When the marines arrived from Washington it was past midnight. The townswarmed with armed men from every farm and fireside. Five companies ofmilitia from Maryland and Virginia were on the ground and Henry Wise,the Governor of Virginia, was hurrying to take command.
Stuart had established Colonel Lee\'s headquarters behind the brick wallof the Arsenal enclosure. Not more than fifty yards from the gate stoodthe Engine House in which Brown had barricaded himself with his twosons, Oliver and Watson, and four of his men. He held forty whitehostages.
A sentinel of marines covered the entrance to the enclosure. The militiahad yielded command to the United States troops.
As Stuart stood awaiting Colonel Lee\'s arrival, Lieutenant Green, incommand of the marines, stepped briskly to the aide\'s side to report thepreliminary work.
As yet no one in the excited town knew the identity of the mysteriouscommander "John Smith" who led the invasion. No one could guess thenumber of men he had in his army nor how many he held in reserve on theMaryland hills.
Stuart\'s blue eyes flashed with excitement.
"The marines have the Arsenal completely surrounded?" he asked.
"A rat couldn\'t get through, Lieutenant Stuart.""The bridges leading into Harper\'s Ferry guarded?""Three picked men at each end, sir.""Any signs of the Abolitionists on the hills at dawn?""A shot from a sniper on the Maryland side nipped one of the guards--""Then their headquarters and the reserves are back in those hills.""I\'m sure of it. I\'ve sent a squad to get the sniper.""All right, it\'s daylight. Keep your marines away from the Arsenal gate.
It\'s barely fifty yards to the Engine House. We\'ve got the Abolitionistspenned inside. But they\'re good shots.""I\'ve warned them, sir.""No fighting now until Colonel Lee takes command. His train has justpulled in.""Why the devil didn\'t he come with us?" Green asked suddenly.
"Called to the White House for a conference with President Buchanan, insuch haste that he couldn\'t stop to put on his uniform. The Capital\'sagog over this affair. The wildest rumors are afloat.""Nothing to the rumors afloat here among these militiamen and dazedcitizens.""Colonel Lee will straighten them out in short order--"Stuart suddenly stiffened to attention as he saw the soldierly figure ofthe Colonel approaching from the station with quick, firm step. Over hiscivilian suit he had hastily thrown an army overcoat and looked what hewas, the bronzed veteran commander of the Texas plains.
He saluted the two young officers and quickly turned to his aide.
"No sign of a slave uprising, of course?""The invaders did their best to bring it on. They\'ve taken about fiftynegroes from their masters.""Armed them?""With pikes and rifles.""The invaders have robbed houses as reported?""Taken everything they could get their hands on. They forced their wayinto Colonel Washington\'s home, dragged him from bed, stole his watch,silver, wagons, horses, saddles and harness. They hold him a prisonerwith four of his slaves.""Colonel Washington is now their prisoner?""With others they are holding as hostages.""Hostages?""They swear to murder them all at the first sign of an attack.""They won\'t!" he answered sharply.
"I think they will, sir. They shot an unarmed negro porter at the depotand murdered the Mayor to-day as he was passing through the streets.
They are expecting reinforcements at any minute.""The militia are ready for duty?""Some are. Some are drinking."Lee turned to Lieutenant Green.
"Close every barroom in town."Green saluted.
"At once, sir."Green turned to execute the order. The only problem that gave Leeconcern was the use the invaders might make of the prisoners they held.
That they would not hesitate to expose them to death as a protectionto their own lives he couldn\'t doubt. Men who would dare the crime ofraising a slave insurrection would not hesitate to violate the code ofmilitary honor.
He saw Stuart was restless. There was something on his mind. He halfguessed the trouble and paused.
"Well, Lieutenant?"Stuart laughed.
"I suppose, Colonel, you couldn\'t possibly let me lead the assault onthe Engine House, could you?"Lee\'s eyes twinkled at the eager look. The Colonel was a man as well asa soldier. And he was a father. He loved the shouts of children morethan he loved the shouts of armies. In the pause he saw a vision. Alittle blue-eyed mother crooning over a baby which she had named for hersweetheart. The great heart forgot the daring soldier before him eagerfor a fight. He saw only the handsome husband and a wife at home prayingGod for his safe return. He could see her pressing the pink bundle offlesh to her heart, singing a lullaby that was a prayer. There would beno glory in such an assault. There was only the possibility of a bloodytragedy before a handful of desperadoes could be overcome. He faced hisaide with a frown.
