Chapter VI Celebrating the Baseball Victory - The Rover Boys under Canvas by Edward Stratemeyer
"He was afraid to make a complaint," was Fred's comment.
"I can't understand why two such fellows should act the way they do,"
said Bart White. "They both come from fairly well-to-do families, and they could be really fine fellows if they wanted to."
"Slugger Brown doesn't come from a very good family--at least as far as his father is concerned," answered Jack. "Mr. Brown is just as mean and dishonorable as Slugger. He was at the head of the plot to do poor Barney Stevenson out of Snowshoe Island."
"Yes, and to my mind Mr. Martell is no better," added Randy. "I've heard my father talking about him several times. Martell has been in more than one shady stock transaction down in Wall Street."
When the Rover boys arrived at Colby Hall they were immediately surrounded by a number of their friends, all eager to learn the particulars of what had occurred in the vicinity of the girls'
boarding school. Of course the others who had come in ahead of them had already told their stories, but everybody at the military academy was eager to get all the details possible.
"It's the worst calamity that ever happened around here," said Will Hendry, the stoutest boy in the school, and who was generally called Fatty. Hendry had started to leave the school grounds shortly after the others had gone, but had been stopped by Captain Dale.
"It looks to me as if it was the work of German sympathizers," said Major Ralph Mason, who was the cadet at the head of the school battalion. Ralph was the oldest student at the Hall, and one who was greatly liked by everybody.
"Ralph, what do you think about our getting into this war in Europe?"
questioned Randy. During off hours the young officer was always addressed by the Rovers by his first name, although during school hours and when on parade they invariably addressed the young major by his official title.
"I'm glad we've got into it at last," returned Ralph Mason. "My father thinks we should have gotten into it long ago. I only wish one thing,"
he added wistfully.
"And I know what that is!" cried Jack. "You wish you were old enough to volunteer for the army or the navy!"
"If we were all older what a grand company of volunteers the Government could get out of Colby Hall," said Randy. "I'll wager more than half of the fellows would want to go."
"I'm certain fellows like Codfish wouldn't want to go," remarked Fred.
He referred to one of the younger boys, Henry Stowell by name, a lad who was a good deal of a sneak and who in time past had been a toady to Brown and Martell. On account of the great width of his mouth, Stowell was usually called Codfish.
"If you fellows will keep a secret, I'll tell you something," remarked Ralph Mason, lowering his voice. "I just heard of this a while ago."
"What is it, Ralph?" questioned Jack quietly.
"Will you fellows keep it to yourselves until it becomes public property?" asked the young major anxiously.
"Sure!" was the prompt response.
"I overheard the talk quite by accident while I was in the library.
Colonel Colby was talking to Professors Grawson and Brice. He stated that he intended to leave the Hall under the management of Captain Dale."
"You mean Colonel Colby is going away?" questioned Fred. "Where to?"
"He has offered his services to the Government."
"Hurrah for the colonel! I knew he'd do something like that!" cried Randy.
"Do you know whether his offer has been accepted?" questioned Jack.
"Of course his offer will be accepted," answered Ralph Mason. "Now that we are in this great war Uncle Sam will need all the soldiers he can possibly muster, and of course they've got to have first-class men like Colonel Colby to command them."
"You're right there," said Fred. Then he looked questioningly at Jack and the twins. The others understood that look, but just then nothing was said concerning the thought which had rushed into their minds.
"I've got to go now," said Ralph Mason, a few minutes later. "I suppose you fellows will want to celebrate that baseball victory to-night?"
"Surest thing you know!" declared Jack.
"I don't suppose we'll have as much fun as we would have had if the shell-loading plant hadn't gone up," grumbled Andy. "We can't make any such noise as that."
"Oh, we'll have fun enough--don't worry about that," answered his twin quickly.
"Well, don't tear the old Hall down," returned the young major, laughing, and then hurried away.
"This certainly is great news about Colonel Colby's volunteering for the army," said Jack, a little later.
"I wonder why Captain Dale doesn't volunteer, too?" said Andy.
"Oh, he's too old; and besides he's somewhat crippled by rheumatism or something," said Randy.
The Rover boys hurried off to their room to get into their cadet uniforms. The twins went on ahead, leaving Jack and Fred alone for the time being.
"Jack, what do you think our fathers will do?" questioned Fred. He remembered that both Jack's father and his own had at one time been officers of the cadets at Putnam Hall. The fun-loving father of the twins had never aspired to such a position, being content to remain "a high private in the rear rank," as he himself had often expressed it.
"I'm sure I don't know, Fred," was the sober reply. "It may be that they will be just as anxious to get into the war as Colonel Colby seems to be. But you must remember that they are at the head of The Rover Company, and possibly they won't be able to leave--at least not right away."
