IN THE WILD REGION.
It looked to me just as though another war of the students had actually
commenced, not between the rival academies this time, but between
different factions of the same institution. But this statement of the
case did not exactly suit me, for I felt that I had no quarrel with
my fellow-students; and it was more reasonable to call it a rebellion
against the tyranny of Tommy Toppleton. The question was whether Tommy,
who was only the equal of his fellow-students, should treat them like
inferiors; should bully them, snub them, and, at his lordly mandate,
compel them to invade a farmer’s wheat field, trample down his garden,
and assault his people.
I thought not, and so thought a majority of us. Our remedy was to elect
a new major--one who would be reasonable; one who, while he required
strict obedience to his legitimate military commands, would treat us
like officers and gentlemen; one who would not make war on the gardens,
chicken coops, and barns of the farmers through whose territory we were
to pass. Most of us were satisfied that in Captain Briscoe we should
find such a person, and a majority of us intended to place him in this
high position.
Major Tommy had deprived us of our arms, and continued the march with
the wagons containing the tents, provisions, and other stores. But we
had plentifully supplied ourselves with eatables, so that we could
not be starved into subjection. I feared that Tommy, who, whatever
he might say on the subject, was disturbed about the result of the
approaching election, would dispose of the matter with the minority,
who still adhered to his fortunes. The battalion headquarters were
with him; the roster and records were in his possession, or in that of
the sergeant-major, who was one of his toadies, so that an election
conducted by him would be technically legal, though really unfair and
unjust.
In regard to the major’s mode of operations we were still in the
dark. We had about eight miles of wild country before us, abounding
in forests, headlong steeps, deep ravines gored in the stupendous
rocks, in rushing torrents, and lofty cascades. Later in the season
this region was visited by thousands of tourists, and at Priam there
was a large hotel for their accommodation. At the present time we were
not likely to be disturbed; for though a good road extended through
this picturesque territory, it was but little used, for nearly all the
travel between Middleport and Priam was done by the steamboats on the
lake.
We marched from the farm-house, where so many lively incidents had
occurred, and entered the wild region. There was no one to molest or
make us afraid. Having no arms to carry, we had an easy time of it.
Of the twenty members of the band and drum corps, we had fifteen, and
occasionally Fryes gave us a tune to enliven the march. Our scouts
led the way a mile in advance of us, to notify us of any hostile
demonstration on the part of Tommy’s adherents, who were at least three
hours ahead of us. Occasionally we halted at the mountain torrents
which flowed down the rocks, or dashed along by the side of the road,
to refresh ourselves with a draught of the pure water; but we saw
neither man nor beast. Not even a stray tourist had anticipated the
season, though many sportsmen had come up to fish on the lake.
“This isn’t very bad, is it?” said Briscoe, halting at the road-side
till I came up with him.
“No; it’s a beautiful country,” I replied. “I wouldn’t mind spending a
week or two among these rocks.”
“I should like it first-rate, and I wonder we have never came up here
to camp out,” added the senior captain.
“The country is not very favorable for camps and military evolutions.”
“That’s so; there’s hardly room enough to pitch our tents on any one
spot.”
“I wonder where Tommy is,” continued Briscoe. “I expected to come up
with him before this time.”
“Some of our fellows say that Haven knows all about this wild region
and I suppose he is conducting Tommy’s forces. What do you suppose they
mean to do?”
“I have no idea of the particular way in which they intend to manage
the business; but Tommy means to have himself elected major without any
help from us. He must know by this time that we shall not vote for him.”
“Perhaps he means to hide in the hills till after noon to-morrow, and
then come out to tell us he has been elected major,” I suggested. “Of
course you and I will be elected high privates, for Tommy’s fellows
will have all the best places--all the commissions at least, if not
all the warrants. Then we are to be court-martialed and punished as he
thinks we deserve.”
“But he can’t carry on an election without a quorum,” said Briscoe.
“The rules require that one half shall be present to do any business.”
“I fancy he will find some way to get over this difficulty.”
“I don’t see how he can get over it. He has only sixty-five, including
the three wagon masters.”
“He has always been a law unto himself, and I don’t see why he
shouldn’t be in this instance.”
“Are all our fellows true-blue?” asked Briscoe, in a low tone and with
some anxiety apparent on his face.
“I suppose they are,” I answered. “Of course there are some who don’t
care much how the thing goes.”
“I was thinking that Tommy, if we should get together again, might find
means to win some of our fellows over on his side. If he could draw
over about a dozen of them, that would give him a quorum. Then, if
he could keep us at a distance, he might elect every officer to suit
himself.”
“We must explain the matter to our fellows, and fortify them.”
“That’s so; we will do it the next time we halt.”
Briscoe resumed his place at the head of the column, and we continued
the march till an inviting brook induced him to halt for a drink. We
had plenty of drinking vessels with us, which we had used in putting
out the fire. Like all boys, our party were thirsty every time they
saw a good chance to drink. But, before they had satisfied themselves,
two of the four scouts who had led the advance, one of whom was Faxon,
were seen hastening towards us. It was evident that some important
discovery had been made.
Of course Tommy’s movements had been the subject of constant discussion
among our party, and all sorts of opinions were expressed in regard
to his course. Some thought he would not halt till he reached Priam,
where he would send for his father to sit in judgment upon the rebels.
Others believed he would hide himself in the woods and ascertain what
our party intended to do. But the prevailing opinion was, that he
intended to starve us into yielding to all his requirements. Perhaps
they thought so because this was the very emergency for which we had so
carefully provided.
Lieutenant Faxon and Corporal Dunbold were the two scouts who returned
to the main body. Both of them looked excited, if not anxious, as they
approached, and we concluded that the solution of Tommy’s intentions
was at hand. Our fellows at once forgot that they were thirsty, and
hurried away from the brook to meet the scouts, and obtain the latest
tidings of the major’s operations.
“What is it, Faxon?” demanded Briscoe, striving to keep cool, and thus
maintain the dignity of the commanding officer of the rebels--for such
we acknowledged that we were, and quoted the example of the patriots of
the Revolution to sustain our position.
“Tommy and his forces have halted on High Bluff,” replied Faxon, out of
breath with the haste he had made.
“What’s High Bluff?” asked a dozen of our party.
“What are they doing?” inquired a dozen more.
“Are they going to fight?” demanded others.
“Well, I can’t answer a dozen questions at once,” replied Faxon,
laughing, as he seated himself on a rock to rest his weary limbs.
“Order!” shouted Briscoe. “Fall back! Rest yourself a minute,
Faxon, and I will form the line and have the business done without
interruption.”
The senior captain and myself ordered our two companies to form a line,
telling them that any disorder might lose us the battle. They were
reasonable enough to see the point.
“Now keep in line, fellows. I will tell you all about it as soon as I
ascertain the situation,” said Briscoe.
“All right!” shouted the students.
“No soldier will leave the line without orders. As soon as I find out
where Tommy is, I will tell you what we will do.”
Certainly our troops were very well disciplined; for, impatient as
they were, not one of them left his place. Leaving Lennox in charge of
the line, Briscoe and I hastened to the place where Faxon was resting
himself.
“I think Tommy has us in a tight place,” said the scout, as we seated
ourselves in front of him.
“Why so? What has he done?” asked Briscoe, rather nervously.
“He has camped on High Bluff, and pulled up the bridge, so that we
cannot reach him.”
“I don’t know anything about High Bluff,” added Briscoe, impatiently.
“Some folks call it Bellevue. It is a kind of promontory on the shore,
which commands a beautiful view of the lake and its eastern borders.”
“What bridge has he pulled up?” inquired Briscoe, still unable to
comprehend the situation.
“The bridge over the ravine at High Bluff. It was built by the
hotel-keeper at Priam, so that his guests could drive upon the
promontory, and get the view there without leaving their carriages.”
“But what’s the need of a bridge if the bluff is on this side of the
lake?” I asked.
“On each side of the promontory there is a wide gully; or, in fact,
there are two arms of the lake. Between the bluff and the road there
is another gully, through which flows the brook, which is there almost
a river. Indeed, the two arms of the lake are the two mouths of this
stream, and the bluff is an island.”
We understood his explanation, and were satisfied that Major Tommy had
chosen a strong position in which to subdue the rebels.