said the other after a
moment. And sitting on the cot, with his feet he forced the cross-bar at
one end into position, then swung about and put the other one into place,
and the thing was done.

"Thanks," said young David, politely but not warmly, in a way that showed
how used he is to being waited on. "Have a cigarette? I suppose we
shall--er--room together. My name is Farnham."

"Mine is Knudsen," said the other. And then I appreciated the cause of
his blondness.

"I'm from Harvard, class of 'sixteen," said young David. Well-grown as he
is, I couldn't help thinking of him as young.

"I'm from Buffalo," said Knudsen shortly. "I run a foundry there." His
blue eyes were unwavering and quite expressionless as he looked Farnham
over.

"Farnham? Farnham?" said the man with the short pointed beard. The others
turned and looked at him. "I remember now. You were in my section in
English A, your Freshman year."

"Oh," said young David. "Professor Corder. Of course. How de do? I
remember that you flunked me."

"But you got through English D after two tries," said Corder. "Such is
college life."

As none followed up the subject, I asked where they got their equipment.
On their direction I went to the store-tent at the head of the street,
where on the strength of my signature an obliging regular intrusted to me
various listed articles, which I lugged to the tent.

This domicile is in the shape of a pyramid on a three foot wall, about
sixteen feet on a side, the whole supported by a solid post held by an
iron tripod. The tent contains eight beds, the corporal's always to the
right of the entrance, the others in a mystic order which I will not
bother you with. As yet we did not know how we were to fall in, but I set
up my cot modestly among the rear rank, put under it my suit case, laid
on the cot a mattress and pillow, properly cased in light duck, and
garnished the whole with three blue blankets which promise comfort in
this September weather. And then I dove into the blue bag.

First on the list, a sweater, o. d., like all the outfit, and very heavy.

A poncho. A rubber oblong with button-holes along three sides, and a
slit, provided with a collar, less than halfway down the middle.

A shelter-half. That was the strangely shaped piece of brown duck, in
pattern something like a big old-fashioned kite, with unsymmetrical
button-holes and loops of rope.

Five tent-pins. Aluminum, ridged and bent.

A pack. A queerl