"But we haven't succeeded in getting into the service yet, you must remember," Hal warned them. "Oh, shucks!" retorted Jud. "I wish I were as sure of anything that I want. The recruiting officer'll be tickled to death when he sees you two walking in on him." "I hope you're a real, true prophet, Jud," replied Hal, with a wistful smile. Neither of these two younger boys had any idea how utterly Hal Overton had set his heart on entering the service, nor why. The reader will presently discover more about the surging "why." On one of the side streets the boys paused before the door of a cozy, little cottage in which lived Sergeant Wright and the wife who had been with him nearly the whole of his time in the service. Ere they could ring the bell the door opened, and Sergeant Wright, U. S. Army, retired, stood before them, holding out his hand. "Well, boys," was the kindly greeting of this fine-looking, middle-aged man, "have you settled the whole matter at home?" "Yes," nodded Hal happily. "We go to New York, to-morrow, to try our luck with the recruiting officer." "Come right in, boys, and we'll have our final talk about the good old Army," cried the retired sergeant heartily. It was that same afternoon that Tip Branders next espied Jud and Tom coming down a street. Tip darted into a doorway, intent on lying in wait for the pair. As they neared his place of hiding, however, Tip heard Jud and Tom talking of something that changed his plan. "What's that?" echoed Tip to himself, straining his hearing. "Say," breathed Tom Andrews fervently, "wouldn't it be fine if we could go to New York to-morrow morning, too, and see Hal and Noll sworn into the United States Army?" Tip held his breath, listening for more. He heard enough to put him in possession of practically all of the plans of Hal and Noll. "Oho!" chuckled Tip, as he strode away from the place later. "So that pair of boobs are going to try for the Army. Oh, I daresay they'll get in. But so will I--and in the same company with them. I wouldn't have missed this for anything. I'll be the thorn in Hal Overton's side the little while that he'll be in the service! I've more than to-day's business to settle with that stuck-up dude!" All of which will soon appear and be made plain. CHAPTER II AT THE RECRUITING OFFICE THE solemn time came the following morning. Both Hal and Noll were "only children," or, at least, so thought their mothers. Messrs. Overton and Terry, the elders, gave their sons' hands a last strong grip. No good advice was offered by either father at parting. That had already been attended to. Naturally the boys' mothers cried a good bit over them. Both mothers, in fact, had wanted to go over to New York with their sons. But the fathers had objected that this would only prolong the pain of parting, and that soldiers in the bud should not be unfitted for their beginnings by tears.