When he came to the question as to which arm of the service was preferred by the applicant Noll turned to Hal to whisper:
"Is it still the infantry?" young Terry asked.
"Still and always the infantry," Hal nodded.
"All right," half sighed Noll. "I'm almost wishing for the cavalry, though, so I could ride a horse."
"The infantry is best for our plans," Hal replied.
When they had finished making out their papers Hal and Noll went back to the sergeant's desk.
"Do we hand these to you?" Hal asked.
"Yes," said the sergeant, taking both papers. He ran his eyes over them hurriedly, then rose and passed into an inner office. When he came out all he said was:
"Take seats over there until you're wanted."
Two or three minutes later a buzzer sounded over the sergeant's head. Rising, he entered the inner room.
"Our time's come, now, I guess," whispered Noll.
"Or else something else is going to happen," replied Hal, smiling. "You and I are not the only two problems with which the Army concerns itself."
Noll's guess was right, however. The sergeant speedily returned to the outer office and crossed over to the boys, who rose.
"Lieutenant Shackleton will see you," announced the sergeant. "Step right into his office. Stand erect and facing him. Use the word, 'sir,' when answering him, and be very respectful in all your replies. Let him do all the talking."
"We understand, thank you," nodded Hal.
The sergeant, who had his cap in his hand, turned to leave the office for a few moments on other business. As he was going out he nearly bumped into a heavily-built young fellow who was entering.
Hal Overton had reached the door leading into the lieutenant's office and pulled it open.
Just as he did so he heard a rather familiar voice behind him demand:
"Where's the officer in charge?"
"In that office," replied one of the soldiers, pointing.
The newcomer did not stop to thank the soldier, but sprang toward the door that Hal had just opened.
"Here, you kids can stand aside until a man gets through with his business in there," exclaimed Tip Branders, gripping Hal by the shoulders and swinging him aside.
CHAPTER III
THE ORDEAL OF EXAMINATION
HAL OVERTON was so astonished that he offered no resistance to the bully from home.
Instead, Hal and Noll paused by the door, while Tip, with a confident leer on his face, strode into the inner office.
Lieutenant Shackleton, a man of twenty-eight, in blue fatigue uniform, with the single bar of the first lieutenant on his shoulder-straps, looked up quickly and in some amazement.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I've come to see you about enlisting in the Army," continued Tip, who, with his hat still on, was marching up to the desk.
"Take off your hat."
"Eh? Huh?"
"Take off your hat!" came the repeated order, with a good deal more of emphasis.
"Hey? Oh, cert. Anything to oblige," assented Tip, with a sheepish grin, as he removed his hat.
"Is your name Overton?" asked the recruiting officer, glancing at the papers before him.
"Naw, nothing like it," returned Tip easily.
"Or, Terry?"
"Them two boobs is outside," returned Tip, with evident scorn. "I told 'em to stand aside until I went in and had my rag-chew out with you."
Lieutenant Shackleton flashed an angry look at Branders, though a keen reader of faces would have known that this experienced recruiting officer was trying hard to conceal a smile. The lieutenant had dealt with many of these "tough" applicants.
"Orderly!" rasped out the lieutenant.
Private Aldridge appeared in the doorway, standing at attention.
"Orderly, I understand that this man wishes to enlist – "
"That's dead right," nodded Tip encouragingly.
"But his application has not been received by me," continued the lieutenant, ignoring the interruption. "Take him outside and let Sergeant Wayburn look him over first. Also ask the sergeant to inform this man as to the proper way to approach and address an officer."
"Very good, sir," replied Private Aldridge. He tried to catch Tip's eye, but Branders was not looking at him, so the soldier crossed over to Branders, resting a hand on his arm.
"Come with me," requested the soldier.
"Hey?" asked Tip.
"My man, go with that orderly," cried Lieutenant Shackleton, in an annoyed tone.
"Me? Oh, all right," nodded Tip, and went out with the soldier.
"Overton! Terry!" called the recruiting officer.
"Here, sir," answered Hal, as both boys entered the room.
"One of you close the door then come here," directed Lieutenant Shackleton.
Noll closed the door, after which both boys advanced to the roll-top desk behind which the lieutenant sat.
"You are Henry Overton and Oliver Terry?" asked the officer.
"Yes, sir," Hal answered.
"And these are your applications?"
"Yes, sir."
"You have filled them out truthfully, in every detail?"
"Yes, sir."
"You, Overton, are already eighteen?"
"Yes, sir."
"And you, Terry, will be eighteen years old to-morrow?"
"Yes, sir – " from Noll.
The lieutenant looked them both over keenly, as if to make up his own mind about their ages.
"May I speak, sir?" queried Hal.
"Yes."
"To satisfy any doubt about our ages, sir, we have brought with us copies of our birth certificates, both certified to by the city clerk at home."
"You're intelligent lads," exclaimed the officer, with a gratified smile. "You go at things in the right way. Be good enough to turn over the certificates to me."
Hal took some papers from his pocket, passing two of them over to the recruiting officer, who examined the certificates swiftly.
"All regular," he declared. "Terry, of course, if he passes, cannot be sworn in until to-morrow. You have other papers there?"
"Yes, sir," Hal admitted. "The consent for our joining, signed by both our fathers and mothers, since we are under twenty-one."
"But I cannot know, until I have ascertained, that these are the genuine signatures of your parents. That investigation will take a little time."
"Pardon me, sir," Hal answered, laying the two remaining papers before the officer, "but you will find both papers witnessed under the seal of a notary public, who states that our parents are personally known to him."
"Well, well, you are bright lads – good enough to make soldiers of," laughed Lieutenant Shackleton almost gleefully, as he scanned the added papers.
"May I speak, sir?"
"Yes."
"We can't claim credit for bringing these papers. We are well acquainted with a retired sergeant of the Army, who suggested that these papers, in their present form, would save us a lot of bother."
"Then you don't deserve any of the credit?"
"No,