Bill, paused, drew a long breath, and looked at the clock. “Gee!” said he, “most nine o'clock. I got ter go over ter K troop ter see Sergeant Keefe a minute—I promised him. Adios, fellers. Thanks fer the smokin'.”
“Keep the change, hombre. Thanks for yo' tale,” shouted Whitney after him as he disappeared down the hall.
“Well!!” said Stone, and looked at Hansen.
“Well!!” responded Hansen. The big Swede shook with laughter. “Iss he not the finest liar! Yess? I wass in the Fourteenth myselluf. That wass my company—Chay. He wass not even the army in then—in nineteen hund'erd.”
“Yes,” said Stone, “I knew, but I wasn't goin' to spoil his bloomin' yarn. I happened to see his enlistment card only this mornin', and the only thing he was ever in before was the Twenty-third Infantry after they came back from the Islands. He's never even been out of the States.”
“But where did he get it from?” asked Whitney. “His imagination is equal to most anything but gettin' so many facts straight. Of co'se I noticed things yere an' there—but the most of it was O. K.”
“I tell you,” said Hansen, grinning, “he got it from an old Fourteenth man—Dan Powerss—at practice camp last Chuly. He an' I wass often talking of China. He wuss in my old company an' wass then telling me how he an' the other fellerss all that extra chow got. I tank Bill he hass a goot memory.”
“But the nerve of him!” cried Whitehall, “tryin' ter pass that off on us with Hansen sittin' right there.”
“It iss one thing he may have forgot,” smiled Hansen.
“Well, who cares anyway?” said Stone. “It was a blame good story. An' now clear out, all of you. I want to hit the bunk. Reveille does seem to come so early these cold mornin's. Gee! I wish I knew of some kind of button that would keep me lyin' down when Shorty wants me to get up an' call the roll.”