E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Emmy, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 27680-h.htm or 27680-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/7/6/8/27680/27680-h/27680-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/7/6/8/27680/27680-h.zip) UNCLE SAM'S BOYS IN THE RANKS Or Two Recruits in the United States Army by H. IRVING HANCOCK Author of The Motor Boat Club Series, The High School Series, The West Point Series, The Annapolis Series, The Young Engineers' Series, Etc., Etc. Illustrated [Illustration: "And These Are Your Applications?" _Frontispiece._] Philadelphia Henry Altemus Company Copyright, 1910, by Howard E. Altemus CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. A LESSON IN RESPECT FOR THE UNIFORM 7 II. AT THE RECRUITING OFFICE 25 III. THE ORDEAL OF EXAMINATION 37 IV. MRS. BRANDERS GETS A NEW VIEW 54 V. IN THE AWKWARD SQUAD 63 VI. THE TROUBLE WITH CORPORAL SHRIMP 79 VII. WHEN THE GUARD CAME 93 VIII. THE CALL TO COMPANY FORMATION 104 IX. ORDERED TO THE THIRTY-FOURTH 112 X. A SWIFT CALL TO DUTY 123 XI. GUARDING THE MAIL TRAIN 129 XII. THE ROOKIES REACH FORT CLOWDRY 139 XIII. "TWO NEW GENERALS AMONG US" 149 XIV. THE SQUAD ROOM HAZING 158 XV. PRIVATE BILL HOOPER LEARNS 167 XVI. THE MYSTERY OF POST THREE 178 XVII. HAL UNDER A FIRE OF QUESTIONS 190 XVIII. THE ANONYMOUS LETTER 198 XIX. A SECRET COWARD 206 XX. THE LUCK OF THE YOUNG RECRUIT 212 XXI. THE DUEL IN THE DARK 221 XXII. CAPTAIN CORTLAND HEADS THE PURSUIT 229 XXIII. THE STIRRING GAME AT DAWN 238 XXIV. CONCLUSION 250 Uncle Sam's Boys in the Ranks CHAPTER I A LESSON IN RESPECT FOR THE UNIFORM "AW, what's the difference between a soldier and a loafer?" demanded "Bunny" Hepburn. "A soldier ain't a loafer, and it takes nerve to be a soldier. It's a job for the bravest kind of a man," retorted Jud Jeffers indignantly. "Answer my c'nundrum," insisted Bunny. "It ain't a decent conundrum," retorted Jud, with dignity, for his father had served as a volunteer soldier in the war with Spain. "Go on, Bunny," broke in another boy in the group, laughing. "I'll be the goat. What is the difference between a soldier and a loafer?"