"Lieutenant Green is in command of the marines, sir. You are only myvoluntary aide. You will act strictly within the rules of war."Stuart saluted. He knew that his commander was a stern disciplinarian.
Argument was out of the question. He made up his mind, however, to watchfor a chance to join in the attack, once it was begun.
Green returned from his errand leading an old negro who held one ofBrown\'s iron pikes.
The lieutenant thrust the trembling figure before the Colonel.
Lee studied him, and suppressed the smile that began to play about hislips.
"Well, uncle, this looks bad for you," he said finally.
"Lordee, Master, don\'t you blame me!" the old negro protested.
"They found him hiding in the bushes," Green explained.
"Yassah," the old man broke in. "I wuz kivered up in de leaves!""That\'s right, sir," Green agreed. "The pike was standing beside a tree.
They raked the leaves and found him in a hole.""An\' I tried ter git under de hole, too.""The raiders took you by force?" Lee asked.
"Yassah! Dey pulls me outen bed, make me put on my close, gimme dis herehan\' spike, an\' tells me I kin kill my ole marster an\' missis when Ifeels like it--""Did you try to kill them?" Lee asked seriously.
"Who? Me?""Yes.""Man! I drawed dat han\' spike on dem Abolishioners an\' I says: \'You lowdoun stinkin\' po\' white trash. Des try ter lay de weight er yo\' han\' onmy marster er missis,--an\' I\'ll lan\' yo\' in de middle of er spell ersickness\'--""And they took you prisoner.""Yassah.""I see.""Dey starts ter shoot me fust! But den dey say I wuzn\'t wuf de powderan\' lead hit\'ud take ter kill me.""And you escaped?""Na sah, not den. Dey make me go wid \'em, wher er no. But I git loosebyme bye an\' crawl inter dat patch er trees doun dar by de ribber--""We found him there," Green nodded.
"Yassah, I mak\' up my min\' dat dey\'s have ter burn de woods an\' sif deashes for\' dey ebber see me ergin."Stuart\'s boyish laughter rang without restraint.
"All right, uncle," Lee responded cordially. "You can leave that pikewith me.""Yassah, you kin sho have it. God knows I ain\'t got no use fur it."He threw the pike down and brushed his hands as if to get rid of thecontagion of its touch.
"You\'re safe," Lee added. "The United States Marines are in command ofHarper\'s Ferry now.""Yassah. De Lawd knows I doan wanter \'sociate wid no slu-footed,knock-kneed po\' whites. I\'se er ristercrat, I is. Yassah, dat\'s me!""I\'m glad to help you, uncle.""Thankee, sah.""Hurry back to your home now and help your people in their troubles.""Yassah, right away, sah--right away!"The old man hurried home, bowing right and left to his white friends andmuttering curses on the heads of the Abolitionists, who had dragged himfrom his bed and caused him to lose four square meals.
Lee examined the pike carefully. He measured its long stiletto-likeblade, projecting nine inches from its fastenings in the hickory handle.
He observed the skill and care with which the rivets had been set.
"An ugly piece of iron," he said at last.
"I\'ll bet they\'ve thousands of them somewhere back in these hills,"Stuart added.
"And not a negro has lifted his hand against his master?""Not one."Lee ran his fingers along the edges of the blade and a dreamy look cameinto his thoughtful eyes.
"My boy, such people deserve their freedom. But not this way--not thisway! God save us from the horrors of the mob and the fanatic who leadsthem! Slavery is surely and swiftly dying. It cannot survive theeconomic pressure of the century. If only we can be saved from suchmadness."His voice died away as in a troubled dream. He looked up suddenly andturned to his aide.
"I must summon their leader to surrender. You have not yet learned hisname?""He calls himself John Smith, sir. They\'ve been here all summer in anold farmhouse on the Maryland side.""Strange that their purpose should not have been discovered. Their workhas been carefully and secretly planned.""Beyond a doubt.""They could not have done it without big backing somewhere.""They\'ve had it. They\'ve had plenty of money. They have rifles of thefinest make. And they\'re not the type made in this Arsenal.""They expected to use the rifles in the Armory, of course. And theyexpect reinforcements. Any sign of their reserves?""Not yet, sir. We have the roads guarded for ten miles.""We\'ll settle it before they can get help," Lee said sharply.
He hastily wrote a summons to surrender and handed it to Stuart.
"Approach the Engine House under a flag of truce. Ask for a parley withtheir leader and give him this."Stuart saluted.
"At once, sir."He attached his handkerchief to his sword and entered the gate. A loudmurmur rose from the crowd of excited people who had pressed close tosee the famous commander of the Marines.
