an instant. It
made the spectators smile to see full-grown men ordered about by this
imperious youngster who was not yet seventeen years of age, and the
sight aroused the ire of Tom Randolph, who now and then rode out to the
camp to watch the drill and criticise the drill-master. He wanted to
learn something too, for Tom had an idea that he might one day have a
company of his own. His father suggested it to him, and Tom lost no time
in talking it up among his friends. To his great disgust Tom had learned
that some of these friends were getting "shaky." As time wore on and the
Rangers began to show proficiency under the severe drilling to which
they were daily subjected, these friends began to think and say that
they were afraid they had been a little too hasty in withdrawing from
the company just because Tom Randolph could not get the office he
wanted, and the first mounted drill that was held confirmed them in the
opinion. Due notice had been given of the drill, and the whole town and
all the planters for miles around, turned out to see it. Of course the
horses were green but their riders understood their business as well as
could be expected, and the spectators, one and all, declared that it was
a very creditable showing.

We do not, of course, mean to say that Randolph and his father and
mother and a few other dissatisfied ones were pleased with the drill.
They were rather disappointed to find that the Rangers could do so well
without the aid of the twelve deserters. They came to witness it because
their neighbors came, one of them, at least, being animated by the hope
that the spirited horses would become so restive when they heard the
rattle of the drum and the shrill scream of the fife, that their riders
could not keep them in line. It was a matter of difficulty, that's a
fact; but the Rangers were all good riders, and if Randolph hoped to see
any of them thrown from his saddle, his amiable wish was not gratified.
Another thing that disgusted Tom was the fact that Sergeant Gray
commanded the drill, the commissioned officers riding in the ranks like
so many privates. The file-closers, of course, occupied their proper
places.

"If I could afford to buy a horse I would join the company within an
hour, if they would take me," said one of the eleven who had seen fit to
withdraw from the Rangers when Tom did. "I cut off my nose to spite my
face, and so did all of us who got our backs up because we couldn't have
thing