"Not much chance in that for offense, sir," laughed the boyish sergeant.
"But you"re of the Army," said Mr. Darrin, "and I don"t know whether you believe that a sailor is a judge of a soldier."
"Quite naturally, sir," laughed Hal, "I am wholly willing to believe in the value of your judgment. And I have another reason."
"What is that, Sergeant!"
"Why, sir, you"re a very particular friend of Lieutenant Prescott"s, and we men of B company are ready to believe in any one whom Lieutenant Prescott likes."
"You have another very fine fellow for an officer in your regiment," Mr.
Darrin went on. "And that is Greg Holmes--pardon me, Lieutenant Holmes.
He"s as fine, in every way, as Mr. Prescott himself."
"Yes, sir. Lieutenant Holmes is as popular with the men as any officer in the regiment can be."
"You see," smiled Mr. Darrin reminiscently, "when Dalzell, Prescott, Holmes and myself were youngsters--or smaller youngsters than we are now--we were all chums together in the same High School."
Then, finding a ready and appreciative listener Midshipman Darrin plunged into the recounting of many of the former adventures of that famous group of schoolboys once known as d.i.c.k & Co., whose doings were fully set forth in the "HIGH SCHOOL BOYS" SERIES."
Sergeant Hal heard, also, of Tom Reade and Harry Hazelton, the two remaining members of d.i.c.k & Co., whose adventures, after leaving school, are now being set forth in the "YOUNG ENGINEERS" SERIES."
But Overton did not hear about the sweethearts of these former High School chums. Sweethearts were too sacred to be discussed with comparative strangers.
"Now, Prescott informs me that you two young sergeants intend to work for commissions from the ranks," said Mr. Darrin, after a while.
"Yes, sir; that was our idea in entering the service."
"I hope, heartily, Sergeant Overton, that both you and your friend win out with your ambitions."
"Thank you, sir."
"I have a very particular reason for wishing you that luck," smiled Midshipman Darrin, "and you are at liberty, Sergeant, to ask me what it is."
"Very good, sir."
"I want to see both yourself and Sergeant Terry succeed because I don"t believe the service can afford to be without two such unusually good officers as you and Sergeant Terry would make."
Hal flushed, tried to utter his thanks, and found himself confused, for Midshipman Darrin, who was taller, was gazing down at him with a very friendly look in his eyes.
"My hand has been itching for something all day," the young Naval officer went on. "Sergeant, I want to shake hands with you, if you don"t mind."
Their hands met in hearty clasp.
"I shall have Prescott keep me posted regarding you two young men,"
went on Dave Darrin. "And, when you two are officers, if you are ever near any craft on which I"m on duty I want you to promise me that you"ll come to visit me."
"You know how much delight that would give both Sergeant Terry and myself, sir."
"Attention--to the job!" suddenly muttered Dave Darrin, in a low voice.
Their long tramp had taken them alongside a low ledge.
As Darrin spoke in that low voice he raised his hunting rifle quickly, bringing the b.u.t.t to his shoulder with a jerk.
He fired--straight at a bear, not more than five feet over their heads and at a total distance of only about ten feet.
But in that same instant the big, brown brute moved, and the bullet intended for his heart merely clipped away a bit of hair at the bottom of the animal"s belly.
Bruin"s first move had been to get away from danger, but now, at the shot, he became very much angered.
A second, swift leap, and the big animal jumped downward, landing on Midshipman Darrin"s chest and bearing him to the earth.
"Lie still, sir!" gasped Sergeant Hal.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "Lie Still, Sir!" Gasped Sergeant Hal.]
There was but a single cartridge in Overton"s rifle. He clicked the bolt, then aimed all in a flash.
In his agitation Hal succeeded only in grazing the top of the animal"s back.
But bruin, crouched on Darrin"s body, raised his head and turned it snarlingly toward Hal.
Everything that was to be done must be done in a moment. Fortunately, the young sergeant wore his bayonet in scabbard at his belt.
Like a flash Sergeant Overton fixed that bayonet to the muzzle of his rifle, bruin regarding him with a hostile glitter in his eyes, while Midshipman Darrin, whose rifle had been hurled just out of his reach, had the presence of mind to lie utterly still.
"Now, we"ll see what you"ll do, bruin!" quivered Hal, making a swift lunge for the animal"s side.
What bruin did was to leap away from the midshipman"s prostrate body.
Despite the bear"s lumbering body and shambling gait he can be spry enough at need.
Hal"s thrust, therefore, failed to land directly, but merely ripped along the animal"s coat.
The momentum that followed the miss caused Sergeant Hal Overton to fall forward to his knees. And now the enraged bruin made straight for him.
There was time to do but one thing. Sergeant Hal made a lunge direct at the bear"s eyes.
With that menace of cold steel before his eyes the bear dodged to one side, then rose to his hind feet.
Rising, Hal took his stand on the defensive, for now bruin was determined on a finish fight.
Straight at Bruin"s heart lunged Hal, but it was a game at which two could play.
Bruin"s ma.s.sive left paw, backed by prodigious strength, swept the bayoneted rifle aside, fairly wrenching it from Overton"s grasp.
So now the bear was ready, either for embrace or pursuit of this now helpless enemy.
Midshipman Dave Darrin, U. S. N., at the instant when he found the weight of the bulky animal removed from his body, had crawled noiselessly away for a few feet.