With the first shots the three friends stirred and woke up, listening while half asleep. But with the second three shots they rose up in their beds, wide awake.
Close at hand the sound of rapidly turning wheels reached their ears, accompanied by the beat of horses’ hoofs1. Something metallic2 bumped and banged. A voice called out: “Corporal of the guard! Post Number Three!”
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The boys jumped from their cots with one accord, reaching for their clothes.
“Something wrong with the sentries3,” cried Don.
“Who is at Number Three post?” asked Jim.
“Anderson,” answered Terry, fumbling4 with his shoes.
The camp was in motion. Lights flashed at various points and voices sounded. Past the tent went running feet. But the bugle5 did not sound, so they knew that it was not a fire or any similar emergency.
“I’m ready. How about you two?” Don called.
“Right with you,” was the response and the three soldiers burst out of the tent.
A central fire was burning and at this point the colonel was standing6, half-clad and with mussed-up hair, his eyes heavy with sleep. The other cadets were clustering around him there, and the sentries were straggling in to that center. Just as the three boys reached the spot the sentries from Number Three and Number Four posts came up and saluted7.
Number Three post was at a point up the Ridge8 and Number Four was right at the edge of camp. The shots from Number Four had followed so closely to those from Number Three that they knew the same thing had caused both signals.
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“Sentries to report, sir,” announced the corporal of the guard, saluting9.
The colonel saluted and faced the sentries. “Make your report, gentlemen,” he ordered.
Anderson, from Number Three post spoke10 up. “While patrolling my post I heard a wagon11 coming along that dirt road just above the camp on the Ridge. It appeared to be coming at a great rate of speed and just as it reached a point above my post it left the road and cut right down through the bushes toward me. It had a man and a boy in it and I challenged them, but without slacking speed a single bit the wagon tore right past me toward the camp. I then fired the shots to warn the camp and the next sentry12.”
“Very good,” nodded the colonel. “Mr. Simms?”
“I heard the shots, though I had heard the thrashing of the wagon previously,” spoke up the second sentry. “I turned to find the wagon bearing down on me, swinging from side to side, and with a man and boy hanging onto the seat. It cut straight across the lower end of the camp grounds, down the slope and across the drill grounds. I fired to bear out Mr. Anderson.”
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“Very good, gentlemen,” said the colonel, with a puzzled frown on his forehead. In the momentary13 silence that followed they could hear the mysterious wagon bumping and banging across the country, apparently14 at top speed.
Now that the official reports had been given the talk became general. The incident was extremely puzzling. Both sentries remarked that the man and boy had been huddled15 together much as though pretty badly frightened, and the sight of the cadets with guns had not seemed to reassure16 them any. Neither sentry had been able to see what had been in the wagon because it had passed them in too great a hurry, but from the sound they judged the rattling17 was caused by pots and pans. A single horse had pulled the cart.
“Strangest thing I ever heard of,” murmured the new senior captain, Henry Jordan.
“I can’t figure out why the party in the wagon left the dirt road,” said the colonel to Major Rhodes, the drill instructor18. “That road runs parallel with the Ridge and works gradually down to the level of the countryside. For some reason or other that pair in the wagon wanted to get off the Ridge and out on the open meadow.”
“It is possible that they were fleeing from some crime,” suggested Rhodes.
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“True enough,” assented19 the colonel. “And when they saw the cadets the vision didn’t reassure them any. Well, it goes beyond my understanding.” He turned once more to the attentive20 soldiers. “Corporal of the guard, restation the sentries. Everyone back to his bed.”
The sentries were reposted and the other cadets straggled back to their cots. Once in their tent Jim looked at his watch.
“A quarter past three,” he announced. “Quite an uncanny hour out here in the country. I’ll bet there is something behind that wild wagon flight.”
“Funny they should cut right across the camp,” remarked Don.
“I agree with Rhodes that those fellows were probably fleeing from something like a crime,” advanced Terry.
“That may be the explanation,” agreed Don. “I can’t think of any other reason for such a wild flight. Well, me for some more sleep.”
The rest of that night was quiet and in the morning the cadets discussed the event further. The details of the day then took up all of their attention and the night adventure was pushed from their minds.
Late in the afternoon Don and Terry hastened into the tent to get their baseball gloves. Jim was in the tent at the time.
“Going to play some ball?” Terry hailed.
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Jim shook his head. “I’m out of luck today,” he announced. “Six of us have to go to a near-by farmhouse21 and buy some eggs and butter. The colonel told me to try and strike a bargain with a farmer for eggs, butter, milk and meat.”
“Don’t forget to wait for your change after you pay the farmer!” advised Terry.
“Go chase yourself!” flung back Jim. “I guess I know enough for that.”
