ice?" asked Algy Ferrers enviously.

"Yes; as much as the Moros could give us," nodded Noll. "Truth to tell,
it was hard enough fighting to suit amateurs like us."

"Jove, I'd give a month's pay even to be able to fire a sentry's gun,"
declared Algy wistfully. "Ever since I left the Thirty-fourth I've been
plugging away at the Service School at Fort Leavenworth."

"We didn't see you there in July," said Hal.

"No; in June I was ordered to this regiment."

"We had no notion of ever meeting you down here," replied Noll, now
noting the figures, "37," just over the crossed rifles of Algy's collar
device.

"I don't belong to this battalion," Ferrers explained. "I'm here
temporarily, only, on special duty. I belong with B company, first
battalion. I'm just praying for this regiment to be ordered somewhere
where I can see some of the real fighting work."

"You will see fighting enough one of these days," said Hal
prophetically.

"Cut that, Ferrers!" warned Sears. "Most of us are quite content with
ordinary garrison routine in 'God's country.'"

"That's all well enough for you fellows," muttered Algy. "You don't need
any of what I'm longing for. And I might have gone to the Philippines,
too, with the Thirty-fourth, if I hadn't been such a dub," added
Ferrers, glancing at Hal and Noll. "Perhaps I'm putting on airs,
though. Overton, when I was at Fort Clowdry, I don't believe I was quite
as high as a dub, was I?"

Algy spoke so plaintively that all the officers at table laughed.

"Oh, that's all right for you fellows," retorted Algy. "But you never
had a glimpse of me in those old, first days. Why, fellows, I used to go
off the post without permission. I got into an all-night party in
Clowdry, and preferred it to reporting back in season to go on for guard
duty."

A somewhat incredulous laugh from trained officers greeted this
assertion.

"Oh, that's straight," declared Algy remorsefully. "And when Colonel
North tried to do the fatherly act with me by way of remonstrance, I
believe I assured him that my little lapse was nothing to get warm
about."

A shout of genuine laughter greeted this reminiscence.

"And one day," pursued Algy, "when Colonel North undertook to be really
a trifle severe with me, I flared up and offered my resignation on the
spot. I told him that, if an officer couldn't leave post for a little
fun, without the hanged formality of reporting and securing permission,
then the Army was no place