ter" sat very
still and held her mother's hand save when amid a burst of cheers
company "A" swept into the parade ground at a quick step, then she
sprang up, crying shrilly, "There's Bud! there's Bud! I see him!" and
then settled back into her seat overcome with embarrassment. The
mother's eyes danced as soon as the sister's had singled out their dear
one from the midst of the blue-coated boys, and it was an effort for her
to keep from following her little daughter's example even to echoing her
words.

Company "A" came swinging down the field toward the judges in a manner
that called for more enthusiastic huzzas that carried even the Freshmen
of other commands "off their feet." They were, indeed, a set of
fine-looking young fellows, brisk, straight, and soldierly in bearing.
Their captain was proud of them, and his very step showed it. He was
like a skilled operator pressing the key of some great mechanism, and at
his command they moved like clockwork. Seen from the side it was as if
they were all bound together by inflexible iron bars, and as the end man
moved all must move with him.

The crowd was full of exclamations of praise and admiration, but a tense
quiet enveloped them as company "A" came from columns of four into line
for volley firing. This was a real test; it meant not only grace and
precision of movement, singleness of attention and steadiness, but
quickness tempered by self-control. At the command the volley rang forth
like a single shot. This was again the signal for wild cheering and the
blue and white streamers kissed the sunlight with swift impulsive
kisses. Hannah and "little sister" drew closer together and pressed
hands.

The "A" adherents, however, were considerably cooled when the next
volley came out, badly scattering, with one shot entirely apart and
before the rest. Bud's mother did not entirely understand the sudden
quieting of the adherents; they felt vaguely that all was not as it
should be, and the chill of fear laid hold upon their hearts. What if
Bud's company (it was always Bud's company to them), what if his company
should lose. But, of course, that couldn't be. Bud himself had said that
they would win. Suppose, though, they didn't; and with these thoughts
they were miserable until the cheering again told them that the company
had redeemed itself.

Someone behind Hannah said, "They are doing splendidly, they'll win,
they'll win yet in spite of the second volley."

Company "A," in