"How long have we been here, anyway?" Noll wondered.
"Why, we came here early in April and it's now past the middle of June," Hal went on. "Let me think. Why, it's just ten weeks to a day since we took the oath to serve the Flag."
"And a rook generally puts in three months here——" Noll began, when a soldier, close to the door of the squad room, called out:
"Attention!"
Instantly every man in the room rose and wheeled about, standing at the position of the soldier. An officer, followed by the first sergeant of A Company, was entering the room.
As the officer came to a halt the first sergeant called:
"Overton and Terry, step forward."
Hal and Noll approached the officer and the sergeant, then again stood at attention. The officer was the post adjutant, and now he spoke:
"Overton and Terry, your company commander is satisfied that you are now sufficiently instructed to go to your regiment. We have a draft for two men for the first battalion of the Thirty-fourth Infantry, stationed at Fort Clowdry, in the Colorado mountains. If you have any objections to that regiment, or station, I will listen to them."
"Colorado will very exactly suit me, sir, thank you," Hal replied, his pleasure showing in his face.