The Luna Rebellion

"Battalion, right forward, fours right, march! Guide left!"

The command was sharp, distinct, soldierly. The first set of fours moved straight to the front with unhesitating firmness and uniformity of step; the orderly sergeant took his place to the left of the set with ease and rapidity. The remainder of the battalion broke into fours, wheeling to the right with promptness and precision, and in the next moment the entire column was on the march.

The Riverpark Academy corps of cadets were the best-drilled troops outside of West Point. The uniform was dark blue; the belts, gloves, and shoulder-belts were white, and the breastplates were of polished brass. The barrels of the cadets' muskets glittered in the April sunlight, as they marched and counter-marched, wheeled to the right and left, marked time, and halted.

There was a short interval of rest. The boys in the ranks talked freely, laughed, shouted at one another, leaning out from the line to do so, making strenuous efforts, nevertheless, to keep one foot in place, according to the rule.

Major Drumlist, the drill-master, wiped the perspiration from his face, exchanged a few words with the members of his staff, and then called the troops to attention.

He divided the battalion into four platoons, and placed each platoon in charge of an officer, with directions to instruct the men more thoroughly in the art of wheeling. Upton's infantry tactics, which had recently been adopted in the United States Army, had but lately come into use at Riverpark; and as the excellence of the new system depended largely on the perfection attained in the wheelings, it seemed necessary to give much time and attention to that particular branch.

The third platoon, in the absence of Lieutenant Smeath, of Company B, was placed in charge of Adjutant Brightly, who marched his men to the southerly part of the parade-ground, and began a systematic drill, as directed. The adjutant was a lad of sixteen years. He was well-proportioned, stood erect, and looked the typical soldier throughout. He was well versed in the tactics and an excellent drill-master, but it was apparent that to-day he had little heart in his task. The men in the ranks noticed his indifference, and took advantage of it. The major came down to them in his round of inspection.

"Lieutenant Brightly," he said, "you are too easy with your men to-day. Give your commands as though you meant they should be obeyed, and see that strict discipline is maintained in the ranks."

This admonition roused the lad's spirit,-not so much a spirit of emulation as of impatience at reproof. As the major passed on to the next platoon, Brightly became more strict; but his severity was now apparently without effect. The loose discipline of the first ten minutes had so demoralized the men that they were awkward and slow, and it seemed impossible to keep them in good alignment while they were in motion. Now the centre would bow out and then in; now the pivot would turn too rapidly, or the flank break away and come crowding up with broken step. Nothing went well. The adjutant became heated, annoyed, impatient, and finally quite lost his temper.

There was one man near the centre of the line who particularly vexed him. He was constantly either too far to the front or to the rear, or breaking touch toward the guiding flank. Brightly had spoken severely to him several times. At last he said,-

"Belcher, if you don't do better, I shall send you to the awkward squad. You are a disgrace to your company."

The boy looked out angrily from the ranks, and made as if to reply.

"Stop!" exclaimed the officer. "Not a word! There's no possible excuse for you. You have eyes; you can see. You have arms; you can keep touch. Now pay attention to your duties."

Again the platoon was wheeled, and again Belcher pushed out ahead of the line, and broke it hopelessly in the centre. Brightly, who was at the pivot, watching the alignment, was exasperated beyond endurance. He passed swiftly down the front, and struck the flat of his sword against Belcher's breastplate with force enough to make it clatter.

"Keep back!" he shouted; "keep back! An idiot would know enough to keep the line!"

The platoon was no sooner halted than Belcher stepped one pace to the front, and brought his hand up against his musket at the shoulder with a force that made it rattle, thus signifying his desire to speak.

"Step back into the ranks, sir!" ordered Brightly. "Take your place, I say!" as the lad hesitated. "I'll do what talking's to be done, and you'll obey orders!"

Belcher stepped back, muttering angrily, his face pale with passion and his eyes flashing fiercely.

Up by the color-staff the bugle sounded the recall. The officers marched their platoons to common ground, wheeled them into line, and reported to the major. The battalion was then broken into companies, and these were marched to company grounds and dismissed by the first sergeants.

Lieutenant Brightly crossed the parade-ground leisurely, entered the academy building, mounted three flights of stairs, and passed to his room in the southwest angle. He threw his cap, gloves, and sword on the bed, drew a chair to the window, seated himself, and looked listlessly out.

