CHAPTER XXIV
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.