moment.

"Then I'll finish the ride!"

To the thrilled, throbbing spectators there did not come a thought of
"accident."

Clearly this whole splendid scene had been only a glimpse of practical
military training.

It had all been planned, of course, so the audience supposed, that the
tree trunk should snap and that the other young sergeant should be there
to perform the swift work of rescue.

Even at that it was a wonderful sight, and again the spectators were on
their feet, cheering more hoarsely than ever.

Yet hardly had they started to cheer when, some how, in a way they did
not quite grasp, Sergeant Hal Overton had climbed up out of the gully,
carrying his wheel with him.

Now he was mounted again! On the further side of the gully the young
Army dispatch rider was racing forward again.

His wheel, somewhat damaged by the fall, was moving stiffly now, but
Overton put into his pedaling every ounce of energy left to him.

In another moment he was out of sight, his dispatch-bearing ride ended,
and the band leader stopped his musicians.

In this startling scene the onlookers felt that they had viewed the best
piece of individual daring of the afternoon.

Little did they guess that they had seen the failure of a scoundrel's
dastardly attempt to end Sergeant Overton's life.

But grizzled old Colonel North, of the Thirty-fourth United States
Infantry, knew better.

"Cortland," he remarked, turning to B Company's captain, "just as soon
as the last number is over I want you to make an instant and red-hot
investigation of that accident to Sergeant Overton. Report to me as soon
as you have even the trace of a suggestion to make."

"Yes, sir; and I have one suggestion to make now," replied Captain
Cortland.

"What is it?"

"I ask you, sir, to oblige me very greatly by promising a warrant at
once for Corporal Terry's promotion to sergeant."

"By Jove, young Terry earned it!" agreed Colonel North.

"Yes, sir; and, to my way of thinking, he did more. He proved that B
Company cannot afford to be without a sergeant of his proved calibre."

"Go to Wright, the battalion adjutant, then, and tell him, with my
compliments, to prepare an order at once, for reading at the dress
parade which is to end up the afternoon's show."

"Very good, sir."

"And, Cortland, ask Wright, as a personal favor to me, to read the order
slowly and distinctly, so that the audience can grasp the fact that
they've witnessed a deed of