tion continued. Each young soldier improved a good deal
during that hour.

"Now, we'll call it off until to-morrow," remarked the sergeant at last,
and turned to re-enter barracks.

"How do you like it, Noll?" asked Overton.

"Oh, it's all right," admitted boyish Corporal Terry. "But I'd rather
have telegraphy. I don't see why you've been so wild over the wig-wag
flags."

"For just one reason," responded Hal promptly. "Because it's all a part
of the soldier's life and duty. I mean to know every phase and detail of
the soldier's business that I can possibly pick up. And I hope you won't
back out, Noll."

"Oh, no; I'll stick," agreed Corporal Terry, though it sounded as if he
promised almost reluctantly.

Ta-ra-ta-ra-ta! The bugler was sounding the first call for drill. That
sent the two boyish young corporals quickly into barracks with their
signal flags, which they exchanged for their rifles.

Their old friend Hyman--no longer Private Hyman, but now, for three
months, Corporal Hyman--regarded them with indulgent eyes.

"You kids been out learning how to wave the shirt?" he queried.

"Yes," nodded Hal. Then, with pretended severity, he demanded: "Do you
think, Corporal Hyman, you have chosen a respectful enough manner in
addressing other corporals who rank you by virtue of prior appointment
to the grade?"

"Oh, nobody takes a corporal seriously except the corporal himself,"
drawled Hyman. "A corporal in the Army is only a small-fry boss. He's
handy to lay the blame on for things, and he doesn't dare to 'sass'
back. Neither does the corporal dare to 'take it out of' the private
soldiers in his squad, for, if he did, the privates would report him and
have him court-martialed. Kids, I'm growing rather tired of being a
corporal. I think I'll go to the colonel and----"

But whatever Hyman was going to do he did not explain, for the notes of
assembly rang out and all the men in the squad room hastened outside,
yet did it with that dignity and seeming deliberation that the soldier
soon acquires.

Drill was over in something like an hour. Hal and Noll returned to squad
room, where they spent some little time going over their equipment. Then
they sauntered outside, for there was still some time before the noon
meal at company mess.

"Look at Hyman, in that tree over yonder," said Hal, nodding in the
direction.

Corporal Hyman was sitting on one of the lower limbs of a tree some four
hundred yards away. It was c