"We did it as a
matter of military duty."

"Well, go softly to your beds, men. I'll go with you, to see that you
make 'em up according to rule."

As Sergeant Brimmer went back to his own iron cot he muttered to
himself:

"Caught Shrimp, and turned him over to the guard! Those lads are going
to make good soldiers. And it won't pay any comrade to make enemies of
them needlessly."

CHAPTER VIII

THE CALL TO COMPANY FORMATION

UNIFORMED rookies at last!

How proud each of our young rookies felt when at last he had a chance to
survey himself in a glass.

Never, it seemed, had uniforms fitted quite as neatly before.

Never, at all events, had young recruits felt any keener delight than
did Hal and Noll when they found themselves in their first infantry
uniforms.

From that happy instant they were looked upon as the two brightest,
keenest recruits on post.

On the first day of their uniformed lives Sergeant Brimmer came to them.

"You are directed to fall in at parade, this afternoon, without arms. At
formation I will place you in the rear rank."

Though they had their uniforms, their rifles had not yet been issued.

"What does it all mean?" wondered Noll. "We're not promoted to the
company yet. We're not out of the squad work yet."

"We can wait to find out what it means," Hal answered. "It won't be
many hours till parade time, now."

Then, at the bugle call, these young soldiers hurried outside, where
Corporal Davis formed them and marched them away.

Having finished with the "school of the soldier" our two rookies were
now in the "school of the squad."

In a company of infantry the squad consists of seven privates and a
corporal. Marching in column of twos, or in column of fours, the
corporal's place is on the left of the front rank of the squad; he
himself makes the eighth man. But, for purposes of instructing recruits,
the squad consists of eight rookies and a corporal.

Davis now led them away to the field, where he halted them.

"We will first," he announced, "take up the six setting-up drills of the
manual, and go through with them three or four times. You men will do it
as snappily as possible to-day."

These exercises consist of various gymnastic movements with the arms, of
bending until the hands touch the ground, and of leg-raising work. The
setting-up drills are very similar to ordinary work without apparatus in
a gymnasium--but with this difference: the rookie is made to go th