"You're intelligent lads," exclaimed the officer, with a gratified smile. "You go at things in the right way. Be good enough to turn over the certificates to me." Hal took some papers from his pocket, passing two of them over to the recruiting officer, who examined the certificates swiftly. "All regular," he declared. "Terry, of course, if he passes, cannot be sworn in until to-morrow. You have other papers there?" "Yes, sir," Hal admitted. "The consent for our joining, signed by both our fathers and mothers, since we are under twenty-one." "But I cannot know, until I have ascertained, that these are the genuine signatures of your parents. That investigation will take a little time." "Pardon me, sir," Hal answered, laying the two remaining papers before the officer, "but you will find both papers witnessed under the seal of a notary public, who states that our parents are personally known to him." "Well, well, you are bright lads--good enough to make soldiers of," laughed Lieutenant Shackleton almost gleefully, as he scanned the added papers. "May I speak, sir?" "Yes." "We can't claim credit for bringing these papers. We are well acquainted with a retired sergeant of the Army, who suggested that these papers, in their present form, would save us a lot of bother." "Then you don't deserve any of the credit?" "No, sir." "You deserve a higher credit, then, for you are both honest lads." Again the lieutenant turned to look them over keenly, sizing them up, as it were. Both were plainly more than five-feet-four, and so would not be rejected on account of height. They seemed like good, solid youngsters, too. "Smoke cigarettes?" suddenly shot out the lieutenant. "No, sir!" "Smoke anything else, or chew tobacco? Or drink alcoholic beverages?" "We have never done any of these things, sir," Hal replied. "I see that you express a preference for the infantry," continued the recruiting officer. "Yes, sir," Hal replied. "I am almost sorry for that," continued the officer. "I would like to see two lads of your evident caliber going into my own arm of the service--the cavalry." "We have chosen the infantry, sir," Hal explained, "because we will have more leisure time there than in the cavalry or artillery." "Looking for easy berths?" asked Lieutenant Shackleton, with a suddenly suspicious ring to his voice. "No, sir," Hal rejoined. "May I explain, sir?" "Yes; go ahead." "We both of us have hopes, sir, if we can get into the Army, that we may be able to rise to be commissioned officers. We have learned that there is less to do in the infantry, ordinarily, and that we would therefore have more time in the infantry for study to fit ourselves to take examinations for officer's commissions."