Boys of The Fort; Or, A Young Captain's Pluck

by Edward Stratemeyer

  CHAPTER XI.

  SOMETHING ABOUT DRILLING.

  "Darry is lost! Nothing can save him now!"

  Such was the agonizing thought which rushed through Joe's brain as hewatched the progress of the drifting tree as it moved swiftly toward thefalls of Rocky Pass River.

  He knew the falls to be over thirty feet high. At the bottom was aboiling pool which sent up a continual shower of spray. Nobody enteringthat pool could survive.

  Darry, too, realized his peril, and continued to call for help. Had hebeen able to loosen himself he would have leaped into the water, but hewas weak and helpless, and his voice could scarcely be heard above therushing of the rapids.

  Joe and the three soldiers continued to run along the river bank, overrough rocks that cut their feet and through bushes which scratched themin scores of places. At last they came out on a point directly above thefalls.

  The tree still spun on, and Joe closed his eyes to shut out the sight ofwhat was to follow.

  Suddenly Lambert let out a shout:

  "The tree is caught! It has stopped moving!"

  Again Joe looked, and he saw that what the soldier said was true. Theunder branches of the drifting tree had hit some sharp rocks below theriver's surface, and one branch had wedged itself fast.

  This catching of the driftwood bent down the limb that held Darry, andsoon they saw that the imperiled boy was free from the grip which hadheld him. But what to do next the lad did not know. To swim to the shorewas out of the question.

  "I--I can't make it," he told himself, as he panted for breath. He wasso exhausted that he felt very much like fainting away. But he knew hemust keep his senses, or all would be over with him.

  "Darry! Darry! Are you much hurt?" called out Joe.

  "Not much, but I--I can't--swim--ashore!" was the gasped out answer.

  "I'll try the fishing lines again," said Lambert, and prepared them oncemore. A first cast did not reach Darry, but a second did, and he caughtthe sinkers to the lines with a good deal of satisfaction.

  "Will they hold?" questioned Joe.

  "I hope so," answered Lambert. "Anyway, it's the best we can do."

  Letting the lines run out as far as possible, the soldiers and Joe movedup the bank of the stream to where there was a series of rocksprojecting into the water a distance of several yards.

  "Now brace me, and I will haul in," said Lambert. Then he called toDarry to help them by swimming as well as he was able, with the linescaught around him, under the arms.

  "All right, I'm ready!" cried the boy, and dropped into the stream,taking care to steer clear of the tree.

  Lambert hauled in slowly but steadily. The line straightened out andbecame taut, and looked as if it might snap at any instant. Joe's heartcame up into his throat, and he breathed a silent prayer that his cousinmight be saved.

  "Here he comes!" muttered Lambert at length, and they could see thatDarry's feet at last rested on the sandy bottom of the river. Theycontinued to haul in, and soon he was safe. When on shore he pitchedhimself on the grass, completely exhausted.

  "Oh, how glad I am!" cried Joe, as he knelt beside his cousin. "I wasalmost certain you'd be drowned!"

  "It was a narrow escape!" answered Dairy, when he could speak. "When thetree first struck me I was almost stunned, and when I realized what hadhappened I found myself fast and hardly able to budge. Just look there!"And he showed a deep scratch on one side of his body and a heavy redmark on the other. "But never mind," he went on. "I am thankful my lifewas spared!"

  It was a sober-minded party that dressed and journeyed back to the fort,Joe carrying both his own fish and those his cousin had caught.

  "I am afraid that will end fishing and swimming for a while," saidBiggs. "The soldiers never go near the falls, for they all know thedanger, but Colonel Fairfield is too strict to run any chances."

  "Don't say anything about the adventure on the tree," said Darry.

  "Will you keep mum?"

  "I will, and so will you, won't you, Joe?"

  "Yes."

  So it was arranged that nothing should be said, that the soldiers'little recreation might not be interfered with, for both boys saw thatthey had little pleasure at the best.

  "A fine haul for you boys!" said Lieutenant Carrol, as he surveyed thecatch. "I must go myself and try my luck. I haven't been fishing thissummer."

