r
more officers up the river on the swiftest boat at my disposal. Mr.
Overton, you will command. The other young officers will go with you.
You, Mr. Prescott, will take your own ten men from the Thirty-fourth,
and you, Mr. Overton, will take Sergeant Raney and nine men from this
regiment. All the men are here at this moment. Rush the orders!"

As soon as the two sergeants had been called and had received the
orders, Captain Foster continued his instructions.

"Gentlemen, you will use the troops only to save life and restore order
in Holmesville. At the earliest possible moment you will turn control
over to the local police again. You may have to fire into rioting
crowds, but be careful about shooting recklessly or needlessly into
groups. Remember, too, that there will doubtless be many estimable
Mexicans at Holmesville who will not be rioters nor in any way in
sympathy with them. The rioters, you will find, will be of the worst and
most lawless class of Mexicans; they will be largely composed of
refugees from Mexican justice--the very riff-raff of the population."

At the conclusion of the instruction the young officers broke for the
officers' tent to get their swords. As this night might see rousing
hand-to-hand work with rioters the swords might have their place.

The two sergeants heading the squads were now rushing the drawing of
rations and ammunition. In a very few minutes the squads had fallen in.

"Sergeant Raney," called Lieutenant Hal, "move your squad to the dock in
double time."

Prescott followed this with similar orders to Sergeant Kelly.

The two captured craft and the "Restless" lay at the dock. As the
troops, their officers in the lead, marched out on the pier Skipper Tom
Halstead sang out:

"Stand by the engine, Joe!"

With that the young motor boat captain leaped to the dock and ran to the
stern hawser, while Hank Butts stood by the bow-hawser.

"Squad halt! Break ranks! Get aboard lively," ordered Sergeant Raney.
Nor did Kelly let his own squad lose any time. The young officers
followed in the wake of their men.

"Want to cast off?" called Skipper Halstead pleasantly.

"Without loss of a second," replied Lieutenant Hal.

Without waiting for other orders Hank let go the bow-line and carried
it aboard with him. Tom Halstead went up over the stern.

"Slow speed ahead, Joe," Hank called down as he rested one hand on the
wheel. The "Restless" began to move from her pier.

"Up river, or d