The beautiful landscape, with the Hudson River in the distance, had little attraction for him. Indeed, nothing interested him that he could see either on land or water. It was evident that his mind was preoccupied, and the look of discontent and discouragement on his face showed that his thoughts were not pleasant ones.

There was a quick step in the hall, and presently Harple came into the room. Harple was Brightly's room-mate. He and Brightly had roomed together for nearly two years, and aside from little wordy encounters carried on in jest rather than in earnest, they had never had a quarrel. Harple was captain of Company B. He was a good soldier, a good student, a good fellow, and as fond of Brightly as if they had been brothers.

"Come on, Bright!" he exclaimed, as he entered. "Roberts and I are going to get a permit for a walk, and we're going down to the pine grove. Come along with us; it's a charming day, and we'll have a good time."

"Oh, I don't care about going out this afternoon, Charley; I'm too indolent. Besides, I have some letters to write;" and Brightly threw his arms up and locked his fingers behind his head with a yawn.

"I'll tell you what it is," responded Harple, earnestly, "you'll get indolent and careless and everything else if you keep on in this way. You haven't been out of the grounds for a week; you haven't studied a lesson with vim for a fortnight; you haven't cared for three months whether school kept or not. I tell you, Bright, you've got to brace up. If you keep this thing going much longer, you'll wake up some day and find yourself-"

The speaker paused for an appropriate word; then snapping his thumb and forefinger high in the air in such a way as to indicate something being sent whirling into space, he continued, "eliminated. Now you know what that means."

Brightly looked up, evidently annoyed.

"I haven't asked you for any advice, have I, Charley?" he said.

"No, but I propose to give you some, all the same," responded Harple, throwing his red-silk officer's sash across the foot of his bed, and seating himself astride the only other chair in the room. "I've had this thing on my mind for some time," he continued; "and to-day, when I saw you make such a fool of yourself with Belcher-pardon the expression-I concluded to let out on you.

"I can't conceive what you're thinking of, Bright! For a year and a half you were the A No. 1 fellow in this school; but for four months, without any reasonable cause, you've stood still in your tracks. You've kept up with your classes because you couldn't help it; but you've sat and moped and growled till you're fossilized and moulded, and the moss is growing on you. To-day you woke up long enough to get into an undignified squabble with a private in the ranks, and now you're going to drop off to sleep again. Brace up, Bright! For goodness' sake, brace up, and don't let yourself go to the dogs this way!"

Brightly looked a little surprised at first, then slightly indignant, and then, with a forced air of weariness, he replied,-

"Don't worry about me, Charley. I feel fully competent to take care of myself." After a moment's pause, he continued with more vigor: "But I will be obeyed in the ranks. Belcher was obstinate and ugly. I lost all patience with him, and I went further than I ought; I admit that, but the circumstances were a sufficient excuse."

"No, they were not. They were aggravating; so much the more reason why you should hold your temper. You remember Colonel Silsbee warned us, when we were commissioned, to exercise patience as well as firmness, and to-"

"Oh, don't quote Colonel Silsbee to me! If he doesn't want me to reprove his blockheads he's not obliged to keep me in commission. He might as well have left me in the ranks in the first place, so far as that is concerned."

Harple drew his chair a trifle nearer.

"Bright, look here! I know what the trouble is; it's all about that matter of the appointments. You ought to have been captain of Company A,-I admit that freely; you deserved it on every account; but what's the use in giving up to disappointment? You have a good thing as it is. There isn't a more showy, responsible, soldierly position in the battalion than that of adjutant. And then there are only two of us who out-rank you, Brede and I; and as for me, you know I'd lay down my sword and shoulder-straps and go back into the ranks to-morrow if it could help you, or bring you to yourself again."

"Oh, yes, I know that. I don't care so much about your ranking me, Charley; that's all right. You're fitted to fill any position you get, and you deserve the best. It simply occurs to me that after a fellow has been here two years, and has stood at the head of the school in study-marks, and has behaved himself reasonably well, he shouldn't be insulted by having such an egotistical fool as Brede is placed over him in rank."

"Well, Brede can't really help being stuck up and silly; it's in him. But he makes a good officer in many respects; he doesn't get easily embarrassed, has plenty of self-esteem-"

"Oh, yes, lots of it; struts around in his shoulder-straps as though he owned the school; is constantly showing his infinite superiority over everybody in general and me in particular. It's a good thing I'm on the staff and not under his immediate command. I wouldn't stand his insolence for an hour. I detest the fellow,-absolutely detest him!"