Uncle Sam's Boys in the Ranks or, Two Recruits in the United States Army   By: H. Irving Hancock (1868-1922)

Or

Two Recruits in the United States Army

by

H. IRVING HANCOCK

Author of The Motor Boat Club Series, The High School Series, The West Point Series, The Annapolis Series, The Young Engineers' Series, Etc., Etc.

Illustrated

[Illustration: "And These Are Your Applications?"

Frontispiece. ]

Philadelphia Henry Altemus Company

Copyright, 1910, by Howard E. Altemus

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. A LESSON IN RESPECT FOR THE UNIFORM 7

II. AT THE RECRUITING OFFICE 25

III. THE ORDEAL OF EXAMINATION 37

IV. MRS. BRANDERS GETS A NEW VIEW 54

V. IN THE AWKWARD SQUAD 63

VI. THE TROUBLE WITH CORPORAL SHRIMP 79

VII. WHEN THE GUARD CAME 93

VIII. THE CALL TO COMPANY FORMATION 104

IX. ORDERED TO THE THIRTY FOURTH 112

X. A SWIFT CALL TO DUTY 123

XI. GUARDING THE MAIL TRAIN 129

XII. THE ROOKIES REACH FORT CLOWDRY 139

XIII. "TWO NEW GENERALS AMONG US" 149

XIV. THE SQUAD ROOM HAZING 158

XV. PRIVATE BILL HOOPER LEARNS 167

XVI. THE MYSTERY OF POST THREE 178

XVII. HAL UNDER A FIRE OF QUESTIONS 190

XVIII. THE ANONYMOUS LETTER 198

XIX. A SECRET COWARD 206

XX. THE LUCK OF THE YOUNG RECRUIT 212

XXI. THE DUEL IN THE DARK 221

XXII. CAPTAIN CORTLAND HEADS THE PURSUIT 229

XXIII. THE STIRRING GAME AT DAWN 238

XXIV. CONCLUSION 250

Uncle Sam's Boys in the Ranks

CHAPTER I

A LESSON IN RESPECT FOR THE UNIFORM

"AW, what's the difference between a soldier and a loafer?" demanded "Bunny" Hepburn.

"A soldier ain't a loafer, and it takes nerve to be a soldier. It's a job for the bravest kind of a man," retorted Jud Jeffers indignantly.

"Answer my c'nundrum," insisted Bunny.

"It ain't a decent conundrum," retorted Jud, with dignity, for his father had served as a volunteer soldier in the war with Spain.

"Go on, Bunny," broke in another boy in the group, laughing. "I'll be the goat. What is the difference between a soldier and a loafer?"

"A soldier gets paid and fed, and the other loafer doesn't," retorted Bunny, with a broadening grin. A moment later, when he realized that his "joke" had failed to raise a laugh, Bunny looked disappointed.

"Aw, go on," flared up Jud Jeffers. "You don't know anything about a soldier."

"But my dad does," retorted Bunny positively. "Dad says soldiers don't produce anything for a living; that they take their pay out of the pockets of the public, and then laugh at the public for fools."

"And what does your father do for a living?" demanded Jud hotly.

"He's a man who knows a lot, and he lectures," declared Bunny, swelling with importance. "When my dad talks a whole lot of men get excited and cheer him."

"Yes, and they buy him beer, too," jeered Jud, hot with derision for the fellow who was running down the soldiers of the United States. "Your father does his lecturing in small, dirty halls, where there's always a beer saloon underneath. You talk about men being producers and your father goes around making anarchistic speeches to a lot of workingmen who are down on everything because they aren't clever enough to earn as good wages as sober, industrious and capable workmen earn."

"Speech, Jud!" laughingly roared another boy in the crowd that now numbered a score of youngsters.