H. Irving Hancock

“ There were always new duties to be learned, but our young rookies had now picked up the habit of learning so easily and quickly that everything seemed a matter of course.
"How do you like Army life now, Noll?" Hal asked one day.
"I wouldn't swap this life for any other," exclaimed Private Noll Terry, his eyes shining. "Hal, have you never suspected that they're making men out of us here? We're learning to obey without asking why, and we're being trained in a way that will fit us to lead other men one of these days. And look how strong all the gymnastics with a rifle is making us. ”

“ But they caught no further glimpse of Tip Branders; plainly he preferred different paths.
"What do you make out of Tip?" asked Noll, a minute later.
"Nothing," Hal answered, "except that he was lying, as usual, of course. Tip never tells the truth; there's no sport in it." [182]
"I'd like to know what he is doing out in this country."
"Oh, I reckon," suggested Hal, "that, as he couldn't be a soldier, he thought he'd take up cowboy life as the next best thing."
"He won't last long as a cowboy," laughed Noll. "Tip hates work, and the cowboy is about the hardest worked man in America." ”

“ It was to the better elements among these men that the sergeant and the private soldier were intended to appeal. Yet the sergeant was not seeking unwilling recruits; he addressed no man who did not first speak to him.
In the tidy, striking uniforms, their well-built bodies, their well-fed appearance and their whole air of well-being, these two enlisted men of the regular army must have presented a powerful, if mute, appeal to the hungry unfortunate ones on the benches.
"Good morning, Sergeant," spoke Hal, as soon as the two chums had reached the Army pair. ”

“ There was not a soldier on the post against whom any tangible suspicion pointed.
"There's just one way that a clue might be found," muttered Private Bill Hooper, one morning in Sergeant Hupner's squad room. "In time it may turn out that a sweetheart of some soldier gets some pretty jewelry trinkets given to her."
He glared covertly, though meaningly, at Hal Overton.
But Hal was far enough away neither to see nor to hear Hooper's fling.
"You'll never get caught on that trick, Bill," jeered Private Hyman. "No girl would look at you, even if you displayed the whole of the missing jewelry." ”

“ Hal and Noll stood for some moments gazing at the attractive recruiting poster in the post-office window. One by one the boys who had gathered went off in search of other interest or sport, until only Jud and Tom remained near the two older boys.
"I reckon you think I was foolish, don't you, Hal?" asked Jud, at last.
"No; not just that," replied Overton, turning, with a smile. "No American can ever be foolish to insist on respect for the country's Flag and uniform." ”

“ Sergeant Brimmer chuckled heartily over the recollection.
"And did Colonel Blank obey you, and go inside and wait?" asked Hal.
"Did he?" asked Brimmer, looking surprised. "Of course he did. What's a guard for in the Army, if it can't enforce its orders? And it was past midnight when we finally got an officer, by telephone, to come over and go bail for his colonel's identity. Then, of course, we turned the colonel loose." ”

“ Hal Overton never forgot his feelings when he shouldered his rifle, with bayonet fixed, and patrolled his first sentry post for two hours.
He felt even more the sense of responsibility when he came to his first night tour of sentry duty.
In his way the sentry is a tremendously important personage. On his post he represents the whole sovereignty of the United States of America. The youngest sentry in the Army may halt and detain any officer, no matter of how exalted rank, until he is certain that the man halted is an officer entitled to pass. ”

“ Crack! crack! crack! As fast as revolvers were emptied the marksmen reloaded and again began firing. In daylight the execution would have been swifter, but all hits made in black darkness are made by the grace of luck.
In the first place the only target anyone in the combat had was the flash of an opponent's pistol.
The train robbers behind the ledge changed their positions after nearly every shot. And Hal and Noll, after the warm, uncomfortable experience of having bullets fan their faces persistently, found it advisable to crouch low and dart here and there, firing from new positions. ”

“ Hal did so without difficulty, though he was flushed and panting by the time that he finished this brisk exercise.
"Kid, you're no good," grunted Hyman.
"I didn't try to make you believe I was any good," Hal retorted calmly.
"No, sir! Any man who jumps as easily and naturally as you do would jump the regulars any time, and go with the high-toned volunteer crowd."
"Humph! A fellow who can jump like that would jump right out of the service at the first breath of trouble," broke in another soldier. ”

“ Sometimes he talks to Tom and me an hour at a time, telling us all about the campaigns he has served in. Say, Hal, you and Noll ought to call on him and ask him for some of his grand old Indian stories."
"We know some of them," laughed Hal. "Noll and I have been calling there often."
"You have?" said Jud gleefully. "Say, ain't Sergeant Wright one of the finest men ever? I'll bet he's been a regular up-and-down hero himself, though he never tells us anything about his own big deeds."
"He wears the medal of Congress," replied [15] Hal warmly. "A soldier who wears that doesn't need to brag." ”

“ So Hal and Noll remained where they were, the feeling of loneliness growing all the time.
"Don't mind Corporal Shrimp any more than you have to," advised one of the uniformed rookies, coming over to them after a few moments. "Shrimp is a terror and a grouch all the time. Sergeant Brimmer you'll find a real old soldier, and a gentleman all the time." ”

