Part 14 (2/2)
Boarding a street car, he returned to the station.
”What do you think, Dan?” questioned Sam, as soon as he had gotten his chum off away from the others.
”Well, what is it? Been getting into more trouble, young man?”
”Not I. It's news, and you'll say it's real news when you hear it.”
”Well, I am listening,” smiled Dan good-naturedly.
Sam's face was flushed with excitement, for this had been an eventful day for him.
”Tell me all about it?”
”We are going to shoot to-morrow,” whispered Sam in a stage whisper loud enough to be heard a dozen yards away.
”Shoot what?”
”Target work.”
”You don't say?”
”Yes,” chuckled Hickey. ”We won't do a thing to the targets, will we?”
”I don't know about you, but as for myself I never thought I was much of a marksman. Of course, I have done some shooting, but there are boys here who have done much more, I guess. What's the range?”
”I haven't heard. But, being an officer, perhaps I might ask some one.”
”Do not presume too much on your promotion,” warned Dan. ”You are only a very little officer. You may lose that rating if you are not careful.”
”Then I'll get struck by lightning again, and get another one,” answered Sam confidently.
That night the boys swung themselves up into their hammocks, full of antic.i.p.ation of what lay before them on the following day. It seemed as if they had no sooner gotten to sleep than the bugle sounded the reveille.
They were up and at their shower baths, laughing and chatting, a few minutes later. A happier, more care-free lot of hardy, brown-faced young fellows it would be difficult to find.
The early morning duties were quickly disposed of, for the word had been pa.s.sed along that they were to take their first turn at the targets that day. Some of the boys who had never handled a gun before were more curious than those who had. The latter, however, were no less anxious to be at it. When the command, ”Fall in for target practice,” was given, all hands felt like setting up a shout of joy. They restrained themselves, knowing full well that such a demonstration would bring swift and sure punishment.
After they had lined up, the officer in charge ordered certain of the men to fall out, they being wanted for other work. There were disappointed ones among these, but these were told they would be given their chance later in the week, as very many men could not be accommodated at one time. The target practice was to last nearly a week, two hours a day being devoted to it during this time.
All preparations having been made, the men were marched to the armory where they were equipped with their rifles and ammunition for the day.
The apprentices were to fire five rounds apiece, each day, only the average for the week to count.
”Keep your nerves steady, and don't try to do anything fancy, just because you are an officer,” warned Dan.
”You squint through your own sights; I'll look after mine,” retorted Sam.
Immediately after arriving at the range, the shooting began, one man taking a shot, then giving place to another.
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