[Illustration: THEY PERFECTED THEMSELVES IN THE USE OF THE RIFLE AND
THE BAYONET.]
THE MOTOR BOYS
IN THE ARMY
OR
Ned, Bob and Jerry as Volunteers
BY
CLARENCE YOUNG
AUTHOR OF “THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES,” “THE JACK
RANGER SERIES,” ETC.
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY
BOOKS BY CLARENCE YOUNG
12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Colored Jacket.
=THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES=
THE MOTOR BOYS
THE MOTOR BOYS OVERLAND
THE MOTOR BOYS IN MEXICO
THE MOTOR BOYS ACROSS THE PLAINS
THE MOTOR BOYS AFLOAT
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE ATLANTIC
THE MOTOR BOYS IN STRANGE WATERS
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE PACIFIC
THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE CLOUDS
THE MOTOR BOYS OVER THE ROCKIES
THE MOTOR BOYS OVER THE OCEAN
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE WING
THE MOTOR BOYS AFTER A FORTUNE
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE BORDER
THE MOTOR BOYS UNDER THE SEA
THE MOTOR BOYS ON ROAD AND RIVER
THE MOTOR BOYS AT BOXWOOD HALL
THE MOTOR BOYS ON A RANCH
THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE ARMY
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE FIRING LINE
THE MOTOR BOYS BOUND FOR HOME
=THE JACK RANGER SERIES=
JACK RANGER’S SCHOOLDAYS
JACK RANGER’S WESTERN TRIP
JACK RANGER’S SCHOOL VICTORIES
JACK RANGER’S OCEAN CRUISE
JACK RANGER’S GUN CLUB
JACK RANGER’S TREASURE BOX
Copyright, 1918, by
Cupples & Leon Company
=The Motor Boys in the Army=
Printed in U. S. A.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I THE FIRE ALARM 1
II THE RUNAWAY ENGINE 9
III “JUST AS EASY!” 16
IV CROOKED NOSE 24
V THE ODD MAN 33
VI FIRST CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS 42
VII CHUNKY’S TROUBLE 51
VIII A PRO-GERMAN MEETING 59
IX A FIGHT IN THE DARK 68
X THE PARTING 79
XI OFF TO CAMP DIXTON 85
XII PUG KENNEDY 91
XIII IN THE CAMP 100
XIV SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT 108
XV IN UNIFORM 117
XVI HOT WORDS 125
XVII A MIDNIGHT MEETING 132
XVIII A STAB IN THE BACK 141
XIX A CAVE-IN 152
XX A PRACTICE MARCH 159
XXI CROOKED NOSE AGAIN 166
XXII THE ACCUSATION 174
XXIII THE MINSTREL SHOW 183
XXIV A BLACK-FACE PURSUIT 190
XXV “A PRISONER” 197
XXVI A NIGHT ALARM 207
XXVII THE HAND GRENADE 213
XXVIII THE STORM 223
XXIX IN THE OLD BARN 229
XXX THE ROUND-UP 237
NED, BOB AND JERRY IN THE ARMY
CHAPTER I
THE FIRE ALARM
“You’re going, aren’t you, Ned?”
“Surest thing you know!”
“Will you be there, Bob?”
“Of course, Jerry. It ought to be quite a meeting, I should say.”
“You said something!” exclaimed Ned Slade, with an air of conviction.
“Things will whoop up in great shape. Why, there hasn’t been so much
excitement in Cresville since I can remember.”
“Not since the old lumberyard burned,” added Jerry Hopkins, as he
walked down the street, one arm linked in that of Ned Slade on his
left, and the other hooked up with Bob Baker’s on his right. “It
doesn’t seem possible that we’ve been drawn into this, after all the
President did to keep us out; but it’s true.”
“Of course it’s true!” exclaimed Ned. “The President goes before
Congress and asks for the whole strength of the nation to back him up,
and defy Germany. And he gets it, too!”
“That’s what he does,” added Jerry. “It’s one of the strongest
declarations about the war I ever read; and we’ve had a chance to read
a few in the last two years. America against Germany! I never expected
it, but, now it’s come, we’ll have to get in it good and strong.”
“And we’ve got to hustle, too!” added Bob Baker.
“That’ll be something new for you, Chunky!” observed Jerry Hopkins,
with a chuckle. “You’re getting fatter than ever,” and he caught some
of his friend’s superfluous flesh between thumb and finger and made Bob
squirm.
“Quit it!” the latter begged. “What do you think I’m made of, anyhow?”
“I was just trying to find out,” answered Jerry, innocently. “’Tisn’t
as firm as it might be, but when we get back to Boxwood Hall, and you
have a little tennis or football to harden you up, I think you’ll feel
better.”
“I’d feel better right now if you’d quit pinching me!” exclaimed the
tormented one. “Try it on Ned a bit.”
“Oh, he doesn’t need waking up,” laughed Jerry. “But say, do we need
tickets for this meeting to-night?”
“I don’t believe so,” remarked Bob, whose nickname of Chunky fitted
him well. “But let’s go down the street and read one of the notices.
There’s one in front of Porter’s drug store. And while we’re there we
can----”
“Get chocolate sodas! I know you were going to say that!” broke in
Ned. “Say, I thought you were on a diet, Chunky. The idea of taking
chocolate! Don’t you know it’s fattening?”
“Who said anything about chocolate sodas?” demanded the fat one. “I
didn’t mention it!” and he glared at Ned. But Jerry was between the two.
“I know you didn’t, little one!” returned Ned sweetly. “But you were
going to, and I made it easy for you. However, I don’t believe one
chocolate will hurt you; and since you are going to buy----”
“Who said I was?” demanded Bob.
