ad seized the stand and were unfolding it. The lieutenant spun
around. "What are you _doing_?"

"We're helping, sir," the sergeant said.

"Well, cut it out. You noncoms are too officious and it's unnatural. It
makes me nervous."

Wims was now on the platform and had taken hold of the screen cylinder.
One of the corporals was tugging at the other end, trying to get it away
from him.

"Let go of that screen," the lieutenant roared at the corporal. Wims,
misunderstanding, released the cylinder a fraction of a second before
the corporal did and the corporal went tumbling backwards, knocking the
lieutenant off the platform and demolishing the loud-speaker.

The top sergeant raced outside and found one of the company lieutenants.
"Sir, you'd better move the company out of the building right away!"

"Why?"

"It's Wims. He's being helpful again."

The lieutenant paled and dashed inside. He took no time to determine the
specific nature of the commotion which was shaking the building. He
managed to evacuate the company in time to prevent serious casualties
when the structure collapsed.

[Illustration]

* * * * *

Captain Aronsen, the company commander, faced two of his lieutenants.
"You're not telling me anything new," he said wearily. "I know all about
Wims. I've tried everything to get him discharged, honorably and
otherwise. I've spent a lot of time setting things up so he could hardly
help but foul up and we could bounce him, but what happens? Everybody
else fouls up and he stays clean. And as if that isn't enough to worry
about, headquarters has notified me that General Harmon B. Fyfe of the
General Staff will come down from Washington tomorrow for a tour of
this post. He'll visit the bivouac area and observe the tactical
exercises. As you know, gentlemen, tomorrow is the final day of the
two-week bivouac for this company which completes their sixteen-week
basic training program. We'll have the usual company combat exercise
which will involve the attack, capture and defense against counterattack
of Hill Ninety-three."

"The same as always," said one of the lieutenants.

"It won't be the same as always!" the captain said, banging his fist on
his desk. "The area of action, the battle plan may be the same but this
time we've got General Fyfe as an observer and Dolliver Wims as a
participant and, if I can manage to squeeze the day successfully past
that Scylla and Charybdis, I'll p