"I'm getting almost over it," smiled the uniformed one, "The older men, those who have seen service with a regiment, tell me that a man soon gets to find delight in being in the Army. But that's after he has gotten away from the recruit rendezvous."
"Oh, we'll get over it before then," promised Hal. "We'll be all over it by to-morrow."
"Look out for that Shrimp," whispered the uniformed rookie.
"Does anyone ever need that warning, after seeing the corporal and hearing him talk?" laughed Hal, in an undertone.
"Don't you rookies go to take this squad-room for a vawdy-vill show," growled Corporal Shrimp, from the near distance, as he heard the three laughing. Sergeant Brimmer had just stepped outside.
Ta-ra-ta-ra-ta! sounded a bugle again in the corridor.
"A little time to ourselves now," whispered the uniformed recruit. "That's mess call."
The men in the room were quickly filing out. Outside of barracks A Company was falling in, with B Company to the left of it.
"You un-uniformed recruits take your position at the rear, without forming," ordered Sergeant Brimmer coming up. "As your company starts Corporal Shrimp will instruct you how to form at the rear of the company."
What followed was little understood by the two recruits. But presently the two first sergeants gave their commands, and marched their companies into the mess hall.