"I wonder if he was fooling us about hunting parties," mused Hal.
Later on, however, the rookies discovered that the soldier had told them the truth. On some of the Western posts, hunting forms one of the diversions of the men.
Presently they met another soldier, this time afoot.
"How far can we go without getting off the reservation?" Hal inquired.
"The way you're headed now you can go another mile without getting off limits," the soldier replied.
"Reservation" is a term applied to the limits of an Army post. Wherever an Army post exists it includes land reserved by the United States from the jurisdiction of the individual state. Hence the name of reservation.
It was wilder country out here, away from the well-kept roads.
"Come on," urged Hal. "I'm going to take a good walk yet."
They had gone along, briskly, for at least another half mile when some flying missile went by Hal's head. Noll, who was just behind him, saw the missile, and watched it land on the ground beyond.
"Whoever is throwing rocks of that size—quit!" shouted Noll, wheeling to his left and glaring at an irregularly-shaped ledge some sixty yards away.