At that moment the quartermaster entered. He stood surveying them critically.
“What shall we do with our citizen clothes?” asked Dan.
“Leave them. I will have them taken care of. Do you wish them sent to your homes?”
“No, sir; it is not necessary. I presume we shall be permitted to take them aboard ship with us when we leave here?”
“That depends upon what ship you join.”
“What are we to do now, sir?”
“In the first place I will instruct you about your clothing. These bags here will answer for your trunks. All your belongings will be kept in them,” said the quartermaster, exhibiting two canvas bags, about three feet long, and on which the names of the boys had been stamped with a stencil. “Each piece of clothing must be folded neatly, rolled up tightly and secured with a white cotton stop two inches from the end of the roll.”
Sam measured off what he thought to be two inches with his fingers.
“The clothes are to be stowed in the bags in layers of three pieces, each layer at right angles to the one below it.”
“What’s all that for? Why not stuff them in till the bag’s full?” interrupted Sam.