But Dick was equal to the occasion. Though the strain, which he had to put on the reins hurt his wounded hand very much, he never flinched. With a steady pull, and a sharp word of command, he swung his horse's head around, and just in time to avoid sending the gun over sideways. Then, with a smart blow of his hand on the animal's flank Dick set him to a sharp gallop. Graham's steed, which had been pulled from his stride, regained it, and the horses behind, straightening out of the confusion into which they had been thrown, leaped forward, pulling the rumbling gun after them. Through it all, and in spite of their narrow escape, the cadets on the carriage had not so much as unfolded their arms. On toward the place where they were to fire Dick and Graham rushed their horses. A moment later they wheeled them, the cadets leaped down, the gun was unlimbered, a shot rammed home, and the men stood at attention. "Fire!" cried Captain Dutton. A puff of white smoke, a sliver of flame and then a deep boom, while a black ball was hurled toward the distant target. Twice more this was repeated, and then the gun was limbered, or attached to the limber, the forward part of the carriage, and the horses galloped off with it. Dick's squad had made a perfect score, in spite of the actions of his horse, and the cadets that came after them failed, so Captain Dutton's men won in the test. But Dick felt sick and faint from the pain in his finger which had started to bleeding again, because of the strain caused by the reins. CHAPTER XIV CAPTAIN HANDLEE'S VISIT "Very well done, young gentlemen--very well done indeed," complimented Colonel Masterly, as Dick and his fellow cadets came driving slowly past where the head of the academy sat with some visitors, and the army officer. "Indeed, the regulars will have to look to their laurels when such lads as these are doing as well as that," observed the officer. "I thought they were going to have a spill there, at one time. But the lad on the off horse saved the day. Who is he?" "Millionaire Hamilton's son," said the superintendent in a low voice, yet not so low but that Dick heard him. "I wish they wouldn't refer to me that way," he thought. "I'd like to be myself once in a while--just Dick Hamilton. Money isn't what it's cracked up to be." "Why, Hamilton, are you hurt?" asked Major Webster, as Dick guided his horse to the place where the animals would be unhitched. He looked at the red-stained handkerchief around the young millionaire's hand. "Just a scratch," replied Dick bravely, though the pain of his crushed finger made him wince. "I caught it in the gun. It doesn't amount to anything." He saw Dutton looking at him, and he fancied he detected a sneer on the cadet captain's face. "Well, go to the surgeon, and have it dressed," said the major. "We don't want you to get blood poison. Is yours the only injury of the day?" "I guess so," replied Dick, with an attempted laugh.