"Thank you, sir; we feel certain of finding it," Hal replied.
Both young soldiers saluted, again, as the major turned to resume his walk.
The train had stopped at Pueblo, Colorado, in the middle of the afternoon. It would be but half an hour's delay. Noll had been eager to step out away from the railway station and see as much of Pueblo as was possible. Hal had negatived this idea, through fear that they might be left behind.
"And we've not an hour to spare, you know, Noll. This is the last train for us to take if we're to report in season. So we'd better stay close to the conductor."
During the forenoon the train had rolled across the mesa or tableland below Pueblo. Hal and Noll, seated in one of the two day coaches of the train, had studied the mesa with longing eyes. Here they caught occasional glimpses of cowboys on ponies, for this mesa is still a favorite cattle region.
At this height of some five thousand feet above sea level even the late June day was not really hot. It was a glorious country on which the young recruits feasted their eyes.
"Where do we eat next?" asked Noll, of a trainman standing by.
"Any time and place you like, if you've got the chow with you," replied the trainman.
"What is the next eating station at which the train stops?" Noll insisted.
"Salida. We ought to stop there about nine o'clock to-night."