Neither of these two younger boys had any idea how utterly Hal Overton had set his heart on entering the service, nor why. The reader will presently discover more about the surging "why."
On one of the side streets the boys paused before the door of a cozy, little cottage in which lived Sergeant Wright and the wife who had been with him nearly the whole of his time in the service.
Ere they could ring the bell the door opened, and Sergeant Wright, U. S. Army, retired, stood before them, holding out his hand.
"Well, boys," was the kindly greeting of this fine-looking, middle-aged man, "have you settled the whole matter at home?"
"Yes," nodded Hal happily. "We go to New York, to-morrow, to try our luck with the recruiting officer."
"Come right in, boys, and we'll have our final talk about the good old Army," cried the retired sergeant heartily.
It was that same afternoon that Tip Branders next espied Jud and Tom coming down a street. Tip darted into a doorway, intent on lying in wait for the pair.
As they neared his place of hiding, however, Tip heard Jud and Tom talking of something that changed his plan.
"What's that?" echoed Tip to himself, straining his hearing.
"Say," breathed Tom Andrews fervently, "wouldn't it be fine if we could go to New York to-morrow morning, too, and see Hal and Noll sworn into the United States Army?"