That was all. Brimmer was already on his way back to his own post.
"Was that all we turned out for with the company?" asked Noll in a low voice.
"Wasn't it enough?" retorted Hal in an equally low tone, as they watched the manœuvres of the company at a distance.
"There's one thing we didn't get commended for in that order," Noll went on.
"What was that?"
"Well, we had to tackle an armed man when we went up against the Shrimp. The order didn't say anything about courage."
"That's because only exceptional courage is ever mentioned in orders," Hal explained. "Any soldier is expected to have courage enough to face firearms."
When Sergeant Brimmer returned to squad room after parade he came straight over to Hal and Noll.
"That was a pretty good thing for you this afternoon, men," he commented pleasantly. "It isn't often that a rookie gets commended in orders."
"Does it bring any more pay?" laughed Noll.