While the other two went off to play ball Jim rounded up his five companions and they set off on horseback for the farmhouses22 that lay scattered23 over the Ridge. Two of the farms they passed did not look very promising24 but at last they came to a neat-looking one which had a large sign on the front fence. This sign announced that chickens, eggs and butter were on sale and into this yard the six cavalrymen turned their horses. An uproar25 of barking dogs announced their presence and a farmer appeared, scanning their uniforms with great interest. To him Jim explained their errand.
The farmer was more than pleased and hastened to bring out several dozen fresh eggs and a dozen pounds of butter. In the meantime some children and two farmhands had gathered about the soldiers, staring at them curiously26. When the supplies had been paid for Jim asked the farmer to come to camp and confer with the colonel concerning future food supplies. The farmer was delighted beyond words.
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“You bet your boots I’ll come down,” he cried. “Business is mighty27 poor, and this is a big boost to me. My name’s Carson.”
A little boy named Jimmie was particularly interested in the cadets, and they took an instant liking28 to him. He was a bright and sturdy little boy, and some of the cadets invited him to visit the camp, an invitation which he willingly accepted.
Just before they rode off the farmer spoke to Jim. “Ain’t see nothing of the ghost, have you?” he asked.
Jim shook his head. “No. Have you one?”
The farmer nodded solemnly. “Haven’t you heard about the ghost of Rustling29 Ridge?” he asked.
“No, we haven’t,” laughed Lieutenant30 Thompson.
“There is a sure-enough ghost that prowls this Ridge,” said the farmer, gravely. “Every once in a while it walks and scares people half to death. More than one family’s up and moved away just on account of him.”
“So far we haven’t been lucky enough to see him,” returned Jim, distributing the packages. “If we do, we’ll try and take him apart and look at him.”
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The farmer shook his head. “Very bad business, that ghost. Look out he doesn’t turn up in your camp some night.”
With more jests about the ghost the cadets swung out of the yard and headed back toward camp, carrying their packages carefully.
“So there is a ghost on the Ridge, is there?” Thompson said to Jim.
“I’m not greatly surprised,” Jim said. “Most of these country places have room for at least one good ghost. They wouldn’t be quite happy if they didn’t.”
The colonel was pleased at their success and planned to buy more things from the farmer in the future. The provisions, with the exception of the canned goods which they had brought with them from school, had been all used up, for the invigorating outdoor life gave all the cadets ravenous31 appetites.
The cadets had been asleep perhaps two hours that night when a medley32 of shots rang out from post Number One, deep in the woods. As on the previous night the three boys hopped33 out of bed immediately.
“Golly, this is getting to be an epidemic,” snorted Terry.
“But this must be something different,” remarked Don. “I don’t hear any wagon crashing through the bushes.”
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“There aren’t any more shots, either,” mentioned Jim.
Once outside the corporal of the guard brought in Douglas from the post. The colonel asked for a report.
“While standing at my post I saw a white shape pass me about ten yards away!” was Harry’s startling statement. “I challenged it, but it just glided35 on past me. At my shots it flashed into the trees and was gone. I was unable to find any trace of it.”
“A shape, Mr. Douglas?” frowned the colonel. “What sort of a shape?”
“Well, it looked like someone in a sheet,” explained Douglas. “I couldn’t see any head on the object, and it seemed to glide34 along the ground!”
“Hmm, our ghost of the Ridge!” said Jim to Thompson.
“What was that, Mr. Mercer?” the colonel cried, alertly.
Jim explained the story which the farmer had told to them that afternoon. “We didn’t say anything about it, because we put it down for a lot of nonsense,” he wound up.
“I see,” replied the colonel. “Captains and lieutenants36 go to post Number One and look around.”
The others waited a long half-hour until the officers came back. There was no news.
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“We found no traces of anything,” Senior Captain Jordan reported.
Puzzled over the events of the past two nights the colonel ordered the boys back to bed. It was a long time before a good many of them fell asleep. In their own tent the three pals37 talked quietly of the situation, but could not puzzle it out.
“If this business doesn’t stop pretty soon,” Terry concluded the talk, “we won’t get enough sleep on this camping trip!”
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1
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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metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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fumbling
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| n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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bugle
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| n.军号，号角，喇叭；v.吹号，吹号召集 | |
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6
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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7
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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saluting
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的现在分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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12
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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15
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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instructor
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| n.指导者，教员，教练 | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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farmhouse
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| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
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farmhouses
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| n.农舍，农场的主要住房( farmhouse的名词复数 ) | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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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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ravenous
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| adj.极饿的，贪婪的 | |
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32
medley
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| n.混合 | |
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33
hopped
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| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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34
glide
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| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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36
lieutenants
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| n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员 | |
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37
pals
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| n.朋友( pal的名词复数 )；老兄；小子；（对男子的不友好的称呼）家伙 | |
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