e too young, I'm sorry to say," replied the sergeant to Noll.

Then, turning to Hal, he added:

"You may be accepted."

"But I've got another birthday coming very soon," interjected Noll.

"How soon?"

"To-morrow."

"You'll be eighteen to-morrow?" questioned the sergeant.

"Yes, sir."

"That will be all right, then," nodded the sergeant. "You won't need to
be sworn in before to-morrow. You have both of you parents living?"

"Yes, sir," Hal answered, this time.

"It is not necessary, or usual, to say 'sir,' when answering a
non-commissioned officer," the sergeant informed them. "Say 'sir,'
always, when addressing a commissioned officer or a citizen."

"Thank you," Hal acknowledged.

"Now, you have the consent of your parents to enlist?"

"Yes, Sergeant."

"Both of you?"

"Yes."

"Aldridge!"

One of the pair of very spruce-looking privates in the room wheeled
about.

"Furnish these young men with application blanks, and take them over to
the high desk."

Having said this the sergeant turned back to some papers that he had
been examining.

"You will fill out these papers," Private Aldridge explained to the
boys, after he had led them to the high desk. "I think all the
questions are plain enough. If there are any you don't understand then
ask me."

It was a race between Hal and Noll to see which could get a pen in his
hand first. Then they began to write.

The first question, naturally, was as to the full name of the applicant;
then followed his present age and other questions of personal history.

For some time both pens flew over the paper or paused as a new question
was being considered.

When he came to the question as to which arm of the service was
preferred by the applicant Noll turned to Hal to whisper:

"Is it still the infantry?" young Terry asked.

"Still and always the infantry," Hal nodded.

"All right," half sighed Noll. "I'm almost wishing for the cavalry,
though, so I could ride a horse."

"The infantry is best for our plans," Hal replied.

When they had finished making out their papers Hal and Noll went back to
the sergeant's desk.

"Do we hand these to you?" Hal asked.

"Yes," said the sergeant, taking both papers. He ran his eyes over them
hurriedly, then rose and passed into an inner office. When he came out
all he said was:

"Take seats over there until you're wanted."

Two or three minutes later a buzzer sounded over the sergeant's head.
Rising, he entered