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The High School Captain of the Team, a fiction by H. Irving Hancock |
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Chapter 18. The Would-Be Candidates |
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_ CHAPTER XVIII. The Would-Be Candidates
Every boy who has followed such matters in his own interest will appreciate what the "big stir" means. Congressman Spokes, representing the district in which Gridley lay, had a vacant cadetship at West Point within his gift, and also a cadetship at Annapolis. _"On December 17, at nine A.M., at the town hall in Wilburville, I will meet all young men who believe themselves to possess the other proper qualifications for a cadetship at either West Point or Annapolis."_ So ran the Congressman's announcement in the daily press of the district. Every young man had to be of proper age, height, weight and general good bodily condition. He must, of course, be a citizen of the United States. Every young man was advised to save himself some possible trouble and disappointment by going, first of all, to his family physician for a thorough examination. If serious bodily defects were found, that would save the young man from the trouble of going further in the matter. But at the Wilburville town hall there was to be another physical examination, which every young man must pass before he would be admitted to the mental examinations, which were to last into the evening. Dick Prescott read this announcement and thrilled over it. For two years or more he had been awaiting this very opportunity. Every Congressman once in four years has one of these cadetships to give to some young man. Sometimes the Congressman would give the chance to a boy of high social connections, or else to the son of an influential politician. A cadetship was a prize with which the Congress man too often paid his debts. Good old General Daniel E. Sickles was the first Congressman to formulate the plan of giving the cadetship to the brightest boy in district, the young man proving his fitness by defeating all other aspirants in a competitive examination. Since that time the custom had grown up of doing this regularly. It is true, at any rate of most of the states of the Union. In some western and some southern states the cadetship is still given as a matter of favor. The young man who receives the appointment goes to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He is now a "candidate" only. At West Point he is subjected to another searching series of physical and mental examinations. If he comes out of them successfully he is admitted to the cadet corps, and becomes a full-fledged cadet. The candidate must report at West Point on the first of March. If he succeeds in entering the corps, and keeps in it, four years and three months later the young man is graduated from the Military Academy. The President now commissions him as a second lieutenant in the Regular Army. Thus started on his career, the young man may, in later days, become a general. While the cadet is at West Point he is paid a salary that is just about sufficient for his needs and leaves enough over to enable him to buy his first set of uniforms and other equipment as an army officer. West Point is no place for idlers, nor for boys who dislike discipline. It is a severe training that the cadet receives, and the education furnished him by the United States is a magnificent and costly one. It costs Uncle Sam more than twenty thousand dollars for each cadet he educates and graduates from the United States Military Academy. The same general statement is true regarding the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. In the latter institution, however, the cadet learns how to become an officer in the United States Navy. Now, here were both grand opportunities, offered together. While Dick Prescott had been waiting, hoping and praying for the cadetship at West Point; Dave Darrin had been equally wistful for the chance to go to Annapolis. "Our chances have come, old chum!" cried Dick, looking into the glowing face of Darrin. "Yes; and of course an Army or Navy officer should be a brave man. But now the chance has come, I find myself an utter coward," confessed Dave. "How so?" "I'm in a blue funk for fear some other fellow will get it away from me," confessed Darrin honestly. "And if I fail in this great ambition of my life, I'm wondering if I'll have the nerve to go on living afterwards." "Brace up!" laughed Dick protestingly. "Now, honestly, old fellow, aren't you just badly scared!" Dave demanded. "Whisper, Dave! I am," Dick admitted. "Well, there is nothing like having some one that you can confess everything to, is there?" muttered