“And I would only be too delighted if you were,” returned the colonel. “The regiment holds no braver man. But wait a moment,” he said, as a thought struck him. “I will see what arrangements I may be able to make.”
He went inside headquarters again and after a few moments returned.
“I shall need a messenger,” he said, “to bring back certain details to your commander. I had at first intended to entrust that work to my orderly, but what you said gave me a new idea. I have asked your commander to let me take you with me for that purpose and he has readily agreed. You will be relieved from guard duty and you can take my orderly’s horse and come along with me. My regiment is not a great way from yours, as our lines nearly touch, and you can be back in your quarters by midnight.”
“Thank you a thousand times!” said Frank joyfully. “You have put me under a great obligation.”
“A mere trifle,” replied the colonel, waving the thanks aside. “I can never forget that I owe my life to you. You can join me here in a few minutes and we will go on.”
The sergeant of the guard came up shortly and relieved Frank, who hurried to his dugout to make some hasty preparations and tell his friends of his good fortune. They were overjoyed.
“Lucky dog,” remarked Billy, giving him a resounding thump on the shoulder. “I only wish that the colonel needed three messengers instead of one so that we could all go along.”
“If you fell overboard, you wouldn’t get wet,” chaffed Tom. “Give my best regards to the Heinies when you see them and tell them how sorry I am that they’ve got to eat crow.”
“I won’t forget,” laughed Frank, as he shook hands hurriedly and hastened off.
He found the colonel waiting for him. In a moment Frank had mounted the orderly’s horse and he and the colonel rode off together.