“Why, didn’t you?” asked Ned, with an assumption of innocence. “I’m
sure I heard Chunky invite us to have sodas. Didn’t you, Jerry?”
“Sure!” was the ready answer. “Don’t try to back out, Bob. It’s too
late.”
“Well, it’s of no use trying to buck up against a conspiracy like
this,” sighed the stout youth. “I guess I’ve got the price,” and he
rattled some change in his pocket.
The trio of lads, nodding now and then to acquaintances they passed,
kept on down the street until they reached Porter’s drug store. In the
window was a placard announcing a patriotic meeting to be held in the
auditorium that evening, for the purpose, as it stated, of:
“_Upholding President Wilson, and proving to him that Cresville
approves of his course in declaring a state of war with Germany
exists._”
“No tickets needed,” read Jerry. “It’s a case of first come first
served, I guess.”
They entered the drug store, and soon were being served, talking, the
while, of the coming patriotic meeting.
“Colonel Wentworth is going to preside,” announced Ned.
“Yes, and there’ll be enough rhetorical fireworks to stock a
battleship,” observed Jerry.
“Well, the old soldier means all right,” added Bob, who seemed to be of
a kind and mellow disposition, now that he was having something to eat.
Eating, as may have been guessed, was one of Chunky’s strong points.
“There isn’t a more patriotic citizen than Colonel Wentworth,” went on
the stout youth, stirring his chocolate ice-cream soda to mix it well
before drinking. “He did his share in the Spanish war, and now he’s
anxious to volunteer again, I hear.”
“He’s a little too old, isn’t he?” asked Ned.
“Yes, but he’s in fine shape. Well, we’ll go to the meeting, anyhow,
and help whoop things up.”
“That’s right!” chimed in Jerry Hopkins. “These are the days to show
your colors.”
It will be evident to the reader that the period of the opening of this
story was in the spring, following the announcement of war between the
United States and Germany.
Of the events leading up to that announcement nothing need be said
here, for they are too well known. But even though every one who had
closely followed the trend of thought and happenings, knew there was
nothing for an honor-loving and conscientious nation to do except take
the step advocated by President Wilson, still the actual declaration
that a state of war existed, when it was made, came as a shock.
Then followed the reaction. A reaction which resulted in the holding
of many meetings, in the organization of many societies and in new
activities in many that were already organized.
The New England town of Cresville, the home of Ned, Bob and Jerry, was
no exception to this rule. It was a progressive town, or small city
if you will, and numbered among its members citizens of worth and
patriotism. So it is not strange that a meeting should be called to
“back up” the President.
The meeting had its inception with Colonel Wentworth, a Son of the
Revolution, an officer in the Spanish-American war, where he had
fought with the regulars both in Cuba and in the Philippines, and
an all-around true-hearted and red-blooded American. He felt that
Cresville should make her position known, and in order to stir her
blood, as well as add fuel to his own, he proposed the holding of a
patriotic mass meeting, at which a number of speakers should be heard.
A United States Senator had promised to come and tell something of the
events leading up to the formal declaration of war.
Ned, Bob and Jerry, home from their college, Boxwood Hall, for the
Easter vacation, had read the notices of the meeting, and, having
followed with interest the course of events in America preceding the
entrance of the United States into the war and also having closely
observed the course of England, France, Russia and Italy against a
common enemy, had decided to attend the meeting.
They had planned to take a motor trip to a distant city, to attend a
concert by the Boxwood Hall Glee Club and a dance afterward, at which
the boys expected to meet some young ladies in whom they were more
than ordinarily interested. But when Jerry had seen the notices posted
for the patriotic rally he had said to his chums:
“Fellows, the dance racket is off! We’ve got to show ourselves at the
auditorium.”
“That’s right,” Ned had answered. “Dad’s a great friend of the
colonel’s, and he’s going with mother. He told me I ought to show
myself there, and I guess we’ll have to.”
So it was decided, and, a few hours after having been the guests of
Chunky at the soda fountain, Ned and Jerry, with their stout companion,
found themselves part of a throng at the door of the town auditorium, a
newly constructed meeting place.
“Some push!” exclaimed Ned, as he felt himself being carried forward in
the crush, for the doors had just been opened.
“It’s going to be a success all right,” added Jerry. “They’ll never get
’em all in!”
The hall was, indeed, filled, and standing room was at the proverbial
premium when Colonel Wentworth, visibly proud of the success of his
undertaking, advanced to welcome the gathering and to introduce the
first speaker.
There was the speaking usual at such a meeting, only this time it was
tinged with a deeper note of seriousness. America had not yet awakened
to the realization of what war really meant, and was going to mean.
And some of the speakers tried to bring this home to the people of
Cresville.
The meeting was rather long, and even though they were as full of fire,
zeal, energy and patriotism as any person there, Ned, Bob and Jerry,
after two hours of speech-making, began to wish themselves out of the
place. They felt they had done their duty, and were longing for a
little change, when it came, most unexpectedly.
They were sitting in the rear of the hall, close to the main entrance
doors, when Ned heard a sound that made him suddenly sit up.
“Hear that?” he asked, in a whisper, of Jerry.
“What?”
“Fire alarm! It’s from the box down near dad’s store! I’m going to see
what it is!”
He rose softly, so as not to disturb the speaker. The sound of the
alarm could be plainly heard. Bob and Jerry also arose and made their
way out, as did several others. An undercurrent of excitement seemed to
pervade the meeting. As the boys reached the door, there came from the
street a cry of fear.