“ Hal's answer leaped forth. "Cool? Why, man, I was so cold that it took me an hour, afterwards, to get warm again."
"He's got you there, Hyman," laughed another soldier. "Oh, the kid's going to be one of us, all right. He's no bouquet chaser."
"I don't know about that," replied Private Hyman gravely. "So many heroes in disguise try to sneak in among the regulars that it pays us to keep our eyes open. What sort of a medal are you going to order from Congress, kid?" ”

“ A lone figure rose over the edge of the ledge, and a tall, masked man, holding his hands very high, strode toward the train, passing between Hal and Noll, who instantly turned and covered him with their weapons.
"Where's the other man?" demanded Major Davis, still invisible in the blackness beyond.
"You'll find him behind the ledge," returned the surrendered one. "He's hurt too bad to move."
"Overton," called the major, "keep your weapon trained right on that prisoner. Terry, join me behind the ledge."
"Yes, sir," answered both recruits. ”

“ Of course, not all rookies at the post had conceived as large an idea of Army life.
Two, who had joined at about the same time as Overton and Terry, had not proved themselves wholly suited to a life of discipline. This pair had committed several breaches of the [113] rules, and had at last been haled before courts-martial and dismissed the service.
Only the young man who has in him the makings of a man and a soldier finds the life of the Army attractive. The incompetent, the shiftless and the vicious are no better off in the Army than they would be anywhere else. ”

“ Sergeant, follow me to the next squad room."
The instant that the door closed Hal and Noll began to execute a swift little dance of joy, while the other rookies looked on in grinning congratulation.
"What sort of regiment is the Thirty-fourth, Sergeant?" asked Hal, after he and Noll had reported to Sergeant Brimmer.
"Just like any other infantry regiment," replied Sergeant Brimmer. "They're all alike. The only difference is in the station, and the station of each infantry command is usually changed every two or three years. ”

“ As Private Bill Hooper went away to clean up his uniform and shoes, Hal blithely kept at work putting his rifle in A 1 order.
Both were interrupted, half an hour later, by the bugle call for separate company drill.
Private Overton was among the first on the drill ground. His clothing looked as though it had just come from the tailor's; his rifle had the appearance of being fresh from the arsenal.
"There's a man for you, Hyman," spoke Sergeant Hupner, in an undertone. "If the kid keeps on as he has started he'll be a winner." ”

“ Unfortunately, few American youths, comparatively speaking, are aware of the splendid training that the United States Army offers to a young American. The Army offers splendid grounding for the young man who prefers to serve but a single enlistment and then return to civil life. But it also offers a solidly good career to the young man who enlists and remains with the colors until he is retired after thirty years of continuous service. [19]
Both Hal and Noll had looked thoroughly into the question, and each was now convinced that the Army offered him the best place in life. ”

“ Whenever a soldier or an ex-soldier is found slandering the Army service it is invariably safe to set him down as a man who, through very poor soldierly qualities, or actual viciousness, got "in the bad books" of his officers. There is every desire on the part of regimental and company officers to make it pleasant for a [202] truly good soldier, and to keep him in the service until he has reached retiring age. ”

“ 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 [160] apart—could prevent our being chums, old fellow."
Reaching barracks each recruit inquired where to find his own first sergeant. ”

“ Shrimp wheeled about, coming to the position of the soldier as he faced the sergeant. But the corporal's countenance was still as black as thunder. Sergeant Brimmer, too, was thoroughly angry, though righteously so.
"Corporal Shrimp, you're in arrest for striking at and humiliating a private soldier. Come with me to the company commander."
"Now, see here, Sergeant," began Shrimp hoarsely, "you don't know what I have to put up with with these rookies. I have to do something to keep discipline among men who are new to barracks. ”

“ What is the difference between a soldier and a loafer?"
"A soldier gets paid and fed, and the other loafer doesn't," retorted Bunny, with a broadening grin. A moment later, when he realized that his "joke" had failed to raise a laugh, Bunny looked disappointed.
"Aw, go on," flared up Jud Jeffers. "You don't know anything about a soldier." [8]
"But my dad does," retorted Bunny positively. "Dad says soldiers don't produce anything for a living; that they take their pay out of the pockets of the public, and then laugh at the public for fools." ”

“ The difficulty of the examination causes most enlisted men to fail."
"Thank you, sir. We have thought of all that, and have looked over the nature of the examinations given enlisted men who seek to be officers," Hal replied. "We know the examinations are very hard, but we have twelve years if need be in which to prepare ourselves for the examination. Enlisted men, so I am told, may apply for commissions up to the age of thirty."
"Yes; that is right," nodded the lieutenant. "But how much schooling have you behind you?"
"We have each had two years in High School, sir." ”

“ And you clean up your rifle about once a fortnight. Look at Overton over there."
Hal was at work with his kit of cleaning tools, going over his rifle as methodically and industriously as though it were a piece of rare silver plate.
"He'll rub and polish that old piece of his until he wears it out," mumbled Hooper.
"One of the surest signs of the good soldier is when you see him putting in a lot of his spare time caring for his uniforms and equipments," broke in Sergeant Hupner, behind them. "Hooper, go and brush your uniform, and clean your boots and polish 'em. ”