here to take care of it. Now, men,
you'll likely find it a bit dull here for a day or two. Recruits
generally do. Then that will all wear off, and you'll be glad you're in
the Army. If there's anything you need to know, ask Corporal
Shrimp"--Hal winced inwardly--"or me. The mess call will soon go for
dinner. When it does, follow me outside, but take your places in the
rear of A Company, which is the recruit company that you now belong to.
I'll show you where to stand. New recruits don't march with the
battalion--not until they've been drilled enough to know how to march."

"Is there a battalion here, Sergeant?"

"Two recruit companies, at present. The non-commissioned officers, of
course, are trained soldiers. Then there are a few old-time privates in
each company--just enough to give the recruits some steadiness. The
trained privates also act as instructors sometimes."

With this remark Sergeant Brimmer moved away.

"He's all right," murmured Noll Terry. "If all were like Sergeant
Brimmer we wouldn't feel so lonely and blue."

Noll had let that last word escape him without thinking. But Hal, who
felt just as blue, pretended not to have heard.

"It'll all look different to us, just as soon as we get into uniform,
and get past the first breaking-in," predicted young Overton.

Ta-ra-ra-ra-ta! sounded a bugle, out in the corridor.

"That must be the call to dinner," muttered Hal.

But a uniformed recruit, passing them, stopped to say, pleasantly:

"No; that's first call to mess. Every call by the bugler has a 'first
call,' sounded just a little while before. That 'first call' is always
just the same strain. But the real call differs, according to what is
meant. The mess call itself, which is the one you'll hear next, sounds
like this."

The recruit hummed mess call for them.

"Thank you," acknowledged Hal gratefully.

"Feeling lonesome?" asked the uniformed rookie.

"J-j-just a bit," assented Hal.

"I'm getting almost over it," smiled the uniformed one, "The older men,
those who have seen service with a regiment, tell me that a man soon
gets to find delight in being in the Army. But that's after he has
gotten away from the recruit rendezvous."

"Oh, we'll get over it before then," promised Hal. "We'll be all over it
by to-morrow."

"Look out for that Shrimp," whispered the uniformed rookie.

"Does anyone ever need that warning, after seeing the corporal and
hearing him talk?" laughed Hal, in an undert