Fischer was expecting that visit. He was up and dressing2, and ready for the other.
"There are the clothes, Mr. Powers," he whispered. "Leave your uniform here and slip into them quickly."
The captain's voice was trembling with excitement, and some little nervousness, too. This was a desperate errand for him. It might cost him his chevrons3, if not worse; for he had desperate deeds to do that night.
"Have you got the guns?" he whispered.
By way of answer Texas slipped two shining revolvers into the other's hands. Fischer gripped the cold steel for a moment to steady his nerves, and then thrust the weapons into the pocket of the rough coat he wore.
[Pg 168]"Come on," he said. "I'm ready."
He stepped out of the tent, Texas close at his heels. The two crept around the side, then crouched4 and waited. Suddenly Fischer put his fingers to his lips and gave a low whistle. The effect was instantaneous. Sentries5 Number Three and Four promptly6 faced about and marched off the other way. It was contrary to orders for sentries to face in opposite directions at the same time. But it was handy, for it kept them from "seeing any one cross their beats." Texas and his companion had sprung up and dashed across the path and disappeared over the earthworks of old Fort Clinton.
"That was neatly7 done," chuckled8 Texas. "We're safe now."
"It would be a sad state of affairs, indeed," laughed the other, "if a first captain couldn't 'fix' two sentries of his own class. We're all right if we don't make any noise."
A person who glanced at the two would not have taken them for cadets. They were clad in old dilapidated clothing, with collars turned up to increase the effect. To complete this disguise, they took two black handkerchiefs from their pockets, and in a few minutes more were as desperate-looking burglars as ever roamed the night.
"Burglary's not much worse than conspiracy9, any[Pg 169]way," muttered Fischer, as he hurried along. "I wonder what time it is."
"Twelve o'clock and all's we-ell!" rang the voice of the sentry from camp just then—an answer to the question. And the two villainous-looking men crept on in silence, gripping their weapons the tighter as they went.
The hotel lies very near the camp; it was only a short walk for the two, even creeping and dodging10 as they were, before they were safely hidden close to the porch of the building. The house is in Colonial style, with big, high pillars, painted white. It was a difficult climb, but the two lost not one moment in hesitation11. They evidently knew just why they came, and had planned their task beforehand. Texas sprang up on the shoulders of the other, and a short while later was lying breathless upon the tin roof of the piazza12.
Fischer had dodged13 back into the shadow to wait. The other lay where he was for a short while, to glance about him and recover his breath; then he rolled over and crept softly and silently along until he reached one of the windows. Texas had found out which one beforehand; he could afford to waste no time now, for this was a State's prison offense14 he was at.
He raised himself and glanced over the sill of the open window; he glanced hastily about the room inside,[Pg 170] and then dropped down again and crept to the edge of the roof.
"They aren't there," he whispered. "S-sh!"
"Not there!" echoed the other. "Then they haven't come home yet. drop down."
Texas slid down that pillar with alacrity15 that would have scared a cat. And the two were hiding in the bushes a moment or two later.
"Gee16 whiz!" muttered Fischer. "Just think of the risks we took. They might have come in on us."
"Where can they be?" whispered Texas, anxiously. "I hadn't any idea they wouldn't be in by twelve."
"There's nothing they can be doing around here," said Fischer. "I don't know——"
"Look a here!" muttered Texas, excitedly, as a sudden idea occurred to him. "I saw 'em a-goin' down to Highland17 Falls this evenin', an——"
Fischer gripped him by the arm.
"Jove!" he cried. "We'll go down and lay for 'em. It's a faint chance, but if we catch 'em there it'll be a thousand times less dangerous for us. And if we miss them we can come back. Let's hurry."
It was a dangerous business, that getting down to Highland Falls. There were the camp sentries and the sentries of the regular army, besides, patroling most of the paths. And any of them would have stopped those[Pg 171] two rough-looking men if they had seen them skulking18 about the post. But Fischer had been there three years, and he knew most of the "ropes." He dodged from building to building, always keeping the road in view so as to see their victims if they passed—and finally came out upon the road just at the beginning to cadet limits. Here they hid in a thick clump19 of bushes and lay down to wait amid the silence of that dark, deserted20 spot.
"I wonder if they'll come," whispered Texas. "I wish I had one of 'em by the neck. The rascals——"
The words were choked in their utterance21; for the officer suddenly nudged his companion and pointed22 down the road.
"Look!"
That was all he said. Texas turned and glanced as he directed. There were two figures, clearly outlined in the moonlight, walking slowly up the road.
"It's they," whispered Fischer. "Shall we try it?"
And Texas gripped the two revolvers in his pocket and muttered, "Yes, we shall!"
The two came nearer and nearer. Out of the black shadows where they lay the cadets stared hard, watching them anxiously, waiting, panting with impatience23 and excitement. The strangers were slightly built, both of them, and young; Texas recognized one of them plainly. It was Benny Bartlett; that the other was the printer's[Pg 172] boy, he took for granted. Then suddenly he noticed one of them stagger.
"That solves it," whispered Fischer. "They've been down to Cranston's getting drunk. The beasts!"
That last word cut Texas like a knife; he had been that way not a week ago himself. Texas was slowly learning the civilized24 view of drunkenness.
He forgot that in a few moments more, however. There was excitement, plenty of it, to fill his mind. The pair drew nearer still in the bright moonlight, and the time for their desperate deed was almost upon the cadets.
"For Heaven's sake don't let them get away," whispered Fischer. "If they cry out, make a break for camp, and I'll fix it."
That word was the last to be spoken; they lay in silence after that, listening to the others. Benny Bartlett, it appeared, was the more hilarious25 of the two, as such feeble hilarity26 goes. The other was trying hard to keep him quiet. The bushes that hid the cadets were right beside the road; and as Benny drew near they made out that he was trying to sing.
