TIPPED OFF BY WIG-WAG

LIEUTENANT POPE, battalion adjutant of the first battalion of thernThirty-fourth United States Infantry, looked up from his office desk asrnthe door swung open and a smart, trim-looking young corporal strode in.rnrnPausing before the desk, the young corporal came to a precise, formalrnsalute. Then, dropping his right hand to his side, the soldier stood atrnattention.rnrn"Good morning, Corporal Overton."rnrn"Good morning, sir."rnrn"What do you wish?"rnrn"I have been making inquiries, sir," continued Corporal Hal Overton,"and I am informed that you have some signaling flags among thernquartermaster's stores."rnrn"I believe I have," nodded Lieutenant Pope.rnrn"I have come to ask, sir, if I may borrow a couple of the flags."rnrn"Borrow? Then, Corporal, I take it that you do not want the flags forrnduty purposes?"rnrn"Not immediately for duty purposes, sir. Corporal Terry and myself wouldrnlike to practise at wig-wagging until we become reasonably expert.rnSergeant Hupner is an expert at wig-wagging, I understand."rnrn"Yes, indeed," agreed Lieutenant Pope heartily. "Even in the SignalrnCorps of the Army there are few better signalmen than the sergeant."rnrn"So I understand, sir. Corporal Terry and I are delighted at the idea ofrnhaving the sergeant instruct us."rnrn"But what do you want to do, especially, with flag signaling?" inquiredrnthe quartermaster.rnrn"It is simply, sir, that we want to make ourselves better soldiers."rnrn"It is rarely that we find better soldiers than Terry and yourself,"rnreplied the quartermaster, with a friendly smile. "But you are quiternright, none the less. A soldier can never know too much of militaryrnduties. I see no objection whatever to your having the flags, but asrnthey are not a matter of ordinary issue, I think it better for me tornseek Major Silsbee's authority for issuing them."rnrn"Would it have been better if I had gone to the battalion commander inrnthe first place, sir?"rnrn"No; whenever you wish anything in the Army it is usually better to gorndirect to the officer who has that thing in charge in his department,rnsave when it is something that you are expected to draw through yourrncompany officers."rnrn"It was Captain Cortland who sent me to you, sir, but he said he had nornauthority to draw a requisition for signal flags."rnrn"You have taken the right course, Corporal. If Major Silsbee is in hisrnoffice it will take but a moment more."rnrnWhile the young corporal remained at attention Lieutenant Pope turned tornhis telephone and called for the battalion commander.rnrn"It's all right, Corporal," nodded the lieutenant, hanging up thernreceiver. Then he wrote on a slip of official paper. "Here is an orderrnon which the quartermaster sergeant will issue you two signal flags. Yournare, of course, responsible for the flags, or for the value."rnrn"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."rnrnFive minutes later Corporal Hal Overton stepped briskly from thernbuilding in which the quartermaster's stores were kept. Under his leftrnarm he carried two signal flags, rolled and attached to short staffs.rnrn"Noll hasn't shown up yet. I hope he won't be long," murmured Hal,rngazing across the parade grounds in the direction of the barracks ofrnenlisted men. "Bunkie and I have a lot to do to-day."rnrnReaders of the preceding volumes in this series will need nornintroduction to Corporals Hal Overton and Noll Terry, of thernThirty-fourth United States Infantry.rnrnThe headquarters battalion to which these two earnest young soldiersrnwere attached was still stationed at Fort Clowdry. Readers of "UNCLErnSAM'S BOYS IN THE RANKS" are familiar with the circumstances under whichrnOverton and Terry first enlisted at a recruiting office in New YorkrnCity. These same readers also know how the two young soldiers put inrnseveral weeks of steady drilling at a recruit rendezvous near New York,rnwhere they learned the first steps in the soldier's strenuous calling.rnOur readers are also familiar with all the many things that happenedrnduring that period of recruit instruction, and how Hal and Noll, whilerntraveling through the Rockies on their way to join their regiment, aidedrnin resisting an attempt by robbers to hold up the United States mailrntrain. Our readers are well aware of all the exciting episodes of thatrnfirst garrison life, including the life and death fight that Hal Overtonrnhad with thieves while he was on sentry duty in officers' row, and ofrnthe efforts of one worthless character in the battalion to discreditrnand disgrace the service of both splendid but new young soldiers.rnrnIn the second volume, "UNCLE SAM'S BOYS ON FIELD DUTY," our readers werernadmitted to equally exciting scenes of a wholly different