“Some other evening, if that will do as well,” said Chester.
“Oh, all right, whatever you say,” replied the lieutenant. “I hope there are no hard feelings—that you will overlook my father’s show of temper?”
“Of course,” said Hal. “Anyone would have done the same under the circumstances.”
After a few further words the lieutenant departed, and the lads, bidding his mother good night, and announcing their intention of retiring early, made their way to their room.
There their air of leisure gave way to haste.
“We’ll have to hurry,” said Hal. “The general will fail to find his maps at headquarters, and will be back here in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.”
Quickly the lads threw on the young lieutenant’s uniforms, and Chester placed the maps in his pocket.
“We will have to go without revolvers,” said Chester, “for we certainly can’t afford to wait until the general and lieutenant come home.”
“I should say not,” Hal agreed. “The sooner we get out of here now the better, providing we can get out.”