"Did you know the fellow Branders was in this part of the world?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then why, Private Overton, did you not report your information promptly to your officers?"
"Why, I did not have the least idea, sir, that Branders was still in this neighborhood, and I did not, at any time, connect him in my mind with the robberies."
"How often, and where, have you seen Branders in this part of the country?" demanded Colonel North, impressively, while the other officers looked on with keen interest.
Hal flushed, for he felt that now he was under some suspicion himself.
"I have seen Branders just once, sir," the recruit replied. "Private Terry was with me at the time."
"This man here?" inquired Colonel North, turning to glance at Noll, who stood by.
"Yes, sir."
"When did you both see Branders, then?"
"Our first day here, sir. You may recall, Colonel, that you told Terry and me that we need not go on duty that first day, but that we might have the day to ourselves, as a reward for having helped Major Davis in that mail-train affair the night before our arrival at this post."
"I remember," nodded Colonel North. "But you have not yet told me the circ.u.mstances of your meeting with Branders."
Hal hurriedly recounted the details of that meeting, among the rocks past the ledge, out on the road leading westward from the post.
"At that time, Colonel," Private Hal Overton continued, "Branders told us he was headed for a ranch to the westward, where he expected to get a job. We had no reason for disbelieving him, at the time, and so it never even occurred to us, until to-night, that he might be one of the burglars who have been looting this post. Besides, sir, though Tip had always been known as a rather worthless fellow, we had never heard of his being the a.s.sociate of downright criminals."
Now the searchers came in to report that they could find neither a trail nor any sight of dropped bundles of loot.
"At daylight, Major," suggested Colonel North to Major Silsbee, "you may be able to send out scouts who, with a better light, may succeed in finding a trail."
Hal turned to Lieutenant Hayes, saluting.
"I wonder, sir, if it won"t be best for me to offer a suggestion to Colonel North?"
The regimental commander turned at once.
"You may speak, Private Overton."
"I was about to inquire, sir," replied Hal, saluting, "if it isn"t likely that there may be a good hiding place for thieves among the rocks back of the ledge of which I spoke some time ago."
"What makes you think the thieves may be there, Overton?"
"The thought has just struck me, sir, that Branders was probably lurking about in the vicinity of a cave or other place of concealment, on the day that he threw the stone at us. It struck me, sir, that a squad of men might search that locality with the chance of finding the rest of Branders"s a.s.sociates and also of recovering much of the stuff that has been stolen from quarters on this post."
"That"s a bright suggestion, worth working upon. Cortland, will you take a detachment of men and hasten out to that locality? Post men all around while it is still dark, and then, with a few men, plunge right through that neighborhood. Overton and Terry will go with you as guides, so that you may strike the exact spot without loss of time."
Captain Cortland dispatched a soldier to go at once to Sergeant Hupner"s squad room, with orders to turn out the men in that room at once and under arms, with fifty rounds of ammunition per man.
This done, Captain Cortland hastened to his own quarters, soon returning with his sword hanging at his belt and his revolver in its holster.
"While you are gone, Cortland," said Colonel North, "Silsbee and I will make whatever other investigations we can think of."
In an almost incredibly short s.p.a.ce of time Sergeant Hupner"s squad was ready, and turned into officers" row.
"Overton and Terry, you will walk ahead of the detachment, and I will go with you," Captain Cortland announced. "Sergeant Hupner, march your detachment in column of twos, twenty paces to the rear of the guides.
Forward!"
CHAPTER XXIII
THE STIRRING GAME AT DAWN
"THERE is the ledge, sir, right in yonder," announced Hal, peering through the darkness. A wind was coming up and the stars had faded. It was in the darkest hour before dawn.
Captain Cortland stepped back, holding out one hand as a signal.
Sergeant Hupner saw, and halted his detachment, marching almost without a sound.
"Remain here, guides, with the detachment," directed the company commander, in a whisper. "Sergeant Hupner, you and I will go forward and reconnoitre."
As soon as the officer and the non-commissioned officer had departed Private Bill Hooper growled out:
"What kind of a fool chase is this you"ve got us into, Overton?"
"Silence in the ranks," hissed Corporal Cotter sharply. "Not a word!"
Fifteen minutes later Captain Cortland and the sergeant returned.
"Take twelve of the men, now, Sergeant. You know where to post them,"
directed Captain Cortland briskly. "As soon as you have done so return to me."
Hupner marched off in the darkness with his dozen men. In a few minutes he was back.
"We"ll want until daylight now for the rest of our work," announced the company commander.
Slowly enough the time pa.s.sed. No word was spoken. All was as still around the little military force as though they had been isolated in the center of a vast desert.
Then the first faint signs of dawn came. Some of the soldiers were seated on the ground, gaping and with difficulty refraining from going to sleep, for these men of Uncle Sam"s Army had been routed from their beds in the middle of the night.
The morning light increased, though it was still dim, and the first vague shapes near the ledge began to take more definite shape.
"We won"t need to wait more than five minutes more, Sergeant Hupner,"
declared the captain.