“Pipe down, you men, or you’ll stand at attention!” Sergeant Harriman commanded.
The company commander came. He stood before the company and received the lieutenant’s report. The company, which had been called to attention during the formality, was given at ease again. They stood shuffling their feet. One man surreptitiously drew from his pocket a piece of tobacco, bit loose a small portion of it and returned it, unnoticed.
An hour passed.
Along the line voices were heard to remark: “Are we gonna stay here all day? They might at least feed us before they break us out like this. A hell of a note.”
Sergeant Harriman rose grandly to the occasion. “Shut up, you bunch of agitators. I’ll drill you till your shoes fall off.”
“You wouldn’t have to drill me much. Mine already have holes in them,” some one remarked.
“Who said that?” Sergeant Harriman was furious.
Lieutenant Bedford stepped in front of the platoon and called the men to attention.
The second hour had passed.