Both McCormack and Barriscale were now serving regularly in the ranks. They were fully uniformed and equipped, and they drilled, marched, and faced imaginary foes with the rest. It was not a disagreeable service. The officers of the company were considerate, and the enlisted men were for the most part congenial, at least to Hal. Moreover, there was a kind of satisfaction, an exhilaration indeed, in the performance of military movements in unison with a body of men. The swing and rhythm of it were captivating to Hal, the sense of power engendered by it was inspiring to Ben. And then, too, a feeling of patriotism was aroused, an emotion that would not have been so deeply stirred by the activities of civil life. But, while McCormack was patriotic, he was not bloodthirsty. On the contrary, he was peace-loving in the extreme. No one would have deprecated more than he the necessity of going to war, yet if his country had been endangered, or his flag threatened, he would not have hesitated to fight. Young Barriscale, on the other hand, was more belligerent. He believed in the arbitrament of the sword. He believed that a nation like ours should always maintain a strong, well-drilled, well-officered national army, and be prepared to fight, not only for the suppression of domestic and internal revolts, not only for the defense of its own soil, but also for the preservation of the liberties of any people oppressed by a tyrannical government, as Cuba had been prior to 1898. Naturally, with such divergent opinions, there had been more than one clash between the two boys, yet no bad blood had been aroused, and their friendship with each other remained unbroken. There had been another point of disagreement between them also. That was concerning the punishment meted out to Donatello on the Fourth of July. Ben had insisted that it was not a fraction of what he deserved; Hal had contended that it was excessive, uncalled for, and brutal. So, while the two young men remained passive friends, there had been no companionship between them. Indeed, they had little in common save a desire on the part of each to excel in proficiency as a member of the National Guard. Then came an incident, entirely unlooked for, that brought to a sudden end such friendly relations as had hitherto existed between them. It occurred on the same evening on which McCormack had had his interview with Donatello on the bridge. It was following company drill. Ranks had been broken, and the men moved off, singly and in groups, to the stack and locker room to put away their rifles and equipment, Hal and Ben going with the rest. But it so chanced that each of the two boys, independently of the other, decided to remain for a little and clean and brighten up his gun and accoutrements.