Rally Cry Read Online Free PDF Page B

coastline south of New York .
    "Keep the boys at it, Hans," Andrew shouted, and following the ensign, he waded into the near-tropical warmth of the ocean and accepted the helping hands of two sailors aboard the ship's launch. Seconds later they were alongside the Ogunquit, and with the help of a sling, Andrew was deposited back on deck.
    There was a look of anxiety on Tobias's face, something that Andrew actually found to be pleasing.
    "What is it, captain?" Andrew asked coolly.
    "Colonel, can you climb the rigging?" And so saying he pointed up to where the shrouds to the mainmast still clung to the shattered maintop, thirty feet above the deck.
    "Lead the way."
    This was something he would never have worried about once, but since the loss of his arm, Andrew found the prospect somewhat frightening—though he'd never admit it in front of this man.
    Tobias scrambled up ahead of Andrew, almost as if taunting him. But all thought of insult died as he finally reached the shattered platform.
    . "One of my men spotted the first contingent. I thought you should take a look."
    Fumbling for his field glasses, Andrew looked off to the distant horizon.
    Through a gap in the hills it seemed as if an ocean of men were swarming toward them.
    "There must be thousands of them," Tobias whispered.
    At the head of the column rode a contingent of several hundred horsemen, followed by what appeared to be an undisciplined horde, which, after clearing the gap, spilled out in every direction.
    "My glass has more power than your field glasses," Tobias offered.
    It took a moment for Andrew to brace himself and focus the awkward telescope. He trained it upon the head of the column, and a gasp of amazement escaped him.
    It looked like an army out of a distant dream. At the head of the column rode half a dozen men carrying square banners mounted upon crosspoles. The lead banner portrayed crossed swords of red on a white background, looking vaguely like a Confederate battle standard; the next was of a horseman with a double-bladed ax above him. The others had the appearance of stylized icons, being the portraits of men in what Andrew felt was a near-Byzantine style.
    The horsemen, most looking like the scout they had seen earlier on the beach, carried spears. Some had shields slung over their shoulders, and most of them were wearing conical helmets, festooned here and there with fluttering ribbons. A number of horsemen in the column looked as if they were wearing rough plate armor. The heavily armored warriors rode in a tightly clustered group around a portly, bearded man in gold-embossed armor, who rode beneath the horse-and-ax standard.
    Andrew swung the glass around to the swarms of infantry. They looked like true medieval levies armed with an insane assortment of spears, swords, clubs, and pitchforks.
    Andrew looked over to Tobias, who wordlessly returned his gaze.
    "Captain—just where in God's earth are we?" Andrew whispered.
    "... I don't know," Tobias finally admitted.
    "Well, dammit, man, you'd better figure it out, because we sure as hell haven't landed in South Carolina !"
    Andrew started back down from the maintop and jumped to the deck, Tobias following him.
    "Get Dr. Weiss up here!" Andrew Shouted, heading for the rail.
    "What are you going to do, colonel?" Tobias asked.
    Andrew turned on the captain, but found himself completely at a loss for words.
    "Can you get this ship afloat again?" he finally asked.
    "Where's the tide?" Tobias asked in a whisper, drawing closer. "If we had beached at low tide there might have been a chance—but where's the bloody tide? And besides, there's a hole down belowdecks big enough to ride a horse through."
    "Then figure something out, because we sure as hell don't want to stay here!"
    "Wherever here is," Emil retorted, coming up to join Andrew.
    Together the two went into the lifeboat. Before it had even reached shore, Andrew leaped out, Emil puffing to keep up:
    "What is it, colonel?"
    "I want you to see