Part 10 (1/2)
THE RESULT OF A SWIM
To the boys, who had never visited a reat interest, and they were glad, after the meal was over, to have Lieutenant Carrol take them around This occupied some ti parade
This was quite an affair, and the two lads joined the ladies of the place to witness it Everybody turned out, in uniform as clean as possible, on inspection The drums rolled, the fifers struck up a lively air, and the three companies, headed by a major, marched around the stockade several tiates Here the coh a number of fancy evolutions
”It's splendid!”moves like clockwork”
”It makes me almost wish to be a soldier,” answered Darry ”But if a fellow had this day in and day out I aht, Darry,” said Mrs Fairfield ”The colonel has to think up a great nuet up all sorts of contests, and concerts and theatricals, and go hunting when they can get the chance--anything to keep the too dull”
”Have they had any real military duty to do lately?” asked Joe
”Not for over a year Then the Modoc Indians got up a sun-dance, and they had to march over to Kedahmina and stop it Two Indians were killed and one soldier was badly wounded Since that time the Indians have been quiet”
”But the Indians ain”
”Probably they will--one is never sure of theeneral has said, 'The only safe Indian is the dead Indian'”
The boys were assigned to a small room next to that occupied by Captain Moore and Lieutenant Carrol The apartment was neatly furnished with iron cots, an iron washstand, and a s
Fortunately the extra clothing they had carried had not been stolen, so they were not as bad off as they would otherwise have been
Joe was anxious to hear from his brother Will, but had to be patient
Yet he was not greatly worried, for he was almost certain that the soldiers would fail to fall in with the desperadoes, each having taken a different trail
The day following their arrival the boys fell in with several soldiers ere going fishi+ng up aobtained special leave of absence for that purpose The soldiers, ere nah to have the boys for coood sport,” said La of a leader ”No better fish in these parts than those you can catch in Rocky Pass River”
The boys had no fishi+ng-tackle, but Lieutenant Carrol fitted them out, and soon the party was on the way The soldiers were to be gone but four hours, and so struck out at a gait that taxed Joe and Darry to the utmost to keep up with thes, when Darry spoke about the speed ”After you've been out here a while you'll eat like a horse and feel like walking tenbefore breakfast I tell you, the air is wonderful”
”It certainly is bracing,” answered Darry ”I noticed that as soon as we began to cliht the the bank until they ca-hole
”Here we are,” said Lambert ”Now for the first fish!+”
”Ten cents to whoever catches it!” cried Joe, and placed a shi+ning dihed
”That dime is mine,” declared Ferry, as the first to throw in
”Perhaps,” answered Biggs ”But I reckon I've got just as good a chance now”
”Here I come,” put in Lambert, and threw over his friends' heads Hardly had his bait gone down than he felt a tug and whipped in a little fish not over six inches long