THE NAVY HEARD FROM
LOOKING up at that hand Hal Overton saw a spot of blood appear suddenly
in the middle of the palm.
In the same moment there came the sharp crack of a rifle.
The blow never descended on Overton's upturned face.
Instead, Hinkey uttered a startled yell, tottered to his feet, then
threw himself over on his face.
For, following that first shot, came a volley of them, accompanied by
the whistling of bullets through the camp.
The leader of the invaders pitched and fell, shot through the hip.
"Take to cover, boys!" roared the stricken leader. "Take my rifle, too.
Defend yourselves. The soldiers are down on us!"
But Sergeant Hal, after that first moment of joyous surprise, felt a
thrill of astonishment.
The bullets that were whistling through camp had not the sound of Army
missiles!
Yet the young sergeant had no time to speculate on this discovery, for
now he heard a voice, and a wholly strange one, shout, as the volley
ceased:
"You men surrender, if you don't want to be riddled. If you start to
make a move away from camp we'll drop every one of you before any man
can reach cover. We mean business!"
"Hello! What's going on here? Halt! Deploy, there! Lie down!
Ready--load--aim!"
That was Noll Terry's voice, and the young sergeant was right on his
word like a flash.
While the first party was hidden behind cover to the northward, Sergeant
Noll and his men had come up from the westward.
"We're friends," hailed that same voice from northward. "Who are you
over to the westward? Who commands there?"
"Sergeant Oliver Terry, United States Army," Noll called back.
"Good for you, Sergeant! Stay in command. We'll back up any move you
make," came from northward.
"Do you rascally prowlers surrender?" called Noll.
"It's about the only thing that seems left to do," sullenly admitted the
leader of the invaders.
"Then hold up your hands and step away from those rifles," ordered Noll.
That command was obeyed, except by the man whose head had been battered
by Hal's flying revolver.
"Have they any other weapons, Hal?" called Sergeant Noll.
"So far as I know they haven't," Sergeant Hal answered.
"You to the north!" called Noll.
"Ahoy, there!" came the good-natured answer.
"Will you move in, covering the prisoners with your rifles?"
"Gladly, Sergeant."
"Thank you."
Out of brushwood cover to the northward stepped three men. One was a
middle-aged man, a mountaineer if dress and manner went for anything.
With him, supporting this guide on each side were two tall, very
straight young men who appeared to be about twenty-three years of age
each. These younger men were nattily though plainly attired in corduroy,
with leggings and caps.
"Just stand right there, and hold the prisoners, please," directed
Sergeant Terry.
Then Noll's next step was to move in with his own men, four in number.
"Get the handcuffs," directed Noll. "I think we've enough to go
around."
So saying Noll stepped over to his chum, quickly freeing him.
"Get up, Sergeant Overton," cried Noll, as he cut the last cord at his
chum's ankles. "And now I turn the command over to you."
Most of the prisoners took their capture in an ugly mood. Their leader,
however, affected, coolly, to regard it all as the fortunes of the game.
"Here don't handcuff any of the disabled men," directed Sergeant Hal.
"Green, you stand as a guard over those wounded. It's bad enough to be
hurt, without having one's hands fixed so that he can't aid himself any
in his misery."
"You want Hinkey ironed, don't you?" inquired Noll.
"No."
"But he's an Army deserter."
"If he gets away from where he's sitting he'll be only the remains of
one," returned Sergeant Overton dryly. "But Hinkey is wounded, and he'll
need his hands free in order to look after himself."
Hinkey, however, did not deign to notice this grace by so much as a look
or a word.
"What are you going to do with these fellows?" asked Noll presently.
"It doesn't rest with me," Hal replied. "This is a purely military
matter, and I shall wait to get Lieutenant Prescott's orders."
"Then Prescott belongs with this camp?" queried the taller,
finer-looking of the pair of young strangers who had given Hal his first
aid.
"Lieutenant Prescott is with this camp; yes, sir," Hal replied, laying
considerable emphasis on the title.
"We're friends of his," explained the same stranger. "So, if you don't
mind, we'll just wait for him."
"If you're friends of Lieutenant Prescott, then make yourselves very
much at home, sir," Hal answered cordially. "Any friend of Lieutenant
Prescott has B company for his friends also."
Johnson and Dietz, who had been freed right after Sergeant Hal, were now
busy once more with preparations for the extra meal.
"Had we better provide for three extra plates, Sarge?" inquired Johnson,
in a low voice.
"It looks very much that way," smiled Hal. "And be sure to have a great
plenty of everything. Vreeland will help you, as you've lost some time."
Ten minutes later the footsteps of others were heard approaching camp.
Then in came Lieutenant Prescott, with Corporal Cotter and five men.
They were carrying two antelope and a fine, big bear.
But the instant that Lieutenant Prescott caught sight of the strangers
he dropped everything, rushing forward with outstretched hands.
"By all that's wonderful! Dave Darrin! Dan Dalzell!"
