CHAPTER VII
SOMETHING ABOUT THE MILITARY ACADEMY
As my old readers know, Cedarville was only a small country village, sothe arrival and departure of the steamer was a matter of importance tothe inhabitants.
The boys, consequently, found the little dock crowded with sightseersand more than one face looked familiar to them.
"There are the Rover boys," said one man, quite loudly. "Everybodyknows 'em."
"We are growing notorious, it would seem," whispered Dick to Sam.
Back of the dock stood the big carryall attached to Putnam Hall, withthe old Hall driver, Peleg Snuggers, on the box.
"Hullo, Peleg, old friend!" shouted Tom, waving his hand at the man."How are we to-morrow, as the clown in the circus puts it?"
"I'm all right, Master Tom--an' will be so long as you let me alone,"was the deliberate answer from the driver.
"He remembers you all right enough, Tom," came from George Granbury.
"Now, Peleg, don't throw cold water on my enthusiasm," said Tomreproachfully.
"I ain't throwin' water on nobody, Master Tom; I'm only giving fairwarning that I want to be let alone," answered the driver doggedly. "Nomore monkey shines around me, remember that."
"All right, Peleg, I'll remember. And how is Mrs. Green, our worthyhousekeeper?"
"First-rate."
"No whooping-cough?"
"No."
"Nor measles, or chicken-pox?"
"Not a bit of 'em."
"Or mumps? Tell me, now, she really hasn't got the mumps, has she?"
"See here, Master Tom, didn't I jest tell you--"
"No, you didn't tell me, and that's why I'm so anxious to know. Ifshe's got the mumps, and the chilblains, and the ingrowing warts--"
"Oh, crickey! I knew it!" groaned Peleg Snuggers. "I says to myself as Iwas a-drivin' over, 'if thet Tom Rover comes back, I might as well throwup my job, for he won't give nobody a rest!' If you would only--"
"All right, Peleg, I see you are really and truly bound to go back onme. You hate me!" Tom drew his handkerchief from his pocket. "It isawful, after all I have tried to do for you in the past. I've got to--to--cry! Boo--hoo!" And the boy began to wipe his eyes.
"Look a-here, Master Tom, it ain't nothin' to cry about," said Peleghalf suspiciously. "I only give you warnin'--"
"You are so--so hard-hearted, Peleg. Boohoo! I want to go back home!"And Tom began to sob.
This was too much for the driver, and his face fell.
"Don't you mind me, Master Tom," he said softly. "I didn't meannothin', indeed, I didn't. You're all right. I like you better'n any of'em."
"Oh, dear!" burst out Larry Colby. "Just to hear that!"
"Peleg, have you gone back on us?" demanded George Granbury.
"He ought to have a ducking for that," put in another.
"Let's dump him into the lake!"
"Come on, a cold bath will do him good!"
"No! no! Oh, crickey!" groaned the driver of the carryall. "This is amess! I--I didn't mean nuthin', gents, indeed, I didn't--"
"He's mean enough for anything, that's what he means," came from avoice in the rear. "Pile in, before he runs away, and leaves us to walkto the Hall!" And into the carryall the boys tumbled, one over another.Dick got a seat beside the driver, and away they went at a spankinggait, through Cedarville, and then along the winding road leading tothe academy. Two or three of the cadets had brought tin horns withthem, and they made the welkin ring as the turnout dashed on its way.
"A ginger-snap prize to the first fellow who spots the academy," criedSam, as they made the last turn in the highway.
"I see the Hall!" shouted half a dozen voices in chorus. And in a fewseconds they came out into full view of the broad brick and stonebuilding, with its well-kept parade ground, and its trees andshrubbery. The parade ground came down to the edge of the wagon road,and off to the other side the land sloped gradually down to the lake,glistening like a sheet of gold in the rays of the setting sun.
The boys set up a loud shout and a wild blowing of horns, and in amoment a score of cadets came running forward to greet them, followedby Captain Victor Putnam, the master of the academy, and George Strong,his head assistant.
"I am glad to see you, young gentlemen," said Captain Putnam, as heshook one and another by the hand. "You look as if your vacation haddone you good."
"It's done me a pile of good," said Sam. "But I don't know as I wantanother like it."
