FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89  
90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   >>   >|  
revent, if you can," laughed the Mexican. "We shall see what will happen," retorted the Army boy. "Nothing--so far as you American soldiers are concerned," came the triumphant answer. "You shall see," vaunted Hal, though inwardly he groaned. He had been outwitted, in his first command as an officer, and he could feel the hot shame of the whole thing. "But I don't see how you fellows can get anything out of Guarez's barn, unless you have been able to noose the whole of the sergeant's guard posted there." Another laugh, and one of undisguised, unmistakable merriment, escaped the Mexican. "Eh?" wondered Hal, for that laugh set him to thinking. Yet he did not pretend to himself that he could fathom what lay behind that laugh. "It is our night to laugh," explained the guard. "Your merriment is ill-timed, then," growled young Overton. "Wait until you have all your war stuff on Mexican soil before you laugh again!" "My time to laugh is every time that I look at you seven brave _soldados_, tied up like so many chickens for the butcher," grinned the guard. "In the meantime, our boat must now be at the pier, and soon she will be laden. Then--ah, well, there will be rejoicing on the other side of the Rio Grande!" "I'll wager there'll be rejoicing," thought Lieutenant Hal. "And, as for me, I'm an officer with a blasted reputation. I've failed with my first chance to do my duty!" In sheer disgust with himself, though he was really little if any at fault, Lieutenant Hal Overton, U. S. Army, rolled further over that he might cool his hot face against the cool earth. CHAPTER XIV AFFAIRS TAKE A MILITARY TURN As he did so Hal's hands touched against the wrists of Private Simms, who lay next to him. "Confound me, why didn't I think of that before?" the Army boy demanded of himself, a sudden, brief hope surging up in his breast. Then he tried it, to see how well it would work. Though he was bound at elbows and wrists, the young lieutenant's fingers were free. Wriggling slightly nearer, Hal fingered at the cords that bound Simm's wrists. That soldier felt and understood. Wriggling slightly nearer, and doing it so easily and gradually as not to attract the attention of the Mexican guard, Simms waited to see what would come of his officer's new move. Slowly, diligently, Hal worked at the first knot. He felt a thrill of joy when his busy fingers untangled that knot. Then another one, and anothe
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89  
90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Mexican
 

wrists

 

officer

 

fingers

 

merriment

 
Overton
 
rejoicing
 

Lieutenant

 
Wriggling
 

nearer


slightly

 

worked

 
rolled
 

diligently

 
CHAPTER
 

Slowly

 
failed
 
reputation
 

untangled

 

anothe


blasted

 

chance

 

thrill

 

disgust

 

surging

 

breast

 

soldier

 

demanded

 

understood

 

sudden


lieutenant

 
fingered
 

elbows

 

Though

 

attention

 
MILITARY
 

waited

 
touched
 

attract

 
easily

Confound
 

Private

 
gradually
 
AFFAIRS
 

Guarez

 

fellows

 
wondered
 

thinking

 
escaped
 

unmistakable