第30章

AboutthistimeWindercameonfromAndersonville,andtheneverythingchangedimmediatelytothecomplexionofthatplace。HebegantheerectionoftheStockade,andmadeitverystrong。TheDeadLinewasestablished,butinsteadofbeingastripofplankuponthetopoflowposts,asatAndersonville,itwassimplyashallowtrench,whichwassometimesplainlyvisible,andsometimesnot。Theguardsalwaysresolvedmattersofdoubtagainsttheprisoners,andfiredonthemwhentheysupposedthemtoonearwheretheDeadLineoughttobe。Fifteenacresofgroundwereenclosedbythepalisades,ofwhichfiveweretakenupbythecreekandswamp,andthreeorfourmorebytheDeadLine;mainstreets,etc。,leavingaboutsevenoreightfortheactualuseoftheprisoners,whosenumberswelledtofifteenthousandbythearrivalsfromAndersonville。Thismadethecrowdingtogethernearlyasbadasatthelatterplace,andforawhilethesamefatalresultsfollowed。Themortality,andthesendingawayofseveralthousandonthesickexchange,reducedtheaggregatenumberatthetimeofourarrivaltoabouteleventhousand,whichgavemoreroomtoall,butwasstillnotone—twentiethofthespacewhichthatnumberofmenshouldhavehad。

Noshelter,normaterialforconstructingany,wasfurnished。Thegroundwasratherthicklywooded,andcoveredwithundergrowth,whentheStockadewasbuilt,andcertainlynobitofsoilwaseversothoroughlyclearedasthiswas。ThetreesandbrushwerecutdownandworkedupintohutbuildingmaterialsbythesameslowandlaboriousprocessthatI

havedescribedasemployedinbuildingourhutsatMillen。

Thenthestumpswereattackedforfuel,andwithsuchpersistentthoroughnessthataftersomeweekstherewascertainlynotenoughwoodymaterialleftinthatwholefifteenacresofgroundtokindleasmallkitchenfire。Themenwouldbeginworkonthestumpofagoodsizedtree,andchipandsplititoffpainfullyandslowlyuntiltheyhadfollowedittotheextremityofthetaproottenorfifteenfeetbelowthesurface。Thelateralrootswouldbefollowedwithequaldetermination,andtrenchesthirtyfeetlong,andtwoorthreefeetdeepweredugwithcase—knivesandhalf—canteens,togetarootasthickasone\'swrist。Therootsofshrubsandvineswerefollowedupandgatheredwithsimilarindustry。Thecoldweatherandthescantyissuesofwoodforcedmentodothis。

Thehutsconstructedwereasvariousasthematerialsandthetastesofthebuilders。ThosewhowerefortunateenoughtogetplentyoftimberbuiltsuchcabinsasIhavedescribedatMillen。Thosewhohadlessekedouttheirmaterialsinvariousways。Mostfrequentlyallthatasquadofthreeorfourcouldgetwouldbeafewslenderpolesandsomebrush。

Theywoulddigaholeinthegroundtwofeetdeepandlargeenoughforthemalltoliein。Thenputtingupastickateachendandlayingaridgepoleacross,they,wouldadjusttherestoftheirmaterialsoastoformslopingsidescapableofsupportingearthenoughtomakeawater—

tightroof。Thegreatmajoritywerenotsowelloffasthese,andhadabsolutely,nothingofwhichtobuild。Theyhadrecoursetotheclayoftheswamp,fromwhichtheyfashionedrudesun—driedbricks,andmadeadobehouses,shapedlikeabeehive,whichlastedverywelluntilahardraincame,whentheydissolvedintoredmireaboutthebodiesoftheirmiserableinmates。

Rememberthatallthesemakeshiftswerepracticedwithinahalf—a—mileofanalmostboundlessforest,fromwhichinaday\'stimethecampcouldhavebeensuppliedwithmaterialenoughtogiveeverymanacomfortablehut。

CHAPTERLXIX。

BARRETT\'SINSANECRUELTY——HOWHEPUNISHEDTHOSEALLEGEDTOBEENGAGEDIN

TUNNELING——THEMISERYINTHESTOCKADE——MEN\'SLIMBSROTTINGOFFWITHDRY

GANGRENE。

WinderhadfoundinBarrettevenabettertoolforhiscruelpurposesthanWirz。Thetworesembledeachotherinmanyrespects。Bothwereabsolutelydestituteofanytalentforcommandingmen,andcouldnomorehandleevenonethousandmenproperlythanacabinboycouldnavigateagreatoceansteamer。Bothweregiventothesamesenselessfitsofinsanerage,comingandgoingwithoutapparentcause,duringwhichtheyfiredrevolversandgunsorthrewclubsintocrowdsofprisoners,orknockeddownsuchaswerewithinreachoftheirfists。Theseexhibitionsweresuchasanovergrownchildmightbeexpectedtomake。Theydidnotsecureanyresultexcepttoincreasetheprisoners\'wonderthatsuchill—

temperedfoolscouldbegivenanypositionofresponsibility。

AshorttimeprevioustoourentryBarrettthoughthehadreasontosuspectatunnel。Heimmediatelyannouncedthatnomorerationsshouldbeissueduntilitswhereaboutswasrevealedandthe,ringleadersintheattempttoescapedelivereduptohim。Therationsatthattimewereveryscanty,sothatthefirstdaytheywerecutoffthesufferingswerefearful。Theboysthoughthewouldsurelyrelentthenextday,buttheydidnotknowtheirman。Hewasnotsufferingany,whyshouldherelaxhisseverity？Hestrolledleisurelyoutfromhisdinnertable,pickinghisteethwithhispenknifeinthecomfortable,self—satisfiedwayofacoarsemanwhohasjustfilledhisstomachtohisentirecontent——anattitudeandanairthatwassimplymaddeningtothefamishingwretches,ofwhomheinquiredtantalizingly:

