Harper's Round Table, March 24, 1896

by Various

"Your suggestion is accepted, Captain March," said Colonel Howard, "and you will therefore take your corps, including the machine-guns, and occupy the wooded knoll shown on the map at 6. Corporal Wood, with two men, is detailed as signal officer, and will take up a position at the point marked 7. It is expected that Captain Jones will be able to hold 'Black's' flanking force at the bridge (3) in check, but to draw the enemy into the open it will be necessary that we should make a false demonstration in our own rear. If 'Black' takes the bait the bicycle corps will be brought up by signal to the point 7, and finally ordered forward at the proper moment to take 'Black' in the rear, and, if possible, capture the battery. Captain March will remain in strict concealment at 6, and will not advance under any consideration until the signal is given from 7 by the waving of a white flag. Is that clear, gentlemen? It is just eleven o'clock," concluded Colonel Howard, shutting his watch with a snap, "and the game of war is on. Lieutenant Mason, you will determine at once the exact whereabouts and disposition of the enemy's force. Gentlemen, to your posts."

Ten minutes later Fred, at the head of the bicycle corps, was spinning rapidly along the wood road in the direction of the wooded knoll at 6. It was all important that the movement should not be discovered by the enemy, and the greatest care had to be taken in transporting the bicycles down the hill and out upon the road. As Fred glanced back at the shining silent line bowling swiftly along in column of twos, he felt sure that they had been unobserved, and that success was certain.

But he had not reckoned upon the fact that Lieutenant Young of the "Blacks" was a smart young officer who owned a particularly fine pair of binocular glasses. Colonel Camp smiled grimly when Lieutenant Young reported that the bicycle corps had left the "Cardinal's Nob," and were proceeding southward, and that the point 7 had been occupied as a signal station. It had been his original intention to carry out the very plan of operations that Colonel Howard had outlined; but it was now necessary to modify it. Colonel Camp decided upon the following plan:

As before, the artillery would occupy "Sebastopol," and a false demonstration would be made against the point 1. But instead of a large, a very small flanking force would be sent to the bridge (3), and they would be instructed to deceive "White" as long as possible in regard to their real number. In this manner forty "Blacks" might occupy the attention of the hundred "Whites" detailed at 3, and therefore sixty of the defenders would virtually be kept out of the main action.

Secondly, a squad of men under Lieutenant Young would be sent around back of 6 with instructions to capture "White's" signal station at 7, and another squad to ambuscade the wood road at the gate (5).

As Colonel Camp figured it out, it would then be impossible for Colonel Howard to communicate with the bicycle corps either by signal or by a messenger along the road, and with the bicyclers also out of the action, the "Blacks" should be able with their main body of 400 men to carry the "Cardinal's Nob" at 2, the defending force being now reduced to 150 men. It would take just about an hour to capture the signal post and guard the gate on the road, and the same length of time for the small flanking force to engage the attention of "White's" rear guard. The instant that the firing in "White's" rear announced that the skirmish at the bridge (3) had commenced, the main assault at 2 would be made, and, if everything went as Colonel Camp expected, it could not fail. It was indeed a good plan, and reflected much credit upon the strategic ability of the commander of the "Black" forces.

It was twelve o'clock, and nothing in particular had happened to change the situation of affairs. "Black's" artillery had occupied "Sebastopol," and had opened a hot fire on the "Cardinal's Nob," but the "Whites," protected by their intrenchments, had suffered but little. The mythical bullets from the "Black" sharpshooters in the edge of the woods were, according to the plan, directed against 1, and one or two false sorties had been made in that direction without result. Both commanders were waiting for the real development of the struggle.

At ten minutes after twelve the signal officer on the "Nob" reported to Colonel Howard that communication with the signal-station (7) had suddenly been broken off. Colonel Howard looked grave, for he realized at once that with the bicycle corps out of the action he could hardly hope to defend the "Nob" against an attack at 2. There was but one thing to be done, and that was to send a messenger by the wood road to order up the bicycles to the signal-station at 7, with instructions to use their own discretion in making any further advance.

A moment later Jack and his crew of three were pedalling down the wood road on the "quad." Another message was despatched to Captain Jones at the bridge (3), ordering him to send back every man whom he could possibly spare to assist in repelling the expected assault. And then Colonel Howard lit a fresh cigar and waited.

In the mean time Fred and his force had occupied the wooded knoll (6), taking care to keep well under cover. The trees cut off their view of the battle-field, but the signal-station at 7 was plainly visible, and all they had to do was to wait for the waving of the white flag. But would the signal ever come? Fred could hear the booming of Colonel Camp's artillery and the sharp crackle of the rifle-firing. Could it be possible that Colonel Howard had forgotten about them, and that the real fight was already in progress? He was half inclined to steal forward under cover of the woods and see what was going on. And then he remembered that he was a soldier, whose first duty is to obey.