The four obeyed. A soldier confronted them with levelled rifle.
"Who goes there?" he continued.
"Friends," was the reply.
The man peered at them closely, and still keeping them covered, raised his voice for his superior. The latter came on a dead run.
He eyed the four in the darkness and then motioned the soldier to stand back.
"It's all right," he told him.
The soldier saluted and walked away. The officer spoke to Hal.
"You are out rather late," he said.
"Right," returned the lad, "but we thought we would take a short stroll before turning in. We had no idea we had wandered so far from camp."
"Oh, it's all right," was the reply. "Who is that with you?" peering at
Uncle John in the darkness.