CHAPTER XX
PROMOTION FLIES IN THE AIR
A FEW days later the court-martial was convened at Fort Clowdry.
In the cases of the three "solitaries" the evidence was speedily in.
With the evidence furnished by Hal, Noll, Hyman and others, the accused delinquents were found guilty.
At the trial there had come another surprise. Evidence had just been forwarded from the recruiting office where Dowley had enlisted. This evidence showed that Frank Dowley was a highly respected man in his own part of the country, but he had left home and gone hundreds of miles away for new employment.
The prisoner who stood before the court as Dowley was Frederick Cramp in his own proper name, and had served a term in jail for robbery. Cramp had a generally bad reputation. Finding himself closely pursued by the sheriff's officers for a newly committed crime, Cramp had seized upon the inspiration to enter the Army under the assumed name of Dowley. In the ranks he believed that none of the pursuing officers would think of looking for him.
The references of the supposed Dowley had come back from the home town with such splendid endorsement that the enlisting officer had imagined that he had found a most satisfactory recruit in Frederick Cramp.
It is likely that the deceit would never have been discovered, had not Frank Dowley—the real one—lately returned to his home town. He had been astounded when his friends had questioned him about Army life, and, on hearing the news, had hastened to the nearest recruiting office, from which this strange story had come to be laid before the court-martial just in time to punish the culprit.
"Dowley" was sentenced to be dishonorably dismissed from the service, with forfeiture of pay and allowances, to serve one year at a military prison and then to be turned over to the civil authorities for such further punishment as might develop.
Corporal Minturn, too, was sentenced to be dismissed from the service, and to serve one year at a military prison.
Private Bill Hooper got off with simple dismissal.
Then the prisoners were sent back to the guard house until the findings and sentences had been passed upon and signed by the department commander.
A week later the papers were returned with the endorsement of the brigadier general commanding the department.
Dowley, Hooper and Minturn left under guard the same day.
"They're all generals now," mimicked Private Hyman.
"Generals?" queried Noll.
"Yes; general prisoners."
"Bill Hooper will be on the retired list when he reaches Denver, anyway," smiled Hal. "Having no stretch to serve, he's to be turned loose when the guard reaches that city."
The morning after, as Colonel North sat in his office at headquarters, an orderly entered and handed him a telegram.
"Orderly!" called the colonel crisply two minutes later.
A young soldier of the guard stepped in, saluting and standing at attention.
"Orderly, my compliments to Captain Cortland, and ask him to attend me here as soon as possible."
Five minutes later B Company's commander entered and saluted.
"Take a seat, Cortland," urged the older man. "I have a telegram here that will interest you. It's from the senior surgeon at department military hospital. Corporal Hapgood, of your company, who was sent there for treatment, died yesterday. A very bad case of typhoid had developed."
"Then poor Hapgood won't be sent back here for burial, sir?"
"No; the dispatch says that the corporal is being buried there to-day."
"I'm sorry for Hapgood," said Captain Cortland solemnly, a slight break in his voice. "He was a man, every inch of him, and a fine soldier with big promise for the future. I have his mother's address, and I will write her. But the best kind of letter will seem a poor substitute for a son in the case of that lonely old mother. He was all she had."
"The mother will be able to draw a pension of twelve dollars a month for the rest of her life, then," replied the colonel. "That is something, even if not as good as having a live son to comfort her."
"Yes; the pension will be assured," mused Captain Cortland.
"By the way, Cortland, you are now shy on two corporals in your company."
"Yes, Colonel; I was about to speak of that to you."
"Whom do you want appointed in their places?"
The colonel of a regiment appoints all non-commissioned officers in his regiment; he also "breaks," or reduces them to the ranks at his pleasure, if any need comes up.
But, though the colonel has the appointive power, he always consults with the commander of a company about any new appointments of non-coms. in that company.
"I have several good men who are entitled to appointment," replied Captain Cortland slowly.
"Then you haven't made up your mind?"
"I can, easily, sir, if you wish it."
