e passerby on a
steamboat.

It was, in fact, a long walk from the dock to the adjutant's office at
headquarters.

"Hit up the stride, rookies," ordered Corporal Dodds. "Double-time
march--hike. Don't keep the post adjutant from his luncheon."

Corporal Dodds' real reason for haste was that he had a crony in one of
the squad rooms at barracks whom he wanted to see as early as possible.

Shortly the rookies and their guide entered the adjutant's office. The
adjutant proved to be a captain of infantry with a corporal and two
privates on duty in his office as clerks.

"Sir, I report with two recruits," announced Corporal Dodds, coming to a
salute, which the adjutant returned.

"Their papers?" asked the adjutant.

"Here, sir."

"Very good, Corporal. You may go."

Turning to the chums Captain Anderson asked:

"You are Overton?"

"Yes, sir," Hal replied, doing his best to salute as neatly as Corporal
Dodds had. Again the adjutant returned the salute in kind. "Then you are
Terry?" he asked, turning.

"Yes, sir," Noll returned, not omitting to salute.

The adjutant called to his principal clerk.

"Corporal, make the proper entries for these men. Then take them over to
Sergeant Brimmer's squad room."

With that the adjutant picked up his uniform cap and left the office,
all the enlisted men present rising and standing at attention until he
had closed the door after him.

The corporal made the necessary entries, then rose and picked up his own
uniform cap.

"Come with me, rookies," he directed briefly.

So Hal and Noll followed, feeling within them another surge of that
curiously lonely and depressed feeling.

This corporal led them into the barracks building, and down a corridor
on the ground floor. He paused, at last, before a door that he flung
open. Striding into the room, the corporal looked about him.

"Where is Sergeant Brimmer?" he asked.

"Not here now," replied another corporal, coming forward.

"Two rookies. Hand 'em over to Brimmer when he comes in," replied the
conductor from the adjutant's office.

With that he strode out again, shutting the door after him.

The last corporal of all proved to be an older man than any of his
predecessors. He appeared to be about thirty-five years old; he was
tall, dark-featured and rather sullen-looking.

In this room there were twenty cot beds, arranged in two opposite rows,
with their heads to the walls. On each cot the bedding had been rolled
back