"'Out of the horns of death, Sergeant and squad pellmell, Through the barbed-wire fence Crawled the torn column. When can their glory fade, Oh, the retreat they made, All Raleigh applauded! Honor the Sergeant's feet, Honor the squad's retreat, Long be it lauded!'"
"Guy, that's fine!" ejaculated little Billy. "Isn't it, Dick?" enthusiastically.
"Slickest thing I've ever heard," answered Dick.
"We did get to that fence quick, and no mistake. And, George! I woke up every night for a week dreaming that the old bull was just running his horns into me."
"We'll have to do something to get a better 'rep,'" said Tommy; "we've done nothing but retreat so far. Old Farmer Applegate sent us flying, when he had nothing but cow-hide boots and a pitchfork."
"It was his garden," reflected Fatty Simmons; "that was why I ran."
"Well, what are we going to do to-morrow, that's what I want to know?" said Jack Green.
"I have it!" exclaimed the Sergeant, his eyes sparkling. "The very thing, fellows! I heard Davis and Jim White talking yesterday (they didn't know I was there), and they were arranging a scheme for the Fourth, which it would be dandy fun to break up."
"What was it?" the others asked, eagerly.
"You know the little cannon in Mr. Scott's field? He thinks no end of it; it's a Revolutionary relic or Waterloo or something. Well, those fellows are going to steal it to-night and have a great time to-morrow. Five of them are in it."
"Whew!" whistled Herbert Day. "I shouldn't like to be in their shoes when Mr. Scott finds it out; he'll make it hot for them! But how's that going to help us, Tommy; we're not in it?"
"I know; but what we want to do," answered the Sergeant, "is to guard the cannon and spoil their little game. It would be great to get ahead of Davis for once."
"Wouldn't they punch our heads?" said Billy, doubtfully; "they're bigger."
"I'd like to see them," blustered Fatty; "we'd run them through with our bayonets."
"What time did they agree to take the cannon, Tommy?" asked Bert.
"After dark, about nine, I suppose. They said they could drag it across the field to Davis's barn, and that nobody would catch on."
"What sport!" chuckled Green. "We'll go early, then, and form in single file round the old cannon, and I'd like to see the man who could take it from us."