"Have we time to go over to the power house?" asked Noll.
"We haven"t," decided Hal, after consulting his watch. "In twelve minutes we must be at the adjutant"s office."
"Here comes an officer," whispered Noll.
Both young soldiers were alert as a first lieutenant came down the road toward them. At the same instant Hal and Noll raised their right hands smartly in salute, which was promptly returned by that officer.
They had already inquired where the adjutant"s office was located.
Having pa.s.sed the officer, our young recruits now hastened over to the headquarters building.
"Adjutant"s office?" inquired Hal of an orderly before a door.
"Right inside," nodded the orderly.
Noll fell in behind Hal as the latter stepped into the office.
At a flat-top desk sat a battalion sergeant-major, who is the non-commissioned a.s.sistant of the regimental adjutant.
At a roll-top desk in another corner of the office the adjutant himself, a first lieutenant, was seated.
"We are recruits reporting, Sergeant," announced Hal, in a low tone.
"You have your orders with you?" asked the sergeant-major.
"Yes, Sergeant." Hal handed both sets of papers to his questioner.
At the same time each recruit was alert to salute the officer at the roll-top desk, in case he should look up. But he didn"t until the battalion sergeant-major placed the papers on his desk.
"Come here, men," directed the officer.
Both rookies stepped over to his desk, halted and saluted.
"Recruit Privates Overton and Terry?" asked the adjutant, after a glance at the papers.
"Yes, sir."
The adjutant turned to examine a list that lay on his desk.
"Private Overton to B Company. Private Terry to C Company."
From an inner room stepped out a gray-haired officer, wearing on his shoulder-straps the silver eagles of a colonel. This must be Colonel North, the Thirty-fourth"s K. O. Both recruits immediately came to the salute again.
"These are the young men I wanted to see, are they not, Wright?" asked the colonel.
"They are, sir," replied the adjutant, rising.
"Major Silsbee!" called the colonel, looking over one shoulder.
That officer entered, also from the inner room, and again the recruits saluted.
"Major," went on the colonel, "these are the young men I told you about, who are joining your battalion."
Major Silsbee looked them over keenly, even if briefly.
"They look the part, Colonel," was the major"s comment.
CHAPTER XIV
THE SQUAD ROOM HAZING
"MEN, we have had word of you in advance of your coming," continued the colonel.
"Yes, sir," replied Hal.
"Very good word, indeed. It seems that you took stirring part in a.s.sisting an Army officer last night."
"We obeyed Major Davis"s orders, sir, if that is what you refer to," Hal a.s.sented, once more saluting.
"And did it in a manner that distinguishes you as good soldiers, eh, major?" went on the colonel, turning to Major Silsbee.
"Yes," replied Major Silsbee. "Major Davis"s commendation is not earned except by merit."
"You are surprised, I take it," resumed Colonel North, bending a shrewd yet kindly glance on the recruits, "that we should already know of your conduct last night. Major Davis wired me concerning it from Salida last night. Men, this is a very good start, or, rather, a second one, for your record, as forwarded me from the recruit rendezvous, mentions that you have already been commended in orders for aiding in preventing the escape of a prisoner. You start well, men, in the Thirty-fourth. Report to your respective first sergeants that, with the approval of your company commanders, you will not take up with duty until to-morrow. That will give you time to look about the post. If you wish, you have also permission to be off post this afternoon, for three hours beginning at two o"clock. That is all."
"Thank you, sir," acknowledged each recruit, saluting. Then they stepped forth.
"At the rate we"re getting commended, we ought soon to be brigadier generals," smiled Hal.
"A second lieutenancy, even after four years, will suit me well enough,"
retorted Noll. "But what shall we do now?"
"Plainly enough our first duty is to report to our first sergeants, as ordered."
"Too bad we couldn"t be bunkies, in the same company," murmured Noll.
"Yes; I would rather have had it that way. But I take it that one of the first lessons a fellow has to learn in the Army is that he can"t have things his own way."
"At all events we can be together during a good deal of our leisure time," declared Noll.
"Nothing--not even being half the world apart--could prevent our being chums, old fellow."
Reaching barracks each recruit inquired where to find his own first sergeant. Hal was soon facing Sergeant Gray, of B Company. The first sergeant of a company is a highly important man. He is the ranking non-commissioned officer of his company, and might aptly be termed the "foreman" of the company. He lives right with his company all the time, and knows each man thoroughly. The first sergeant is responsible to the company commander for the discipline and order of the company.
"Is your name Overton?" asked Sergeant Gray, holding out his hand. "Glad to have you with us, Overton. You"ll bunk in Sergeant Hupner"s squad room. Remember that, when there"s anything you really need to know, the non-commissioned officers of the company are paid to instruct you. Don"t be afraid to ask necessary questions."