CHAPTER VII
CHUNKY’S TROUBLE
Ned Slade clapped Jerry Hopkins on the back with such vigor that thelatter almost lost his balance.
“What does that mean?” Jerry asked.
“It means I’m with you!” was the answer. “We’ll all enlist and startfor the other side as soon as they’ll let us! I was just wishing forsome excuse to get out of going back to Boxwood Hall, and this’ll be itall right!”
“Do you think we can make it?” asked Bob. “I mean will our folks let uscut school?”
“Oh, I guess so,” answered Jerry easily, though, to tell the truth, hehad some doubts about it.
“Let’s go somewhere and ask about enlisting,” suggested Ned. “We wantto get into this as soon as we can, and the sooner the better. Theremust be some way of finding out the quickest way of getting into thearmy.”
“Let’s go and ask Colonel Wentworth,” suggested Jerry. “He’ll know, allright.”
“You said it!” agreed Ned. “Say, this is great! I wonder if----”
He was interrupted by a cheer from the crowd in front of the bulletinboard.
“Are they applauding our recent determination to enlist?” asked Jerry,as the car started up the street toward the office of Colonel Wentworth.
“No, it’s just a new item on the bulletin board, about the statemilitia being mobilized.”
“That means business,” said Jerry. “Oh, boy! but I hope we can get intothis game from the very start.”
They drove to the office of Colonel Wentworth, who carried on areal-estate business when he was not making patriotic addresses. Theyfound the old soldier holding forth to a circle of friends about whatthe United States ought to do, and what it ought to avoid, in thecoming conflict.
“Ah, good morning, boys!” he greeted Ned, Bob and Jerry. “Come in andsit down. I’ll attend to you in just a moment. Now, as I was saying,Mr. Benson----”
“Oh, we didn’t come on business; that is, not real-estate business,”said Jerry quickly. “And we don’t want to take up much of your time. Wejust want to ask where’s the nearest place to go to enlist, and how doyou do it.”
The eyes of Colonel Wentworth sparkled brightly. He clasped the hand ofJerry Hopkins and exclaimed:
“What did I tell you, gentlemen? Didn’t I say that the youth of thisland would rally to the colors as soon as the call went forth? Here isproof of it! Boys, I’m proud of you! Cresville will be proud of you!And generations to come will be proud of you!”
The colonel seemed starting on one of his orations, but he caughthimself in season and said:
“There is no time like the present. There is a recruiting station ofthe regular army at Richfield,” naming the nearest large city. “I’lltake you over there and see that you sign up. Are you old enough toenlist without the consent of your parents? If you’re not we’ll firststop and see them and----”
“I guess we’d better stop and see them anyhow,” suggested Ned. “We’renone of us twenty-one yet, and I guess it’d be better to get formalpermission.”
“Yes, it would,” the colonel told them. “I have not the slightest doubtin the world but what the consent will be given, but it makes it easierif it is first obtained.”
“We’ll go home then,” went on Ned, “and get the consents in writing.What we wanted to know was the nearest place to volunteer, and you’vetold us that.”
“Glad to have done it!” exclaimed the enthusiastic colonel. “Don’thesitate to call on me if I can be of the slightest assistance to you.Good-bye and good luck!”
And, as they left his office, Ned, Bob and Jerry could hear the formersoldier telling his friends:
“That’s the spirit of ’Seventy-six reincarnated! That’s what’s going tobeat the Kaiser!”
“I hope we get a shot at him all right,” murmured Jerry, as they wentdown to their automobile. “What do you think about your folks, Ned?Will they let you go?”
“Oh, I guess so. I heard dad saying the other night he wished he wasyoung enough to enlist, so he ought to be glad to have me take hisplace.”
“I fear my mother will make a fuss at first,” said Jerry, “but she’llgive in finally, I think. The one trouble will be about school. She hasher heart set on having me graduate from Boxwood Hall.”
“Oh, well, you can come back and finish the course,” said Ned. “Howdoes it strike you, Chunky? You won’t be sorry to cut the books, willyou?”
“No, I guess not,” was the rather slow answer. “Oh, of course I’ll beglad to get out of going back to Boxwood Hall. It’s nice there, and allthat, but I’d rather go to a soldier’s camp.”
