such a sight had worn off. Besides, most of the French who lived
in this same port were now just about quitting their own beds.

"Who'll be first ashore from this regiment?" demanded a laughing
soldier as he witnessed the work of bringing the first gangway
aboard from the pier.

"The guard!" tersely replied Captain Cartwright, as he appeared
with a sergeant and a detachment from the guard. As soon as the
gangway had been made fast sentries were thrown out, two of them
being stationed at the foot of the gangway itself.

Then came a call the soldier never ignores. The buglers sounded
the first mess-call of the day.

After the meal came inspection, after which, a company at a time,
the men were sent over the side to the pier. A short distance
up a street the men were halted, forming in two ranks at the side
of the street. The reasons for all that followed were not clear
to the newer men in the ranks.

While the men had been eating between decks the officers of the
regiment had gone to their last ship's meal in the dining saloon.
Before the meal was half over the adjutant had entered to call
out:

"At the conclusion of the meal Major Wells, Captains Prescott
and Holmes and First Lieutenant Terry will report at my office
for instructions from the colonel."

"That's more interesting than clear," declared Greg, as soon as
he had swallowed the food in his mouth. "I wonder why we four
are wanted? What have we been doing and why are we the goats?"

"Probably," smiled Dick, "it is something to do with either praise
or promotion---the two things that come most regularly to a soldier,
you know."

Captain Holmes's curiosity reached such a high point that he would
have bolted his food in order to get more quickly to the adjutant's
office, but he noted that the battalion commander was not hurrying
at all.

"Confound Wells!" the irrepressible Greg whispered to his chum.
"I believe he knows what it's all about, and he knows that we
cannot report before he's ready to do the same, so he's tormenting
us by taking twice his usual amount of time to finish breakfast!"

"Keep cool," Dick returned dryly.

At last Major Wells finished his meal. He waited until he saw that
the other three officers concerned with him in the orders had
done the same. Then he inquired:

"Are you ready, gentlemen?"

Rising, Major Wells led the way above. When they entered the
adjutant's office they found Colonel Cleaves standing there,