PROMOTION FLIES IN THE AIR
A few days later the court-martial was convened at Fort Clowdry.
In the cases of the three "solitaries" the evidence was speedily in.
With the evidence furnished by Hal, Noll, Hyman and others, the accused
delinquents were found guilty.
At the trial there had come another surprise. Evidence had just been
forwarded from the recruiting office where Dowley had enlisted. This
evidence showed that Frank Dowley was a highly respected man in his own
part of the country, but he had left home and gone hundreds of miles
away for new employment.
The prisoner who stood before the court as Dowley was Frederick Cramp
in his own proper name, and had served a term in jail for robbery.
Cramp had a generally bad reputation. Finding himself closely pursued
by the sheriff's officers for a newly committed crime, Cramp had
seized upon the inspiration to enter the Army under the assumed name
of Dowley. In the ranks he believed that none of the pursuing officers
would think of looking for him.
The references of the supposed Dowley had come back from the home town
with such splendid endorsement that the enlisting officer had imagined
that he had found a most satisfactory recruit in Frederick Cramp.
It is likely that the deceit would never have been discovered, had
not Frank Dowley--the real one--lately returned to his home town. He
had been astounded when his friends had questioned him about Army
life, and, on hearing the news, had hastened to the nearest recruiting
office, from which this strange story had come to be laid before the
court-martial just in time to punish the culprit.
"Dowley" was sentenced to be dishonorably dismissed from the service,
with forfeiture of pay and allowances, to serve one year at a military
prison and then to be turned over to the civil authorities for such
further punishment as might develop.
Corporal Minturn, too, was sentenced to be dismissed from the service,
and to serve one year at a military prison.
Private Bill Hooper got off with simple dismissal.
Then the prisoners were sent back to the guard house until the findings
and sentences had been passed upon and signed by the department
commander.
A week later the papers were returned with the endorsement of the
brigadier general commanding the department.
Dowley, Hooper and Minturn left under guard the same day.
"They're all generals now," mimicked Private Hyman.
"Generals?" queried Noll.
"Yes; general prisoners."
"Bill Hooper will be on the retired list when he reaches Denver,
anyway," smiled Hal. "Having no stretch to serve, he's to be turned
loose when the guard reaches that city."
The morning after, as Colonel North sat in his office at headquarters,
an orderly entered and handed him a telegram.
"Orderly!" called the colonel crisply two minutes later.
A young soldier of the guard stepped in, saluting and standing at
attention.
"Orderly, my compliments to Captain Cortland, and ask him to attend me
here as soon as possible."
Five minutes later B Company's commander entered and saluted.
"Take a seat, Cortland," urged the older man. "I have a telegram here
that will interest you. It's from the senior surgeon at department
military hospital. Corporal Hapgood, of your company, who was sent
there for treatment, died yesterday. A very bad case of typhoid had
developed."
"Then poor Hapgood won't be sent back here for burial, sir?"
"No; the dispatch says that the corporal is being buried there to-day."
"I'm sorry for Hapgood," said Captain Cortland solemnly, a slight break
in his voice. "He was a man, every inch of him, and a fine soldier with
big promise for the future. I have his mother's address, and I will
write her. But the best kind of letter will seem a poor substitute for
a son in the case of that lonely old mother. He was all she had."
"The mother will be able to draw a pension of twelve dollars a month
for the rest of her life, then," replied the colonel. "That is
something, even if not as good as having a live son to comfort her."
"Yes; the pension will be assured," mused Captain Cortland.
"By the way, Cortland, you are now shy on two corporals in your
company."
"Yes, Colonel; I was about to speak of that to you."
"Whom do you want appointed in their places?"
The colonel of a regiment appoints all non-commissioned officers in
his regiment; he also "breaks," or reduces them to the ranks at his
pleasure, if any need comes up.
But, though the colonel has the appointive power, he always consults
with the commander of a company about any new appointments of non-coms.
in that company.
"I have several good men who are entitled to appointment," replied
Captain Cortland slowly.
"Then you haven't made up your mind?"
"I can, easily, sir, if you wish it."
