"Riot and killing?" gasped Lieutenant Prescott, while Darrin's dark face went suddenly white. "Yes," nodded Captain Foster. "Then Prescott, we must get under way at once." "You'll find it quite hopeless," remarked Captain Foster. "No man owning an automobile will take you into or near Holmesville until the rioting stops. The War Department advises me to have all in readiness to despatch troops by the river in case the governor of Texas calls for the help of United States troops." "We ought to start an expedition up the river at once," groaned Lieutenant Dick Prescott, thinking of his and his friend's sweethearts in awful danger there. "Unfortunately we can't start troops," replied the captain, "until the orders come. There are as yet no orders, and may not be." "Then I must get under way alone," almost moaned Darrin. "You, too, Prescott, if you can get leave by 'phone from your commander." "You can't get an auto," replied Captain Foster. "You'll have to walk, or go in saddle. Either course will take you nearly all of the night." "But one of your boats, sir?" cried Prescott. "You're an officer, Prescott, and you must realize that I can't legally release one of my boats from the duty here without an order or permission." "And all the time Belle and Laura may be trying to hide from a blood-thirsty mob!" gasped Darrin in a frenzy. "You stay here, Dick," broke in Greg Holmes. "I'll run to the nearest 'phone, get Captain Cortland at the other end of the wire, explain the situation to him and get leave to absent ourselves." "But even at the best it will take hours to reach Holmesville," muttered Prescott, through blanched lips. "Oh, Dave, Dave, this is awful!" "We'll get there, somehow--at least I will," muttered Ensign Darrin, in a quivering voice. "If you don't get leave within ten minutes, Dick, I'm going to start alone and try to run all the way to Holmesville. Captain Foster, you'll loan me a revolver and two boxes of cartridges, won't you?" "Certainly," replied Foster, going into his tent and coming out with the articles named. "I would like to make a suggestion, sir," broke in Lieutenant Hal. "Go ahead, Mr. Overton," responded the captain. "Why not send two men at once to the telegraph station? Order the telegraph office manager to remain open all night for military telegrams. If one comes, one of our men can start here at once on the run, leaving the other soldier to wait for a second despatch that may come in its wake." "An excellent idea, Mr. Overton," and Captain Foster immediately sent two soldiers off on that errand. "Sir, I request permission, if it can possibly be granted, to go with Darrin, Prescott and Holmes," broke in Lieutenant Noll. "You may have that leave, certainly, Mr. Terry," replied Captain Foster. "And I, also, Captain," broke in Hal eagerly, "since this affair involves the lives of the intended brides of two officers, and is most certainly a service affair."