ant Wright fumed inwardly, though he turned to Hal to say:

"Sergeant, inspect the guard."

A little later Hal marched his new guard down to the guard house.
Lieutenant Ferrers had not yet been found, and there was a storm
brewing.

CHAPTER VIII

ASTONISHMENT JOLTS MR. FERRERS

IT was nearly four in the afternoon when the sentry on post number one
called briskly:

"Sergeant of the guard, post number one!"

"What is it, sentry?" asked Hal, stepping briskly out of the guard
house.

"Lieutenant Ferrers is approaching, Sergeant," replied the sentry,
nodding his head down the road.

An auto car bowled leisurely up the road toward the main entrance to the
post. In it, at the wheel, sat Lieutenant Algy Ferrers, who was supposed
to be officer of the day. He was driving the one car that he had been
allowed to store on post.

Algy looked decidedly tired and bored as he drove along.

"Halt the lieutenant, sentry."

"Very good, Sergeant."

Just as the lieutenant turned his car in at the gate, the sentry,
instead of coming to present arms, threw his gun over to port arms,
calling:

"Halt, sir. Sergeant of the guard, post number one."

Algy, with a look of astonishment on his face, slowed the car down and
stopped. Sergeant Hal approached, giving him the rifle salute.

"Well, what's in the wind, Sergeant?" demanded Algy, reaching in a
pocket for his cigarette case.

"I beg your pardon for stopping you, sir, but the adjutant directed me
to ask you to report to him immediately upon your return, sir."

"All right; I'll drop around and see Wright as soon as I put my car up
and get a bath," replied Lieutenant Algy, striking a match.

"Beg your pardon, sir; don't light that cigarette until you've driven
on."

"Now how long since sergeants have taken to giving officers orders?"
inquired Mr. Ferrers in very great astonishment.

"The guard always has power to enforce the rules, sir. And smoking is
forbidden when addressing the guard on official business."

"Oh, I daresay you're right, Sergeant," assented Algy, dropping his
match out of the car. "Very good; I'll see Wright within an hour or so."

"But the order was explicit, sir, that you are to report to the adjutant
at once. If you'll pardon the suggestion, Lieutenant, I think it will be
better, sir, if you drive straight to the adjutant's office."

"Oh, all right," nodded Algy indifferently. "'Pon my word, it takes a
fellow quite a while to get hold of