CHAPTER VII
THE COACHES ARRIVE
Cavalry evolutions were ordered for the next day, followed by a fielddrill, and a service march of several miles, so that there was no chancefor football practice.
"And we need all we can get, too," remarked Dick to Paul.
"Let's suggest to Colonel Masterly that he give up lessons and drillwhile the gridiron season is on," suggested Paul with a smile.
"Yes, I can see him doing it," cried the young millionaire. "Which horseare you going to ride, Paul?"
"The little black--I'm fond of him, though he is a bit vicious."
The boys were on their way to the cavalry barracks, and in their wake,and ahead of them, were other cadets hastening to secure their mounts,for the bugle was impatiently calling.
"Do you think Spitfire is safe?" asked Dick, naming the steed Paul hadsaid he would use. "Why don't you take the little gray I used to ride?He's a good steady mount, though a bit slow."
"That's the trouble," was the answer, as Dick's roommate tightened thebelt of his sabre. "I want to keep up with the rest of the bunch. No,I'll take Spitfire. I reckon you'll ride Rex; eh?"
"Sure," for Dick had brought his own fine horse to Kentfield with him,together with his bulldog, and Grit was now ambling along behind the twochums, occasionally uttering a low bark of satisfaction, for the dogloved to go along on the practice "hikes."
"Well, be careful," cautioned the wealthy youth, as Paul went in tosaddle up.
"All right," laughed his chum, but there was a serious look on the faceof our hero, and he resolved to keep near his chum that day.
Artillery practice followed the cavalry drill, and the cadets, sittingas straight as ramrods on the caissons while the horses galloped aroundat full speed, leaped off the moment the sudden halt was made,unlimbered, fired rapid shots and, limbering up again, went off at a madgallop to repeat the operation.
"Forward march!" signalled the bugler when arrangements had been madefor the "hike," and the eager horses, astride of which were the no lesseager cadets, started off.
It was a pleasant day, though a trifle cool, and the service overcoats,with their flashily yellow linings, showing gaily in the sun when theyflapped back, felt very comfortable.
At first the march was in orderly array, while Major Webster, and someof the other military instructors, passed here and there among the newcadets, telling them the proper way to manage their horses. Dick and hischums, however, having passed several terms at the academy, needed nohints.
"Don't hold your snaffle reins that way, Mr. Porter," said the major tothe new lad as he rode up beside him. "You can't control your horse inan emergency. Let me show you," which he did, also correcting a fault henoticed in the way Weston sat on his steed.
"Humph! I guess I know something about horses," complained Porter, whenthe instructors had passed on. "I straddled one before I came here. Ihad a German riding master, and what he didn't know about horses wasn'tworth putting on ice. I'll ride as I please."
As he spoke, he put spurs to his horse, digging them in viciously, andas the startled animal leaped forward, the cruel lad wrenched the poorbrute's mouth open with the strong curb bit. There was a momentaryconfusion among the horses immediately surrounding Porter, and severalof the older cadets called sharply to him to "stop his funny work."
"Oh, you fellows make me tired!" Porter grumbled. "Why don't you do somefast riding."
"You'll get all the fast riding you want if you stay long enough," spokePaul sharply.
A little later the order was given to ride at will, and Major Webster,galloping back to Dick, said:
"Captain Hamilton, you and Lieutenant Drew take several of the newcadets and ride around by the long lake road. Give them some points.Take about ten--Mr. Porter and Mr. Weston, fall in with CaptainHamilton's squad."
"Hum! I guess Captain Hamilton thinks he knows it all," sneered Weston.
"Not a bit of it," answered Dick good naturedly. "But orders are ordersyou'll find. Come ahead, and I'll show you a fine bit of road, somemagnificent scenery, and we'll have a good gallop. Look out there, Paul,I don't like the way Spitfire is acting!" The young millionaire calledthis suddenly as he saw his chum's steed waltzing up to another animal,with ears laid back as though to bite, and so cause trouble.
"I can manage him," answered Paul confidently, as he put the restlesssteed about in a rapid circle.
Dick's little squad, himself and Paul the only really militaryexperienced riders in it, set off along a cross road that would bringthem to the shore path of Lake Wagatook. There, as the young captain hadsaid, was a fine road with scenery that one would have to travel manymiles to equal.
"Now for some fast riding!" called Dick, when they came to a long openstretch. "You can go as far as you like, Porter."
"Good! Then here I go!"
Viciously he again spurred his horse, and his example was followed byhis crony. The two animals sprang away together, but Porter's stepped ona round stone, stumbled, and almost fell. The boastful lad proved thathe did know something about animals, for he pulled up the beast's headsharply, and got him in hand again. Not before, however, the frightenedsteed had collided with some force into Spitfire.
Paul's horse lashed out instantly with its hind hoofs, and then, with ashake of the head bolted. The cadet attempted to pull him in, but, amoment later, uttered a startled cry.
"My curb rein is broken!"
It flashed through Dick's head in an instant what that meant. Naturallyugly, Spitfire, now unusually frightened, was practically beyondcontrol. Paul was doing his best but was rapidly being carried down thebroad highway, with Porter and Weston galloping after him, their ownsteeds none too well in hand.
"I've got to stop him!" exclaimed Dick. "I've got to catch Spitfire andstop him, or Paul may be hurt! That brute isn't fit to ride. Come, Rex!"