"You Rover boys have certainly had some remarkable experiences,"continued the captain. "I congratulate you on escaping so many graveperils. Sometime you must give me all the particulars. But now it istime to prepare for supper. I dare say the trip on the lake has madeyou hungry."
"Dot is so," came from Hans Mueller. "I vos so hungry like four lionsalretty."
"I have made some slight changes in your sleeping accommodations," wenton Captain Putnam. "Mr. Strong will show you to your rooms." Then theboys marched into the academy, led by the head assistant.
The majority of the cadets had their dormitories on the second floor ofthe building. Each room held from four to eight students, and was bothbright and clean. The rules of Putnam Hall were similar to those inforce at West Point, and every pupil was expected to keep his clothing,his books, and his other possessions in perfect order. Each had a cot,a chair, and a clothes closet to himself, extra closets having beenintroduced in the rooms for that purpose, and each was allowed the useof his trunk in addition. Each cadet had to take his turn at keeping theroom in order, although the dormitories were given a regular sweepingand cleaning once a week by the servants.
As before, the Rover boys were placed in one room, and into this camealso Larry Colby, Fred Garrison, and George Granbury. The apartment wasat an angle of the building, and next to it was another occupied bySongbird Powell, Tubbs, Hans, and three other cadets. Between the tworooms was a door, but this was closed, and was supposed to be keptlocked.
"This makes one feel like home," said Sam, as he began to wash up forsupper.
"Right you are," answered Larry Colby. "No matter where I go during avacation, I am always glad to get back to Putnam Hall."
A little later came the evening parade of the cadets, who marchedaround the parade ground several times before entering the messroom, asthe dining hall was termed. The late arrivals did not join in theparade, but they watched it with interest, and then hurried to theiraccustomed places at the long tables, where a plain, but substantialsupper awaited them.
Only a little talking was allowed throughout the meal, but at itsconclusion the cadets were given an hour off, in which time they coulddo very much as they pleased. In that hour some played games, otherstook walks, and not a few drifted over to the gymnasium, which stood atone corner of the grounds.
"I'm going over to the gym," said Dick to Larry Colby. "Want to goalong?"
"Certainly," was the prompt answer. "I am going in for gymnastics thisterm, Dick."
"Want to win some of the prizes when we have our contests?"
"If I can."
"I don't see why you shouldn't, Larry. You seem to be in first-classshape physically."
"I am going to try hard, Dick."
They were soon in the building, and Larry slipped off to the dressingroom to don his gymnasium suit.
While Dick was waiting for his friend to reappear he looked on at theefforts of the other cadets present. Some were on the rings and bars,others were using the parallel bars and horses, and still others wereat the pulling and lifting machines. In one corner two of the boyswere boxing, while another was hammering a punching bag as hard as hecould.
The boy at the punching bag was a tall, big-boned youth, named LewFlapp. He was a newcomer at Putnam Hall, but though he had been therebut three weeks he acted as if half of the place already belonged tohim. At the start, he had made a few friends, principally on account ofthe money he had to spend, but these were gradually deserting him.
Dick was interested in the work on the
punching bag, and he walkedcloser to note what Lew Flapp was doing. Clap! clap! clap! went Flapp'sfists on the bag, which bounced back and forth with great rapidity.
"Well, how do you like that?" asked Lew Flapp, as he paused in hisexercise and stared at Dick.
"It's all right," answered Dick briefly.
"I'll bet there ain't another cadet here can do as well," went on LewFlapp boastfully.
"Oh, that's saying a good deal," said Dick. "Some of the boys can hitthe bag pretty well."
"Humph!" Lew Flapp stared at the eldest Rover harder than ever."Perhaps you think you can do it," he sneered.
"I didn't say that."
"But your words implied it."
"Dick Rover can do every bit as well," said a cadet who overheard thetalk.
"I want to see him do it."
"I didn't come here to punch the bag," said Dick as calmly as ever. "Ijust thought I'd take a look around."
"Humph! Afraid to try, eh?"
"Oh, no."
"I dare you to show what you can do," sneered Lew Flapp.
"Very well, I'll show you," came from Dick, and he began to take offhis coat, collar, and tie.