"But they are so patriotic they'll want to go," declared Fred.
"Well, if they make up their minds to go, I guess we'll be among the first to hear about it."
"Gee, how I'd like to be a soldier boy!" sighed Fred. "Wouldn't it be great if all of us cadets could go into the army?"
"We'll have to wait four or five years before we can do that, Fred.
And I rather think that by that time this great war will be over."
"Oh, you can't tell how long a war like this will last. For all you know the Germans may come right over here."
"I don't think they'll do that. They'll have their hands full fighting in Europe."
"Well, they've sent their submarines over here already."
"I know that. But I don't think they've got enough submarines to transport an army that way."
Since coming to Colby Hall the Rover boys had occupied four very pleasant rooms on the second floor in a wing of the great building.
But instead of using the four rooms for bedrooms, the twins slept together and all used one of the extra rooms, No. 20, for a sitting-room.
"You fellows have got to hurry up or you'll be late for roll call!"
cried Randy, when he entered.
"Oh, I think they'll give us a little leeway on account of all the excitement," returned Fred. And he was right,--the roll call and drill were postponed for half an hour, for which many of the cadets were thankful.
It did not take the Rovers long to throw off their baseball togs, wash, and don their uniforms. Then they lost no time in rushing below to the gun rack and obtaining their rifles, doing this just as the drums rattled on the parade ground.
Soon the battalion of several companies was examined, and then began the roll call. After this there was a brief inspection by Captain Dale, with Colonel Colby looking on. Then the drums rattled and the fifes struck up a lively march air, and the cadets marched around the grounds, disposed of their rifles, and entered the mess hall of the institution. Here each had his place assigned to him at one of the long tables, each table presided over by one of the officers or a teacher.
The meal was a substantial one, for Colonel Colby believed in treating his pupils well, and it is perhaps needless to state that all of the cadets fell to with vigor. There was a constant clatter of forks and knives, mingled with a flow of lively conversation, carried on, however, in rather a subdued tone, for boisterousness of any sort in the mess hall was against regulations. After each lad finished he excused himself and left the hall, and soon all of them had scattered in various directions.
"Bonfires to-night!" announced Andy gaily, as he turned a handspring on the campus.
"I think we ought to have some sort of feast," said Fred.
"Great Caesar, Fred! didn't you get enough to eat at supper?" queried Jack.
"Oh, you know what I mean--a little something to eat just before we go to bed!" answered his cousin.
"Suits me!" was the cry from the others.
Talk about the victory over Hixley High and about the excitement attending the destruction of the shell-loading plant filled the air.
The cadets were only boys, and the facts regarding the awful occurrence across the lake could not subdue their high spirits when they considered their great victory over the high school.
"We've just got to celebrate and let off steam somehow," was the way Randy expressed himself.
Boxes and barrels had already been stored away in anticipation of a victory, and these were promptly brought forth and placed on the river front. They were piled as high as possible and then set on fire, the flames shooting skyward quickly and illuminating the scene for a long distance around.
"Hello there, Codfish!" cried Andy gaily, when he beheld the sneak of the school standing not far from one of the bonfires.
"Got any more boxes to put on the fire, Codfish?" questioned Randy, who was beside his twin.
"I haven't got any boxes," grumbled the young cadet. Since the departure of Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell from the Hall, Codfish had kept a good deal to himself. But he was as much of a sneak as ever, and did many mean things which were exceedingly irritating to the other cadets.
"You haven't any boxes?" said Randy, in apparent surprise. "What's the use of talking like that? You know better;" and then he winked at his brother.
"I'm on," whispered Andy quickly. "Bring him up to his room in about ten minutes." And then he ran away at top speed.
"It's a waste of good money to burn up boxes and barrels like that,"
was Codfish's comment. "I don't see why Colonel Colby allows it.
Those boxes and barrels could be used to pack all sorts of things in."
"Well, if you don't like to see the boxes and barrels burned up, why don't you furnish us with a little cord wood?" inquired Gif Garrison, who had come up.
"That's the talk!" said Jack quickly. "Show us where you've got your cord wood stored, Codfish," he went on, after Randy had whispered in his ear. Then Randy ran off in the direction his twin had taken.
"I haven't any cord wood, I tell you!" stormed Codfish. "And I haven't any boxes or barrels, either!" and then he walked away to get clear of his tormentors.
But Jack remembered what Randy had said to him, and did not allow Codfish out of his sight. He kept the sneak in view, and quickly gathered Spouter, Gif, Fatty, Walt, and a number of others around him.
"We're going to take Codfish up to his room in a few minutes and treat him to the surprise of his life," he explained. "Don't forget to come along and see the fun."