SOLDIER HAL MARCHES AS A PRISONER
The company broke ranks under orders to strike camp at once.
Within six minutes the camp was down. Every enlisted man had his
blanket roll made up and in place, and all his other equipment on.
Corporal Cotter stood over Hal even while he was making up his roll.
"How on earth did that thing happen?" murmured Noll wretchedly.
"Silence; no talking with the prisoner," rebuked Corporal Cotter
crisply.
So Noll held his peace, though he was "boiling" inside.
Again the company was assembled.
"Fours right, march! By file, march!"
B Company again struck the trail, heading further up into the
mountains, leaving the wagons to follow presently. Though B Company was
now likely to be attacked at any time in sham battle, by C Company, it
had been agreed that the respective wagon trains of the companies were
to be immune from capture on this day.
"Overton, keep a distance of ten paces from the rear man of the
company, and march before me," commanded Cotter. "Keep the step
carefully until the order for route step comes."
Never in his life had Hal Overton felt as heart-sick as he did now.
Marching to the rear, a prisoner!
It was, in every sense, as bad as being in the guard-house.
Up ahead in the line things were "doing," but to this Hal, in his new
misery, was all but blind.
Sergeant Hupner, with six men, had been sent ahead as a "point" to
discover any possible enemy who might be lurking in the way of the
forward progress of B Company.
Scouts had been sent out on either flank. The line moved slowly, as
though fearing the presence of an actual enemy. There were frequent
halts. At one time, while the line waited, Lieutenant Prescott took
a detachment of twelve men to explore the country ahead. When he
returned, reporting no enemy developed, B Company moved forward, though
never without point and flankers.
At noon B Company, still having stirred up no enemy, halted for dinner.
Captain Cortland and his two young officers got through their meal with
soldierly despatch. Then the company commander called to Sergeant
Gray, who reported, saluting.
"Sergeant, direct Corporal Cotter to bring his prisoner here."
Seated on a small boulder, the captain eyed young Overton keenly as the
latter was brought up.
"Private Overton," began Cortland, "have you yet discovered, or really
suspected, how your rifle bolt came to be in such bad shape?"
"No, sir," replied Hal, again saluting.
"At first glance it looked like a case of sheer neglect on your part to
care for your piece."
"Yes, sir."
"But those file marks?"
"I can't explain them, sir."
"It is forbidden for any man to use a file on the parts of his rifle,
except by direct permission from one of the company officers."
"I know it, sir."
"Have you had any such permission?"
"No, sir."
"Have you a file?"
"Not a real one, sir. Only a manicure file."
"Let me see it."
Hal turned over the file, after finding it in his haversack.
"Now, let me have the bolt from your rifle."
Captain Cortland tried the file lightly in some of the nicks in the
bolt. Then he passed file and bolt over to Lieutenant Hampton.
"Mr. Hampton, don't these nicks seem to fit this file remarkably well?"
queried the company commander.
"They appear to--very well, sir," replied Lieutenant Hampton, testing
the file in the nicks.
"What do you say, Mr. Prescott?"
The young second lieutenant studied file and bolt attentively.
"I am obliged to agree, Captain, with yourself and Mr. Hampton."
"Private Overton, think again. Do you still care to deny that you
employed the file on the bolt of your rifle?"
"I deny it, sir, with all the emphasis of which I am capable," was
Hal's earnest retort. His face was flushed, his breath came quickly,
but he looked straight and honestly into his commander's eyes. There
was no cringing in his attitude. His high color was to be attributed
only to the humiliation of the position in which he found himself.
"And this bolt has been in the fire," continued Captain Cortland.
"Just such a fire, let us say, as you build three times a day for the
preparation of your food. The temper of the end of the bolt is ruined."
"Yes, sir. May I speak, Captain?"
"Go on, Overton."
"Captain Cortland, I am aware how badly this looks for me. But I assure
you, sir, on my honor as a soldier, that I have no guilty or other
knowledge of how the bolt came to be in this fearful condition. I am
entirely innocent, sir, of any act that could have put the bolt in such
condition."
"You are not guilty even of negligence, Overton?"
"Not of any intentional negligence, sir."
"Then, Overton, you must have some sort of suspicion of how this thing
happened."
"I have a suspicion, Captain, but it is not founded on anything that is
yet very tangible, sir."
"You think it an enemy's work?"
"Yes, sir. None but an enemy could do such a thing as this to a
comrade's rifle."
"Granted, but who is the enemy?"
"May I be excused, sir, from answering?" asked Private Overton very
respectfully.
"Why?"
"Because it is quite possible that, in naming an enemy, I may do some
honest soldier an injury."
"You need not answer, then, Overton. Wait here."
Captain Cortland stepped down from the small boulder on which he
had been seated. At a sign from him Lieutenant Hampton walked away
with the company commander. The two remained for some moments in low
conversation.
"Overton!" summoned Captain Cortland, returning.
Hal saluted.
"This affair looks badly for you, and I want it to be a lesson to you
hereafter. You have had an excellent record, Overton, since you joined
the regiment. For this time I am going to take your word that you are
ignorant of how the accident to your rifle bolt happened. So you are
now released from arrest, and will rejoin your company. If you suspect
that any comrade is guilty of this outrage on your bolt, I recommend
that you keep your eyes open for any further attempts against your
record. Corporal Cotter, you will not repeat what has been said here.
Overton, you are released from arrest. Corporal, report yourself to the
first sergeant as being on regular duty again."
Corporal and private sainted, then turned back to the company.
"You got off easily," murmured Noll, when his bunkie, with face white
and eyes flashing, joined him.
"That's because Captain Cortland decided to take my word for my
innocence in the matter," Hal replied cautiously.
"Now, see here, old fellow, you've got to be up and doing," urged Noll
earnestly in a whisper.
"What can I do, now?" Hal asked.
"Keep your eyes peeled. You can find out, by and by, who was
responsible for that low trick. Hal, you'll have to make vengeance your
watchword."
"Revenge is sweet," mimicked Hal dryly.
"It surely is--sometimes."
"But sweet things make one sick at his stomach," Hal uttered dryly.
"Well, if you're going to stand for having a job like that put over on
you," uttered Noll disgustedly, "I'm not! The fellow who did that trick
to you isn't fit to be in the service, and I'm going to get him out of
it, whether you help or not."
Separated from the young soldiers by only a thin ledge of rock,
eavesdropping Hooper and Dowley heard, and gazed keenly at each other.
"We've got to frame things up for young Terry, too, then!" whispered
Bill Hooper, as the sulky pair stole away.