soldier at last."

"With still a lot to learn, though," added Noll.

"Yes," Hal assented. "I imagine that the real soldier always learns as
long as he remains in the service."

After a long walk, doubling back and forth over some roads and paths
several times, our young rookies found themselves looking at the water
by the Jersey end of the island.

"I wonder if we'd be allowed to go over there by the water's edge!"
suggested Hal. "It would be fine to sit down there and hear the waves
lap up against the shore. I don't want to go in yet, Noll, but I am
tired enough to want to sit down."

"Here comes some one in uniform," murmured Noll.

It was a sergeant passing, though one the rookies had not seen before.

"Sergeant," called Hal, "may I ask you a question?"

"Of course," answered the sergeant, halting and regarding them.

"We're rookies; just joined to-day," continued Hal. "We were wondering
if it would be any breach of discipline for us to go over there by the
shore and sit down near the water for a while."

"There's no rule against it," replied the sergeant. "But I'd advise you
to be back before taps, for it generally takes a recruit some time to
get his bed made right."

"Thank you, Sergeant. We'll be sure to go back in time."

As the sergeant passed on Hal and Noll headed for the shore.

"Here's as good a place as any, Noll," said Hal, as they reached the
shore. He pointed to a little depression in the ground. There was a
little rise of ground before them as they threw themselves down flat,
though it did not wholly shut off their view of the water.

Little waves lapped up monotonously against the beach.

"My, but that's a sound to make one drowsy," laughed Noll contentedly.

"We mustn't let it have that effect on us," uttered Hal, half in alarm.
"I am tired, but it would never do to fall asleep here and be late at
tattoo. I don't know what kind of scrape that would get us into."

"Do you know," went on Noll, "this day's doings all seem like parts of a
dream to me. I can't realize, yet, that I'm a soldier. I suppose it's
because we haven't our uniforms yet."

"That has something to do with it, of course," nodded Hal. "I thought
this a pretty good suit of clothes when I left home, but now I feel
actually shabby and fearfully awkward when I look about me at older
recruits in their snappy uniform. It'll really seem like a big load off
my mind, Noll, when I find myself in the blue."

"The fellows tel