l would go
through so far."

"Well, do that when you get on the firing line in France and it will
be all right," commented another lad, on the opposite side of the one
addressed as Chunky. "I wonder how much longer we're going to keep
this up?"

"As you were!" came the sudden order, fairly barked out from an
instructing sergeant, and the boys in the particular squad which
included Ned, Bob and Jerry, of whom more later, resumed the
positions they had been in before the order to charge bayonets had
been given.

Chunky, or Bob Baker, to give his proper name, managed to get rid of
the encumbering sack on his weapon, and marched back with the others.
They lined up at attention and waited for the usual instruction and
correction that followed each charge, or other army practice.

"That was pretty good, boys," said the sergeant, as he glanced down
the line, "but I'm sure you can do better. A few of you were a bit
slow.

"Now sometimes it's all right to be slow, if you have plenty of time,
but in this business of bayoneting Germans you won't have much time to
spare, as you'll find when you get on the other side, which I hope
will be soon."

There was a murmur to this same effect from all in the line.

"When you're using your bayonet, use it first, or the other chap may
get ahead of you and--well, you know what will happen then," went on
the sergeant significantly. "And when you pull your weapons out, do it
this way," and, taking a gun from the hands of Jerry Hopkins, the
sergeant illustrated what he meant, using one of the filled sacks as
an enemy.

"There wouldn't be much left of a German to send home after _he_ got
through with him," commented Ned Slade, as the sergeant handed Jerry
back the gun. "He surely has some poetry of motion--Sergeant Black
has."

"That's the way I tried to do it," said Bob, to his chums, Ned and
Jerry. "Only----"

"Only you must have been thinking you were going to leave your gun and
bayonet sticking in the ground to mark the place, so you could find it
the next time," interrupted Jerry with a laugh. For, the command "At
Ease," having been given, the prospective soldiers were allowed to
rest and indulge in talk. The sergeant was called to one side, while a
lieutenant gave him some orders about further practice and
instruction.

"Aw, cut it out!" begged Chunky. "Guess you forget the time you slept
through first call, and had to do kitchen police for two days."

"Indeed I don't forg