"Airye\'rehungryenoughtogiveupthemG—ddds——sofb————syet？"

Thatnightthirteenthousandmen,crazy,faintingwithhunger,walkedhitherandthither,untilexhaustionforcedthemtobecomequiet,satonthegroundandpressedtheirbowelsinbyleaningagainststicksofwoodlaidacrosstheirthighs;troopedtotheCreekanddrankwateruntiltheirgorgesroseandtheycouldswallownomore——dideverythinginfactthatimaginationcouldsuggest——toassuagethepangsofthedeadlygnawingthatwasconsumingtheirvitals。AllthecrueltiesoftheterribleSpanishInquisition,ifheapedtogether,wouldnotsumupagreateraggregateofanguishthanwasenduredbythem。Thethirddaycame,andstillnosignsofyieldingbyBarrett。TheSergeantscounseledtogether。Somethingmustbedone。Thefellowwouldstarvethewholecamptodeathwithaslittlecompunctionasonedrownsblindpuppies。

ItwasnecessarytogetupatunneltoshowBarrett,andtogetboyswhowouldconfesstobeingleadersinthework。Anumberofgallantfellowsvolunteeredtobravehiswrath,andsavetherestoftheircomrades。

Itrequiredhighcouragetodothis,astherewasnoquestionbutthatthepunishmentmetedoutwouldbeasfearfulasthecruelmindofthefellowcouldconceive。TheSergeantsdecidedthatfourwouldbesufficienttoanswerthepurpose;theyselectedthesebylot,marchedthemtothegateanddeliveredthemovertoBarrett,whothereuponorderedtherationstobesentin。Hewasconsiderateenough,too,tofeedthemenhewasgoingtotorture。

ThestarvingmenintheStockadecouldnotwaitaftertherationswereissuedtocookthem,butinmanyinstancesmixedthemealupwithwater,andswalloweditraw。Frequentlytheirstomachs,irritatedbythelongfast,rejectedthemess;anyverymanyhadreachedthestagewheretheyloathedfood;aburningfeverwasconsumingthem,andseethingtheirbrainswithdelirium。Hundredsdiedwithinafewdays,andhundredsmoreweresodebilitatedbytheterriblestrainthattheydidnotlingerlongafterward。

Theboyswhohadofferedthemselvesasasacrificefortherestwereputintoaguardhouse,andkeptovernightthatBarrettmightmakeadayoftheamusementoftorturingthem。Afterhehadlaidinaheartybreakfast,anddoubtlessfortifiedhimselfwithsomeofthevillainoussorgumwhisky,whichtheRebelswerenowreducedtodrinking,hesetabouthisentertainment。

Thedevotedfourwerebroughtout——onebyone——andtheirhandstiedtogetherbehindtheirbacks。Thenanooseofaslender,stronghempropewasslippedoverthefirstone\'sthumbsanddrawntight,afterwhichtheropewasthrownoveralogprojectingfromtheroofoftheguardhouse,andtwoorthreeRebelshauleduponituntilthemiserableYankeewasliftedfromtheground,andhungsuspendedbythethumbs,whilehisweightseemedtearinghislimbsfromhisshoulderblades。Theotherthreeweretreatedinthesamemanner。

Theagonywassimplyexcruciating。Theboyswerebrave,andhadresolvedtostandtheirpunishmentwithoutagroan,butthiswastoomuchforhumanendurance。Theirwillwasstrong,butNaturecouldnotbedenied,andtheyshriekedaloudsopitifullythatayoungReservestandingnearfainted。Eachonescreamed:

"ForGod\'ssake,killme！killme！Shootmeif——youwantto,butletmedownfromhere！"TheonlyeffectofthisuponBarrettwastolightuphisbrutalfacewithaleeroffiendishsatisfaction。Hesaidtotheguardswithagleefulwink:

"ByGod,I\'lllearntheseYankstobemoreafeardofmethanoftheolddevilhimself。They\'llsoonunderstandthatI\'mnotthemantofoolwith。I\'moldpizen,Iam,whenIgitstarted。Jesthear\'emsqueal,won\'tyer？"

Thenwalkingfromoneprisonertoanother,hesaid:

"D———nyerskins,ye\'lldigtunnels,willye？Ye\'lltrytogitout,andrunthroughthecountrystealin\'andcarryin\'offniggers,andmakin\'

moretroublethanyerd————dnecksareworth。I\'lllearnyeallaboutthat。IfIketchyeatthissortofworkagain,d————defIdon\'tkillyeezsoonezIketchye。"

Andsoon,adinfinitum。Howlongtheboyswerekeptupthereundergoingthistorturecannotbesa

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