Spies Be Warned

Well, Marin is back to tell you all another story. So come on with us and we’ll take you down the battlefields of the South, where we accidently cause more trouble than we meant to…

            It really isn’t ladylike for an eleven-year-old girl to stand on the battlefields with a whole bunch of officers while they discuss battle tactics and plans. No, not my cup of tea. Even more unladylike is to offer advice to the commanders on how they could best win their battle. Believe me, if I hadn’t been asked I wouldn’t have answered.

            What was the final straw for me was the fact Trevor insisted I wear a boy’s uniform.

            “It would probably be best,” he explained. “They wouldn’t let you on the field with me if they knew you were a girl.”

            I coaxed, I begged, I pleaded. “Trevor, I’m a Czech girl from Czechoslovakia during the 1930s. Until I met you I’d never worn trousers in my life. I like my skirts, I like my dresses, I like my traditional wear. I understand having to wear disguises when we travel to a different time period.” I then motioned to the white bonnet and yellow cotton dress I’d picked out. “I’ve got this nice Civil War era dress all picked out. But now you’re asking me to pretend I’m a boy and wear a boy’s army uniform and act like I’m in the army? An all male boy outfit? Ptáte se moc! You ask too much!”

            He frowned and crossed his arms. “Marin, do you want to come with me or not?” he’d huffed. “Because I’m going, with or without you.”

            Trevor was not going to budge and I knew it. Either get left behind or come along.

            And I went. Begrudgingly, yes, but I did come along. I couldn’t bear the thought of being on the island by myself for a couple days, so I agreed to his terms.

            That’s how I found myself in the retched drummer boy’s uniform, standing at Trevor’s side while he talked with the Majors. Trevor had decided it would be fun to outrank the other officers, thus he’d gone and gotten a hold of a Colonel’s uniform. Yes. He really was pretending he was a Colonel in the Union Army. And a Scottish one at that!

            It shocked me to watch the three Majors listen to him in rapt attention. They don’t even question his accent, they obey the uniform, I thought as Trevor outlaid his idea for the next battle. It didn’t seem to bother them that he was Scottish, all that mattered to them was rank. And under the laws of rank, Trevor was over them and had the right to suggest thoughts on their strategic moves for the next battle. Which happened to be Gettysburg. Fantastic.

            “Okay, here’s the thing,” Trevor was saying, his eyebrows arched as they studied a map a private had brought. “General Lee’s going to be barraging you from this direction,” he pointed to a corner of the map, “and he’s going to really push you right over here. Now, what you need to do is…”

            I sighed and rubbed my cheek. Great going Trevor, you who said we can’t meddle in history. Trevor was never one to follow the rules, even if he made them up. I frowned and rubbed my cheek again, glaring at the smudge that was left on my thumb. Trevor had dirtied my face so it was less obvious I didn't look exactly boyish.

            “Okay chaps, I think that’s it.” I jerked myself to attention as Trevor clapped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously. “That oughta keep General Lee on his toes!”

            “Thank you, Colonel,” Major Teton said, saluting Trevor. The other two Majors followed suit and Trevor saluted them back.

            “No problemo. Catch you later!”

            “Trevor,” I hissed as we walked away, leaving the Majors with confused looks. “Modern phrases?”

            Trevor patted me on the back and winked. “You worry too much. Relax and have fun! Please?”

            He was right. It was in my very nature to worry about Trevor’s antics. It was hard for me to lighten up, my past had taught me to never trust anyone and always avoid attention. Trevor was the exact opposite of me, he liked all he met and loved attention. Lots of attention.

            Blam! Someone ran right into me, knocking me onto the ground- and my hat off my head.

            “Oui!” I cried. I snatched the hat and stuffed my blond braids back in, hoping no one had seen the strange hair of a supposed drummer boy. “Dobrota! Watch where you’re going, please!”

            The face that met mine told me my assailant was probably only seventeen or so. His brown eyes were wide and his long face in a sweat. He looks terrified, I thought.

            Then I remembered why.

            Trevor stood right behind me and helped me get up, the boy’s eyes never leaving the supposed Colonel’s.

            “What’s the hurry mate?” Trevor asked. “Somethin’ wrong?”

            “Uhhh, well, uhh,” the boy stammered. His blue uniform was dirty and his face streaked with mud. He came to his senses and saluted Trevor, stiffening up like a soldier. “Forgive me Colonel!”

            Trevor waved it off. “It’s fine, lad. Marcus is no worse for the wear, aye boy?”

            I tried not to grimace at my undercover name. I liked Marin so much better. “I’m fine,” I said. I glanced at the boy. “What’s wrong though? You look like someone’s chasing you.”

            At this his face went white and he took a step back. “I, I,”

            “No doubt he’s late to deliver a message to General George Meade,” Trevor interrupted.

            The Union boy nodded, his face relaxing as he wiped his brow. “That’s exactly it, and I’m very late!”

            Trevor pursed his lips together. “Hmmm…” he turned around and motioned a cavalry officer over. “You there! Come here!”

            No one dared disobey a Colonel, not even one who wasn’t in the same infantry. The cavalry Sergeant with the bushy mustache trotted over to Trevor and saluted. “Yes, sir?”

            “Let this laddie borrow a horse from you, he’s got a message to deliver to General Meade,” Trevor told him.

            The kid’s face brightened and he nodded eagerly. “Thank you, Colonel!” he exclaimed.

            The cavalry officer wasted no time, he led a tall and lanky bay Thoroughbred over, already saddled and bridled. “Will this do?” he asked the boy.

            “Fine, thanks.” The young man mounted onto the back of the horse and grinned down at Trevor and I. “Thank you Colonel, the war effort needs more understanding men like you.”

            Trevor was swelling with pride, I could tell. He simply smiled and waved the lad off. “Go on with ye then, don’t be late!”

            With one more salute, the boy cantered away on the bay, leaving us behind in a hurry.

            “You okay Marin?” Trevor asked, turning to me. “He really mowed you down there.”

            “I am fine, thanks though.” I sighed and stretched my arms. “Well, how are you enjoying ordering people around, Colonel?”

            Trevor laughed as we meandered our way through the tents and camps of the Union army, soldiers milling around everywhere. The Pennsylvanian sun shone down on our backs and I yawned. “I’m loving this, don’t you just love living history instead of reading about it?”

            I opened my mouth to reply when a shout reached our ears. “Has anyone seen a seventeen-eighteenish boy with black hair and brown eyes run by?” a Sergeant shot past us, panting as he yelled. “Anyone?”

            “I did!” Trevor called out.

            The Sergeant braked to a stop, noted Trevor’s rank and saluted. “Which way did he go, Colonel?”

            “I just sent him off on a horse, he said he had a message for General Meade,” Trevor replied. “You need him for something?”

            The Sergeant’s face went starch white. He put his hand to his heart and moaned. “He’s on a horse?” he fell back and sat on a stump, his eyes wide and his hands shaking. “You sent him off on a horse? We’ll never catch him now!”

            Trevor and I exchanged glances. “What’s wrong?” Trevor demanded.

            “No disrespect meant, Colonel,” the Sergeant began. “But that boy you helped is a confederate spy, and he just stole General Meade’s strategic plans for the next battle.”

Excited? We hope so! Come back next week for part two!