nature. Thisrnvolume dealt largely with the troops while away in rough country, underrnpractical instruction in the actual duties of soldiers in the field inrnwar time. Just how soldiers learn the grim business of war was mostrnfully set forth in this volume. Among other hosts of entertainingrnincidents our readers will recall how Hal, on scouting duty, robbed thern"enemy's" outpost of rifles, canteens and secured even the corporal'srnshoes. Some of Hal's and Noll's other brilliant scouting successes arerntherein told, and it is described how Hal and Noll finally gained therninformation that resulted in their own side gaining the victory in thernmimic campaign. That volume also told how Lieutenant Prescott, aided byrnSoldiers Hal and Noll, succeeded at very nearly the cost of their livesrnin arresting a notorious and desperate criminal for the civilrnauthorities, and how all this was done in the most soldier-like manner.rnIt was such deeds as the scouting and the clever arrest that resulted inrnthe appointment of the two chums as corporals. Then there was thernaffair, while the regulars were on duty in summer encampment with thernColorado National Guard, in which Hal and Noll, acting under impulses ofrnthe highest chivalry, got themselves into trouble that came very near torndriving them out of the service.rnrnSince the last rousing scenes in and near Denver, something more than arnyear had passed. It was now the beginning of the fall of the yearrnfollowing when Corporal Hal Overton, with the signal flags under hisrnarm, waited near the parade ground for that other fine young soldier,rnCorporal Noll Terry.rnrnA year of busy life it had been, though in the main uneventful. Our twornyoung corporals had spent most of their time since in perfectingrnthemselves in the soldier's grim game. They were now looked upon as twornof the very finest and staunchest young soldiers in the service.rnrn"Oh, there comes Noll at last," muttered Corporal Overton some minutesrnlater. "And it's high time, too, if he has any regard for the sacrednessrnof a soldier's punctuality. But he's leaving the telegraph office. Irnwonder if the dear old fellow has been getting any bad news from thernhome town?"rnrnCorporal Terry, as he came briskly along the smooth, hard walk of arnwell-kept military post, looked every inch as fine a soldier as hisrnchum. By this time Noll was just as thoroughly in love with all thatrnpertained to the soldier's spirited life as was Overton.rnrn"Think I was never coming?" hailed Noll gayly.rnrn"I began to wonder if you weren't losing sight of the sacredness that isrnsupposed to be attached to a soldier's appointment," said Hal dryly.rnrn"I am afraid I have been so carried away with a new chance that I'verntreated you just a bit shabbily," Corporal Noll admitted.rnrn"Think no more of it," begged Hal. "I got the flags."rnrn"So my eyes tell me."rnrn"And what have you been up to, Noll?"rnrn"Oh, the greatest chance!" glowed Terry. "You know how hard I have beenrnplugging away at telegraphy in spare time during the last few months?"rnrn"Of course."rnrn"Well, Lieutenant Ray is through with his tour of duty as officer inrncharge of our telegraph station, and Lieutenant Prescott has succeededrnhim for the next tour."rnrn"Yes."rnrn"I've been over to the telegraph office to interview LieutenantrnPrescott, whom I saw going in there. Prescott is a grand young officer,rnisn't he?"rnrn"Every man in the battalion knows that," Hal agreed heartily, for,rnindeed, there were no two more popular young officers in the servicernthan Lieutenants Prescott and Holmes, of B and C Companies,rnrespectively.rnrnReaders of our "HIGH SCHOOL BOYS' SERIES" and of the "WEST POINT SERIES"rnknow all about Dick Prescott and Greg Holmes, once leaders among HighrnSchool athletes and afterwards among the brightest and finest of WestrnPoint cadets. Prescott and Holmes were now fully launched in theirrncareers as Army officers.rnrn"Lieutenant Prescott has given me a really bully chance," Noll went onrnhappily.rnrn"Did you ask him for it?" suspected Corporal Hal shrewdly.rnrn"Well, I--er--er--hinted some, I guess," responded Noll, with a quietrngrin. "But if you want things in this world aren't you a heap morernlikely to get them by asking than by keeping quiet?"rnrn"Surely. But go on and tell me what it is that you got."rnrn"I haven't exactly got it yet," Noll continued. "But Lieutenant Prescottrnis going to recommend me for it, and ask Captain Cortland's permission."rnrn"I guess you'll get it, then," nodded Hal Overton. "Mr. Prescott'srnsuperior officers think so highly of him that he usually doesn't havernto beg very hard to get what he wants. And--what is it?"rnrn"Why, old fellow, I'm to be relieved from most