So far as Hugh and his chums could see, they were a jolly crowd, laughing and carrying on as though they did not have a care in the wide world. Once the bitterness of parting from their loved ones had been passed over, these healthy-minded young soldiers could play their part like men, and meet every situation that was likely to arise.
“I tell you I’m nearly tickled to death because I came,” Bud was saying as they rolled along the road between two rows of fires that crackled and sent up myriads of sparks. “Talk about camping out, this has got all our experiences knocked to flinders. Why, there must be millions of soldiers here in this big valley.”
“Better say thousands, and be nearer the truth, Bud,” cautioned Blake. “But it is a great sight, and one we’ll never forget, either. If a fellow needed to have his patriotism stirred to the bone, he’d get it done here. See how Old Glory is fastened up over that big tent yonder. Now I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the colonel’s tent; or it might even be Headquarters for the general in charge of all these forces of the State.”
“We’ve got to pass through the whole camp before we come to where Battery K is located, so the sergeant said,” Hugh remarked, as they moved slowly on.
Numbers of the soldiers came forward to have a look at those in the car. Possibly some of them may have entertained vague hopes that the newcomers might turn out to be friends or relatives, urged to make the trip by a desire to glimpse a dear face once more before the guardsmen were ordered South. Hugh believed there was a wistful expression on many of the faces he saw turned their way.
As for Blake, he could hardly restrain his impatience. The fact that inside of a comparatively few minutes more he was to see his cousin, and that there was still plenty of time for accomplishing his mission before another day dawned, filled him with ecstacy.
“Don’t you think we must be nearly there, Hugh?” he would say, pleadingly. “There couldn’t be any mistake now, could there, so that we’re going the wrong way to strike our boys of Battery K? Are you sure it’s directly along this road, Bud, we ought to keep on going?”
“That’s what the non-com. told us,” replied the driver of the car, “and we must abide by orders when we’re in a military camp. Besides, we’ve got some one along with us to show us the way; so ease up, Blake, or you’ll crack sure.”
“Guess you’re right, Bud,” admitted the other, “and I’ll try to hold myself in; but somehow I can’t feel dead sure till I’m shaking hands with Felix, and know it’s going to be all right.”
The fact of the matter was, as Hugh suspected, Blake was now beginning to fear that his impulsive cousin might prove obdurate, after all, and absolutely decline to humble himself so as to write a letter of apology to his uncle and guardian. Of course this would settle the matter just as positively as though that agent of Luther Gregory had succeeded in holding them up by having them arrested and kept for twenty-four hours in some village jail.