"Did you see the way that officer grabbed those roses from under the wheels?" demanded Jimmy excitedly, as he and Roger settled back in their seats. The train had now left the shed behind and was steadily gathering momentum. "Pretty clever in him, wasn't it?" Roger nodded. "It showed that he was interested in us even if we are just rookies. I wonder how long it will take us to look as well in our uniforms as he does in his? What did you do with your Infantry Manual? We ought to be studying up a little while we're on the way." Roger referred to the little blue books he and Jimmy had purchased at a department store soon after their enlistment. As he spoke he reached into a pocket of his coat and drew his own forth. "Mine's kicking around in my suitcase somewhere," grinned Jimmy rather sheepishly. "I've been intending to study it, but I've had so many other things to do. Put it back. Don't go to studying now. I want to talk to you. Time enough for us to get busy when we hit Camp Sterling. Maybe I didn't hate to leave Old Speedy behind, though. Next to the folks comes Speedy and after that Buster, my brindle bull pup. That dog certainly knew I was going away for keeps when I said good-bye to him. But he won't be neglected. Buster has lots of friends. Everybody on our street knows him. Next to me he likes Mother. She'll take good care of him. But poor Old Speedy'll have a lonesome time shut up in the garage. It's such a giddy-looking machine you couldn't hire the folks to ride half a block in it. But you can't have everything, so what's the use of worrying?" His active mind leaping from the subject of his car back to the officer whose recent kindly act he had so sturdily commended, he continued irrelevantly: "Say, an officer that would do a thing like that ought to be good to his men. Don't you think so? I've heard a lot of stuff about officers being regular cranks and jumping all over their men just for spite. Do you suppose it's true?" "No, I don't," Roger made emphatic return. "I don't believe that part of it is much different in the Army from what it is in a shop or factory or an office. Only, of course, there has to be stricter discipline in the Army. I've worked in a good many different places and I've found out that the way you're treated most always depends on the way you do your work. Of course, wherever you go you're sure to meet some people you won't like and who won't like you. If you mind your own business and let 'em alone, generally they'll let you alone." "But suppose they don't? What then?"