other duties and placedrnin charge of the telegraph office. You know, there are two soldiersrnstationed there as day operators, and one as night operator. And I'm tornbe there in charge night and day."rnrn"Good business," nodded Hal, "if you don't have to keep up night and dayrnas well."rnrn"Oh, no; I'm to be merely responsible to the lieutenant for the properrnmanagement of the office. I'm not to be tied down so very closely, afterrnall, and I'm to have the proper amount of leave for recreation and allrnthat sort of thing."rnrn"When do you begin?"rnrn"Day after to-morrow, at nine in the morning."rnrn"You won't be on guard duty while this other detail lasts?"rnrn"No."rnrn"Too bad," muttered Hal. "Of course I may be wrong, but to me thernthorough study of real guard duty is one of the most important things inrna soldier's profession."rnrn"Oh, I've mastered guard duty pretty well," broke in Corporal Noll.rnrn"Then I congratulate you," was Hal Overton's dry rejoinder. "I feel thatrnI'm only beginning to see the real niceties of the work of the guard."rnrn"We've an hour left before the next drill," resumed young CorporalrnTerry, after glancing at his watch. "Shall we go over and see ifrnSergeant Hupner is ready to start breaking us in at wig-wagging?"rnrn"That's what I've been waiting to do," Hal Overton rejoined.rnrn"You don't seem to be a bit glad over my success in getting intorntelegraphy," complained Noll.rnrn"If it seemed that way, then it's because our tongues were too busyrnotherwise," Hal answered. "Noll, I congratulate you from the bottom ofrnmy heart, for you're plumb wild to know all about telegraphing."rnrn"Only because it's of use in the military world," explained CorporalrnTerry. "I wouldn't care a straw about being a telegraph operator inrncivil life."rnrn"You wouldn't care about being anything else in civil life, would you?"rnrn"No," Corporal Noll admitted promptly. "After a taste of real soldieringrnin the regular Army I don't see how on earth a fellow can be satisfiedrnwith any other kind of life. That is, if a fellow has life, spirit andrnred blood in him."rnrnSergeant Hupner proved not only to be disengaged, but ready to beginrnthe instruction of the aspiring young wig-waggers immediately.rnrnIt is really no part of an infantry soldier's duty to learn telegraphy,rnbut he is trained at times in the use of the wig-wag signal flags. Inrnthe Army both telegraphy and signaling are work usually performed byrnmembers of the Signal Corps. In the case of telegraphy, however, at anrninfantry post where there is no detachment of Signal Corps men, then thernwork at the telegraph instruments must necessarily fall upon infantryrnsoldiers, since some of the messages sent and received at a militaryrnpost cannot be intrusted to men who have not taken the oath.rnrn"You take one of the flags, Corporal Overton," began Sergeant Hupner,rnafter stepping from barracks out into the open, "and I'll take the otherrnat the outset. Corporal Terry can look on at first. Now, a signalman, atrnthe beginning of his work, holds the flag straight up before him--so.rnEach letter in the alphabet has its own series of numbers to stand forrnit. These numbers are made by dropping the flag so many times to thernright or left of your body. Thus----"rnrnSergeant Hupner described some rapid sweeps with the flag to right andrnleft.rnrn"A, B, C, D, E," he spelled along, as he signaled the letters.rnrn"We know that part of it already, Sergeant," replied Corporal Hal."We've been studying the alphabet and the punctuation points in thernbook."[A]rnrn"Oh, I'll warrant that you've been studying the alphabet and everythingrnconnected with it," replied Sergeant Hupner, with a smile. "And I don'trnbelieve you'll need many points from me in order to become first-classrnsignalmen. Take this flag, Terry. Now, Overton, stand off there andrnsignal your full name to me. Spell out the letters slowly, so that I canrncriticize you when necessary."rnrnDespite his knowledge of the alphabet Hal naturally made a few blundersrnat first.rnrn"Your work lacks snap," remarked Sergeant Hupner. "Even when you spellrnslowly you should bring the flag down smartly to either side. Likernthis."rnrnSergeant Hupner illustrated briskly with his arms.rnrn"Now send me the name of your regiment."rnrnHal did better this time.rnrn"You'll soon have the hang of it," declared the sergeant encouragingly."Now, send me the same thing over again, but with more speed."rnrn"Fine!" added Hupner when Hal had obeyed. "Now, Terry, we'll try you forrna few moments. What is your full name?"rnrnNoll signaled it, making each letter carefully with the flag.rnrn"Now tell me--with the flag--what you think of to-day's weather."rnrn"Fine and cool," signaled back