"As near as I could make out, Werner is going off into the woods on a hunt and wants Glutts to go with him," returned Fred. "I wonder where they are going?"
No one could answer that question, and presently the crowd began to talk of other things, and especially of the war play they had just witnessed.
"Gosh! but a play like that brings the war pretty close to a fellow,"
said Randy, with a sigh.
"Makes a fellow think of how our dads are making out over there, doesn"t it?" said Fred.
"When they showed those ambulance scenes with all the dead and dying lying around it gave me the cold shivers," came from Andy. "I tell you what--war is a terrible thing."
"Yes, and you have got to see something like that to realize how really terrible it is," put in Jack.
Several days later the term at Colby Hall came to an end. There was something of an entertainment, with prize speaking in which Spouter distinguished himself, and then came the final drill and parade around the campus. Following this the cadets indulged in several s...o...b..ll fights and in quite some horseplay, and then rushed off to their rooms to pack their suitcases and other baggage so as to be ready to depart for home in the early morning.
"Wow! but it feels good to know I haven"t got to look at a grammar or an algebra for the next few weeks," cried Randy, with satisfaction.
"Say! it makes me feel as happy as a clown in a circus," declared Andy, and, in high spirits, he began a jig and ended by turning a flip-flap over one of the beds. Then he and his twin indulged in a pillow fight, in which Fred joined.
"Hi, you fellows! stop your rumpus," cried Jack, who was trying to pack his suitcase. "You keep on, and you"ll have the ceiling of the floor below down."
"Can"t help it!" cried Andy gayly. "We"ve got to break loose once in a while," and he playfully landed a cake of soap in the open suitcase.
"I"ll soap you!" cried the young captain, and, taking the article in question, he made a leap over the bed, caught his cousin by the neck, and allowed the cake of soap to slip down Andy"s back.
"Great salt mackerel!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the fun-loving Rover, and, pulling his coat tight, he arched his back. "Anybody notice the camel"s hump?"
"It isn"t a hump, Andy. It"s only a wart on your backbone," answered his twin.
"Well, hump or wart, it isn"t going to stay there very long," remarked the other, and immediately proceeded to stand on his hands, shaking his body in such a manner that presently the soap rattled out on the floor.
Then quietness was restored for the time being, and the Rovers continued their packing.
A conference was held with Gif, and it was decided that all of the crowd were to go home for Christmas. Several days later the Rovers were to meet Gif and Spouter at Portview, and then all would proceed to Cedar Lodge.
"And don"t forget to bring your guns and all your other traps," said Gif.
"You trust us for that!" responded Fred.
"We"ll be there with everything that is necessary outside of the provisions. Those, of course, we can get at Portview or at Timminsport."
"I hope we get a chance at a moose," sighed Randy.
"Gee! Why don"t you make it a lion or an elephant or a polar bear while you are at it?" cried his twin. "Might as well wish for everything in the menagerie. It doesn"t cost any more," and at this there was a general smile.
"I know what I"d like to get," said Jack. "I was reading about one in the paper the other day. They must be beautiful creatures."
"What"s that?" questioned Gif.
"A silver fox."
"Oh, say, Jack! that would be fine. But I imagine silver foxes are exceedingly rare."
"Oh, I know that. Just the same, I"d like to bag one. The fur would make a very fine piece for some lady to wear."
"Ruth Stevenson, for instance," murmured Andy; and at this his cousin made a playful pa.s.s at him with his fist, which the fun-loving Rover easily dodged.
The next morning the cadets had an early breakfast, and a short while later saw many of them on their way by carriage and automobile to Haven Point. Many girls were also coming in from Clearwater Hall, so that the railroad station present an unusually lively appearance.
In the crowd was Bill Glutts, but he took care to keep away from the Rovers. Gabe Werner was nowhere to be seen, and the Rovers rightfully conjectured that he had left the town.
The boys had hardly arrived when a carry-all came in from Clearwater Hall containing Mary and Martha, as well as Ruth and May and a dozen other girl students. There was a general handshaking, and then all took a stand on the station platform to wait for the coming of two trains which were to bear the various students in opposite directions.
Everybody had already procured a ticket, and the trains which were expected were extras, for it would have been impossible for the ordinary locals to have taken care of such heavy traffic.
"I am sorry you"re not going to travel with us to New York," said Jack to Ruth.
"Well, I"m sorry you"re not coming my way," answered the girl, with a smile.
"But you"ll be down to our house directly after Christmas, won"t you?"
"Yes, we"ll be down the day after--May and I."
"Well, that will give us a whole day together, anyhow, before us fellows start for Cedar Lodge," went on the young captain. Then he nudged Ruth in the elbow. "Come over here," he whispered. "I want to show you something that I don"t want the others to see."
Together they slipped out of the crowd and around the corner of the little railroad station. Then Jack brought out a large flat package from an inner pocket of his overcoat. "I had these taken as a Christmas surprise to mother and Martha. What do you think of them?" and he brought forth several photographs of himself taken in his cadet uniform.
They had been taken by the leading photographer of Haven Point who made a specialty of work for the two schools, and they certainly showed the young captain at his best.
"Oh, how lovely, Jack!" cried Ruth in genuine pleasure. "I declare, they are splendid pictures."
"Then you like them?" he queried anxiously.
"I certainly do! I don"t think they could be better." She looked at the three poses presented critically. "If it"s all the same to you, I"ll keep this one," she said finally.
"Oh, Ruth, you don"t want my picture, do you?" he questioned, and there was a trace of wistfulness in his voice.
"Of course I do, Jack. I can keep this one, can"t I?" and the girl looked full at him in a manner that spoke volumes.
"Why, sure! if you want it," he answered quickly. "But, say! don"t I get one of yours in return?" he added.
"Well, I"ll see about that," she hesitated.
"Oh, now, Ruth--"
"I haven"t had one taken in an awfully long time, Jack."
"Never mind, you will let me have one of them anyhow, won"t you?"
"I--I guess--maybe so. I"ll give it to you for a Christmas present. Only don"t tell the others."
"I won"t, Ruth. And you can keep about my picture to yourself, too,"
added the captain. And thereupon the decidedly interesting conversation between the pair had to come to an end as one of the trains came puffing in--that which was to carry Ruth and some of the other girls, as well as many of the cadets, away.