"There's daylight coming," nodded Hal, pointing to the east. "That will make the distance seem shorter."
The sun up, at last, gave the recruits their first glimpse of their first station in the Army. Fort Clowdry lay before them. There were no frowning parapets, no stone battlements, no cannon in sight. Fort Clowdry, as seen at the distance, consisted of a great number of buildings, of all sizes.
Boom! went a gun suddenly.
"Great!" cried Hal, his eyes shining. "That's the essence of the soldier's life—the sunrise gun. The Flag has just been hauled up."
In the middle distance the recruits caught sight of a soldier pacing, his gun, with bayonet fixed, at shoulder arms.
"That sentry will put us on the rest of our way," predicted Noll.
It being now broad daylight the sentry did not challenge the newcomers.