"Have the men breakfasted, sir?" was Hal's first thought and question. A really good officer always thinks first of his men.
"They have all breakfasted, Mr. Overton. I do not imagine you will have much to do in the day-time. You have only your boat guard of six men under Sergeant Raney. The water-front patrol I have called in and sent to camp."
Hal ate his breakfast in leisurely fashion. He had slept well and was refreshed, but he believed that he had a long and dull day before him. And so it proved. The day passed on with absolutely nothing to do but eat and lounge, save for the one sentry who watched both boat and shore end.
It was almost dark, and Hal had just seated himself in the cabin to eat his supper when the sentry hailed:
"A detachment of troops approaching, sir."
"Well, they're our own men, aren't they, sentry?" Hal inquired.
Hal stepped back into the cabin, picked up and donned his cap, then stepped out on deck. The approaching troops were on the dock by the time that the young lieutenant had returned to the open.
"Two officers and ten men!" flashed through Hal's mind.
Then, of a sudden, he felt like giving a whoop of joy. Instead, however, he darted down the gang-plank, then caught himself and walked forward with dignity just as one of the approaching officers called out with military crispness:
"Mr. Prescott! Mr. Holmes!" cried Hal, going up to the two lieutenants who had just arrived.
"Hullo, Overton," responded both newly-arrived officers, extending their hands, while Prescott added:
"By Jove, I didn't count on finding you here, though I heard that you had won your commission. Where's Terry?"
"Drop the formal 'Mr.,' Overton, do," urged Lieutenant Prescott. "We have known each other long enough not to stand on ceremony."
"We've known each other in other times," laughed Holmes, "and in much more stirring times, I take it, than these are likely to be."
"Don't be too sure about the present being tame times," urged Hal. "From what we have seen here so far I believe that we are right in the middle of a district that is heavily engaged in sending arms over into Mexico. We may have a fight with a lot of these desperate, fanatic Mexican rebels at any moment."
"Let it come, then," laughed Holmes indifferently. "We need a bit of practice, now and then, to keep us in handy touch with our work."