ORDERED TO FRONTIER DUTY
"You've all your equipment with you, Mr. Overton?" inquired Captain
Foster, of H company, after the presentation had been made and
Lieutenant Sears had withdrawn.
"Yes, sir."
"You'll want much of your time to-day for getting to rights in your
quarters, Mr. Overton. You'll be required only to turn out for parade at
the end of the afternoon. To-morrow you will enter fully upon your
duties. Mr. Sears will post you thoroughly at mess this evening."
"Very good, sir."
"That is all I have in the way of instructions. Wait, and I'll see if I
can find Mrs. Foster. I want you to meet her."
A few moments later Hal found himself chatting with Mrs. Foster, a very
sweet little woman, some years younger than the captain. Hal took an
instant liking to her. Mrs. Foster asked him much about his home folks,
adding:
"As soon as you feel that you're settled in your new life and duties,
Mr. Overton, I shall ask you to permit me to invite your mother here as
my guest. I know that a mother always wants to see her son's life in the
service."
"When that time comes, Mrs. Foster," the young officer answered, "you
will be giving me the greatest happiness that can come to me."
"Well," pursued that good lady, "it will not take you so very long to
get settled in your new duties. The time for your mother's visit need
not be so very far away."
"You forget one thing, my dear," interposed the captain.
"And what is that?" questioned Mrs. Foster.
"You forget the Mexican rebels."
"Those barefooted, half-starved ragamuffins!" cried Mrs. Foster. "_They_
can have nothing to do with our plans here at the post."
"On the contrary, they may be mischievous enough to upset the whole
routine of garrison life. You have read something about the Mexican
rebels, Mr. Overton?"
"I have seen a few paragraphs in the newspaper, sir," Hal answered.
"Enough to know that some pretender in the country across the border is
trying to upset the present government in his own interests."
"What do you think, Overton, about the chances of that rebellion?"
"As far, sir, as I have been able to form any opinion from the press
accounts, it seems that only a few hundred of the rebels are in the
field, and that they are spending most of their time in running away
from the troops of the Mexican government."
"Ah, but the fact that the rebels are in the field, instead of in their
graves, shows that their movement possesses some stability," replied
Captain Foster. "The fact is that other Mexicans over here on the Texas
side are organizing to go to the aid of the rebels just across the Rio
Grande. Our government has information that the Mexican sympathizers in
this state have secured a good many stands of rifles and a considerable
supply of ammunition, and are watching their chance to slip over the
border into Mexico with their war supplies. Now, the few hundred rebels
at present in the field in Mexico may be joined by enough more Mexicans
from this side to make an army of two or three thousand men. If so many
get together under the standard of the rebel leader, then more thousands
will flock in answer to the call. The rebel army may be ten thousand
strong next week, and twenty thousand the week after."
"But surely," interposed Mrs. Foster, "this government will not allow
the Mexican rebels on this side of the river to take their war supplies
across the river into Mexico?"
"Not if our government can stop the operation," smiled Captain Foster.
"But, my dear, how would the government stop it?"
"By the use of the troops, I suppose," replied Mrs. Foster.
"Exactly. And did you know that Wilshire's and Apthorpe's troops of
cavalry have been ordered to patrol the border in small riding parties,
for the very purpose of stopping such expeditions into Mexico?"
"No!"
"Nor did I, until Major Tipton informed me, only a little while ago.
Further, Tipton has been directed to hold the troops at this post ready
for work in patroling the frontier. That was why I just suggested that
Mr. Overton will do well to wait until this border business has blown
over before he encourages you to invite his mother. Mrs. Overton might
arrive here only to find her son absent on several weeks of hard
hiking."
"Am I discreet in asking you, Captain, whether you think it likely that
this battalion will be called out for frontier patrol duty?" asked
Lieutenant Hal.
"I think it highly likely that at least three-fourths of this command
will soon be called out on such duty," replied the captain of H company.
Hal's eyes gleamed.
"You seem to like the prospect, my boy."
"I do, sir. Active service always appeals to me."
"You'll find it very active service," sniffed Mrs. Foster. "Nothing but
a lot of hard, dusty marching, with insufficient food, little time to
prepare it, and always matching wits with a lot of crafty, barefooted
Mexicans!"
"Overton is right," contended the captain. "Despite the discomforts and
possible hardships such work is excellent, both for soldiers and their
officers."
"If anything of the sort comes," murmured Lieutenant Hal, "I certainly
hope that I shan't be left out of it."
"You probably won't," replied Captain Foster dryly. "Major Tipton has
been informed that both Mr. Terry and yourself have already
distinguished yourselves in scouting work in the field. You will have
use for such talents here, if we are called out to watch the border."
"It's stupid work," cried Mrs. Foster petulantly, "and it will spoil
several of the good times that the ladies at this post have been
planning."
"Now, we won't detain Mr. Overton any longer, my dear," remarked the
captain. "Remember, Overton, parade this afternoon. No other duties for
to-day."
Hal took his leave, returning, light-footed, to bachelor quarters. There
he found Noll, returned before him.
"Nothing but parade for me to-day, Noll," Hal called to his chum.
"Same here," rejoined young Terry, opening his door. "May I come across
into your house a little while?"
"I shall be glad to have you if you have no more to do than I appear to
have. My striker appears to have put everything in apple-pie order. Sit
down. How do you like the new station and the crowd?"
"Fine," nodded Noll. "Major Tipton appears to be just the right sort of
commanding officer."
The instant that the first call for parade sounded Lieutenants Hal and
Noll sprang from their chairs. Both were soon going down the stairs,
their swords clanking at their sides. This parade, though unimportant in
a sense, was their first actual duty as line officers. Both youngsters
walked with a new dignity and erectness as they crossed to the parade
ground.
