"Not here now," replied another corporal, coming forward.
"Two rookies. Hand 'em over to Brimmer when he comes in," replied the conductor from the adjutant's office.
With that he strode out again, shutting the door after him.
The last corporal of all proved to be an older man than any of his predecessors. He appeared to be about thirty-five years old; he was tall, dark-featured and rather sullen-looking.
In this room there were twenty cot beds, arranged in two opposite rows, with their heads to the walls. On each cot the bedding had been rolled back in a peculiarly exact fashion.
At the further end of the squad room was a table and several chairs.
The occupants of the room, at this moment, were a dozen men, besides the corporal. Three of the men, like our young rookies, were still wearing the clothes in which they had enlisted. The others wore light blue uniform trousers and fatigue blouses of dark blue. Some of these men in uniform looked almost indescribably "slouchy." They were men who had received their uniforms, but who had not yet had enough of the setting-up drills to know how to wear their uniforms.
"What are you looking about you for?" demanded the corporal. "Wondering why dinner ain't spread on that table yonder?"
"No," replied Hal quietly. "We're just waiting to be told what to do with ourselves."
"What do I care what you do with yourselves?" demanded the corporal, turning on his heel and walking away.