THE UNITED STATES SERVICES FIGHT TOGETHER
FOR more than an hour Midshipman Darrin and Sergeant Overton had been
away from the rest of the party, seeking tracks or other signs of wild
game.
"Sergeant," spoke Midshipman Darrin, at last, "I hope you won't be
offended by the opinion I have formed of you."
"What is that, sir?" asked Hal Overton.
"I've been watching you a bit, and I've come to the conclusion that
you're an uncommonly fine and keen soldier."
"Not much chance in that for offense, sir," laughed the boyish sergeant.
"But you're of the Army," said Mr. Darrin, "and I don't know whether you
believe that a sailor is a judge of a soldier."
"Quite naturally, sir," laughed Hal, "I am wholly willing to believe in
the value of your judgment. And I have another reason."
"What is that, Sergeant!"
"Why, sir, you're a very particular friend of Lieutenant Prescott's, and
we men of B company are ready to believe in any one whom Lieutenant
Prescott likes."
"You have another very fine fellow for an officer in your regiment," Mr.
Darrin went on. "And that is Greg Holmes--pardon me, Lieutenant Holmes.
He's as fine, in every way, as Mr. Prescott himself."
"Yes, sir. Lieutenant Holmes is as popular with the men as any officer
in the regiment can be."
"You see," smiled Mr. Darrin reminiscently, "when Dalzell, Prescott,
Holmes and myself were youngsters--or smaller youngsters than we are
now--we were all chums together in the same High School."
Then, finding a ready and appreciative listener Midshipman Darrin
plunged into the recounting of many of the former adventures of that
famous group of schoolboys once known as Dick & Co., whose doings were
fully set forth in the "HIGH SCHOOL BOYS' SERIES."
Sergeant Hal heard, also, of Tom Reade and Harry Hazelton, the two
remaining members of Dick & Co., whose adventures, after leaving school,
are now being set forth in the "YOUNG ENGINEERS' SERIES."
But Overton did not hear about the sweethearts of these former High
School chums. Sweethearts were too sacred to be discussed with
comparative strangers.
"Now, Prescott informs me that you two young sergeants intend to work
for commissions from the ranks," said Mr. Darrin, after a while.
"Yes, sir; that was our idea in entering the service."
"I hope, heartily, Sergeant Overton, that both you and your friend win
out with your ambitions."
"Thank you, sir."
"I have a very particular reason for wishing you that luck," smiled
Midshipman Darrin, "and you are at liberty, Sergeant, to ask me what it
is."
"Very good, sir."
"I want to see both yourself and Sergeant Terry succeed because I don't
believe the service can afford to be without two such unusually good
officers as you and Sergeant Terry would make."
Hal flushed, tried to utter his thanks, and found himself confused, for
Midshipman Darrin, who was taller, was gazing down at him with a very
friendly look in his eyes.
"My hand has been itching for something all day," the young Naval
officer went on. "Sergeant, I want to shake hands with you, if you don't
mind."
Their hands met in hearty clasp.
"I shall have Prescott keep me posted regarding you two young men,"
went on Dave Darrin. "And, when you two are officers, if you are ever
near any craft on which I'm on duty I want you to promise me that you'll
come to visit me."
"You know how much delight that would give both Sergeant Terry and
myself, sir."
"Attention--to the job!" suddenly muttered Dave Darrin, in a low voice.
Their long tramp had taken them alongside a low ledge.
As Darrin spoke in that low voice he raised his hunting rifle quickly,
bringing the butt to his shoulder with a jerk.
He fired--straight at a bear, not more than five feet over their heads
and at a total distance of only about ten feet.
But in that same instant the big, brown brute moved, and the bullet
intended for his heart merely clipped away a bit of hair at the bottom
of the animal's belly.
Bruin's first move had been to get away from danger, but now, at the
shot, he became very much angered.
A second, swift leap, and the big animal jumped downward, landing on
Midshipman Darrin's chest and bearing him to the earth.
"Lie still, sir!" gasped Sergeant Hal.
[Illustration: "Lie Still, Sir!" Gasped Sergeant Hal.]
There was but a single cartridge in Overton's rifle. He clicked the
bolt, then aimed all in a flash.
In his agitation Hal succeeded only in grazing the top of the animal's
back.
But bruin, crouched on Darrin's body, raised his head and turned it
snarlingly toward Hal.
Everything that was to be done must be done in a moment. Fortunately,
the young sergeant wore his bayonet in scabbard at his belt.
Like a flash Sergeant Overton fixed that bayonet to the muzzle of his
rifle, bruin regarding him with a hostile glitter in his eyes, while
Midshipman Darrin, whose rifle had been hurled just out of his reach,
had the presence of mind to lie utterly still.
"Now, we'll see what you'll do, bruin!" quivered Hal, making a swift
lunge for the animal's side.
What bruin did was to leap away from the midshipman's prostrate body.
Despite the bear's lumbering body and shambling gait he can be spry
enough at need.
Hal's thrust, therefore, failed to land directly, but merely ripped
along the animal's coat.
The momentum that followed the miss caused Sergeant Hal Overton to fall
forward to his knees. And now the enraged bruin made straight for him.
There was time to do but one thing. Sergeant Hal made a lunge direct at
the bear's eyes.
With that menace of cold steel before his eyes the bear dodged to one
side, then rose to his hind feet.
Rising, Hal took his stand on the defensive, for now bruin was
determined on a finish fight.
Straight at Bruin's heart lunged Hal, but it was a game at which two
could play.
Bruin's massive left paw, backed by prodigious strength, swept the
bayoneted rifle aside, fairly wrenching it from Overton's grasp.
So now the bear was ready, either for embrace or pursuit of this now
helpless enemy.
Midshipman Dave Darrin, U. S. N., at the instant when he found the
weight of the bulky animal removed from his body, had crawled
noiselessly away for a few feet.
Now Darrin dropped to one knee, the rifle at ready. Aiming with the
utmost coolness, the young Naval officer fired.
Straight and true went the bullet this time into Bruin's heart.
The big mass swayed, then fell. There was barely a gasp to signal the
bear's end of life.
"Sergeant," remarked the midshipman coolly, "your conduct just now fully
confirmed what I said about your being a valuable man for the Army."
"I probably wouldn't have been in the Army much longer, sir, if you
hadn't got your rifle and fired just as you did," retorted the boyish
sergeant.
"And I couldn't have reached my rifle if you hadn't shown the very
unusual nerve to try to whip a bear in a bayonet charge."
"I know a good deal better, now, Mr. Darrin, how useless a bayonet
attack is against a bear. Though Sergeant Terry and I once made a good
haul of bear's meat with bayonets when at too close quarters with
bears."
"You'll have to tell me about that as you go along," remarked the young
Naval officer.
Noting the locality well, they left the bear where it had fallen, to be
taken up a little later.
"Hello, sir. There are other shots from our party," cried Overton, as
three rifle reports rang out not far away. "That seems to show, sir,
that they're meeting with luck, too."