Search -
The further story of Lieutenant Sandy Ray
The further story of Lieutenant Sandy Ray Author:Charles King Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER V. Blunt came back from the commanding officers in no such mood as he had gone. Blunt had been given no show, as he would say, at any of the plums in ... more »the way of stirring service that fell to the lot of other subalterns at the station. Blunt had got himself into the black list of his post commander and looked for a wigging of some kind, not for favor. Blunt was amazed to find his little loved captain apparently disdainful of past differences and thinking only of present opportunity. Blunt had been offered a chance he longed for. Crabtree wished him to set forth that very day with a brace of signal men and forty stout American soldier hearts to scout the southward road, clean out any lurking ladrones and open communication with the railway. "They will surely be reaching out from below," said he; "we must meet them half way, and you're the man to do it." This from the commander whom last night Blunt would have shamed, and this morning could have hated, well nigh took his breath away. Blunt was stunned to silence. "Don't you—want to go?" asked Crabtree, in amaze. "Don't I—want?—well, don't I want more pay, promotion, anything, everything, but did I ever think I'd get it ? Of course I want to go, sir, but " "Then there are no buts, Mr. Blunt," said Crab- tree, briefly. "Go and get ready. I'll tend to the details. Ten days' rations, extra ammunition and the best carts and carabaos we've got." Blunt went back to his room in a daze. He thought to find Ray sleeping, but Hay was gone. He needed a bit of friendly advice—and aid, and though he had known Ray but a few days he had known of him long, and Ray knew mrch more about'campaigning in the tropics than did Blunt or his fellows. Ray had had much of it: the Forty-Second practically none. The little scouting done f...« less