"How fast do men march?"

"Three miles an hour," said I.

"Then we shall be in camp by ten o'clock. I don't see the sense of
yanking a fellow out of bed in the night."

"Of course, Henry, there's a good reason for everything done in the
army," observed Frank, with soldierly loyalty.

"Where's the sense of marching in the dark when the whole distance can
be done in six hours, and the sun rises at five and sets at seven? I
prefer daylight."

Evidently our youngest corporal had not had his sleep out, and was out
of humor.

"Will you please explain, sir?" asked Frank.

"With pleasure," I answered. "It is more comfortable to march in the
early morning, when it is cool. Marches rarely exceed fifteen or
twenty miles a day, except where the distance between watering-places
is more than that. Sometimes we are obliged to march forty miles a
day."

"Seems to me the officers are very tender of the men," observed the
sleepy Henry. "Fifteen and twenty miles a day, and five or six hours
on the road, can't tire them much."