  "It's a splendid place for bites," said Joe.

  "I know it. But you have to be careful up there. There's a nasty fall inthe river. If you went over that you'd never come out alive."

  "Yes, we saw the fall," answered Darry, and gave a shudder in spite ofhimself.

  Again at sunset there was a parade, similar to that of the day before.After it was over the boys procured guns and had Lambert put themthrough their "paces," as he called it.

  "First we'll drill a bit without guns," said the old soldier, forLambert had seen sixteen years of service. "Toe this line, heads up,chest out, and little fingers on the seams of your trousers. That's allright. Now then, Eyes Right! When I say that turn your eyes to theright, but don't move your faces. Now, Eyes Front! That's good. EyesLeft! Eyes Front! That's first-rate."

  "But we're not moving," said Darry.

  "Now we'll move. Watch me. Right Face! Do you see how it's done? Balanceon the heel, this way, and swing around. Now then, Right Face!"

  The two boys came around like well-trained old soldiers.

  "Good, boys, good. Now then, Front Face! Good. Left Face! That's not sowell. Front Face! Now here's another, About Face!"

  So the drilling went on, until the boys could move as Lambert wishedthem to. Then they began to march and to wheel right and left. At lasthe put the guns in their hands and let them march with the pieces, andthen showed them the manual of arms.

  "AT LAST HE PUT THE GUNS IN THEIR HANDS AND LET THEMMARCH WITH THE PIECES."]

  "You'll learn in no time," said the old soldier, when his off time cameto an end. "You've crowded a dozen lessons into one."

  "And I feel it," said Darry. "I'm going in to rest." And he went,followed by Joe. All told, the boys had enjoyed the drill very much.

  Joe was somewhat worried when bedtime came and still nothing had beenheard of his brother. Yet Colonel Fairfield told him not to mind theprolonged absence.

  "But should not your quartermaster be here?" asked the boy.

  "He may come in to-morrow morning," answered the colonel.

  The next day dawned cloudy, and by noon a steady rain was falling. Theboys hardly knew what to do, and, after watching a drill and someperformances in the gymnasium, went back to the living quarters. Theyhad hardly entered when there came a shout from the guard at thestockade.

  "Captain Moore is coming, with the quartermaster!" was the cry.

  "Hurrah, it's Will!" shouted Joe, and ran out despite the rain towelcome his brother.

  Soon the soldiers came up, mud-stained and tired. They embraced half ofCompany A, and in their midst was the quartermaster of the regiment,with two attendants. Each of these three carried heavy saddle-bags,filled with government money for the soldiers, for payday was now due.

  "Joe!" cried Captain Moore, as he dismounted and caught his brother bythe hand. "I am glad to see you safe and sound."

  "And I am glad to see you," answered Joe.

  "I will be with you soon--I must first report to Colonel Fairfield,"went on the young officer, and lost no time in seeking the commandant.

  His story was soon told, and it speedily spread to all parts of thefort. Along with his men and old Benson he had looked in vain for theGilroy gang for a whole day. Then he had come upon them just as theywere preparing for an attack upon the quartermaster and his escort. Thegang had numbered eight, and in the fight which had followed two of thecrowd had been wounded, although all had made their escape by swimmingtheir steeds over a dangerous mountain torrent. Of the soldiers threehad been wounded, one man quite seriously. The young captain hadreceived a bullet through his hat.

  "It was
Matt Gilroy himself who fired that shot," said Captain Moore."And I won't forget it when next we meet."

  Old Benson had been in the thickest of the fight from beginning to end,and it was he who had wounded one of the desperadoes while the fellowwas in the act of carrying off one of the money-bags. The rascals hadfought hard over that money-bag, but in the end had been compelled todrop everything and ride to save their lives.

  As soon as Captain Moore had made his report, another detachment wassent out, to follow the desperadoes, if they could be found. Thisdetachment was fifty strong and under the leadership of LieutenantCarrol. The lieutenant was a man who had met numerous desperadoes in histime, and it was felt that he could do the work much better than theaverage soldier.