The Rover Boys Under Canvas Or The Mystery of the Wrecked Submarine Part 25

A little while later it was announced that the balloting for lieutenants would begin. The names of eight aspirants were put up, including that of Fred Rover. There was a good deal of wire-pulling, and it took nine ballots to decide the various choices. But in the end Fred became the first lieutenant of the company of which Jack had been made captain.

"Good for you, Fred! I congratulate you!" cried Jack, catching his cousin by the hand.

"I guess we'll all do that," declared Randy.

"Three cheers for Lieutenant Fred Rover!" exclaimed Spouter, and the cheers were given with great heartiness, for Fred had made himself a favorite throughout the school.

"And now to get ready to go to Camp Barlight" said Andy. "My, but won't we have the best times ever while we are under canvas!"

"I hope we do," answered Jack.

But a little later the newly-elected captain became somewhat doubtful of this. As he and Fred, followed by the twins, went upstairs to their rooms they pa.s.sed Gabe Werner and his cronies in the main corridor.

The angular ex-lieutenant did not say a word, but he glared at Jack in a baneful way that boded no good.

"Werner has got it in for you, Jack," remarked Andy, when the four Rovers were in their rooms and the doors had been closed.

"I guess you're right," was Jack's reply. "Well, I'm not going to worry. I think I can take care of myself."

CHAPTER XVI

OFF FOR THE ENCAMPMENT

As was the usual custom at Colby Hall, all of the old officers and those newly elected were invited to partic.i.p.ate in a dinner given by Captain Dale. This was held in a private dining room of the school, and was usually a function looked forward to with much pleasure by those to take part.

"Now we've got to look our prettiest," announced Fred to Jack. "Of course, we'll wear our new officers' uniforms."

The dinner proved to be one long to be remembered by the two Rover boys, and they were sorry to think the twins had not been present to see what took place. There were some speeches and a good deal of merrymaking, and the two Rovers were congratulated over and over again on having been elected.

"I'm mighty glad to think you're going to be at the head of Company C, Captain Rover," said Major Ralph Mason. "And glad, too, that your cousin Fred is going to be a lieutenant of that company. I shall expect great things from both of you."

"Well, I intend to do the best I can," announced Jack modestly.

There was but one drawback to the affair. Gabe Werner did not show himself, nor did he send any letter of regret to Captain Dale.

"Gabe is sore, all right enough," declared one of the under officers.

"When I asked him if he was coming to the spread, he merely shook his head and looked like a thundercloud."

Sunday proved rather a busy day for all of the cadets, yet the Rovers, along with a number of others, went to Haven Point where they met some of the girls. All attended services at one of the local churches. Then the young folks paired off, the boys walking with the girls to Clearwater Hall.

"Oh, Jack, you can't think how proud I am to know they have made you a captain!" said Ruth, who was walking beside the newly-elected officer.

"And I think you ought to be very proud yourself."

"I admit it makes me feel pretty good, Ruth," he answered.

"But you'll have to be careful," went on the girl anxiously. "Randy told me on the way to church that a cadet named Werner is very angry because you cut him out of one of the captaincies."

"I'm not afraid of Werner or any of his crowd!"

"Yes, but he may try to make trouble, Jack. Don't forget how Brown and Martell acted--and are acting still."

"I won't forget, Ruth." And then, making sure that none of the others was noticing, he pressed the girl's fingers tightly within his own.

"It's awfully nice to have you so interested," he whispered. And, although she did not answer to this, she gave him a bright look that lingered in his memory for many a day afterward.

In the meantime Fred was walking along with May Powell, and had also been congratulated on attaining a lieutenancy. May was full of fun, and her eyes showed it.

"I suppose some day it will be Major Fred Rover!" she exclaimed. "My, won't you look grand with a whole lot of gold lace, and a c.o.c.kade hat, and all that sort of thing!"

"No gold lace for mine, May!" he laughed.

Spouter and Gif were walking with Martha and Mary, and soon the whole crowd reached Clearwater Hall. Here the boys had to say good-bye to the girls, and this was rather a lingering process, since the young folks did not know exactly when they would get together again.

"But don't forget we expect to march past here to-morrow morning about ten o'clock," said Jack. "If you are really patriotic you'll be watching for us and have your flags out."

"Don't you worry about that," answered Ruth. "We're going to ask Miss Garwood for a special recess in honor of the occasion."

The evening was spent by the boys in packing their things and in otherwise getting ready for the encampment. There was, however, the usual song service at eight o'clock in the a.s.sembly room of the Hall, on this occasion presided over by a minister who had stopped at the Hall to visit his two nephews, who were pupils there. The minister was a good speaker, and he made an address which the cadets listened to with close attention.

Early in the morning came a sound that told all the cadets that the annual encampment was now at hand. Instead of the school bell ringing, there were the notes of two bugles ringing through the corridors. Then from outside came the vigorous rattle of several drums.

"Hurrah! No more studying! From now on we are soldier boys!" exclaimed Andy, and he bounced out of bed. "Get up, you sleepyheads!" And in the exuberance of his spirits he threw a pillow at his twin's head. Randy returned the compliment by throwing a shoe at him, hitting Andy in the stomach.

"Hi! What's this?" exclaimed Fred, scrambling up at the confusion.

"Over the top at the Huns!" shouted Andy, charging on Randy and sending him backward into a stand loaded with books. "Forward, the light brigade, and on to the gas attack!"

"Hi! You fellows are making altogether too much noise," came from Jack. "Attention, company! Line up! Eyes right!"

"My! but don't the bugles and drums sound fine?" was Fred's comment, as he hurried into his new uniform, of which, it may be said privately, he was exceedingly proud.

"I suppose we won't have a bit of fun at this outing, with a captain and a lieutenant keeping their eyes on us," grumbled Andy; but, of course, he did not mean what he said.

"Sure, I'll make you line up and toe the chalk mark," answered Jack, with a grin. "You won't dare to call your souls your own. If you infringe one fixed rule the sixteenth of an inch, I'll place you in the guardhouse."

"Yes, and we'll feed you on nothing but dry bread and dry water,"

added Fred.

"Good-night!" came solemnly from Randy. "Please lead me to the dungeon at once! What's the use of looking at the suns.h.i.+ne and trying to smile!"

It had been decided that the cadets should march to Barlight Bay, which was about thirty-five miles distant. They were to take two days for the journey, stopping over night on the outskirts of the village of Rackville, where Captain Dale had already rented a farm field for that purpose. All of their belongings were to be transported in several motor trucks, engaged for that purpose, these trucks being under orders from the battalion quartermaster.

Of course, it must be understood by my young readers that Colby Hall was only a military school for boys, and that the military matters there, while conducted somewhat on the lines of those at West Point, were by no means so strict. The officers, from the young major down, were expected to do their duty the same as if they were at a government camp, but all were under the supervision of Captain Dale and the Hall professors.

More than this, the boys did not pretend to do any of the camp cooking or any of the menial camp labor, this being accomplished by hired helpers. And again, the officers were only officers while on parade or during special hours of duty--otherwise they were just like the other cadets and were treated accordingly.

There was the usual morning roll call, and also the drill and inspection, this time the latter being unusually severe, for Captain Dale wanted to make sure that everything was right before the cadets left the Hall. The parade around the grounds, however, was omitted, and the lads went in to their breakfast half an hour earlier than usual. Then it was announced that they would leave the Hall at exactly nine o'clock.