"Oh, I’ll call him," said the sentry, "but I’ll tell you right now I don’t think it will do you any good. Kindly step up here, will you?"
Hal and Chester did so. Then, for the first time, the sentry saw that they were officers in the American army. He looked flabbergasted.
"I—I—I beg pardon, gentlemen," he said. "I didn’t know you were officers. Why didn’t you tell me?"
"You didn’t give us a chance," said Hal shortly. "Kindly summon the sergeant of the guard."
The sentry argued no longer. He raised his voice in a shout that brought the sergeant of the guard on the dead run.
"What’s the matter with you, you bonehead?" demanded the sergeant as he came lumbering forward. "Want to arouse the whole camp?"
"It’s all right, sergeant," said Hal. "He only did as ordered. We have come from General Rhodes with an important message for General Lejeune. Will you direct us to his quarters?"
Five minutes walk brought the three to the headquarters of the commander of the Second American division. There the lads were accosted by a member of the general’s staff, Colonel O’Shea.
"We desire to see the general at once on a very urgent matter," said Hal.
"The general left orders that he was not to be disturbed unless upon a very important matter," he replied.
"But this is urgent," said Chester. "We are instructed by General Rhodes to deliver the message at once."
"But how am I to know the matter is so urgent?" asked the colonel.
"Because I say so, sir," said Hal quietly. "I am not in the habit of lying, nor of having my word doubted."
"Oh, is that so," said the colonel, though somewhat taken aback. "Well, I’m not sure the general will care to be disturbed. You may deliver your message, and then I shall consider whether your business is of such importance as to justify waking the general."
"We were not instructed to deliver our message to you, sir," said Hal simply. "I have to request again that we be given immediate audience of General Lejeune."
The colonel hesitated. Apparently he was on the point of refusing to arouse the general, but he thought better of it, shrugged his shoulders and turned away.
He returned a moment later, however, followed by a second figure, attired in a suit of pajamas and rubbing sleepy eyes.