As he came about the sergeant caught sight of his company commander.
In an undertone he gave an order that brought his men along at greater speed than they had gone.
"Halt!" ordered the sergeant, and brought up his hand in salute to the officers.
"Sergeant Mock," called Holmes, in a low, even voice, "turn the men over to a corporal and come here." Hastily, and flushing, Sergeant Mock came forward.
"How are the men feeling ?" Greg inquired, after signaling the corporal now in charge to continue the drilling.
"Tired, sir," replied Mock, with a shamefaced look.
"And how is the sergeant feeling ?" Greg went on, as the corporal led the men across the drill ground, this time at a sharper pace and correcting any fault in soldierly bearing that he observed.
"All right, sir," replied the sergeant.
"Then, if you're feeling all right, Sergeant Mock," Greg continued in as even a voice as before, "explain to me why you were marching the platoon at a cadence of about ninety, instead of the regulation hundred and twenty steps per minute.

Tell me why the alignment of the fours was poor, and why the men were allowed to march without paying the slightest heed to their bearing." Though there was nothing at all sharp in the company commander's voice, Mock knew that he was being "called," and, in fact, was perilously close to being "cussed out." "The---the day is hot, sir, and---and I knew the men were about played out," stammered Mock.
"How long have you been in the Army, sergeant ?" Greg continued.
"About two years and a half, sir." "In all that time did you ever know officers or enlisted men to be excused from full performance of ordered duty on account of the weather ?" "N-n-no, sir." "Then why did you start a new system on your own authority ?" Greg asked quietly.
Mock tried to answer, opened his mouth, in fact, and uttered a few incoherent sounds, which quickly died in his throat.
"Sergeant Mock," said Greg, "we have just heard from our commanding officer.

He demands the utmost from every officer, non-com and private.

Are you prepared, and resolved, from this moment, to give the utmost that is in you at all times ?" "Yes, sir!" replied Mock with great emphasis.
"You mean what you are saying, Sergeant ?" "Yes, sir." "Very good, then," continued the young captain.

"I am going to take your word for it this time.