Lee turned to the sentinel.
"Push that crowd back."The crowd had pressed closer, watching Stuart with increasingexcitement.
The sentinel clubbed his musket and pressed against the front mensavagely.
"Stand back!"The people slowly retreated. Lee turned to Lieutenant Green.
"Your men are ready for action?""They await your orders, sir.""I suppose you wish the honor of leading the troops in taking these menout of the Engine House?"Green smiled and bowed.
"Thank you, Colonel!""Pick a detail of only twelve men, with a reserve of twelve more. WhenLieutenant Stuart gives you the signal, assault the Engine House andbatter down the doors with sledge hammers--"Green saluted.
"Yes, sir."Lee spoke his next command in sharp emphasis.
"The citizens inside whom the raiders are holding must not be harmed.
See to this when you gain an entrance. Once inside, pick your enemies.
You understand?""Perfectly, sir.""Hold your men in check until the signal to attack. I hope it will notbe necessary to give it. I shall do my best to avoid further bloodshed.""All right, sir."Green saluted and stood at attention awaiting the arrival of Stuart.
Lee\'s aide had approached the Engine House, watched in breathlesssuspense by a crowd of more than two thousand people. In spite of theefforts of the sentinels they had jammed every inch of space commandinga view of the enclosure.
When Stuart reached the bullet-marked door he called:
"For Mr. Smith, the commander of the invaders, I have a communicationfrom Colonel Lee!"Brown opened the door about four inches and placed his body against thecrack. Stuart could see through the opening his hand gripping a rifle.
He refused to open it further and the parley was held with the doorajar.
He at last allowed Stuart to enter.
His first look at the man\'s face startled him. The full gray beard couldnot mask the terrible mouth which he had studied one day in Kansas. Andnothing could dim the flame that burned in his blue-gray eyes.
He recognized him instantly.
"Why, aren\'t you old Osawatomie Brown of Kansas, whom I once held thereas my prisoner?""Yes, but you didn\'t keep me.""I have a written communication from Colonel Lee.""Read it."Stuart drew the sheet of paper from his pocket and read in his clear,ringing voice:
"Headquarters Harper\'s Ferry,October 18, 1859.
Colonel Lee, United States Army, commanding the troops sent by thePresident of the United States to suppress the insurrection at thisplace, demands the surrender of the people in the Armory buildings.""If they will peaceably surrender themselves and return the pillagedproperty, they shall be kept in safety to await the orders of thePresident. Colonel Lee reports to them, in all frankness, that it isimpossible for them to escape, that the Armory is surrounded by troops,and that if he is compelled to take them by force he cannot answer fortheir safety.
R. E. LEE, _Colonel Commanding U. S. Troops_."Stuart waited and Brown made no reply.
"You will surrender?""I will not," was the prompt answer.
In vain the young officer tried to persuade the stubborn old man tosubmit without further loss of life.
"I advise you to trust to the clemency of the Government," Stuart urged.
"I know what that means, sir. A rope for my men and myself. I prefer todie just here.""I\'ll give you a short time to think it over and return for your finalanswer."Brown at once began to barricade the doors and windows. And Stuartreported to his commander.
Lee met him at the gate.
"Well?""A little surprise for us, Colonel--""He refuses to surrender?""Absolutely. Captain \'John Smith\' turns out to be Old John Brown ofOsawatomie, Kansas, sir.""You\'re sure?""I couldn\'t be mistaken. I had him a prisoner on the plains once whenour troops were ordered out to quell the disturbances.""That man\'s been here all summer planning this attack?""And not a soul knew him."Lee was silent a moment and spoke slowly:
"It can only mean a conspiracy of wide scope to drench the South inblood--""Of course.""He refuses to yield without a fight?"Stuart laughed.
"He don\'t know how to surrender. I left him with two pistols and a bowieknife in his belt and a rifle in each hand.""How many men were with him?""I saw but six besides the prisoners he holds as hostages. The prisonersbegged for an interview with you, sir. I told them to be quiet--that youknew what you were doing.""It\'s incredible!" Lee exclaimed.
He paused in deep thought and went on as if talking to himself.
"Strange old man--I must see him.""I wouldn\'t, Colonel. He\'s a tough customer.""I hate to order an assault on six men. He must be insane.""No more than you are, unless the pursuit of a fixed idea for a lifetimemakes a man insane."Lee turned suddenly to his aide.
"Press that crowd back into the next street and ask him to come hereunder a flag of truce.""I warn you, Colonel," Stuart protested. "He violated a flag of truce inKansas. He............