They seemed so remote from civilization here that it seemed ages to Nancy also since she had heard what was going on in the rest of the world. But their high hopes proved premature as they were not yet scheduled for city lights.
Lieutenant Hauser gave the orders. “Every group is to take down its own tent, roll and pack it, according to previous instructions.”
Buzzing with talk and excitement the nurses scattered to their various quarters. Nancy had left her washing on a bush over night, so snatched it up as she hurried back to begin packing. Ten minutes before twelve all tents had been cleared to the last tent peg, and the nurses began to pack their belongings into the trucks in which they had arrived. It was thrilling and exciting business, for none of the trainees knew where the next stop would be.
To their surprise the convoy did not move out by the way it had come. Instead it turned toward the river. The nurses had discovered no bridges in all their hikes up and down the small stream, so they were not surprised when the trucks had to cross the stream at a shallow ford. For the first time they had a sample of what it would be like to travel where there were no paved roads and bridges.
After leaving the river the trucks moved on to higher ground. They left the gray-bearded trees behind and plowed through sand-rutted roads winding through a pine forest. At noon they stopped to eat from tins under the sighing pines. Then they learned they were not on their way back to their original training center.
“In about two hours we will pitch our tents again,” explained Lieutenant Hauser. “Some of your most difficult work is just ahead. Our camp will have a public highway on one side, but I warn you to talk to no one outside our unit, or give out any information about the tests you’re going through.”
“You mean we can’t even write our friends about what we’ve been doing on this trip?” asked Mabel.
“Certainly not! Too many times spies have deduced from the nature of a group’s training what its overseas destination might be.”
A surprised murmur swept over the semicircle of young women sitting on the carpet of brown pine needles. Nancy wondered about the letters Tini had written every day while they were in camp. She herself had written long descriptions of their camping life to her parents, but she realized now those letters she had been hoping to mail would have to be torn up.
But Miss Hauser was continuing, “This period is a try-out for actual overseas duty. We must conform to all restrictions we would have there.”