get out of here and leave me alone!”
An angry murmur went around the small group of soldiers, but Drake didn’t care. Well, he did care—he hated to hurt the girl’s feelings—but he had had all he could take. Then he saw that she was watching him with tears in her eyes, and he opened his mouth to apologize.
But at that moment Rosie came up and put his hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “Come along, Charlie,” he said.
“No, I can go by myself.” Two tears ran down her cheeks. She wiped them away with her sleeve, then said, “I’m sorry, Drake. I didn’t mean to bother you.” She walked away, a woeful figure, and silence fell over the circle of soldiers.
When she was out of hearing, Royal said, “I hope you’re proud of yourself, Drake.”
Drake doubled up his fists. “Shut up, or I’ll bust you!” He knew if he hit a sergeant he would be riding the wooden horse again, but he was so upset that he didn’t care.
“You can’t hit a sergeant,” Rosie said. He put himself between Drake and Royal and said over his shoulder, “Sergeant, would you mind leaving for aminute? I have something to say to Private Bedford.”
Royal must have known instantly what was going to happen. It would be better for Drake to hit a private than a sergeant. Royal said, “All right,” and walked off.
As soon as he was gone, Drake made his own move to leave. But he felt his arm grasped in a steely grip. He was whirled around to face Rosie, whose ordinary lazy manner was gone.
“Now, don’t
you
start on me, Rosie!” Drake said, jerking his arm back.
“I’m not gonna start on you, Drake,” Rosie said. “I’m gonna finish up on you!”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’m gonna bust your nose, and black your eyes, and pound your gizzard,” Rosie said calmly.
Drake blinked. Rosie was his best friend, and he could not believe what he was hearing. “You’d fight with me over that no-account girl?”
“That no-account girl,” Rosie said, and he paused to unbutton his sleeve and push it up over his elbow, “is worth about a hundred of you.” He carefully rolled up the other sleeve. “You want to take your whippin’ here, or you want to step into the woods?”
Drake Bedford was a renowned fighter. He was strong and tall and quick. He had seen Rosie fight and knew that his friend was strong too, but there was no question in Drake’s mind about how a conflict would come out. Still, he hated to fight Rosie, his only friend. “Butt out of this, Rosie. It’s none of your business.”
“I reckon when a no-account like you insults a lady in public, I’ll just have to make it my business.Now, get your hands up, Drake, because I am going to commence to stomp the daylights out of you!”
Drake laughed. “You couldn’t whip your grandma!” He put his hands up and advanced. “I’m not gonna hurt you, Rosie, but I’ve got to show you that you can’t run over me.”
He threw a left that caught Rosie on the forehead and hurt his fingers.
Rosie simply reached out, grabbed that arm, and—before Drake could pull back—looped over a tremendous right that hit Drake in the mouth.
It was a disaster! Red stars, and yellow and green also, flashed before Drake’s eyes. He tried to get away, but Rosie held firmly to his wrist. Another blow caught him, this time over his left eye. Pain ran through his head, and he felt blood flowing from his eyebrow. Rosie released his arm, and he staggered backward.
Wiping the blood from his face, he shouted, “I’ll kill you, Rosie!”
“Then just fly right at it!” Rosie growled. His face was set.
Drake managed to slip under his next punch and catch Rosie with a hard right to the neck. It slowed Rosie down not one bit. The lean soldier waded forward, and suddenly, for Drake, the air was full of fist. He gave as many blows as he got, he thought, but there was something invincible about Rosie. Blows struck him in the face, on the chest, in the stomach, and then he
An angry murmur went around the small group of soldiers, but Drake didn’t care. Well, he did care—he hated to hurt the girl’s feelings—but he had had all he could take. Then he saw that she was watching him with tears in her eyes, and he opened his mouth to apologize.
But at that moment Rosie came up and put his hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “Come along, Charlie,” he said.
“No, I can go by myself.” Two tears ran down her cheeks. She wiped them away with her sleeve, then said, “I’m sorry, Drake. I didn’t mean to bother you.” She walked away, a woeful figure, and silence fell over the circle of soldiers.
When she was out of hearing, Royal said, “I hope you’re proud of yourself, Drake.”
Drake doubled up his fists. “Shut up, or I’ll bust you!” He knew if he hit a sergeant he would be riding the wooden horse again, but he was so upset that he didn’t care.
“You can’t hit a sergeant,” Rosie said. He put himself between Drake and Royal and said over his shoulder, “Sergeant, would you mind leaving for aminute? I have something to say to Private Bedford.”
Royal must have known instantly what was going to happen. It would be better for Drake to hit a private than a sergeant. Royal said, “All right,” and walked off.
As soon as he was gone, Drake made his own move to leave. But he felt his arm grasped in a steely grip. He was whirled around to face Rosie, whose ordinary lazy manner was gone.
“Now, don’t
you
start on me, Rosie!” Drake said, jerking his arm back.
“I’m not gonna start on you, Drake,” Rosie said. “I’m gonna finish up on you!”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’m gonna bust your nose, and black your eyes, and pound your gizzard,” Rosie said calmly.
Drake blinked. Rosie was his best friend, and he could not believe what he was hearing. “You’d fight with me over that no-account girl?”
“That no-account girl,” Rosie said, and he paused to unbutton his sleeve and push it up over his elbow, “is worth about a hundred of you.” He carefully rolled up the other sleeve. “You want to take your whippin’ here, or you want to step into the woods?”
Drake Bedford was a renowned fighter. He was strong and tall and quick. He had seen Rosie fight and knew that his friend was strong too, but there was no question in Drake’s mind about how a conflict would come out. Still, he hated to fight Rosie, his only friend. “Butt out of this, Rosie. It’s none of your business.”
“I reckon when a no-account like you insults a lady in public, I’ll just have to make it my business.Now, get your hands up, Drake, because I am going to commence to stomp the daylights out of you!”
Drake laughed. “You couldn’t whip your grandma!” He put his hands up and advanced. “I’m not gonna hurt you, Rosie, but I’ve got to show you that you can’t run over me.”
He threw a left that caught Rosie on the forehead and hurt his fingers.
Rosie simply reached out, grabbed that arm, and—before Drake could pull back—looped over a tremendous right that hit Drake in the mouth.
It was a disaster! Red stars, and yellow and green also, flashed before Drake’s eyes. He tried to get away, but Rosie held firmly to his wrist. Another blow caught him, this time over his left eye. Pain ran through his head, and he felt blood flowing from his eyebrow. Rosie released his arm, and he staggered backward.
Wiping the blood from his face, he shouted, “I’ll kill you, Rosie!”
“Then just fly right at it!” Rosie growled. His face was set.
Drake managed to slip under his next punch and catch Rosie with a hard right to the neck. It slowed Rosie down not one bit. The lean soldier waded forward, and suddenly, for Drake, the air was full of fist. He gave as many blows as he got, he thought, but there was something invincible about Rosie. Blows struck him in the face, on the chest, in the stomach, and then he
Similar Books
