The meal was soon over, and the first sergeant took the trouble to go up to the boys.
"When do you report at the adjutant's office?" he asked.
"At nine o'clock, Sergeant," Hal responded.
"Then, as long as you don't bother anyone else, you can just as well stroll where you please around the post, until nine," continued the sergeant. "Of course you know that nine o'clock means nine to the very minute?"
"We were taught a lot about punctuality at the rendezvous station," Hal answered.
"Punctuality is about the greatest virtue in Army life," nodded the first sergeant of D Company, as he moved away.
In the interval of time at their disposal Hal and Noll were able to see a good deal of Fort Clowdry.
The center of the life there was the great parade ground, a level, grassy plain.
At the north end of this plain stood a row of pretty dwellings. The largest was the residence of Colonel North, commanding officer of the Thirty-fourth. Next to the colonel's residence was that of Major Silsbee, the battalion commander. Past the major's residence was a row of somewhat smaller cottages, each the home of a married officer. The name and rank of each officer was on a doorplate. At the furthest end of the row from Colonel North's dwelling was a building containing quarters for bachelor officers.
On another side of the parade ground were various buildings devoted to the life of the post. There was an Officers' Club, a library, a gymnasium, and at one corner, the post hospital.