In company with the officer who had guided them to the compartment they returned to the rear of the coach and fell to discussing the prospects the future held for them.
They were awakened from a sound sleep into which they had fallen to find that the train had made another stop and that the regiment was disembarking. Men and horses were all about the track, baggage was being hastily unloaded and every indication showed that their journey by rail was at an end.
"Ho, hum!" yawned Jimmie, before beginning his setting up exercise, in which the lads found much benefit, "nothing to do till to-morrow, eh?"
"Looks that way, I declare!" said Dave. "But if I'm a judge, this is tomorrow itself. I wonder are we going into action."
"Something's brewing as sure as fate!" declared the other. "We wouldn't unload like this just for exercise on a fine morning."
"It is a fine morning, sure enough," agreed Dave, "but I think it is going to rain. I thought I heard thunder just now."
"Does sound remarkably like thunder," said Jimmie, with a glance at the sky, "but," he continued, "there isn't a cloud in the sky, and a thunder storm seems about the last thing we could expect."
"What on earth is it, then?" queried Dave, puzzled at the strange sound that came to their ears. "I see some of the Uhlans noticing it, too. Only they seem to be pleased about something."
"I know what it is!" announced Jimmie. "It's the sound of firing!"
"I believe you are correct, Jimmie," acknowledged Dave.