Darrin. "I guess it has done us both good to own up," laughed Dick. "But see here!" "Well?" "I simply won't allow myself to be scared." "Then you're as keen for West Point as I am for Annapolis," retorted Darrin suspiciously. "Dave, old fellow, you know what the Gridley spirit demands? You know how we and the rest of the fellows managed to win eternally in athletics? Just because we made up our minds that defeat was impossible." "That's fine," laughed Dave. "But we'll probably have to buck up against more fellows than we do on an athletic field. And probably dozens of them go in with the same determination." "I don't care," declared Prescott. "I want that West Point cadetship. I've wanted it for years, and now the chance has come. I'm going to have it!" Dave Darrin gradually succeeded in working himself into the same frame of mind. Yet there were many moments when he was tortured by doubts as to whether the "Gridley spirit" would serve in bucking a long line of young fellows all equally anxious to get to Annapolis. The first step taken by Dick and Dave was to get excused from the High School for the time. Both boys had lists of the studies and standards required for entrance to the Military Academy or the Naval Academy. Dick and Dave, each in his own room at home, spent the next few days in "boning" as neither had ever "boned" before. "But we must get three hours in the open air each day, Dave," Dick insisted. "We mustn't go up for the trial with our nerves shattered by moping all the time indoors." Only Dick & Co., and a very few friends, knew what Dick and Dave were planning. It was kept a secret. The date of the High School senior ball was set for December 17. "Can you be back in time to go to the ball?" Laura Bentley asked Prescott. "I'm afraid not, Laura. Besides, when I get back from Wilburville, I'm afraid I'll feel pretty well tired out." "You're not afraid of failing?" asked Laura anxiously. "I'm not going to allow myself to fail. Yet, even if I win, I shall be tired out after the ordeal. Wish the ball could come a couple of days alter the ordeal. I wanted to go to it and to dance with you, Laura." "I'm sorry you can't go," sighed the girl. Darrin, too, had given up all thoughts of attending the senior ball, and this was the first time that either lad had "skipped" the class ball. "It seems too bad to be away," grumbled Dave. "But I know how I'll feel on that night. If I carry off the honors for Annapolis, no mere ball could hold me! I'll need air and space. I'll be lucky if I don't get arrested on that night for building bonfires in the streets." Dave next sighed dismally and continued: "If I don't carry off the Annapolis prize, I'll feel so disappointed that I won't look anybody in the face! Dick, Dick! It's fearful, this waiting---and wanting!" "It won't seem like the class ball a bit without you two boys," declared Belle Meade, pouting, the next afternoon. "But if we get through," muttered Dave, "think of the gay, splendid times to which we can invite you at Annapolis and West Point." "Indianapolis and Blue Point are far away," murmured Belle, purposely misnaming both famous places. "_Ann_-apolis!" flared Dave "_West_ Point!" protested Dick hotly. "Don't mind Belle," begged Laura quietly. "She's the worst tease I know." "If I get the appointment to Annapolis," continued Darrin, "you'll be asking me, next, if I expect to be promoted, after a while, to he helmsman, or fireman, on some cruiser." "Well, would you expect to be!" asked Belle, with an appearance of great innocence. "Don't, Belle," pleaded Laura. "The boy are too much in earnest. It isn't fair to tease them, now. Wait until they've been at West Point and Annapolis a couple of years. Then ask them." "What would be the use then?" asked Belle dryly. "By that time our young cadets will have met so many girls that they would have to think back quite a while before they could remember our names." Laura's pretty color lessened for an instant. "Don't you believe it," broke in Dick promptly. "Just as soon as I have a right ask for cards for a West Point hop I'm going to ask for cards for Miss Bentley and Miss Deane, and their chaperon." "The same here, for Annapolis," promised Dave solemnly. "So you see, girls, you'll have to be prepared to do some traveling in the near future. "But you won't get to Annapolis, anyway, until June," replied Belle, a bit more gently. "So you won't have any Annapolis hops until next fall, will you?" "Probably not," Dave admitted. "But you won't go to Annapolis, anyway," suggested Laura, turning to Prescott. "There may be some West Point hops between then and June." "I feel pretty sure there will be," nodded Dick cheerily. "And you girls may be sure of my keeping