"Hurrah, here comes Captain Jack!" was the cry, when our hero appeared.
"Are we to drill to-day?" questioned Darcy Gilbert, as he ran up and nodded to Marion.
"If you will," said Jack. His new honors had not made him in the least dictatorial.
"All right," returned Darcy.
He was first lieutenant of the company, which had styled itself the Oldville Home Guard, and he quickly summoned the young soldiers together.
All had uniforms, made of regular home suits with stripes of white sewed down the trouser-legs and around the coat-sleeves. The boys with pistols were placed in the front rank, those with guns in the second rank. One lad had a drum and another a fife.
"Company, attention!" ordered Jack, coming to the front with drawn sword, and the boys drew up in straight rows across the green. The drum rattled, and presently quite a crowd of old men, women, and children collected to see the drill.
"Carry—arms!" went on Jack, and the guns came to a carry, and likewise the pistols. "Present—arms! Shoulder—arms! Forward—march!"
"Dum! dum! dum, dum, dum!" went the drummer, and off marched the company to the end of the green.
"Right—wheel!" came the next command, and the boys wheeled with the order of a veteran body, for each was enthusiastic to do his best. "Forward!" and they marched on again, and so the marching kept up until the square had been covered several times.