Then you have a considerable journey to make to Richmond, and the sum that you possess is utterly inadequate for all this.It will give me real pleasure if you will accept the loan of one hundred dollars, which you can repay when you write to me from Richmond.You will need money for the sake of your companions rather than your own.When you have once crossed the line you will then be able to appear in your proper character.""Thank you greatly, doctor.I will accept your offer as frankly as it is made.I had intended telegraphing for money as soon as I was among our own people, but there would be delay in receiving it, and it will be much more pleasant to push on at once.""By the way, you cannot cross at Florence, for I hear that Hood has fallen back across the river, the forces advancing against him from this side being too strong to be resisted.But I think that this is no disadvantage to you, for it would have been far more difficult to pass the Federals and get to Florence than to make for some point on the river as far as possible from the contending armies.""We talked that over the last time you were here, doctor, and you know we agreed it was better to run the risk of falling into the hands of the Yankee troops than into those of one of those partisan bands whose exploits are always performed at a distance from the army.However, if Hood has retreated across the Tennessee there is an end of that plan, and we must take some other route.Which do you advise?""The Yankees will be strong all round the great bend of the river to the west of Florence and along the line to the east, which would, of course, be your direct way.The passage, however, is your real difficulty, and I should say that instead of going in that direction you had better bear nearly due south.There is a road from Mount Pleasant that strikes into the main road from Columbia up to Camden.You can cross the river at that point without any question or suspicion, as you would be merely traveling to the west of the State.Once across you could work directly south, crossing into the State of Mississippi, and from there take train through Alabama to Georgia.
"It seems a roundabout way, but I think you would find it far the safest, for there are no armies operating upon that line.The population, at any rate as you get south, are for us, and there are, so far as I have heard, very few of these bushwhacking bands about either on one side or the other.The difficult part of the journey is that up to Camden, but as you will be going away from the seat of war instead of toward it there will be little risk of being questioned.""I had thought of buying a horse and cart," Vincent said."Jogging along a road like that we should attract no attention.I gave up the idea because our funds were not sufficient, but, thanks to your kindness, we might manage now to pick up something of the sort."The doctor was silent for a minute.
"If you will send Dan over to me to-morrow afternoon I will see what can be done," he said."It would certainly be the safest plan by far; but I must think it over.You will not leave before that, will you?""Certainly not, doctor.In any case we should have stayed another day to get a few more things for our journey."The next afternoon Dan went over to Mount Pleasant.He was away two hours longer than they had expected, and they began to feel quite uneasy about him, when the sound of wheels was heard, and Dan appeared coming along the road driving a cart.Vincent gave a shout of satisfaction, and Lucy and the negress ran out from the house in delight.
"Here am de cart.Me had to go to five miles from de town to get him.Dat what took me so long.Here am a letter, sah, from the doctor First-rate man dat Good man all ober."The letter was as follows:
"My DEAR Mu.WINGFIELD: I did not see how you would be able to buy a cart, and I was sure that you could not obtain one with the funds in your possession.As from what you have said Iknew that you would not in the least mind the expense, I have taken the matter upon myself, and have bought from your landlady a cart and horse, which will, I think, suit you well.I have paid for them a hundred and fifty dollars, which you can remit me with the hundred I handed you yesterday.Sincerely trusting that you may succeed in carrying out your plans in safety, and with kind regards to yourself and Miss Kingston,"I remain, yours truly,"JAMES SPENCER.""That is a noble fellow," Vincent said, "and I trust, for his sake as well as our own, that we shall get safely through.Now, Lucy, Ithink you had better go into the town the first thing and buy some clothes of good homely fashion.What with the water and the bushes your dress is grievously dilapidated, to say the least of it.
Dan can go with you and buy a suit for me-those fitted for a young farmer.We shall look like a young farmer and his sister jogging comfortably along to market; we can stop -and buy a stock of goods at some farm on the way.""That will be capital," the girl said."I have been greatly ashamed of my old dress, hut knowing we were running so short, and that every dollar was of consequence, I made the best of it; now that we are in funds we can afford to be respectable."Lucy started early the next morning for the town, and the shopping was satisfactorily accomplished.They returned by eleven o'clock.
The new purchases were at once donned, and half an hour later they set off in the cart, Vincent sitting on the side driving, Lucy in the corner facing him on a basket turned topsy-turvy, Dan and Chioe on a thick bag of rushes in the bottom of the cart.
