lose to the wall that ran along the front of
the reservation, and overlooked the road that came up from the town of
Clowdry.

"Yes," grinned Noll. "It's a favorite trick with old Hyman to get up in
a tree like that. Says he can think better that way than when he's
touching common earth. Hello, he has jumped down to the wall. There he
goes into the road outside."

"There was a cloud of dust along the road. I guess he's talking to some
one in a carriage or an automobile," guessed Hal.

"Well, it's of no interest to us," mused Noll.

But in that Corporal Terry was wrong.

"There's Hyman up on the wall again," reported Hal.

"So I see, and he's making motions this way."

"He's signaling," muttered Hal, watching the motions of Corporal Hyman's
right arm. He had started with that arm held up before his face. Now the
arm was falling rhythmically to left and right. "Why, Hyman is asking,
'Can you read this?'"

Then, raising his own arm, Hal signaled back:

"Yes."

Again Hyman's right arm was moving. Hal watched closely, spelling out
the wig-wagged signal:

"Pipe--off--what's--coming. Greatest--ever happened--in the--Army.
Don't--miss--it."

"Now, what on earth can that be?" queried Noll.

"It must be something unusual to rouse enthusiasm in a man like Hyman,"
laughed Hal.

And indeed it was something great that was coming. Corporal Hyman's
wig-wagging arm was moving again.

"Hustle--over--to--main--road."

Hal and Noll were instantly in motion. It must be confessed that they
were eager.

Little did they guess that the coming event was of a nature destined
soon to have the whole post at Fort Clowdry by the ears!

FOOTNOTE:

[A] It would be an excellent idea to reproduce the wig-wag alphabet,
with full directions for its use, in this volume of Mr. Hancock's, were
it not for the fact that alphabet and directions have just been
published in "The Battleship Boys' First Step Upward," which is the
second volume in Frank Gee Patchin's Battleship Boys' Series. Readers,
therefore, who would like to pick up this fascinating art of signaling
messages from distant points will do well to consult Mr. Patchin's
volume for simple and explicit directions.--EDITOR.

CHAPTER II

LIEUTENANT "ALGY" JOINS THE ARMY

IN at the gate down by post number one--in other words, at the guard
house--turned an extremely large and costly-looking seven-passenger
touring car.

At the driver's post sat an undersized, shrewd-