"I am thinking, captain, only of the fact that, if the appointments be
not promptly made you will run very short on corporals," replied the
colonel.
"There's Hyman, sir, and Conrad. Both are bright, attentive soldiers.
Then there are Overton and Terry. They're quite new men, but they've
made records for themselves in the short time they've been with us."
"Any others?" asked Colonel North, tapping his knee with the pencil
that he held in one hand.
"A few others, sir, but none with quite as good claims as the four men
I've named."
"Whom do you favor most, Captain?"
"It's hard to say, sir. Hyman is nearly through with his enlistment,
and Conrad in the middle of his third enlistment. Now, from length
of service it looks as though Conrad ought to have one of the
appointments."
"A man who is well along in his third enlistment, and hasn't been made
a non-com. in all that time ought not to have much consideration if
there are other men with better natural claims," replied Colonel North.
"A man who is thoroughly qualified to be a corporal ought to get there
in less than seven or eight years, don't you think so?"
"That's true, sir," Captain Cortland nodded.
"Is Hyman as good a man as Overton or Terry?" continued the regimental
commander, apparently much interested.
"He has had longer experience, but I think Overton and Terry are
both a shade above Hyman in natural aptitude; in fact, the lads are
considerably above him."
"Then----"
"I see your drift, Colonel, and I agree with you. I therefore urge,
sir, that Overton and Terry be appointed as corporals, and I will keep
Hyman in mind for the next chance that comes up."
"You are satisfied, then, Captain, to make Overton and Terry corporals?"
"More than satisfied, Colonel. One of these days they'll be sergeants,
at that. A company commander, I take it, sir, can't start too early to
fire the spark of ambition in the right men."
"You and I are agreed on that, then, Cortland. I am glad you have
recommended Overton and Terry as corporals. I will have their
appointments published in orders this afternoon."
No suspicion had Hal or Noll when they fell in for parade that
afternoon.
When Lieutenant Wright, battalion adjutant, published the orders, he
read off four routine orders before he came to that creating Private
Hal Overton a corporal in B Company.
"Whew! It has come, but I didn't expect anything like that," quivered
Soldier Hal. "I didn't think I could do it inside of a year."
"Lucky Hal," thought Private Terry. "He has gotten ahead of me, but I'm
glad just the same. It has always been the rule for Hal to beat me,
anyway."
The next order made Noll Terry's hair stand up. He had been made a
corporal, too.
How the hearts of both danced when the regimental band played the
headquarter's battalion from the parade ground.
"You two are the lucky soldier kids," cried Private Hyman, coming up to
the boys with outstretched hands. "How did you manage it?"
"That's the point, Hyman," laughed Hal happily; "we didn't manage it.
It just happened."
Before the quartermaster's store closed both soldier boys drew their
corporal's chevrons, then hunted up the company tailor to get him to
sew these prized badges of rank on their sleeves.
"I suppose, Sergeant, one or both of us will be transferred from your
squad room," said Hal regretfully, when they encountered Hupner.
"I've heard nothing to that effect as yet, Corporal," replied the room
sergeant.
"Corporal!" How wonderfully fine that simple title sounded, though the
title meant but one step above that of plain private soldier.
"I'm sorry for one thing, Corporal," laughed Private Hyman, that night
after supper.
"What's that?" Hal queried.
"I'm extremely sorry that your old chums, Hooper and Dowley, tired of
the Army too soon to see your chevrons on your sleeves. Say, but I
think those chevrons are about the handsomest I've ever seen," added
Private Hyman, an undertone of wistfulness in his voice.
The next day brought more good news. The date was set on which
headquarter's band and the first battalion of the Thirty-fourth was
to leave for Denver, to take part in the summer encampment of the
Colorado National Guard. Neither Corporal Overton nor Corporal Terry
was assigned to the guard detachment that was to remain behind.
Lieutenant Greg Holmes, only a few months out of West Point, drew a
"blank" that made his face look gloomy. Lieutenant Holmes was the only
officer in the battalion who was to remain behind. He was to have
command of the guard that was to take care of the post in the absence
of the troops.