They were the first officers to appear. When the actual parade call
sounded the enlisted men of four companies came out in human streams
from the barracks buildings.
Now the remaining officers of the garrison came briskly up while the
first sergeants of the companies were attending to the formation.
At the proper moment the officers of the battalion went to their
stations. As he drew his sword, for the first time in Uncle Sam's
service, Lieutenant Hal felt a thrill the like of which he had never
known before.
Neither youngster made a mistake during the maneuvers and ceremonies of
parade. Though it was the first time that either had stood with troops
as officers, they went through all the movements mechanically. They had
not put in three years in the ranks for nothing.
Yet every moment, every movement of parade now had a new significance to
the young lieutenants. Then, when it was all over, and the men
dismissed, the officers returned to their quarters to prepare for
dinner.
Hal and Noll reached mess ten minutes ahead of the dinner hour. Most of
the officers who would dine at the club were already present.
"Mr. Sears," asked Hal, going over to his first lieutenant, "can you
spare me a little time after dinner?"
"Easily, Overton. You want to ask me about the routine duties, I
imagine."
"Yes. Captain Foster has ordered me to full duty beginning with
to-morrow."
"Then we'll find seats in the reading room after dinner. It won't take
very long to give you the schedule and the inside ropes."
In the Army punctuality is made a prime virtue for both officers and
men. Hence there were no laggards at dinner. Every officer took his seat
at the long table at the minute of 6.30. Hapgood, who was officer of the
day, came in with his sword at his side; he placed that weapon in a
handy corner.
"The evening's news is that the Thirty-fourth is back in Colorado,"
announced Lieutenant Brisbane, glancing down the table.
"Just before we started west we read that their transport had arrived at
San Francisco," answered Noll.
"And Major Silsbee's first battalion is at its old station, Fort
Clowdry," added Mr. Brisbane. "By way of further news I may add that
Major Tipton told me, a few minutes ago, that Major Silsbee had been
ordered by wire to hold his battalion in readiness for a call from this
department."
"Mexican border troubles?" asked Lieutenant Hapgood.
"Yes."
"Then the government knows, better than we do, that the border trouble
threatens to grow acute," remarked Lieutenant Sears. "It has been
understood, I think, that troops from this post will be the first
infantry ordered out to the support of the two cavalry troops now
patroling."
"Oh, we'll get some of that barefoot business presently," grumbled
Pratt. "A beastly job. The state of Texas ought to call out its police
to take care of the matter."
"Except," remarked Sears dryly, "that it is the province of the United
States, not of a single state, to preserve neutrality at the border."
"It's cases like this Mexican business that make a fellow wish that he
belonged to the Navy," insisted Pratt. "If we go out, as doughboys,
we'll have to tramp and hike until our shoes are full of sore feet, and
all for nothing, perhaps. If we belonged to the Navy, and were ordered
to patrol, we'd do it in a gunboat, and wouldn't care where we went, as
we'd always be on our gunboat, with, good meals ready at the stroke of
the bell, with baths, clean clothing, even easy chairs right at hand.
The Navy can keep on patroling even while two-thirds of a crew are in
their berths enjoying sweet sleep until the moment for action comes."
"Stop it," insisted Algy Ferrers. "Even in the Navy you'd find you'd
have to work like a horse. There are no easy ways of getting through
life, and a soldier ought not to look for 'em."
Pratt, who was a husky and sufficiently energetic young officer at need,
and who had merely been exercising his right to grumble, flushed and was
silent.
"I don't suppose Terry or myself will have the luck to be picked for
this sort of border patrol work, if it comes," suggested Hal.
"Probably you'll be kept on post until you're more accustomed to your
men," nodded Lieutenant Hapgood.
"Either way will suit me," said Noll. "I don't expect to have my pick of
anything until I've served a few years more."
"You won't have it then either," laughed Sears.
The meal over, Sears retired into a corner with Hal. Johnson joined
them with Noll. The two youngest officers in the regiment were handed
printed slips containing the routine work of the day at Fort Butler, and
also the hour for the call to each duty. Sears and Johnson added much
more information.
"You'll come to us for anything else that you want to know, of course,"
said Sears, in conclusion. "You are aware, of course, that your superior
officers are paid to answer questions."
"Thank you," acknowledged Hal.
It was soon nine o'clock, and the two Army boys, tired with their day of
travel and of new life, left the club early, going directly to quarters
and to Hal's room.
"I won't stay long," declared Noll, sinking into the easy chair that his
chum pushed forward. "But I've simply got to talk a bit with you,
bunkie, my head is so full of it all."
The chums chatted on until at last the notes of a bugle were borne to
their ears.
"Listen!" cried Hal, holding up one hand, his eyes glowing. "The same
good old Army taps!"
"We don't have to go to bed, since we added swords to our equipment,"
laughed Noll.
"No; but we had better turn in. We have as much work to do as any of the
enlisted men."
An hour later, when all was quiet, there came a heavy pounding on Hal's
door. As the young lieutenant awoke and leaped from his bed he was sure
that he heard a similar commotion going on at Noll's door.
"Who is it?" called Hal, throwing on a bathrobe and going toward the
hall door.
"Private Graham, of the guard, sir. Major Tipton's compliments to
Lieutenant Overton, and the major directs that the lieutenant report
immediately at headquarters."
Then, as Hal and Noll both opened their doors, the soldier added:
"Major Tipton authorized me to add, sir, that the Mexican border trouble
has broken out, and that you'll both march soon with your men."