Captain Jinks, Hero by Ernest Howard Crosby (story read aloud txt) 📕

how can we?” cried Sam. “I’ve hardly got anything left of my pay, but I can give, say $25, on the next payday.”

“We’re not going to pass the hat around. That would be beneath the dignity of the army. What we want you to do is this⁠—and, indeed, we have settled it that you should do it. You are to go tomorrow afternoon to Banks & Company, the army contractors, and have a confidential talk with Banks. Tell him you must have $3,000 at once. Here’s a letter of introduction to him. He will see that you represent the people that run things here. Tell him that his contracts will probably be preferred to Short & Co.’s, and tell him that for the future we shan’t inspect his things as closely as we have in the past. You needn’t go into particulars. He will understand. It’s an ordinary business matter.”

“I don’t quite like the idea,” said Sam, ruminating. “Why don’t you go yourself?”

“My dear Captain, I’m only a lieutenant. It requires a man of higher rank to do such an important piece of work. You’re a new man on the staff, and we wanted to pay you an honor and give you a chance to show your patriotism. You will be saving the reputation and character of the army.”

“Oh, thank you!” exclaimed Sam. “Are you sure that it’s always done in just this way?”

“Always. It’s an ordinary matter of business arrangement, as I’ve already told you.”

“Then it must be all right, I suppose,” said Sam.

“But it’s not only that. It’s a noble act to protect the character of a brother officer.”

“So it is, so it is,” said Sam. “I’ll do it. I’ll call and see him about it tomorrow afternoon.”

“Hello!” shouted another officer, coming into the room. “Have you seen the orders? There’s to be a conference of brigade and regimental commanders here tonight, and all staff officers are invited to attend. That means business.”

Sam was overjoyed at the news, and the three men hastened to the headquarters’ room to discuss it with their fellow officers.

Sam was present at the conference as a matter of course, and he watched the proceedings with the greatest interest. A map was stretched out on a magnificent gilt table in the middle of the room in which Sam had first seen the general, and most of the officers bent over it studying it. The general sat back in his armchair with his fan and asked everybody’s advice, and no one appeared to have any advice to give.

“The fact is this, gentlemen,” he said at last, “we’ve got to do something, and the question is, what to do. Burton,” said he to his assistant adjutant-general, “show them the plan that we’ve worked out.”

Burton was one of the officers who were poring over the map, and he began to explain a general advance in the direction of the enemy. He pointed out the position which they were now supposed to occupy, some ten miles away.

“We ought to move out our lines tomorrow,” he explained, “within, say, three or four miles of theirs. The regiments will keep the same order that they’re in here at Havilla. We can’t make the final arrangements until we get there. We may stay there a day or two to entrench ourselves, and then move on them at daybreak some day within a week.”

“That’s the plan, gentlemen,” said the general. “What do you think of it?” and he began to question all the general and field officers present beginning with the youngest, and none of them had any suggestion to offer.

“Then it’s understood that we start for this line here tomorrow morning at seven,” said Burton.

They all assented.

“Now, boys, let’s have some whisky,” said the general, and the conference resolved itself into a committee of the whole.

Early in the morning the troops began to move forward. Sam, who acted as aide-de-camp, was sent out from headquarters once or twice to urge the various colonels to make haste, but there seemed to be no special orders as to the details of the movement. The regiments went as best they could and selected their own roads, finally choosing the positions that seemed most desirable to their commanders, who took care not to leave too great an interval between regiments. The men were set to work at once at putting up the tents and making entrenchments. It was some time after midday when the general and his staff finally left the headquarters in the city. Sam came downstairs with Major Stroud to mount his horse, and was surprised to see a landau with two horses drawn up at the door.

“Who’s that for?” he cried.

“For the general,” answered Major Stroud quietly.

“For the general! Why on earth doesn’t he ride a horse?”

“There isn’t a horse in the place that can carry him. He tried one when he first came here. He mounted it on a stepladder, and the beast came down on his knees on the stone pavement and had to be shot. He hasn’t tried it since.”

After waiting on the street for a long time Sam had the privilege of seeing the general emerge from the palace and enter his carriage. He was perspiring and fanning as usual, but carried no whisky and soda. The staff officers, of whom there were a dozen or more, mounted and followed the carriage. Sam rode next to Stroud. There was much confusion in the roads which they traveled⁠—wagons laden with tents and provisions and hospital stores, camp-followers of all descriptions, and some belated soldiers besides. The general, however, had the right of way, and they proceeded with reasonable speed. They passed through native villages, rows of one- and two-story thatched houses on each side, with wooden palisades in front of them, well shaded by low but spreading palms. They passed large sugar refineries, built by the Castalians, and churches and convents. They passed rice-fields, some covered with water and others more or less dry, which sturdy peasants were busy harrowing with