a point to report my
appreciation to your Troop commander. You'd better come along in the
rear now, and watch the rest of the operations. Thanks to you, I rather
think they'll be worth watching."

And, touching the spurs to his speedy black horse, he cantered up to the
front of the column, chuckling and laughing as he thought of how the
enemy had been outwitted by his youthful Scout.

The direct forward march of the brigade was interrupted immediately. One
regiment, indeed, continued along the straight road to Hardport, but the
rest of the brigade was deployed at once.

"What will they do now, Jack?" asked Tom Binns.

"Well, I wouldn't be able to say for certain," replied Jack, with a
smile, "but I rather think they'll manage to get behind the town in some
fashion, and close in on the Blue troops in the garrison while the
regiment in front here keeps them busy with a strong feint of an
attack."

A colonel of regular cavalry, with a white badge on his arm to show he
was serving as an umpire, drove past just then in a big white
automobile.

"See, there's one of the umpires," said Jack. "He goes all about, and
determines the result. I'm glad he's here--that means there can't be any
dispute this time. General Bean has probably told him what he plans to
do, and he will see how it comes out. Of course, he doesn't communicate
in any way with the enemy, or tell them what we're planning to do."

"Of course not! That wouldn't be fair, Jack. I'm glad he's here, too. Do
you suppose he's heard about the way we blocked the railroad?"

"I think he may have seen our signs and come this way just to find out
what was doing."

"Listen!" cried Jack, suddenly. "There's firing ahead! Let's get on and
find out what's going on."

There was heavy firing ahead of them for a few minutes, and then it
became intermittent.

"Our attack is being repelled, I guess," said Jack. "That's the first
engagement of the war, too. Well, we may seem to be beaten in that, but
I guess we can afford to lose a skirmish, if we can capture Hardport and
a whole Blue regiment."

Again, after the firing had almost ceased, a rattle of shots burst on
the quiet air. Then, too, came the screaming of a shell, as it burst
harmlessly above the city.

"Hooray!" cried Jack. "We've surrounded them! Come on!"

And this time there was no opposing the entry of the grey car into
Hardport. The city had been surrounded and captured, just as Jack had
predicted, and t