urged Darrin.
"Yes," agreed Tom. "And we"ll throw out any of the rest that may have a nerve to try to step in here."
Hardly had they taken their stand by the door when the three chums received a shock.
For the next arrivals were Phin Drayne, and his father, Heathcote Drayne.
Phin was now in attendance at the Wilburville Academy, and his father had come down, the evening before, to urge his son to try for West Point.
Tom looked the newcomer over with especial disfavor. Young Drayne, like many another "peculiar" fellow, was an unusually good student.
At any time Drayne would have a very good chance of coming out even with, or just ahead of, either d.i.c.k or Dave.
The Draynes did not favor our three chums with any greeting, but walked on down into the hall.
"Excuse me a minute," murmured Tom. "I want to find out how the land lies."
Tom thereupon walked boldly over to the Draynes.
"May I speak with you just a moment, Mr. Drayne?" asked Tom.
"Go ahead," replied Mr. Heathcote Drayne, not over-graciously.
"It is important, sir, that I speak with you aside," Tom went on.
Heathcote Drayne scowled, then stepped to one side, turning and glancing down at Reade.
"Well, young man, what is it?"
"I thought it barely possible," continued Tom coolly, "that I might be able to offer you a hint or two worth while."
"Worth whose while?" demanded Heathcote Drayne, suspiciously.
"Yours. Has your son come here to compete for either the West Point or Annapolis cadetship?"
"What if he has?"
"Then has Phin his certificates of good character with him?" demanded Tom, his blue eyes steely and cold as he looked straight and significantly at the elder Drayne.
"Confound your impudence, Reade! What do you mean?"
"Just this," continued Tom readily. "Only boys of good character are eligible for West Point or Annapolis. Now, the fact is, your son was expelled from Gridley High School for a dishonorable action.
Are you content to have your son try for a cadetship, with that record hanging over his head and enveloping his chances?"
"Who"ll know anything about that record if you don"t blab?" demanded Mr. Drayne.
"Why, your son would have to state where he had attended school, and furnish certificates of good character from his teachers,"
ran on Reade. "Now, honestly, do you think that Dr. Thornton, of Gridley High School, would furnish a certificate on which Congressman Spokes could appoint your boy to West Point or Annapolis? Because, if you think so," wound up Reade, "go ahead and put Phin in the running, to be sure."
With that Tom marched off back to his chums.
"What have you been up to?" asked d.i.c.k curiously.
"I"m manager for you two half-witted fellows, ain"t I?" queried Reade.
"What have you been saying to Mr. Drayne?" asked Dave.
"Just watch father and son, and see how they seem to be enjoying their talk," chuckled Tom. "There, what do you see now? I thought it would end like that."
This was the first time it had occurred to the elder Drayne that his son"s character would be inquired into. In fact, Mr. Drayne had had half an idea that the United States Military Academy was a place that made a specialty of reforming wild boys and making useful citizens of them.
CHAPTER XX
When the Great News Was Given Out
At just nine o"clock Congressman Spokes came on to the platform followed by two other men.
One of these latter was a town official, who, in a very few words, introduced the Member of Congress.
Congressman Spokes now addressed the young men upon the vocations they were seeking to enter. He explained that neither the Military nor the Naval Academy offered an inducement to boys fond only of their ease and good times.
"At either school," warned the Congressman "you will find ahead of you years of the hardest work and the strictest discipline.
No boy whose character is not good can hope to enter these schools of the nation. It is not worth any boy"s while to enter unless he stands ready to sacrifice everything, his own ideas and prejudices included, to the service of his country and his flag."
Congressman Spokes continued in this line for some time. Then he called for the boys who wished to try for West Point to gather at the right side of the hall; those for Annapolis at the left side.
"This is the first time you and I haven"t been on the same side in everything, old fellow," d.i.c.k whispered smilingly, as he and Dave Darrin parted.
What a hurried count the interested youngsters made! But Tom Reade, who didn"t belong to either crowd, probably made the most accurate count. He discovered that sixty-two of the boys had voted for West Point. Forty-one favored Annapolis. A few young men present, like Tom, didn"t care to go to either government school.
"When I am ready to give the word," continued Congressman Spokes, "the young men who want to go to West Point will file out of the door at this end of the hall. In the rooms across the corridor they will find the physicians who are making the physical examinations for West Point.
"The Annapolis aspirants will file downstairs and enter through the first door at the left, where other physicians will make the physical examinations for Annapolis.
"The examinations by the physicians here will not be conclusive for the successful candidates. The final physical examinations, like the final scholastic examinations, will be made at West Point and Annapolis.
"Now, each young gentleman who pa.s.ses the physical examination will receive a signed card with his name on it. Such successful young men are then excused until one o"clock. At one o"clock sharp the young men who have certificates from the medical examiners may report for their scholastic examinations. Do not come here, however, for the scholastic examinations. West Point aspirants will report at the High School, and those for Annapolis at the Central Grammar School.
"Now, at eight o"clock this evening you return here. At that hour, or as soon there after as possible, announcement will be made, from this platform, of the names of the successful young men and their alternates. Now the young men for West Point forward, the Annapolis hopefuls downstairs!"
Inside of two minutes the town hall was bare, save for the presence of Tom Reade, who, with his hands in his pockets, walked about, whistling.
In forty-five minutes d.i.c.k, flushed an breathless, broke in upon Tom, as the latter sat waiting patiently for his friends.
"I"ve pa.s.sed the doctors all right," announced d.i.c.k, producing his card.