"I am thinking, captain, only of the fact that, if the appointments be not promptly made you will run very short on corporals," replied the colonel.
"There's Hyman, sir, and Conrad. Both are bright, attentive soldiers. Then there are Overton and Terry. They're quite new men, but they've made records for themselves in the short time they've been with us."
"Any others?" asked Colonel North, tapping his knee with the pencil that he held in one hand.
"A few others, sir, but none with quite as good claims as the four men I've named."
"Whom do you favor most, Captain?"
"It's hard to say, sir. Hyman is nearly through with his enlistment, and Conrad in the middle of his third enlistment. Now, from length of service it looks as though Conrad ought to have one of the appointments."
"A man who is well along in his third enlistment, and hasn't been made a non-com. in all that time ought not to have much consideration if there are other men with better natural claims," replied Colonel North. "A man who is thoroughly qualified to be a corporal ought to get there in less than seven or eight years, don't you think so?"
"That's true, sir," Captain Cortland nodded.
"Is Hyman as good a man as Overton or Terry?" continued the regimental commander, apparently much interested.
"He has had longer experience, but I think Overton and Terry are both a shade above Hyman in natural aptitude; in fact, the lads are considerably above him."
"Then——"
"I see your drift, Colonel, and I agree with you. I therefore urge, sir, that Overton and Terry be appointed as corporals, and I will keep Hyman in mind for the next chance that comes up."
"You are satisfied, then, Captain, to make Overton and Terry corporals?"
"More than satisfied, Colonel. One of these days they'll be sergeants, at that. A company commander, I take it, sir, can't start too early to fire the spark of ambition in the right men."
"You and I are agreed on that, then, Cortland. I am glad you have recommended Overton and Terry as corporals. I will have their appointments published in orders this afternoon."
No suspicion had Hal or Noll when they fell in for parade that afternoon.
When Lieutenant Wright, battalion adjutant, published the orders, he read off four routine orders before he came to that creating Private Hal Overton a corporal in B Company.
"Whew! It has come, but I didn't expect anything like that," quivered Soldier Hal. "I didn't think I could do it inside of a year."
"Lucky Hal," thought Private Terry. "He has gotten ahead of me, but I'm glad just the same. It has always been the rule for Hal to beat me, anyway."
The next order made Noll Terry's hair stand up. He had been made a corporal, too.
How the hearts of both danced when the regimental band played the headquarter's battalion from the parade ground.
"You two are the lucky soldier kids," cried Private Hyman, coming up to the boys with outstretched hands. "How did you manage it?"
"That's the point, Hyman," laughed Hal happily; "we didn't manage it. It just happened."
Before the quartermaster's store closed both soldier boys drew their corporal's chevrons, then hunted up the company tailor to get him to sew these prized badges of rank on their sleeves.
"I suppose, Sergeant, one or both of us will be transferred from your squad room," said Hal regretfully, when they encountered Hupner.
"I've heard nothing to that effect as yet, Corporal," replied the room sergeant.
"Corporal!" How wonderfully fine that simple title sounded, though the title meant but one step above that of plain private soldier.
"I'm sorry for one thing, Corporal," laughed Private Hyman, that night after supper.
"What's that?" Hal queried.
"I'm extremely sorry that your old chums, Hooper and Dowley, tired of the Army too soon to see your chevrons on your sleeves. Say, but I think those chevrons are about the handsomest I've ever seen," added Private Hyman, an undertone of wistfulness in his voice.
The next day brought more good news. The date was set on which headquarter's band and the first battalion of the Thirty-fourth was to leave for Denver, to take part in the summer encampment of the Colorado National Guard. Neither Corporal Overton nor Corporal Terry was assigned to the guard detachment that was to remain behind.
Lieutenant Greg Holmes, only a few months out of West Point, drew a "blank" that made his face look gloomy. Lieutenant Holmes was the only officer in the battalion who was to remain behind. He was to have command of the guard that was to take care of the post in the absence of the troops.