room on duty.

"Are there any new recruits here who do not fully understand the care of
their bedding?" inquired Corporal Davis pleasantly.

"I do not, Corporal," Hal answered.

"Nor do I," came from Noll.

"Which are your beds, then?" asked Davis promptly.

Within fifteen minutes both Hal and Noll knew how to make beds, and how
to fold them away for the day.

Davis proved to be a younger edition of the sergeant. He was not
familiar with the recruits, but taught what he was there to teach, and
did it with a mingling of firmness and patience.

"From policing of quarters in the morning until tattoo at night," went
on Corporal Davis, "you are not allowed to take down your bedding and
make up the bed, except under orders for purposes of instruction. At
tattoo you may make up your bed and turn in promptly, if you wish. At
taps you must have your bed made, and get into it at once. Any man up
after taps, except by permission, is subject to discipline."

Supper call came soon after. When the evening meal was finished our
young rookies found that they had the evening to themselves. They could
stay in squad room, or could go out into the open, if they preferred,
though, as rookies, they could not roam as they pleased over the whole
post.

Hal and Noll elected to take a stroll after supper.

"Hal," proposed Noll, "I want to ask you something."

"Permission granted," laughed Private Overton.

"Do you think you're going to like the Regular Army as much as you
expected!"

"Yes, siree," replied Hal promptly, and with enthusiasm. "Shrimp was
hard to swallow, and he would have made this place purgatory to us. But
he was caught, red-handed, and we've had a lesson, the first day in the
service, that real justice rules always in the Army. The breaking-in as
recruits, Noll, is going to be harder than I thought, even if we have
such fine men as Brimmer and Davis all the time. But, after we get
through that period, and at last know our duties and understand the
life, we're going to be mighty glad that we took the oath and enlisted
under the Flag."

"It's mighty good to hear you say that," replied Noll Terry almost
gratefully. "But I'm afraid we have a fearful lot ahead of us to learn.
It will take an awfully long time to learn all we have got to know, I
fear."

"A recruit generally stays about three months at the rendezvous," Hal
went on. "After that he's drafted to his regiment, sent away to join it,
and then he's a real