"We won't go home till morning; we won't go——"
"Shut up, you fool!" the other muttered, shaking him by no means gently. "You'll wake the old man, and——"
The two watchers rose upon their knees. Two re[Pg 173]volvers clicked gently, which made the printer's boy start in alarm, and then came a subdued27 "Now!"
Before the victims could move or utter a sound two stalwart, roughly dressed, black-masked figures sprang out into the road. And the half-drunken pair found themselves gazing into the muzzles28 of two glistening29 revolvers.
"Hold up your hands!"
Half dead with terror the printer obeyed; the other sunk in a heap to the ground, his teeth fairly chattering30.
"Not a sound!" was the next gruff order, obeyed equally well; and then the robbers got quickly to work.
It was all done so expeditiously31 that the victims scarcely realized it. One of the men covered the two with his weapons and the other went swiftly through the pockets of both.
He did not seem to care for watches or money. It was papers he looked for, and he glanced at what he found with feverish32 impatience. He had a matchbox in his hand, and he turned away from the party as he struck a light and read one after the other, tossing them aside with an angry exclamation33. He searched the printer first and seemed to find nothing. Then he went for Benny, tumbling him about the ground and not forgetting to administer sundry34 vigorous kicks.
He had almost searched Benny, too, without success,[Pg 174] when suddenly he gave an exclamation of joy, an exclamation which almost caused the other to drop his revolvers. The searcher had put his hand into a small, out-of-the-way pocket, and found a bit of carefully folded paper.
"This'll do it!" he whispered. "Come on."
Texas' heart began to throb35 with joy—Texas was the one with the gun.
"Victory! Victory!" he muttered. "Wow!"
Ready to shout with excitement at his success he started to follow the other, who was already making for the dense36 woods at the side of the road. He backed away slowly, still facing the two horrified37 lads, still leveling his weapons at them.
"Not a sound!" he muttered gruffly. "Remember!"
He reached the edge of the shadow in safety, and then suddenly a noise caught his sharp ear. It was not from the two, but from up the road. It was the sound of a horse's hoofs38, accompanied by a jingling39 of sword and spur. Texas glanced around quickly; it was a horseman trotting40 up the road, an officer from the cavalry41 post! And in an instant more Texas had sprung into the woods and was dashing away with all his speed.
"Run, run!" he whispered to the cadet just in front. "Somebody's coming."
Benny Bartlett had not nerve to give an alarm; but[Pg 175] the printer's boy had. The fleeing pair heard his voice shouting:
"Help! help! Murder!"
And an instant later came a clatter42 and thunder of hoofs as the soldier dashed up.
"What's the matter?" he cried.
"Robbers!" shrieked43 the two. "We've been held up! They ran in there! Help! Help!"
The rescuer wheeled his horse sharply about; he whipped his sword from its scabbard and plunged44 furiously into the woods. The two heard his horse dashing up, and they knew their danger was great indeed.
Texas was flying on ahead, running for his life; but Fischer, who was a good deal the cooler of the two in the emergency, seized him by the arm and forced him into a clump of bushes on one side.
"Lie there!" he cried. "S-sh! Not a sound!"
The wisdom of the ruse45 was apparent. Crashing footsteps gave the officer something to follow; without it he might not find them in the black woods. They heard his horse thrashing about in the underbrush; the man was evidently afraid of nothing even in the darkness, for he plunged through it furiously, riding back and forth46 and beating the bushes. Once he passed so near to them that Texas heard the sword swish and felt for his revolvers[Pg 176] instinctively47. But that was the best the man could do, and finally he gave it up in disgust and rode out to the road again.
Then the two highwaymen arose and stole softly away in the darkness, congratulating themselves upon that narrow escape and still more upon their success.
When they reached the camp, which they did in a great hurry, for they knew the officer would alarm the post, they passed the sentry in the same way, and separated, Texas hurrying into his own tent. To his amazement48 he found his tent mates awake and sitting up, for what reason he had no idea.
"What's the matter?" he cried anxiously, for he saw at once that something horrible had happened.
"Matter enough!" cried Mark in just as much anxiety. "It's not enough for me to get dismissed, but you have to go to work and get yourself in the same scrape."
"I dismissed!" echoed Texas, in amazement. "How?"
"Your absence has been noticed," groaned49 Mark. "Lieutenant50 Allen has ordered an inspection51 of the tent every half hour until you return. They've been here twice now, and you're a goner. And what makes it ten thousand times worse, I know it's on account of me. You've been doing something to clear me."
All this was said in about as lugubrious52 a tone as one[Pg 177] could well imagine. But as for Texas, he merely chuckled as if he didn't care in the least.
"I reckon it'll be all right," he chuckled, as he began to shed his "cits" clothing. "Jes' you fellers go to bed an' be good. I reckon it'll all come out all right. Good-night."
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1
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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chevrons
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| n.（警察或士兵所佩带以示衔级的）∧形或∨形标志( chevron的名词复数 ) | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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dodging
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| n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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piazza
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| n.广场；走廊 | |
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dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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gee
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| n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转 | |
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highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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skulking
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| v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的现在分词 ) | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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hilarious
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| adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed | |
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hilarity
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| n.欢乐；热闹 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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28
muzzles
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| 枪口( muzzle的名词复数 )； （防止动物咬人的）口套； （四足动物的）鼻口部； （狗）等凸出的鼻子和口 | |
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glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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expeditiously
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| adv.迅速地，敏捷地 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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jingling
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| 叮当声 | |
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trotting
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| 小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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41
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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42
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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43
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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45
ruse
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| n.诡计，计策；诡计 | |
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46
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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48
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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49
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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50
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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51
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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52
lugubrious
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| adj.悲哀的，忧郁的 | |
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