Tom and his mother were too amazed to speak. They stared stupidly at the bearer of these evil tidings, and listened in a dazed sort of way while he told what he had heard and seen since morning. There was one thing Tom and his mother could not understand, and that was how Colonel Clark, whoever he might be, knew there was a company of Home Guards at Mooreville and that Tom was commander of them. But of course Rodney did not enlighten them on that point.
"You enlisted for just such work as this," said he.
"No, I didn't!" shouted Tom. "And what's more, I won't go. I'm as close to the Yankees as I want to be, and besides I don't belong to the service any longer. I've resigned."
This was news to the boys, who could scarcely refrain from showing how surprised they were to hear it. They were disappointed as well, for if Tom told the truth they would lose the fun of hearing how he took to the bushes to escape duty.
"Of course if your resignation has been accepted by the Governor," said Rodney, "why, then——"
"It hasn't been accepted yet," replied Tom, speaking before he thought. "I only sent it to-day."
"Then you are still in the service and can be held to duty," said Dick; and Captain Tom and his mother both heard the sigh of satisfaction that escaped him as he uttered the words. "I have known men to go into action and be killed after their term of service expired."
"But I won't do it, I bet you," whined Tom, with tears in his eyes. "Do you think it will be a very hard fight?"
"It can't help it; it's bound to be, and you'll see more dead and wounded men lying around than you—— Gracious! I'm glad they can't call on you and me, Dick."
"Why, won't you have to go?" faltered Mrs. Randolph.
"No, ma'am. We showed our discharges to-day, and they never said a word about ordering us out. They can't, for we have served our time."
This was the heaviest blow yet, and Captain Tom came so near wilting under it that Rodney's heart smote him and he determined to take his leave. So he got upon his feet, and Dick followed his example.
"What will they do to Tom if he fails to obey this order?" asked Mrs. Randolph, who, in all the trying ordeals through which she had passed on her cowardly son's account, had never before been so badly frightened.