or shirking again, I am going to go to the colonel immediately and
ask him to 'break' you back to the ranks."

"Yes, sir," assented Mock, saluting.

"Are you fully familiar with all your drill work?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then remember that our enemies, the German soldiers, are men
who are drilled and drilled until they are perfect in their work,
and that their discipline is amazing. Keep the fact in mind that
we can hardly hope to whip our enemies unless we are at least as
good soldiers as they. That is all. Go back to your men, Sergeant."

Standing stiffly erect, Sergeant Mock brought up his right hand
in a crisp salute, then wheeled and walked briskly back to join
his men. Greg turned as if to say that he did not feel the need
of remaining to watch the rebuked sergeant.

"By Jove!" uttered Captain Cartwright. "I do wish, Holmes, you'd
come over and dress down some of my non-coms. I've been trying
for three days to put 'pep' into some of them, and the K.O. frowned
at me this morning."

"Non-com" is the Army abbreviation for "non-commissioned
officers"---corporals and sergeants---while "K.O." is Army slang
for commanding officer.

Arrived at an unpainted wooden barracks, in size and appearance