Some distance ahead of where the old Thirty-seventh was posted on the far-flung battle line, the Army Boys were on sentry duty. It was the turn of Corporal Wilson's squad to perform this irksome task, and they were glad that it was nearly over and that soon they would be relieved. Their beats adjoined each other and there were times when they met and could exchange a few words to break the monotony of the long grind. "This sentry stuff doesn't make a hit with me," grumbled Bart. "I'm getting blisters on my feet from walking." "Where do you expect to get them, on your head?" laughed Frank. "Cheer up, old man. The sun will be up in a few minutes and then the relief will be along." "It can't come too soon," chimed in Billy. "Gee, but I'm hungry! This early morning air does sure give you an appetite." "If only something would happen," complained Bart. "It's the deadly monotony of the thing that gets my goat. Now if a Hun patrol should come along and stir things up, it would be worth while." A sharp exclamation came from Frank. "Look out, fellows!" he warned. "I saw those bushes moving over on the slope of that hill just now and there isn't a bit of wind." In an instant they had their rifles ready. The bushes parted and a figure stepped forth into the open. "Why, it's one of our fellows!" said Bart, as he saw the American uniform. "Been out on scout duty, I suppose," remarked Billy. Frank said nothing. His keen eyes noted the newcomer and his heart began to thump strangely. As the soldier came nearer he took off his hat and waved it at them. A yell of delight broke from the startled group. "It's Tom! It's Tom! It's Tom!" CHAPTER XXII A JOYOUS REUNION Shouting like so many maniacs, they rushed toward him. At the same instant Tom, too, began to run, and in a moment they had their arms around him, and were hugging him, pounding him, mauling him, exclaiming, questioning, laughing, rejoicing, all in one breath. Tom was back with them again, good old Tom, their chum, their comrade, Tom, over whose fate they had spent so many sleepless hours, Tom, for whom any one of them would have risked his life, Tom who they knew was captured, and who they feared might be dead. There he was, the same old Tom, with face and body thin, with hair unkempt and matted, with traces showing everywhere of the anxiety and suffering he had undergone, and yet with the same indomitable spirit that neither captivity nor threatened death had broken, and the same smile upon his lips and twinkle in his eyes. "Easy, easy there, fellows," he protested laughing. "Let me come up for air. And before anything else, lead me to some grub. I haven't eaten for so long that there's only a vacuum where my stomach ought to be." "You bet we'll lead you to it," cried Bart. "An anaconda will have nothing on you when we get through filling you up," promised Billy.