"Yes. Well, men, we don't deserve to, either, if we leave our comrades out in camp deprived of fresh food much longer. It was Captain Cortland's expectation that we would start back by noon to-day, and now it's ten in the morning, with four hours or more of real work ahead of us, so we had better walk briskly to the market." An officer does not, except in rare instances that call for it, walk with his men. He walks either ahead or behind them. This is not because of any contempt or lack of respect, even, for the men; it is a rule of discipline and is followed for discipline's sake. There was soon an abundance of hard work to be done. Liberal supplies of fresh meat were bought, and a considerable variety of groceries and fresh and canned vegetables, for Uncle Sam's soldiers live well. Hal and Noll soon discovered that they had not been brought along as ornaments. They had their hands full of work. Then, at last, Lieutenant Prescott sent Hal as messenger to summon the drivers to bring the wagons over to pick up the supplies. Hard as all hands worked, it was well after one o'clock when the heavily laden wagons were finally gotten into shape and headed out of town. "Overton?" called the lieutenant, just before the start. "Yes, sir," Hal saluted. "Have you seen any assassins lurking about?" "No, sir." Brief as his reply was, Hal stared at the young officer in some astonishment. "Have you seen any assassins dogging our tracks, Terry?" was Lieutenant Prescott's next question. "No, sir," came from saluting Noll. Then, continued the lieutenant, still speaking gravely, "I think that this small United States force may presume to start on its way. Of course, we may run into an ambush within the next thirteen minutes, but that would be a mean trick to play on a military party." Though the young officer spoke with all gravity the soldier boys realized that he was wholly in jest. Reinforced now by the soldier drivers, who were also armed, this little party of trained men could put up a very ugly point at the first sign of need. "And Prescott is just the sort of officer who'll always know how to lead men in a scrap," Hal thought admiringly. "Shall we take our seats on one of the wagons, sir?" questioned Private Noll Terry. "No; the wagons are too heavily laden as it is, and we've a rough road ahead. You'll march on foot. Take the road just ahead of the wagon train, but do not march under any restraint whatever. Walk just as much at ease as you can." "Very good, sir." Both soldier boys saluted and stepped ahead. The wagons followed at once. The first time that Hal and Noll glanced backward they saw that Lieutenant Prescott was also on foot, walking beside the second wagon. "I don't believe Lieutenant Prescott ever gives an order that he wouldn't want to follow himself," murmured Hal. "He's the real thing in the soldier line," responded Noll.