There was no one in the station save the telegraph operator. On these mountain divisions, where accidents may so easily happen, a night operator is kept at every station.
Hal and Noll stood on the station platform until the train had pulled out. Then, as their eyes became more accustomed to the darkness, they made out what appeared to be a small hotel on the other side of the track. There were two or three other buildings near by that looked like dwellings.
"Clowdry is a pretty large city," observed Noll, with a grin.
The real town was nearly a mile away.
"I wonder where the fort is," returned Hal. "We"ll ask the operator."
Apparently the operator was too well accustomed to seeing soldiers to take any deep interest in this new pair. But he was obliging, at any rate.
"Wait a minute," he called back, in answer to Private Overton"s question, "and I"ll go and show you the road."
So the two soldiers stood by their canvas cases until the operator had finished at his clicking instruments. Then the operator came out, heading for the rear door of the station.
"I"ll show you from here, Jack," called the operator. "You see that road? Follow it about a half a mile; take the first turn to the left, and then keep straight on until you come to the fort."
"How far is Fort Clowdry?" Hal wanted to know.
"About three miles from here."
"Good road?" questioned Noll.
"Tenderfeet, ain"t you?" asked the operator, smiling.
"Yes," admitted Hal.
"Thought you must be," nodded the operator, "else you"d know that the road between an Army post and the nearest freight station is always a good one. Them Army wagon bosses would put up a fearful holler if they had to drive the transport wagons over bad roads. Just joining?"
"Yes," a.s.sented Hal.
"Good luck to you! Well, follow the road and you can"t have any trouble."
"Thank you, and good-night," came from both recruits. Then, each taking a new grip on his canvas case, which was fairly heavy, the recruits started down the road.
They came, finally, to the turn to the left.
"These equipment cases don"t grow any lighter with distance, do they?"
laughed Hal.
"Mine doesn"t," grunted Noll.
When they had walked on a good deal farther Noll remarked:
"I wish we had that operator here!"
"What for?"
"He told us it was three miles. We could ask him what kind of miles."
"There"s daylight coming," nodded Hal, pointing to the east. "That will make the distance seem shorter."
The sun up, at last, gave the recruits their first glimpse of their first station in the Army. Fort Clowdry lay before them. There were no frowning parapets, no stone battlements, no cannon in sight. Fort Clowdry, as seen at the distance, consisted of a great number of buildings, of all sizes.
Boom! went a gun suddenly.
"Great!" cried Hal, his eyes shining. "That"s the essence of the soldier"s life--the sunrise gun. The Flag has just been hauled up."
In the middle distance the recruits caught sight of a soldier pacing, his gun, with bayonet fixed, at shoulder arms.
"That sentry will put us on the rest of our way," predicted Noll.
It being now broad daylight the sentry did not challenge the newcomers.
CHAPTER XIII
"TWO NEW GENERALS AMONG US"
"SENTRY, we"re recruit privates, joining the regiment at this station,"
announced Hal. "Where do we report?"
Bringing his rifle to port arms the soldier replied: "This is post number seven. You"ll find post number one at that building under the fir-tree. That"s the guard-house. Report, first, to the corporal of the guard."
"Thank you, Sentry."
"Welcome."
Bringing his piece to shoulder arms, the sentry resumed his pacing.
Hal and Noll now followed a well-kept road to the guard-house. Outside stood the corporal of the guard for this relief. As he gazed at the young soldiers, noting their canvas cases, he did not need to be told that they were recruits. None but recruits have cases the pattern they were carrying.
"Corporal," reported Hal, "we are Privates Overton and Terry, under orders to join the Thirty-fourth."
"Take seats inside, then," said the corporal. "Go to sleep in your chairs, if you want to."
Several other privates, belonging to the guard, were dozing in chairs.
But Hal and Noll felt now too wide awake to think of dozing. They longed to step outside for a better look at this post, which was to be their future home. Yet, having been directed to remain inside, they obeyed.
It was a long while afterward before a bugler blew the first call to reveille, which is the "Army alarm clock," the signal to rise.
"Attention!" called the corporal, a few minutes afterward.
All the dozers sprang to their feet, standing at attention.