"Forward! March!"
He set off in front with a military stride and they followed.
"I feel like a fool," whispered Bart to Frank.
"Same here," was the reply. "What does he mean by it?"
"Wants to show his authority, I reckon," muttered Bart.
Tom and Billy said nothing, but there were scowls on their faces that spoke for them.
They had marched for perhaps half a mile, when at a cross roads two men appeared who were evidently looking for some one. Their eyes lighted up when they saw the officer and they came straight toward him. He saw them coming, and throwing his dignity to the wind started to run, but they were quicker than he and grasped him by the collar.
"Come back to the asylum," one of them growled. "We've had lots of trouble to find you."
The boys stood rooted to the spot.
"You see," explained one of the men, touching his forehead significantly, "he's a grocer that's got the military bug. He thinks he's Napoleon. Come along, Napoleon."