noon
The instant that the door had closed Dick drew off his olive drab shirt , drew out a lidded box from under the bed and deposited the shirt therein , next restoring the box to place bring out a basin from under the bed and placing it on a chair , he found towel and soap and busied himself with washing up . His toilet completed , he took a clean shirt from a bundle on one of the neatly arranged shelves and donned the garment . A few more touches , and , spick-and-span , clean and very soldierly looking , he descended to the ground floor . A glance into the mess-room showed him that the noon meal was not yet ready , so be sauntered to the doorway , remaining just inside out of the sun 's rays . Other officers gathered quickly . A waiter from mess appeared at the inner doorway , speaking a quiet word that caused the regiment 's officers , except the colonel and his staff , to file inside . Plain pine tables , without cloths , long pine benches nailed to the floor -- officers ' mess was exactly like that of the enlisted men , save that officers ' mess was provided with heavy crockery , while in the company mess-rooms the men ate from aluminum mess-kits .