more," said Algy, turning to the two new "

h Hal and Noll had modestly refrained from taking any unnecessa

We lost several of our men who went down befo

al service?" asked A

nodded Noll. "Truth to tell, it was hard

un," declared Algy wistfully. "Ever since I left the Thirty-fourth

you there in

was ordered to

replied Noll, now noting the figures, "37," just

on special duty. I belong with B company, first battalion. I'm just praying for th

nough one of these days,

st of us are quite content with ordina

to the Philippines, too, with the Thirty-fourth, if I hadn't been such a dub," added Ferrers, glancing at Hal and Noll. "Per

vely that all the off

se old, first days. Why, fellows, I used to go off the post without permission. I got into an al

augh from trained office

orth tried to do the fatherly act with me by way of remonstrance, I be

laughter greeted

and offered my resignation on the spot. I told him that, if an officer couldn't leave post for a little fun,

u get away with that?" de

through at once. Instead, my father wired that he'd had me ordered to the Service Schools at Fort Leavenworth; that I'd have to go there, work like blazes and make good, or else that he'd disown me and make me

h," assented Brisbane. "I

at a soldier's life is about the finest going, if only a fellow can buckle down to

you, Ferrers," put in Sears. "I don't know a

But that seems hard for you to

m what I see of you now, or from what I h

o be a fact that Algy Ferrers, for the last year, has been returning all the remittances that his father sent him.

venteen hundred dollars a year. To my way of thinking that's all

ny automobiles on

en't been in an auto, except under order

of Algy Ferrers. Hal and Noll felt like pinc

'em off. They try to be kind to you at Leavenworth, Terry. One of their plans, there, is to give you time for eight hours' sleep, but you can't always connect. All the rest of the time is working day. Why, I've gone to my quarters at Leavenworth so tired out at night that I've sat down in a chair for a mome

ll wanted

wake him in time to shave before the next day's grind begins. You will

officers had begun to smoke, those who did

an inside pocket, took from it a cigarette,

put in Hapgood, "and

have had this one," explained Lieutenant Pratt

ere's no waiter in the room," sighed H

ever moves anywhere with less tha

ush mounting to his cheeks and tem

used--"

changed that, too. The second day I was there I lighted a coffin-nail before one of the older officers. Wish you

suddenly i

used half a

. "There are too many smokers here, and I don't

you responsible, Ferrers. We'll charge the

a foul chimney of my nose and stewing my brain all day long in a

d you sa

efore that a cigarette smoker is violating the nuisance act all day long, and

over to a fire place, into which he threw his li

with no cigarettes in your pockets," co

oke yet," an

fficer present, arose,

ars, glancing at his watch. "If you want to go over to Captain F

you; I'

o Noll. The four officers left the club together, all ret

bout the old days when he was such a rookie

answered. "Ferrers was a m

," interpo

e other officers at Fort Clowdry," continued Hal. "Nothing has pleased me so much, in a

e," Sears declared warmly. "Really, you know, it seems incre

at he is to-day," Noll declared, "then there's hope

come up from the ranks, as you two did, have had all the possible nonsense knocked out o

is the next beyond," s