"Yes, sir. May I ask a question?" "Certainly." "If I should meet any of the missing men on their way back here shall I place them under arrest?" "If you find them at a greater distance than one hundred yards of this camp, Sergeant, put them in arrest and take them into Mason City and back again with you." "Very good, sir." "And don't allow any man to have any amusement whatever in Mason City after you arrest him." "Very good, sir." "Lack of punctuality is a very serious military offense, Sergeant. I shall do all that is possible to stamp it out in B Company." "Yes, sir." "That is all, Sergeant. You do not need any further instructions, for you are an old soldier and can be depended upon." "Thank you, sir." "Sergeant Gray will give you the names of the delinquents." "Very good, sir." With a final salute Sergeant Hupner turned and strode away. If his gait were any indication, Hupner meant to capture every one of the delinquents with the least possible loss of time. "You want another trip to Mason City, Overton?" queried Hupner, halting before the soldier boy. "Not for fun," replied Hal, "but I'll go there, or anywhere else on earth, on a matter of duty." "You're my man," nodded Hupner. "You, too, Terry. Hyman, I guess you may have an idea where some of the delinquents are holding forth in Mason City?" "I guess I know," nodded Private Hyman, "though not from associating with any of them." Three other men were quickly detailed. While the men of this detachment were arming themselves, Hupner hastened to Sergeant Gray for a list of the delinquents. "Fall in. By twos right, march!" Hupner led his detachment from camp, and was nearly a hundred yards on his way when the bugler blew the call for assembly. A military commander, even a corporal or sergeant, is expected to get his command in action with the loss of not even seconds. And a very business-like looking little force this was. Not a man carried a rifle. Instead, each man had drawn a revolver, which now dangled in holster from his belt. Each soldier also wore at the belt a pair of handcuffs, though these would be used only on troublesome prisoners. "Squad halt!" The marching men were about a mile out of Mason City when this command came. Sergeant Hupner, in the lead, had caught a glimpse of a sight that was soon after revealed to the halted men. Around a bend in the road, beside a jutting piece of higher ground, lurched an unsteady figure. That figure, moreover, was clothed in the uniform of the United States Regular Army, but now the uniform was badly soiled and battered. "Where are you going, Coy?" sharply demanded Sergeant Hupner. The youth--he was barely more than twenty-one, halted unsteadily, blinking at Sergeant Hupner as though he were not sure whether he saw one, two or three sergeants. "Where are you going?" sternly repeated Sergeant Hupner. "Thash all (hic) right, Sarge," replied Private Coy thickly.