"Well, they're our own men, aren't they, sentry?" Hal inquired. "I think not, sir." Hal stepped back into the cabin, picked up and donned his cap, then stepped out on deck. The approaching troops were on the dock by the time that the young lieutenant had returned to the open. "Two officers and ten men!" flashed through Hal's mind. Then, of a sudden, he felt like giving a whoop of joy. Instead, however, he darted down the gang-plank, then caught himself and walked forward with dignity just as one of the approaching officers called out with military crispness: "Squad halt! Break ranks!" "Mr. Prescott! Mr. Holmes!" cried Hal, going up to the two lieutenants who had just arrived. "Hullo, Overton," responded both newly-arrived officers, extending their hands, while Prescott added: "By Jove, I didn't count on finding you here, though I heard that you had won your commission. Where's Terry?" "Up at our camp, Mr. Prescott." "Drop the formal 'Mr.,' Overton, do," urged Lieutenant Prescott. "We have known each other long enough not to stand on ceremony." "We've known each other in other times," laughed Holmes, "and in much more stirring times, I take it, than these are likely to be." "Don't be too sure about the present being tame times," urged Hal. "From what we have seen here so far I believe that we are right in the middle of a district that is heavily engaged in sending arms over into Mexico. We may have a fight with a lot of these desperate, fanatic Mexican rebels at any moment." "Let it come, then," laughed Holmes indifferently. "We need a bit of practice, now and then, to keep us in handy touch with our work." "But how does the Thirty-fourth happen to be down here?" Hal asked curiously. "Ordered away from Fort Clowdry. That's all I know," Prescott answered. "At least B and C companies were sent. We detrained at Spartansburg, eighteen miles from here. The two companies are now about six miles above, save for this little detachment, which was sent down to report to Captain Foster for some co-operation with you on the water." "Lieutenant," spoke a sergeant of B company, approaching and saluting, "may I ask, sir, whether the men are to eat field rations or whether they're to be fed on the boat?" "What do you say, Overton? How much food is there on the boat?" "I'll find out from the cook," Hal answered. "Sergeant Kelly, are you going to forget me in that fashion?" "You're an officer now, sir," replied Sergeant Kelly, saluting. "I awaited your pleasure, sir, about speaking." "I can't see that you've changed any, Sergeant," smiled Hal, extending his hand. "But for the difference in some of the stage-settings we might seem to be in the Philippines instead of in Texas." "This is 'God's country,' sir," replied Kelly, with an air almost of reverence. "There's nothing in the Philippines as restful to the eye as the meanest stretch in the United States."