,causing the picklock to pitch forward. Mrs. Buehler blocked theentrance, her arms against the doorjamb, skirts filling thedoorway. The man with the rifle grabbed her shoulder to push herinto the house, but Mrs. Buehler held her ground. She had a verbalexchange with the man, shook her head, and then glanced behind her.She turned to face the soldier and again refused him entrance. Thesounds, though not the words, drifted to Tillie and Mother.
“Oh, Fanny, what are you doing? Be careful!”Mother gripped the windowsill, her knuckles white. “Lord, protecther and her family,” she whispered in fervent prayer. Then sherushed to the front door, turned the lock, and returned to peek outfrom behind the curtain.
Mrs. Buehler glanced over her shoulder again,turned back to the intruders, and said something. She smiled,lowered her arms and stepped aside, made a sweeping gesture. TheRebels pushed their way inside.
“Mother, what’re they doing?”
“I don’t know.” Mother’s voice shook, herwords coming out clipped and urgent.
Hundreds more, dirty, ragged men swarmed thestreet, whooping and shouting, cursing and firing into the air.
“Gracious!” Tillie’s ears burned at theirlanguage. She glanced at Mother, eyes wide and mouth agape, to seeher reaction, but she seemed not to have heard, intent on theactivity.
Maggie’s heels clattered on the stairs.“Mother, what’s going on?”
Tillie spun around. “The Rebs’re here!” Shealmost screamed the words.
Maggie joined them at the window. She put herarm around Tillie’s shoulder.
“Margaret.” Father ran in from the back ofthe house, breathing hard. “I’ve sent Sam to hide Lady in thecemetery. I hope he got there in time.”
“Oh, Father, do you think he made it?” Tillieclasped her hands tight. “What will happen if they take her? Shebelongs to me.”
“Calm yourself, child. Lady is not a younghorse. Most likely they’ll not want her.”
Fresh tears welled up, but she nodded,accepting his prediction. She glanced again at Mother, who all thistime, acted as if she didn’t hear any of them. She continuedpeering out the window at the enemy teeming on the street.
Four men advanced toward their front stoop.Maggie made a sound in her throat, and Tillie clung to her.
Cheering erupted, and the men broke off,veering in the direction of the cemetery. They fired over theirheads and shouted in celebration.
Mother moved to the side window. “No, James.He didn’t make it. Here he comes, along with the other boys.” Shegasped and shot up straight. “James, those men are pointing theirguns on the boys. They’ve taken him prisoner. We’ll see aboutthat!” She ran for the front door, threw off the lock, and flung itwide.
“Margaret!” Father charged after her. “Getback in the house.”
Mother sped out the door to the
