The corporal made the necessary entries, then rose and picked up his own uniform cap. "Come with me, rookies," he directed briefly. So Hal and Noll followed, feeling within them another surge of that curiously lonely and depressed feeling. This corporal led them into the barracks building, and down a corridor on the ground floor. He paused, at last, before a door that he flung open. Striding into the room, the corporal looked about him. "Where is Sergeant Brimmer?" he asked. "Not here now," replied another corporal, coming forward. "Two rookies. Hand 'em over to Brimmer when he comes in," replied the conductor from the adjutant's office. With that he strode out again, shutting the door after him. The last corporal of all proved to be an older man than any of his predecessors. He appeared to be about thirty-five years old; he was tall, dark-featured and rather sullen-looking. In this room there were twenty cot beds, arranged in two opposite rows, with their heads to the walls. On each cot the bedding had been rolled back in a peculiarly exact fashion. At the further end of the squad room was a table and several chairs. The occupants of the room, at this moment, were a dozen men, besides the corporal. Three of the men, like our young rookies, were still wearing the clothes in which they had enlisted. The others wore light blue uniform trousers and fatigue blouses of dark blue. Some of these men in uniform looked almost indescribably "slouchy." They were men who had received their uniforms, but who had not yet had enough of the setting-up drills to know how to wear their uniforms. "What are you looking about you for?" demanded the corporal. "Wondering why dinner ain't spread on that table yonder?" "No," replied Hal quietly. "We're just waiting to be told what to do with ourselves." "What do I care what you do with yourselves?" demanded the corporal, turning on his heel and walking away. So Hal and Noll remained where they were, the feeling of loneliness growing all the time. "Don't mind Corporal Shrimp any more than you have to," advised one of the uniformed rookies, coming over to them after a few moments. "Shrimp is a terror and a grouch all the time. Sergeant Brimmer you'll find a real old soldier, and a gentleman all the time." "Then it's just our luck to find Sergeant Brimmer out," smiled Hal. "Here he comes now," murmured the uniformed rookie, as the door of the squad room opened. At the first glimpse of the newcomer Hal made up his mind that he was going to like Sergeant Brimmer. He was a man of about thirty, tall, rather slender, erect, thoroughly well built, with light, almost golden hair and mustache, and a keen but kindly blue eye. "Recruits?" he asked, as he approached the boys. Both answered in the affirmative. "Corporal Shrimp," called Brimmer, "have you no report to make to me about these new men?"