Then the soldiers were treated to the unexpected spectacle of their
lieutenant embracing the two young men in corduroy.
Soon after, however, Mr. Prescott wheeled about, one friend on either
side of him.
"Attention! Men, the gentleman on my right is Midshipman David Darrin,
United States Navy, and the gentleman on my left, Midshipman Daniel
Dalzell, also of the Navy. They are to be treated with all the respect
and courtesy due to their rank."
Readers of the "HIGH SCHOOL BOYS' SERIES" and of the "ANNAPOLIS SERIES"
will recall these two splendid young Naval officers, first as High
School athletes, and later among the most famous of the midshipmen at
the United States Naval Academy.
"But how on earth did a lucky wind come up to blow you out this way?"
asked Lieutenant Prescott.
"Good fortune ruled it that we should be assigned to duty on the China
station," replied Midshipman Darrin. "So we're journeying across the
continent to San Francisco, on our way. But our orders allowed us time
enough to stop over a fortnight on the way. Dick, did you imagine we'd
go through Colorado without stopping to see you?"
"Of course not," glowed Lieutenant Prescott. "When did you arrive at
Clowdry?"
"Day before yesterday. Ever since then we've been on the way. As soon as
we reached the end of the rail part of the journey here we engaged Mr.
Sanderson as our guide. While coming along this afternoon we saw
something like helio signals flashing in the air. The message was one
for help, so we hustled along, our guide piloting. And, from some things
I've heard and observed since arrival, Dick, I imagine we got here just
about in time."
"As you always did," laughed Lieutenant Prescott. "But, now that I've
got my breath back from my delight--Sergeant Overton, what is the
meaning of prisoners in camp? And where did you find Hinkey?"
"Didn't you hear quite a lot of firing, sir?" asked Sergeant Hal.
"Firing? Considerable, but I thought some party nearer in had struck
such a haul of game as you landed last night, Sergeant. Go on and tell
me about it."
This Hal did, and it was all news to the lieutenant, for neither he nor
any member of his hunting party had seen the helio signals.
Just as the brief spirited tale was finished the remainder of the
hunting party came in, one of them being a private of hospital corps. To
this man was entrusted the attending of the injured invaders.
Hinkey fairly cowered before the scorn that was apparent in the eyes of
all his former comrades.
The evening meal was now nearly ready. By Hal's direction another table
was set up for Lieutenant Prescott and his guests.
Then came the early, cool night. Prescott and his Naval friends sat
apart for an hour, talking over the old times. Then, at last, they came
over and joined the soldiers.
"May I ask a question, Lieutenant?" inquired Sergeant Hal, saluting.
"Certainly, Sergeant."
"What is to be done with the prisoners?"
"You are in command here, Sergeant."
"But isn't this a greater military matter, sir, than the mere command of
a hunting camp?"
"I don't believe I need to take command, Sergeant. But I will offer you
a suggestion, if you wish."
"If you will be so kind, sir."
"Why, this general group of prisoners belong to the civil authorities.
You will find a jail and a sheriff very near the point where we left the
train."
"Yes, sir. And Hinkey?"
"He is a prisoner of the United States Army. You can put him in charge
of the same sheriff, asking him to hold Hinkey until a guard from Fort
Clowdry arrives to take him. A wire to the post can be sent from the
station."
"Very good, sir. Then I think I will detail Sergeant Terry, a driver and
a guard of six men to escort the prisoners to the sheriff. The hospital
man had better go along, too, and the injured men can travel in the
wagon."
"That disposition will do very well, Sergeant. But Sergeant Terry and
his men will very likely be away four days altogether."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."
Saluting, and including the young Naval officers in his salute, Sergeant
Overton went over to explain the plan to Noll.
"What very boyish youngsters those two sergeants are," remarked
Midshipman Darrin.
"Young, yes, but as seasoned and good men as we have in the company or
the regiment," replied Lieutenant Prescott.
"They certainly look like fine soldiers," agreed Midshipman Dalzell.
"They'll look very much like fine young officers, one of these days, or
I miss my guess by a mile," answered Prescott. "Colonel North is very
proud of these two boys, and so are Major Silsbee and Captain Cortland."
In the morning the three wounded men were placed in one of the two
wagons belonging to camp. Though their hands were left free, all three
had their feet shackled to staples inside the wagon.
The other five prisoners stood sulkily behind the wagon. Noll assembled
the guard at the side of the trail.
"Climb up on the wagon, hospital man," called Noll. "Start ahead,
driver. Squad, by twos, right, forward march."
Then the party started out.
Two of the remaining soldiers were detailed for camp, as usual. The
other enlisted men went off in a hunting party by themselves.
All except Sergeant Hal. He had been invited to go with Lieutenant
Prescott and the latter's friends, and had gladly accepted.
Sanderson, the guide, having been paid by his Naval employers, had
already taken the trail.
"I hope you bring us luck, Dave and Dan," announced Lieutenant Prescott,
as the party started. "We are still far shy of the amount of game we
want to take back to the post."