There was something in the way Bob spoke that made Ned remark to Jerry,a little later:
“I wonder what’s the matter with Chunky? He didn’t seem to enthuse verymuch.”
“No, he didn’t, that’s a fact,” admitted Jerry. “Maybe he has a littleindigestion.”
“I should think he would have, the way he eats. But I don’t believeit’s indigestion this time. Something’s wrong with Bob, and I’d like toknow what it is.”
But Ned was so occupied with his own affairs, wondering whether or nothis parents would consent to his enlisting, that he did not give thematter of his stout chum much consideration just then.
As might have been expected, there was a momentary opposition on thepart of Mrs. Hopkins as regarded Jerry, and on the part of Mr. and Mrs.Slade and Mr. and Mrs. Baker as to their sons. And it was not from anylack of patriotism. It was merely that they felt the boys were a littletoo young to be of real service to their country.
“If you were a little older, I’d at once say go,” said Mrs. Hopkins toJerry. “I want you to serve your country. But I think you can best doit, now, by getting a good education, and enlisting later.”
“It may be too late then, Mother,” said Jerry. “There is talk of adraft, and while those who go under the forced call will be just asgood soldiers as the volunteers, I’d like to volunteer.”
“But what about school? I don’t want to see you lose all the advantageyour studies will give you.”
“I can take them up later.”
Both Jerry and his mother, as did other boys and other parents, seemedto ignore the chance that there would be many who would not come back.But it is always that way, and it is a good thing it is.
“What are Bob’s parents, and Ned’s, going to do?” asked Mrs. Hopkins.
“I’ll find out,” answered Jerry.
In the end there was a family council, and the matter was gone over indetail. The boys were so much in earnest, as the war fervor swept overthe country, that Mr. Slade said:
“Well, I don’t see, as patriotic citizens, that we can do any less thanlet our boys do their share. They are strong and healthy. There will beno trouble about passing the physical tests, I imagine.”
“The only trouble is about school,” said Mr. Baker. “The spring term isabout to begin, and I understand there are some important studies to betaken up in anticipation of the final examinations.”
“There are,” said Ned. “But we aren’t the only ones who will be out ofschool. Lots of the boys are volunteering. And some have already goneto France to drive ambulances or fly aeroplanes. Fully a score of thefellows we know, and some we aren’t intimate with, won’t come back toBoxwood Hall.”
“Are you sure about this?” asked his father.
“I had it from Professor Snodgrass,” was the answer, for by the timeof this family council the scientist had returned to Boxwood Hall.“And, what’s more, a lot of the members of the faculty are going tovolunteer, also. Boxwood Hall won’t be the same place it was before thewar.”
“Well, in that case,” said Mr. Baker, “probably some rules will be madeabout those who drop out on account of volunteering. They may be givencertain credits, and allowed to make up the lost time by degrees. Idon’t see, Mrs. Hopkins and Mr. Slade, but what the boys have won theirpoint.”
“Then are we to consent to their enli
sting?” asked Jerry’s mother,and she was not ashamed of the tears in her eyes nor the catch in hervoice, for Jerry was an only son and his mother was a widow. When Jerrywent there would be only his sister Susie left.
“I shall consent to Ned’s going,” said Mr. Slade.
“And Bob has my permission,” added Mr. Baker. “He’s getting too stout,anyhow. It may do him good.”
“You may go, Jerry,” said Mrs. Hopkins.
“Fine, Mother! I knew you’d say I might! And now, boys, let’s go andsee Colonel Wentworth and find out what the next step is.”
They hurried to their automobile and were soon speeding toward theoffice of the former soldier. He received them with delight, and gavethem a letter of introduction to the recruiting officer at Richfield.
“Let’s go right over and sign up!” proposed Ned eagerly.
“Might as well,” added Ned. “How about it, Chunky?”
“Well, I s’pose if we’re going to enlist we’ve got to sign, or dosomething, but I was thinking we might wait a few days and----”
“Wait?” cried Jerry.
“What for?” demanded Ned.
Bob did not answer at once, but on his face there was a troubled look.His chums wondered what it meant.