d that he was not popular at
the present time.

"Holmes will make trouble for any one who doesn't toady to him,"
thought Captain Cartwright moodily. "I can see that I've got
to make it my business to take the conceit and arrogance out of him."

At almost the same moment, over in a company barracks, Sergeant
Mock, as he chewed his food gloomily, was reflecting:

"So Captain Holmes will call me down before a lot of officers,
will he? He'll order me to show more 'pep,' will he, the
slave-driver? And if I don't he'll break me, eh?"

"Breaking" a non-commissioned officer is securing his reduction
to the grade of private.

"The captain is so lazy himself that he doesn't know a good man
when he sees one," Mock told himself angrily.

Then he added, threateningly to himself:

"He'd better not try it. If he does, he'll sure wish he hadn't.
Since this war began even the officers are only on probation, and
I've brains enough to find a way to put him in bad with the
regimental K.O."

"What's the matter, Mock, don't you like your food?" asked the
sergeant seated at his left. "You're scowling something fierce."

"It isn't the chow," Sergeant Mock retorted gruffly.

"Must be the heat, then---or a call-down," observed his brother
sergeant.

"Never you mind!" retorted Mock. "And I'm not talking much now;
I want to think."

"Must have been a real 'cussing-out' that you got," grinned the
other sergeant unconcernedly.

Bending over a passing soldier murmured to Mock:

"Top wants to see you in the company office when you're through
eating."

The first sergeant of a company is also known, in Army parlance,
as the "top sergeant" or the "top cutter."

Though he dawdled with his meal Mock did not eat much more. Finally
he rose, stalking sulkily from the mess-room and across the central
corridor. Thrusting out a hand he turned the knob of the door
of the company office and almost flung the door open, stepping
haughtily inside.

"Mock," said First Sergeant Lund, looking up, "you're too old
in the service to enter in that fashion. You know, as well as
I do, that there is a 'knock' sign painted on the door, and that
only an officer is privileged to enter without knocking. Suppose
the captain had been in here when you flung in in that fashion?"

"He's no better than any one else!" retorted Mock.

Facing about in his chair Sergeant Lund briefly rested one hand
on his desk, then sprang to his feet.

"Attention!" h