In the midst of their perturbation a courier arrived with a side car and dismounted. He stumbled in on them and peered at them through the darkness.
“As I live, it’s the Salvation Army!” he cried joyfully, shaking hands with both of them at once. “All of the boys have been asking when you were coming. Are you looking for a place to chow and sleep? There’s no place in town for a billet, but we have a kitchen down the street. We can give you some chow, and it’s warm there. You can roll up in your blankets and sleep by the stove till morning. Come with me.”
The cook awakened them in the morning with his clatter of pots and pans in preparation for breakfast. They arose and began to roll up their blanket packs.
“Don’t worry about getting up yet,” said the chief cook kindly. “Sleep a little longer. You are not in my way.” But the two men thanked him and declined to rest longer.
“Where are you going to chow?” asked the chief cook.
The Salvationists allowed that they didn’t know.
“Well, you boys line up with this outfit, see?” insisted the chief cook. “We eat three times a day and you’re welcome to everything we have!”
This settled the question of board, and after a good breakfast the two started out to report to the General in command.
He greeted them most kindly and made them feel welcome at once.
When they asked about the barn he smiled pleasantly: