"No; nothing worth talking about."
A soldier had said something about the woman and the girl wishing to thank Corporal Hal, but that man had spoken without looking, for now the woman lay on the grass in a dead faint, while the girl bent over her.
"Noll," spoke Corporal Overton, "at last accounts I believe we were supposed to be standing in front of Captain Cortland's tent, awaiting his summons. I guess we'd better be hurrying back to get on our job."
Noll led the horse at first. By and by Hal reached over and secured the bridle, pausing just an instant to stroke the animal's neck.
"You're a fine old fellow," Hal murmured, gazing wistfully at the horse.
"Let's keep right on back," urged Noll. "Remember, we're here really against orders."
Neither soldier boy thought of mounting the animal for a ride back. No need existing, either would have thought it a big piece of impudence to mount an officer's horse unbidden.
Captain Cortland was standing before the door of his tent, watching the approach of his soldier boys. Beside Cortland stood another officer, down the outer side of whose trousers' legs ran the broad, yellow stripe of the cavalry. This gentleman was Captain Ellis.
"We're in for it, I reckon," muttered Corporal Hal to his chum as they drew nearer to Cortland's tent. "Leaving when under orders, and taking an officer's horse, at that. Well, here's for our medicine!"
Both soldier boys stepped forward holding themselves as erect as ever, just the same.