At the end of two hours the national guardsmen were still perspiring over their tasks of pitching camp. The regulars, cool and wholly at ease, were going about other camp duties. "Look at the amateurs over yonder," grinned Corporal Noll Terry, calling his chum's attention to the brigade of national guardsmen. "Poor fellows, it's a good deal like work for them," remarked Hal. "They're not drilled in this thing all the time." "They go about it like so many clowns," laughed Noll. "Now, I wouldn't say that," urged Corporal Hal. "Remember, the national guardsmen do other things for a living, and do this work for love of state and country." "But why do they need to be such boobs about pitching a camp?" demanded Noll. "Because it isn't their accustomed business," Hal retorted. "Bosh! The tin soldiers make me tired," laughed Corporal Noll. "Then you want to change your attitude," warned Hal, "for you've got the wrong view, old fellow. There probably isn't a man over in that militia brigade who wouldn't make a smart enough regular if he enlisted." "Now, I don't know about that," argued Corporal Noll seriously. "I can remember the time, not very long ago, Noll, when you and I were greener than any militiaman over yonder." "We were green," admitted Corporal Terry, "but not green in the same way that those state troops are. Some how, regulars and militiamen are quite a different proposition from the very first day." "True," agreed Corporal Hal. "But what makes the difference?" "Well, what does?" "The difference in officers, and in the methods that can be used. Militia officers have to make soldiering the study of their leisure hours, just as the guardsmen in the ranks do. Our regular officers are first given a hard training, and then make a life study of soldiering. Keep those guardsmen in camp for three months, and put regular officers over them all the time, and I tell you, Noll, they'd make most of us regulars look hard to our laurels." "I don't know," muttered Corporal Terry dubiously. "Then you want to think it over," retorted Hal. "Just remember that regulars and militiamen are both enlisted from the people at large. Put any militia regiment in the country through a regulation three-years' enlistment in the Army and under regular officers, and that militia regiment would then be the equal of any regular regiment in the line. Noll, the whole difference lies in officers, opportunity and training. Don't ever look down on national guardsmen unless you want to prove yourself less of a soldier than I think you are." "Corporal Terry!" summoned Sergeant Gray, and Noll hurried off to some new duty, but he was thinking. Corporal Hal had shown him how to look at the national guardsmen from another point of view.