"I don"t care," declared Prescott. "I want that West Point cadetship.
I"ve wanted it for years, and now the chance has come. I"m going to have it!"
Dave Darrin gradually succeeded in working himself into the same frame of mind. Yet there were many moments when he was tortured by doubts as to whether the "Gridley spirit" would serve in bucking a long line of young fellows all equally anxious to get to Annapolis.
The first step taken by d.i.c.k and Dave was to get excused from the High School for the time.
Both boys had lists of the studies and standards required for entrance to the Military Academy or the Naval Academy. d.i.c.k and Dave, each in his own room at home, spent the next few days in "boning" as neither had ever "boned" before.
"But we must get three hours in the open air each day, Dave,"
d.i.c.k insisted. "We mustn"t go up for the trial with our nerves shattered by moping all the time indoors."
Only d.i.c.k & Co., and a very few friends, knew what d.i.c.k and Dave were planning. It was kept a secret.
The date of the High School senior ball was set for December 17.
"Can you be back in time to go to the ball?" Laura Bentley asked Prescott.
"I"m afraid not, Laura. Besides, when I get back from Wilburville, I"m afraid I"ll feel pretty well tired out."
"You"re not afraid of failing?" asked Laura anxiously.
"I"m not going to allow myself to fail. Yet, even if I win, I shall be tired out after the ordeal. Wish the ball could come a couple of days alter the ordeal. I wanted to go to it and to dance with you, Laura."
"I"m sorry you can"t go," sighed the girl.
Darrin, too, had given up all thoughts of attending the senior ball, and this was the first time that either lad had "skipped"
the cla.s.s ball.
"It seems too bad to be away," grumbled Dave. "But I know how I"ll feel on that night. If I carry off the honors for Annapolis, no mere ball could hold me! I"ll need air and s.p.a.ce. I"ll be lucky if I don"t get arrested on that night for building bonfires in the streets."
Dave next sighed dismally and continued:
"If I don"t carry off the Annapolis prize, I"ll feel so disappointed that I won"t look anybody in the face! d.i.c.k, d.i.c.k! It"s fearful, this waiting---and wanting!"
"It won"t seem like the cla.s.s ball a bit without you two boys,"
declared Belle Meade, pouting, the next afternoon.
"But if we get through," muttered Dave, "think of the gay, splendid times to which we can invite you at Annapolis and West Point."
"Indianapolis and Blue Point are far away," murmured Belle, purposely misnaming both famous places.
"_Ann_-apolis!" flared Dave
"_West_ Point!" protested d.i.c.k hotly.
"Don"t mind Belle," begged Laura quietly. "She"s the worst tease I know."
"If I get the appointment to Annapolis," continued Darrin, "you"ll be asking me, next, if I expect to be promoted, after a while, to he helmsman, or fireman, on some cruiser."
"Well, would you expect to be!" asked Belle, with an appearance of great innocence.
"Don"t, Belle," pleaded Laura. "The boy are too much in earnest.
It isn"t fair to tease them, now. Wait until they"ve been at West Point and Annapolis a couple of years. Then ask them."
"What would be the use then?" asked Belle dryly. "By that time our young cadets will have met so many girls that they would have to think back quite a while before they could remember our names."
Laura"s pretty color lessened for an instant.
"Don"t you believe it," broke in d.i.c.k promptly. "Just as soon as I have a right ask for cards for a West Point hop I"m going to ask for cards for Miss Bentley and Miss Deane, and their chaperon."
"The same here, for Annapolis," promised Dave solemnly. "So you see, girls, you"ll have to be prepared to do some traveling in the near future.
"But you won"t get to Annapolis, anyway, until June," replied Belle, a bit more gently. "So you won"t have any Annapolis hops until next fall, will you?"
"Probably not," Dave admitted.
"But you won"t go to Annapolis, anyway," suggested Laura, turning to Prescott. "There may be some West Point hops between then and June."
"I feel pretty sure there will be," nodded d.i.c.k cheerily. "And you girls may be sure of my keeping my promise."
"And I"ll keep mine for the very first hop that comes off at Annapolis after I get there," Darrin a.s.sured them.
The laugh was on both young men, though neither they nor their fair young companions knew it.
The poor "plebe," as the first year"s man at either West Point or Annapolis is known, would be in for a terrible experience at the hands of his comrades if, during his "plebe" year, he had the "cheek" to seek to attend a cadet hop. He must wait until he has entered his second year before he has that privilege.
This is a wise regulation. In his first year the poor "plebe"
has so bewilderingly much to learn that he simply couldn"t spare any time for the cultivation of the graces of the ballroom.
In his first year, he has dancing lessons, but that is all that comes his way.
Greg Holmes came to Prescott with a wistful, rather sad face.
"How are you coming on, d.i.c.k?" Greg asked.
"Meaning what?"
"Are you going to be well prepared for the examinations?"
"As far as being able to pa.s.s with a decent percentage," d.i.c.k answered, "I am not all uneasy. All that worries me is the fear that some other fellow may have a slightly better percentage.
That would ditch me, you know."
"Oh, you"ll win out," predicted Greg loyally. "And I just wish I had a chance like yours!"
"Why don"t you go in and try for it, then?" urged d.i.c.k generously.
"No use," uttered Greg, shaking his head. "You can beat me on the scholastic examination, and I know it, d.i.c.k. The best I could hope for would be an appointment as your alternate. And your alternate to West Point isn"t going to stand any show for a cadetship, d.i.c.k Prescott!"
Besides the candidate each Congressman may appoint one or more "alternates." These alternates also report at West Point. If the "princ.i.p.al" fails there, the alternate is given a chance to make good for the cadetship.