, official
envelope, which he endorsed and blotted. Rising, he thrust the envelope
into the breast of his blouse and started for the nearest companionway.

"I'm glad, old fellow, that you are the acting first sergeant," grinned
comfortable Noll Terry, as his chum came upon deck with forehead, face
and neck beaded with perspiration.

"Oh, it doesn't hurt a fellow to have a little work to do," replied
Overton, smiling. "You see, you've just been loafing this morning,
almost ever since inspection, while I have a consciousness of work well
performed."

"Keep your consciousness and enjoy it," retorted Noll, as the two boyish
sergeants stepped along the deck.

"I wonder if Captain Cortland is on deck at this moment?" remarked
Sergeant Hal.

"I saw him five minutes ago," Noll answered.

Almost at that moment B Company's commander came to the forward rail of
the saloon deck and looked down. Then his glance rested on Hal.

"Are the papers ready, Sergeant?" the captain called down.

"Yes, sir; I have them with me," replied Hal. Pressing through the
throng of soldiers, he ascended the steps to the saloon deck, saluting
and passing over the envelope.

"Thank you, Sergeant."

"I think you'll find them all right, sir. I'm somewhat new at the work,
but I've taken a lot of pains."

"There's always a lot of pains taken with any work that you do,
Sergeant."

"Thank you, sir."

Hal saluted and was about to turn away when he heard a voice saying:

"What we need, in dealing with the Moros in these southern islands, is
to show them that----"

Just then the speaker happened to turn, and stopped talking for a
moment.

The voice was new, but Sergeant Overton started at sight of the
speaker's face.

"Why, that's the same big, florid-faced fellow that I saw in the shed
with Tomba, that time it rained so hard," flashed through the young
sergeant's astonished mind. "What can he be doing here--a cabin
passenger on a United States troop ship?"

Unconsciously Hal was staring hard at the stranger. It appeared to annoy
the florid-faced man.

"Well, my man," he cried impatiently, looking keenly at Hal, "are you
waiting to say something to me?"

"No, sir," Sergeant Hal replied quickly.

"Perhaps you thought you knew me?"

"No, sir; I merely remembered having once seen you."

"You've seen me before? Then your memory is better than mine, Sergeant.
Where have you ever seen me before?"

"The other afternoon, sir, on the sou