CONCLUSION
Scores of brave, quick-witted men in uniform were leaping forward to
use their sweeping arms to divert the runaways. But Corporal Hal's
swift glance forward as he bent over the neck of the cavalry horse and
urged it forward showed that these soldiers could not possibly save the
woman and girl in the victoria.
To whichever side the horses might be forced into dodging, the wild,
snorting animals would still run over blocking soldiers and bring up in
a confused tangle of wreckage among the guns.
"On--on with you!" roared Corporal Hal, beating the horse's flank with
one hand and cudgeling with his heels.
That cavalry mount was a magnificent beast. Corporal Overton was
quickly up alongside the victoria. Then he gained on the horses.
"Now, in close, you good old brute!" glowed Overton, though his lips
were bloodless as he took the chance and threw the bridle over.
Bending sideways from the saddle, Corporal Hal reached the bridle of
the nigh horse.
Now he hung on grimly to the bridle of the runaway, at the same time
using his other arm to bring the splendidly trained cavalry horse back
on its haunches.
That nigh runaway was checked, somewhat, but the pull threatened to
drag Corporal Hal's left arm out of its socket.
Something had to give way!
Then, with a suppressed yell, Overton felt himself being torn from
saddle.
He held on. The runaways tried to forge ahead at renewed speed, but the
determined doughboy soldier, holding still to the bridle of one of the
animals, put a big check on the speed of the runaways.
A few yards further they dashed, then slowed. Now a score of
artillerymen, regular and militia, sprang in and seized the animals
just as Corporal Hal Overton, his uniform torn and dust-grimed, and he
himself bleeding, fell in the dust.
But the runaways were stopped, and other soldiers assisted the woman
and her fourteen-year-old daughter in safety to the ground.
Back of them all the fine cavalry horse stood trembling and curious.
This cavalry horse, struck by the wheels of the victoria, now showed
blood spots along his glistening, lathered flanks.
"Get up, messmate," called one of the regular artillerymen, bending
over Overton. "You did the whole trick like an Army man, and the
ladies want to thank you."
He helped Hal to his feet. The soldier boy trembled slightly and almost
unconsciously put a hand to his head.
"Your hat, mate? We'll help you find that."
But Hal's hand had gone to a cut on his head from which blood was
oozing, for just as he went down one of the horses had struck him a
glancing kick there.
It was Corporal Noll Terry, who sprinting desperately along the
field, espied his chum's campaign hat and picked it up with hardly a
slackening of his speed.
But Noll did run more slowly when he saw Overton again standing on his
feet. Now Noll gently approached the cavalry horse, whose bridle reins
dangled.
"Easy now, boy," urged Noll as he approached and reached for the lines.
He secured them, then gently led the cavalry mount over toward the
crowd.
"Hurt much, Hal?" hailed Noll
"No; nothing worth talking about."
A soldier had said something about the woman and the girl wishing to
thank Corporal Hal, but that man had spoken without looking, for now
the woman lay on the grass in a dead faint, while the girl bent over
her.
"Noll," spoke Corporal Overton, "at last accounts I believe we were
supposed to be standing in front of Captain Cortland's tent, awaiting
his summons. I guess we'd better be hurrying back to get on our job."
Noll led the horse at first. By and by Hal reached over and secured the
bridle, pausing just an instant to stroke the animal's neck.
"You're a fine old fellow," Hal murmured, gazing wistfully at the horse.
"Let's keep right on back," urged Noll. "Remember, we're here really
against orders."
Neither soldier boy thought of mounting the animal for a ride back. No
need existing, either would have thought it a big piece of impudence to
mount an officer's horse unbidden.
Captain Cortland was standing before the door of his tent, watching the
approach of his soldier boys. Beside Cortland stood another officer,
down the outer side of whose trousers' legs ran the broad, yellow
stripe of the cavalry. This gentleman was Captain Ellis.
"We're in for it, I reckon," muttered Corporal Hal to his chum as they
drew nearer to Cortland's tent. "Leaving when under orders, and taking
an officer's horse, at that. Well, here's for our medicine!"
Both soldier boys stepped forward holding themselves as erect as ever,
just the same.
Then, halting before the captain's tent, they came very formally to
the salute.
"Captain Cortland, I am obliged to report, sir, that I left here when
under orders. I have also to report that, seeing the danger of a
serious accident to others, I had the impudence to impress an officer's
horse. Unfortunately, sir, that animal now appears to be injured."
"I have also, sir, to report leaving in the face of other orders," Noll
Terry stated gravely.
"In view of the reasons that lay behind your acts," replied Captain
Cortland, with only the faintest twinkle of a smile, "I think we shall
have to conclude that discipline has not suffered a serious affront
this time."
"I am very sorry, indeed, sir, that I rode your fine animal to any
injury," continued Corporal Hal, turning and saluting the cavalry
captain.
"Pooh!" scoffed Captain Ellis, stepping to one side and surveying the
cuts on his mount's flank. "Nothing but a few scratches, Corporal--and
a whole horse is as nothing compared with human lives. We got out in
time to see your handsome work, Corporal, and all I'm sorry for is that
we haven't you in the cavalry."
"Thank you, sir."
"You can't have these non-coms. of mine for yellow-legs, Ellis,"
laughed Captain Cortland. "You have just seen what a fine pair of
young soldiers they are. I intend to keep them right here in B
Company."
"You always were a selfish fellow, Cortland," laughed Captain Ellis.
"You are hurt, are you not, Corporal?" queried Captain Cortland,
turning to Hal Overton.
"Nothing but a little scratch and a lump on my head, sir. I had
forgotten it until you asked."
"Go over to hospital tent, Corporal Overton, and have your head
dressed. Corporal Terry, you may go with your friend if you wish."
As the two young corporals saluted and turned away, Captain Cortland
stood gazing after them for a few moments, while Private Claxton walked
the horse up and down.
"Ellis, you don't often find such a snappy, all-around good pair of
young soldiers, do you?" asked B Company's commander.
"Oh, I don't know," replied Captain Ellis. "I have a few like them in
my troop, I guess."
"My dear fellow, I'm from Missouri," laughed Captain Cortland.
We would gladly carry the present narrative further, but here the
present tale is obliged to end, for there were no other developments of
an interesting nature while the encampment with the Colorado National
Guard continued. This period was filled with nothing beyond the
ordinary routine of camp instruction life, and when it was all over
Major Silsbee's battalion of the Thirty-fourth gladly enough returned
to Fort Clowdry.
Our gallant soldier boys will be a little older when next we meet
them, as we shall do in the next volume in this series, which will be
published under the title, "UNCLE SAM'S BOYS AS SERGEANTS; Or,
Handling Their First Real Commands." In this coming volume we shall
see to just what extent they made good as non-coms., and whether, in
the broader sense, they proved themselves the all-around soldiers that
their conduct up to date has seemed to assure. In the next volume
will be described much of both the work and the play that fall to the
regular Army soldier's lot, and many rousing adventures and ludicrous
happenings will therein be told.
THE END
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Transcriber's notes
Punctuation has been standardized; spelling has been preserved as
in the original publication except as follows:
Page 112
stated Captatin Cortland _changed_ to
stated Captain Cortland
Page 160
out of the quesetion _changed_ to
out of the question
Page 195
Four four days he continued _changed to_
For four days he continued
Page 233
queried Judge Guffney _changed to_
queried Judge Guffey
Page 243
entered the regular's _changed to_
entered the regulars'
Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold print, e.g. =bold=.
Text enclosed by underscores is in italics, e.g. _italics_.