my promise." "And I'll keep mine for the very first hop that comes off at Annapolis after I get there," Darrin assured them. The laugh was on both young men, though neither they nor their fair young companions knew it. The poor "plebe," as the first year's man at either West Point or Annapolis is known, would be in for a terrible experience at the hands of his comrades if, during his "plebe" year, he had the "cheek" to seek to attend a cadet hop. He must wait until he has entered his second year before he has that privilege. This is a wise regulation. In his first year the poor "plebe" has so bewilderingly much to learn that he simply couldn't spare any time for the cultivation of the graces of the ballroom. In his first year, he has dancing lessons, but that is all that comes his way. Greg Holmes came to Prescott with a wistful, rather sad face. "How are you coming on, Dick?" Greg asked. "Meaning what?" "Are you going to be well prepared for the examinations?" "As far as being able to pass with a decent percentage," Dick answered, "I am not all uneasy. All that worries me is the fear that some other fellow may have a slightly better percentage. That would ditch me, you know." "Oh, you'll win out," predicted Greg loyally. "And I just wish I had a chance like yours!" "Why don't you go in and try for it, then?" urged Dick generously. "No use," uttered Greg, shaking his head. "You can beat me on the scholastic examination, and I know it, Dick. The best I could hope for would be an appointment as your alternate. And your alternate to West Point isn't going to stand any show for a cadetship, Dick Prescott!" Besides the candidate each Congressman may appoint one or more "alternates." These alternates also report at West Point. If the "principal" fails there, the alternate is given a chance to make good for the cadetship. But Greg Holmes, though he was wildly anxious to go to West Point, felt certain that it would be useless to go there as Dick Prescott's alternate. "I hate to see you not try at all, Greg," declared Dick. "Why don't you try? If you beat me out there won't be any hard feelings." "I couldn't beat you out, and I don't want to, either," responded Greg. "But wait! I may have something to tell you later on." Dan Dalzell had much the same kind of a talk with Dave Darrin. Dan felt the call to the sailor's life, but hadn't any notion that he could slip in ahead of Darrin. "Even if I could, Dave, I wouldn't try it," declared Dan earnestly. "I want badly enough to go to Annapolis, and I admit it. But I believe you're just about crazy to get there." "I am," Dave admitted honestly. "But the prize goes to the best fellow, Dan. Jump in, old fellow, and have your try at it." Dalzell, however, shook his head and remained silent on the subject after that. To both Dick and Dave it seemed as though the next few days simply refused to budge along on the calendar. Certainly neither of them had ever known time to pass so slowly before. "I hope I'll be able to keep my nerve up until the seventeenth," groaned Darrin. "Surely, you will," grinned Dick. "You've got to!" "I've been studying until all the words on a page seem to run together, and I don't know one word from another," complained Dave. "Then drop study---if you dare to!" "I'm thinking of it," proposed Darrin seriously. "Actually, I've been boning so that the whole thing gets on my nerves, and stays there like a cargo of lead." "Let's pledge ourselves, then, not to study on the fifteenth or the sixteenth," urged Dick. "I'll go you, right off, on that," cried Darrin eagerly. "And we'll spend those two days in the open air, roaming around, and trying to enjoy ourselves," added Prescott. "Enjoy ourselves---with all the load of suspense hanging over our heads?" gasped Darrin. "Well, we'll try it anyway." To most people in and around Gridley the world, in these few days, seemed to bob along very much as usual. Dick and Dave, however, knew better. At last came the evening of the sixteenth! Both anxious boys turned in early, though neither expected to sleep much. Both, however, were soon in the land of Nod. But Dick awoke at half-past four on the morning of the fateful seventeenth. By five o'clock he knew that he wasn't going to sleep any more. So he got up and dressed. Dave Darrin was in his bath, that same morning, before four o'clock. Then he, too, dressed, and wondered whether every other fellow who was going into the contest to-day felt as restless. The mothers of both boys were astir almost as early. Mothers can't take these examinations, but mothers know what a son's suspense means. Dick and Dave met at the station a full twenty minutes before train time. _ |
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