On the platform before the station-building Major Davis halted long enough to say: "My men, I appreciate your help to-night. It would have been too much for me alone. You men stood by me like soldiers. As a United States Army officer I would have felt disgraced had I allowed a United States mail car to be rifled without striking a blow to stop it." "It was a daring thing to do, sir," Hal ventured, with another salute. "It was my plainest sort of duty, as an officer," replied Major Davis, returning the salute. "May I ask, sir," ventured Hal, "whether it would have been our duty, had we been armed, and you not on the train?" "Not unless led by an officer," replied the major. "But where did you young men learn to obey so promptly, and without questioning or hesitation?" "At the recruit rendezvous, sir." "Which one?" "At Bedloe's Island, sir." "Who was your instructor?" "One of them, sir, was a namesake of yours--Corporal Davis." "He will be glad to hear of this," nodded the major, smiling. "Corporal Davis is my son." "Your son, sir--an enlisted man?" stammered Hal. "Yes. My son enlisted in order to try to win a commission. Thank you, men, and good-night. I will tell the sheriff's men that you will be found at Fort Clowdry if you are wanted as witnesses." Again acknowledging their salutes, Major Davis stepped inside. Hal and Noll waited a moment before entering the station. When they did so, and passed on to the lunch room, they saw Major Davis at a table in one corner, so the rookies passed on to stools before the lunch counter. "How long have we to eat?" asked Hal, of one of the trainmen. "You've about twenty-two minutes left." "I feel as if I could make excellent use of all the time," laughed Hal. He and Noll plunged into hot chicken, potatoes and gravy, and plenty of side dishes. The late excitement had not destroyed the appetite of either recruit. When they had finished Hal asked the waiter: "How much do we owe you?" "Nothing," replied the waiter. "I was told to say that the account is settled, with Major Davis's compliments." Both recruits turned, saluting in the major's direction, as token of their thanks. He nodded, smiling. Out on the platform, just before the train started, the recruits saw Major Davis again. That officer was turned halfway from them, without seeing them, so they passed along to the day coach in which they had been riding. Now a dozen men crowded about them, eager to talk with the young heroes of the night. "Pretty gritty work that you boys did," grinned one of the men. "Do you often have things like that to do in the Army?" "We never did, before to-night," Hal answered quietly. "Must take a lot of nerve." "We didn't think of it at the time," smiled Hal. "It seemed all in the way of business." "You ought to have seen the folks you left behind here," put in another man. "Oh, shut up," called others.