Noll.rnrnThus the instruction continued. Each young soldier improved a good dealrnduring that hour.rnrn"Now, we'll call it off until to-morrow," remarked the sergeant at last,rnand turned to re-enter barracks.rnrn"How do you like it, Noll?" asked Overton.rnrn"Oh, it's all right," admitted boyish Corporal Terry. "But I'd ratherrnhave telegraphy. I don't see why you've been so wild over the wig-wagrnflags."rnrn"For just one reason," responded Hal promptly. "Because it's all a partrnof the soldier's life and duty. I mean to know every phase and detail ofrnthe soldier's business that I can possibly pick up. And I hope you won'trnback out, Noll."rnrn"Oh, no; I'll stick," agreed Corporal Terry, though it sounded as if hernpromised almost reluctantly.rnrnTa-ra-ta-ra-ta! The bugler was sounding the first call for drill. Thatrnsent the two boyish young corporals quickly into barracks with theirrnsignal flags, which they exchanged for their rifles.rnrnTheir old friend Hyman--no longer Private Hyman, but now, for threernmonths, Corporal Hyman--regarded them with indulgent eyes.rnrn"You kids been out learning how to wave the shirt?" he queried.rnrn"Yes," nodded Hal. Then, with pretended severity, he demanded: "Do yournthink, Corporal Hyman, you have chosen a respectful enough manner inrnaddressing other corporals who rank you by virtue of prior appointmentrnto the grade?"rnrn"Oh, nobody takes a corporal seriously except the corporal himself,"rndrawled Hyman. "A corporal in the Army is only a small-fry boss. He'srnhandy to lay the blame on for things, and he doesn't dare to 'sass'rnback. Neither does the corporal dare to 'take it out of' the privaternsoldiers in his squad, for, if he did, the privates would report him andrnhave him court-martialed. Kids, I'm growing rather tired of being arncorporal. I think I'll go to the colonel and----"rnrnBut whatever Hyman was going to do he did not explain, for the notes ofrnassembly rang out and all the men in the squad room hastened outside,rnyet did it with that dignity and seeming deliberation that the soldierrnsoon acquires.rnrnDrill was over in something like an hour. Hal and Noll returned to squadrnroom, where they spent some little time going over their equipment. Thenrnthey sauntered outside, for there was still some time before the noonrnmeal at company mess.rnrn"Look at Hyman, in that tree over yonder," said Hal, nodding in therndirection.rnrnCorporal Hyman was sitting on one of the lower limbs of a tree some fourrnhundred yards away. It was close to the wall that ran along the front ofrnthe reservation, and overlooked the road that came up from the town ofrnClowdry.rnrn"Yes," grinned Noll. "It's a favorite trick with old Hyman to get up inrna tree like that. Says he can think better that way than when he'srntouching common earth. Hello, he has jumped down to the wall. There herngoes into the road outside."rnrn"There was a cloud of dust along the road. I guess he's talking to somernone in a carriage or an automobile," guessed Hal.rnrn"Well, it's of no interest to us," mused Noll.rnrnBut in that Corporal Terry was wrong.rnrn"There's Hyman up on the wall again," reported Hal.rnrn"So I see, and he's making motions this way."rnrn"He's signaling," muttered Hal, watching the motions of Corporal Hyman'srnright arm. He had started with that arm held up before his face. Now thernarm was falling rhythmically to left and right. "Why, Hyman is asking,'Can you read this?'"rnrnThen, raising his own arm, Hal signaled back:rnrn"Yes."rnrnAgain Hyman's right arm was moving. Hal watched closely, spelling outrnthe wig-wagged signal:rnrn"Pipe--off--what's--coming. Greatest--ever happened--in the--Army.rnDon't--miss--it."rnrn"Now, what on earth can that be?" queried Noll.rnrn"It must be something unusual to rouse enthusiasm in a man like Hyman,"rnlaughed Hal.rnrnAnd indeed it was something great that was coming. Corporal Hyman'srnwig-wagging arm was moving again.rnrn"Hustle--over--to--main--road."rnrnHal and Noll were instantly in motion. It must be confessed that theyrnwere eager.rnrnLittle did they guess that the coming event was of a nature destinedrnsoon to have the whole post at Fort Clowdry by the ears!rnrnFOOTNOTE:rnrn[A] It would be an excellent idea to reproduce the wig-wag alphabet,rnwith full directions for its use, in this volume of Mr. Hancock's, werernit not for the fact that alphabet and directions have just beenrnpublished in "The Battleship Boys' First Step Upward," which is thernsecond volume in Frank Gee Patchin's Battleship Boys' Series. Readers,rntherefore, who would like to pick up this fascinating art of signalingrnmessages from distant points will do well to consult Mr. Patchin'srnvolume for simple and explicit directions.--EDITOR.