Too curious to turn over and go to sleep again, Hal stole softly from his cot and reached an open window on the side that looked out over the parade.
There was no moon, but in the light of the stars Hal could see several uniformed men running swiftly across the parade ground to officers" row.
"It"s no dream," muttered Overton, intensely interested, "for there goes the corporal with the guard. What on earth can it mean?"
There was something up--and something exciting, at that, for experienced sentries never fire except in case of need. Moreover, several sentries--no fewer than four--had just fired almost simultaneously.
Nor did the corporal and his squad return within the next few minutes.
Whatever it was that had resulted in turning out the guard, the need for the guard plainly still continued.
"There"s no more shooting, anyway," Hal reflected. "I may as well go back to bed."
It was some minutes ere he could sleep. When he did fall off it seemed as though only a minute or two had pa.s.sed when the bugle again pealed.
Hal was on his feet in a second. So were most of the other soldiers in the squad room this time.
"Why, it"s daylight now," uttered Hal, looking astounded.
"Of course it is, rook," laughed the soldier whose bed was next to Hal"s. "That bugler sounded first call to reveille. Don"t you know what that is yet?"
In other words the soldier"s alarm clock had "gone off." Though all of these men had slept through the call for the corporal of the guard, simply because it did not concern them, every man had turned out at the first or second note of "first call to reveille."
Every man dressed swiftly. As soon as he got his clothing on each soldier turned up his bedding according to the regulations.
There was some "policing" of the room done. That is, everything was made shipshape and tidy. Last of all, and within a very few minutes from the start, the men made their way briskly to the sinks, where soap and water, comb and brush, put on the finishing touches. A sergeant, two corporals and nearly a score of men were now as neat and clean as soldiers must ever be.
"What was that row in the night, Corporal? Do you know?" Hal asked.
"What row in the night?" asked Corporal Cotter.
"Why, there was a lot of shooting, and a call for the corporal of the guard to post number six."
"First I"ve heard of it," replied Corporal Cotter. "But we"ll know before long. Now, step lively, rook, for you"re on duty with the rest to-day."
By the time that Sergeant Gray"s squad room emptied at the call of the bugle it was instantly plain outside that something unusual was going on.
A and D Companies, as they fell in, proved each to be twenty men short.
"There are extra guards out, and a picket down the road to town,"
muttered Private Hyman, who stood next to Hal in the ranks.
"What does it mean?" asked Hal Overton, but instantly his thoughts went back to the shots and the excitement of the night.
"Silence in the ranks," growled Corporal Cotter.
But at breakfast tongues were unloosed. Hal quickly told what little he had seen and heard in the night. Others pa.s.sed the gossip that twenty men had been silently summoned from a squad room in A Company, and twenty more from a squad room in D Company.
"There"s some mischief floating in the air--that"s certain," muttered Private Hyman.
"How did you happen to be up to see and hear it all, Overton?" demanded Sergeant Gray.
Hal explained, frankly and briefly, but the sergeant"s eyes were keenly questioning.
Before the meal was over the company commander, Captain Cortland, entered the room.
"Keep your seats, men. Go on with your breakfast. Sergeant Gray, I will speak with you for a moment."
The first sergeant hastily rose, going over to his captain and saluting.
After the company commander had gone, at the end of a brief, almost whispered conversation, Gray came back to his seat, looking wholly mysterious.
"B Company, rise," ordered the first sergeant, at the end of the meal.
"Attention! The men of this company will have ten minutes for recreation, then be prepared to fall in at an extra inspection on the parade ground. After filing out of here no man will go indoors again before inspection."
"Is it to be inspection without arms, Sergeant Gray?" called Sergeant Hupner.
"Inspection just as you stand," replied Sergeant Gray, then gave the marching order.
"What on earth is up, Hal?" demanded Noll, when the two young rookies met outside of mess a few minutes later.
"I wish I knew," was Hal"s puzzled reply.
CHAPTER XVII
HAL UNDER A FIRE OF QUESTIONS
IMMEDIATELY after the bugle call for a.s.sembly the four companies of the first battalion of the Thirty-fourth fell in by companies on the parade ground.
After roll-call had been read each company commander stepped before his own command.
"Was any man of B Company absent from his squad room at any time around two o"clock this morning?" called Captain Cortland, looking keenly over his command. Other company commanders were asking the same question. "If so, that man will fall out."
Not a man fell out of any of the four companies.
"Was any man in B Company up and moving about the squad room at or about two o"clock this morning?" was Captain Cortland"s next question. "If so, fall out."
Private Hal Overton quickly left his place in the ranks.
"Advance, Private Overton," ordered Captain Cortland.
Hal stepped forward, halting six paces from his company commander and saluting.
"You were up and about in the squad room at that time, Private Overton?"