The Boy Scout Automobilists; Or, Jack Danby in the Woods

passed. It took more than two hours for the regiments, marching in close order, to get

Bean, and fooled him completely-and our whole army! They've left not more than two regiments there. Of course, that was a

th and the probable result of any encounter between the armies-and

d that's what I'm afraid of. That's clever tactics, you see, and they'd get the credit for it, of course-and they'd deserve it, too. Well, here's where we stop loafin

ll cutting a

ect it with our instruments. Then only the section beyond where we cut in is dead. There's a telegraph wire direct from Hardport to Smithville. Cutting the wire is legitimat

t and, with wire cutters and repair tools, and his pocket set of instruments, he proceeded to put into practice the theory that he had explained to Tom. He cut the wire ne

?" he asked. "Easy when

Jack. The trouble is you always seem to know

cally, at that moment, and began a

I get it, I'll splice this wire and fix it so that the line will be open for regular service again. We don't want to interrupt traffic by telegraph or telephone, if

o use his own best judgment, and that General Harkness would rely upon him to g

ire in order again. In the car there was plenty of telegraph wire for rep

is that there's nothing you know that isn't likely to come in handy some

rtifications without the proper materials. Not in this war, of course, but if there was real fighting. These maneuvers are different from the ordinary sort. They're not so cut and dried, and there aren't so many rules.

ack? I mean, we're really learning

of it, anyhow. It isn't a bit the

g in touch with General Bean

ed right into them. It's surely a good thing we had that little engine trouble. We'd be prisoners right now if we'd been able to go on at full speed, beca

ed the enemy, began to be audible again. It had died away for a time, and Jack had wondered whether Abbey had retired

Blue soldier was in sight-and yet General Bean was waiting for ful

s movements well, and I'll bet that if we ever do have another war, he'll cut a pretty big figure. Captain Durland says he's a real fighter, of the s

were regulars, tho

reat crisis brings up the men to meet it. It's perfectly true that Grant and Sherman had been in the regular army, but they had resigned before the war, and they hadn'

e news they were sure he was bringing, since his exploits had already won him a considerable reputation in the Red army, refused to tell what he knew to anyone save General Bean himself. They did not have to go all the way to the rear of the army. Gen

ou will give my compliments to Colonel Jones, and instruct him to put his regiment in motion at once. We will

r delightedly as the office

've done good work. This is the second time within twenty-four hours that the information you have obtained

as nearly as I could guess, was heading for that place, planning to

they will find we're ready for them, and that we'll hold a

had marched, and the whole section of country was lighted with their fires. In the faint light of

hese maneuvers would take place in a score of different parts of the country every year. It isn't asking much to ask the militia to turn out for one week of the fifty-two, and a week of this sort of thing is worth a year of ordinary drill and theory work in armories. I don't mean that the drill isn't useful; it is. But it isn't everything, as we've seemed inclined to think.

in front was very sharp now. And soon it was redoubled, as the advance of the main body of General B

l which overlooked the valley

ll scale, Tom," he said. "There's nothing else for

ttle they could see the horses of his regiment, hobbled, and under guard. Before them, lower down, was the enemy, doing little of the firing, and

the umpires

they've got to make a detailed report of all the operations to the War Department, and criticize ev

d before long the enemy was completely surrounded by a chain of Red troops, firing steadily. It lasted for nearly twenty minutes and then a bugle blew, over to their right, and in another moment the "Cease Firing" call had passed from regiment to regiment. The appeal

ylight. Then they might have been able to fall back and slip away and around to join

er a careful inspection of the situation, decided

ding up to the militia commander. "A very neat evolution, carefully planned and worked out. We were inclin