Rex needed no spur. Off he started like a racer, and Dick, looking back,flung over his shoulder at the other cadets:
"Come on, fellows, keep up as well as you can!"
Rex soon fell into his stride, and fairly skimmed along the smoothroad. But Paul was quite a distance ahead, and Spitfire was runninghard. Dick could see his chum sitting easily in the saddle, now and thenleaning forward trying to grasp the broken and flapping end of the curbrein.
"Don't do it! Wait! I'll catch you!" shouted Dick, but it is doubtful ifPaul heard him.
"Come on, Rex old man, we must do better than this. We can beatSpitfire," spoke Dick gently, patting his horse on the neck. Rexunderstood and let out a few more "kinks" of his speed.
The young millionaire soon reached and passed Porter and Weston, whosesteeds had soon tired of the speedy spurt. But not so with Spitfire.Dick knew he would have a race. On galloped Rex, and before him spedSpitfire.
"A little better, boy, a little better," urged Dick. And a little betterRex went.
Dick could now see that he was overhauling the uncontrolled steed, andhe was glad of it, for he feared Paul might be flung off, in spite ofthe lad's skill in horsemanship.
"I'll have him in another minute," reflected Dick, when there suddenlyloomed in sight a big touring car, and right at a point where the roadnarrowed. Spitfire was viciously shaking his head, now and then holdingit low.
"Jove, he'll crash into that car!" cried Dick aloud. "Why don't theykeep that infernal horn still? It's making him wilder," for theautoists were frantically tooting away.
"I've got to get in ahead of him, and ride him off to one side," thoughtour hero. "Rex, old boy, I hate to do it, but--just a touch."
Gently Dick pricked his pet animal with the spurs--just a touch, forvoice was not quite incentive enough. Like a shot Rex sprang forward,and covered the ground so rapidly that in another brief instant theyoung millionaire was ahead of his friend, and between Spitfire and thenow stationary auto. Then, with the skill of long practice, Dick urgedRex up to Spitfire, who was losing speed, and a moment later thefrightened steed had been forced off the road, into the grass
y sidepath, and headed toward a fence, which effectually stopped fartherprogress.
"Well ridden! Excellently well ridden!" cried the man at the wheel ofthe auto. Dick saluted, for there were several ladies in the car, andthen turned to Paul.
"All right, old man," he asked anxiously.
"Yes, but I might not have been a little later. I should have looked tomy reins. Thanks--for coming as you did," and Paul warmly grasped Dick'shand.
"You knew I'd come. Now let's see if we can mend that leather and rideback. Are you game?"
"Oh, sure. I fancy Spitfire has had all he wanted for to-day." In factthe animal was much subdued after his run. The auto passed on, not eventhe tooting of the horn causing Paul's steed to prance. Then he and Dickmanaged to patch up the curb leather, and rode back to meet the othercadets.
"Don't spur up so suddenly when other horses are too near you," advisedthe young captain to Porter, who seemed a bit ashamed of the trouble hehad caused.
"I beg your pardon, old man--and yours, Captain," spoke the lad, whothough impulsive, was not a bad fellow at heart.
"All right," answered Dick easily. "We'll take it a little more slowlynow."
They finished the ride in about two hours, reaching the academy as thelast of the other riding squads came in. Dick made no report of thelittle incident which, but for his promptness, might have had a fatal,or at least a serious, ending.
Rifle practice, and field telegraph work occupied the rest of the day,and there was a final drill and inspection in the late afternoon.
"A pretty strenuous day," remarked Paul to Dick, as they went to theirroom that evening.
"Yes, and there'll be another to-morrow."
"How so?"
"We must get in some good football practice, for I expect the twocoaches soon, perhaps to-day."
"Then Martin and Spencer are both coming?"
"Yes, the good salary and the influence of the old grads, including dad,brought them around."
"I'm glad of it. Now Kentfield will do something."
Out on the gridiron were a score or more of the mole-skin clad warriors,doing all sorts of things to a harmless pigskin spheroid. It was bootedand passed about.
"Line up! Line up!" called Teddy Naylor. "Get together fellows! Whereare you scrubs? We're going to send all of you to the hospital. Come on,Dick, run through some signals."
Eleven panting youths faced eleven others, and the ball went sailinginto the midst of the Varsity. George Hall caught it, and ran back withit, well protected by interference. But some of the scrub managed to getthrough, and downed him before he had gone far.
"Down!" panted George, as he tried to rise from underneath a mound ofhuman forms.
"Down indeed, but too soon," remarked a strange voice, to one side ofthe scrimmaging lads. They all looked up. Two young men stood looking atthe heap of humanity. They were strangers to all the cadets.
"May I ask--perhaps you don't know it, but only members of the academyare allowed out here," spoke Teddy Naylor a bit stiffly.
"Oh, but we were sent for," remarked one of the strangers. "We justcame, and we were interested in seeing you play."
"You were sent for?" repeated the captain.
"Yes, that is----"
"Oh, isn't this Mr. Martin?" asked Dick, striding forward and holdingout his hand.
"Yes," was the answer from the man with a small black moustache. "I'mMr. Martin and this is Mr. Spencer," and he indicated his companion.
"Fellows, the coaches have come!" cried Dick. "Now to learn how to playfootball!"