The bullets that were whistling through camp had not the sound of Army missiles!
Yet the young sergeant had no time to speculate on this discovery, for now he heard a voice, and a wholly strange one, shout, as the volley ceased:
"You men surrender, if you don"t want to be riddled. If you start to make a move away from camp we"ll drop every one of you before any man can reach cover. We mean business!"
"h.e.l.lo! What"s going on here? Halt! Deploy, there! Lie down!
Ready--load--aim!"
That was Noll Terry"s voice, and the young sergeant was right on his word like a flash.
While the first party was hidden behind cover to the northward, Sergeant Noll and his men had come up from the westward.
"We"re friends," hailed that same voice from northward. "Who are you over to the westward? Who commands there?"
"Sergeant Oliver Terry, United States Army," Noll called back.
"Good for you, Sergeant! Stay in command. We"ll back up any move you make," came from northward.
"Do you rascally prowlers surrender?" called Noll.
"It"s about the only thing that seems left to do," sullenly admitted the leader of the invaders.
"Then hold up your hands and step away from those rifles," ordered Noll.
That command was obeyed, except by the man whose head had been battered by Hal"s flying revolver.
"Have they any other weapons, Hal?" called Sergeant Noll.
"So far as I know they haven"t," Sergeant Hal answered.
"You to the north!" called Noll.
"Ahoy, there!" came the good-natured answer.
"Will you move in, covering the prisoners with your rifles?"
"Gladly, Sergeant."
"Thank you."
Out of brushwood cover to the northward stepped three men. One was a middle-aged man, a mountaineer if dress and manner went for anything.
With him, supporting this guide on each side were two tall, very straight young men who appeared to be about twenty-three years of age each. These younger men were nattily though plainly attired in corduroy, with leggings and caps.
"Just stand right there, and hold the prisoners, please," directed Sergeant Terry.
Then Noll"s next step was to move in with his own men, four in number.
"Get the handcuffs," directed Noll. "I think we"ve enough to go around."
So saying Noll stepped over to his chum, quickly freeing him.
"Get up, Sergeant Overton," cried Noll, as he cut the last cord at his chum"s ankles. "And now I turn the command over to you."
Most of the prisoners took their capture in an ugly mood. Their leader, however, affected, coolly, to regard it all as the fortunes of the game.
"Here don"t handcuff any of the disabled men," directed Sergeant Hal.
"Green, you stand as a guard over those wounded. It"s bad enough to be hurt, without having one"s hands fixed so that he can"t aid himself any in his misery."
"You want Hinkey ironed, don"t you?" inquired Noll.
"No."
"But he"s an Army deserter."
"If he gets away from where he"s sitting he"ll be only the remains of one," returned Sergeant Overton dryly. "But Hinkey is wounded, and he"ll need his hands free in order to look after himself."
Hinkey, however, did not deign to notice this grace by so much as a look or a word.
"What are you going to do with these fellows?" asked Noll presently.
"It doesn"t rest with me," Hal replied. "This is a purely military matter, and I shall wait to get Lieutenant Prescott"s orders."
"Then Prescott belongs with this camp?" queried the taller, finer-looking of the pair of young strangers who had given Hal his first aid.
"Lieutenant Prescott is with this camp; yes, sir," Hal replied, laying considerable emphasis on the t.i.tle.
"We"re friends of his," explained the same stranger. "So, if you don"t mind, we"ll just wait for him."
"If you"re friends of Lieutenant Prescott, then make yourselves very much at home, sir," Hal answered cordially. "Any friend of Lieutenant Prescott has B company for his friends also."
Johnson and Dietz, who had been freed right after Sergeant Hal, were now busy once more with preparations for the extra meal.
"Had we better provide for three extra plates, Sarge?" inquired Johnson, in a low voice.
"It looks very much that way," smiled Hal. "And be sure to have a great plenty of everything. Vreeland will help you, as you"ve lost some time."
Ten minutes later the footsteps of others were heard approaching camp.
Then in came Lieutenant Prescott, with Corporal Cotter and five men.
They were carrying two antelope and a fine, big bear.
But the instant that Lieutenant Prescott caught sight of the strangers he dropped everything, rushing forward with outstretched hands.
"By all that"s wonderful! Dave Darrin! Dan Dalzell!"
Then the soldiers were treated to the unexpected spectacle of their lieutenant embracing the two young men in corduroy.
Soon after, however, Mr. Prescott wheeled about, one friend on either side of him.