The boys were at attention in a moment and gave the salute in the customary stiff and wooden fashion to which they were used.
“What are you reading?” demanded the Colonel. “Some sentimental rubbish, I suppose. Let me see it.”
Billy handed over the magazine and the Colonel looked at it, being obliged to put on his glasses in order to read it, however.
“H’m! foolish but not as bad as I thought. Now you may go but at another time keep your eyes about you. Break ranks!”
The boys assumed a natural attitude and Billy stooped to pick up the paper which the Colonel had thrown contemptuously upon the ground.
Billy was not a ventriloquist but he did have a way of altering his voice and now, feeling a bit sore at the pompous Colonel and desiring to be revenged suddenly shouted in an ear-piercing tone:
“Look out! Mad dog!”
At once the Colonel, who was fat and more than forty, let out a sudden ejaculation and bolted for the nearest tree.
His hat flew off, his glasses dangled at the end of their cord and thrashed around like mad and the colonel’s short, fat legs ate up space in a most remarkable manner.
There was a tree in the way which the colonel had not noticed and he ran into it with considerable force, knocking off his wig which the boys, up to that time, had never seen except upon his head.