CHAPTER X
TRAPPERS AND TRAPPED
"HALT, who's there?"
A single sentry, just at the opening of the ravine, called the challenge in a low voice.
There was no response.
"Halt! Who's there?"
There still being no response, the sentry advanced toward a line of bushes.
He stepped through, peering beyond.
Almost without sound four C Company men leaped at the sentry, clutching him by the throat and bearing him to the ground.
The captured sentry was able to make only a low gurgling sound in his throat. His rifle was snatched away from him. Working at professional speed, the sentry was gagged and bound, then tossed upon the ground once more, while a C Company man sat upon him.
"Now, take the word back, Daly," ordered the non-commissioned officer in command of the captors.
The sentry did not offer to struggle. It was as though he feared physical punishment would be inflicted upon him if he dared attempt to make trouble.
Little did the exultant C Company men dream that this solitary sentry was the only man on guard duty for B Company. The fact was that this sentry had been posted with explicit instructions to allow himself to be captured without making any outcry or firing his rifle.
Three minutes later the ground about the captured sentry appeared to be covered with dimly defined figures of advancing men—soldiers in full field equipment.
It was C Company, advancing by column of twos, with Captain Freeman and Lieutenant Ray at the head, and Lieutenant Greg Holmes, alertly watchful of the line, at the rear.
Into the ravine C Company advanced, moving with barely a sound. It was Freeman's intention to reform his men once they were through the ravine and advance, yelling and firing, upon a surprised camp.
The head, then the center of the line, slipped into the ravine. At last the whole of C Company was fairly within the ravine.
Nor did Captain Freeman have the slightest idea of the many pairs of keen eyes that watched the progress of his command from the tops of the low walls of stone that bound the ravine.
Above stood Captain Cortland, well concealed in a bush, watching, revolver in hand.
Bang!
Captain Cortland fired his revolver into the ground—the signal shot.
Instantly a tempest of firing broke loose. Men stationed on either side, above the ravine, poured down their rifle fire—of blank ammunition, of course.
From the inner end of the ravine two squads of men fired from behind hastily erected entrenchments.
"Sound the retreat!" roared Freeman, above the din of the firing, in the ear of the bugler at his side.
But with the first notes of the bugle a din of reports and a belching of flame came from other B Company men, now stationed at the end of the ravine through which C Company had just entered.
The ambuscade was complete. Under any war conditions C Company was hopelessly engulfed, and ready for complete slaughter.
Suddenly the bugler up aloft, stationed by Captain Cortland's side, blew as though he would blow his lungs out, the signal for "cease firing."
Then the din of musketry died down.
"Captain Freeman," called Cortland, "I call upon you to surrender your command. You must realize that, under war conditions, you have already lost nearly every man of your force."
"I surrender my command," replied Captain Freeman promptly. "As you say, Cortland, you have us wholly at your mercy."
At the word, passed by their non-commissioned officers, the wearied men of C Company squatted on the ground.
"I take it I may go through the ravine to your camp, Cortland," called Captain Freeman, "now that we are harmless prisoners of war."
"Yes; you had better march your company through into the open and we'll join you."
"Thank heaven the cruel war is over," muttered a soldier in C Company, and a hearty laugh from victors and vanquished answered this sally.
Ten minutes later the recent mimic combatants were all together on the same ground.
But Captain Freeman was burning with curiosity.
"May I ask, Cortland," he demanded, "how on earth you guessed our plans so well that you had that trap spread for us?"
"I didn't guess your plans," smiled Captain Cortland.
"Oh, come now!"
"Not a bit of guess about it, my dear Freeman. I knew your whole plan for to-night."
"Knew it?"
"Yes."
"You had scouts out, Cortland, who detected our advance? From your knowledge of our advance you cleverly guessed our plan?"
"Oh, no! As I just said, I knew your plan, and did not have to guess it."
"But how?" pressed Captain Freeman, still disconsolate and much mystified.
"Indirectly, I had the plan from your own lips. In other words, Freeman, scouts of mine were in your camp at early dark to-night. They heard you and your officers discussing the plan. Then, very naturally, my scouts brought the information to me."
"Scouts?" cried the bewildered commander of C Company. "By Jove, I remember two men who strolled down through my camp to-night. I called to them to keep close to our lines."
"But they didn't," chuckled Captain Cortland gleefully, "for those two men whom you hailed happened to be my scouts."
Captain Freeman took two great, gulping breaths in his sheer amazement.
"Cortland, now that the sham campaign is over," he begged, "may I know who your scouts were?"
"Certainly, my dear Freeman. They were Privates Overton and Terry."
"Overton!" gasped Captain Freeman, in deep chagrin. "The clever young rascal who looted my outpost last night?"
"The same."
Several of C Company's enlisted men were within hearing.
Now, from one of these men, came the heart-felt utterance:
"Hang that kid Overton!"
"Terry's just as bad," growled another C Company soldier.
"Cortland," remarked C Company's chop-fallen commander, "I congratulate you on having two fine young soldiers in your company."
"I surely have," nodded Captain Cortland. "I have already informed Overton and Terry of my estimate of their abilities."
Twenty minutes later the reunited companies of wearied officers and men slept side by side under the stars of the Colorado sky.