Daisy half ran, half flew,
it seemed to her; so fast the strong hand of her friend pulled
her over the ground. At the edge of the bank that faced the
river, at the top of a very steep descent of a hundred feet or
near that, under a thick shelter of trees, Captain Drummond
called a halt and stood listening. Far off, faint in the
distance, they could still hear the shout, — "Drummond! —
where are you? Hallo!"
"We'll go down to the river," said the Captain; "and he is too
lazy to look for us there. We shall be safe. Daisy, this is a
retreat — but it is not a hardship, is it?"
Daisy looked up delighted. The little face so soberly
thoughtful a few minutes ago was all bright and flushed. The
Captain was charmed too.
"But we can't get down there," — said Daisy, casting her eye
down the very steep pitch of the bank.
"That is something," said the Captain, "with which as a
soldier you have nothing to do. All you have to do is to obey
orders; and the orders are that we charge down hill."
"I shall go head first, then," said Daisy, "or over and over.
I couldn't keep my feet one minute."
"Now you are arguing," said the Captain; "and that shows
insubordination, or want of discipline.
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