NODDY NIXON
Events were transpiring so rapidly for Ned, Bob and Jerry in the last
few hours, that it was no wonder they were somewhat startled. Coming
from strenuous bayonet practice to hear of a spy alarm, to have that
augmented by excitement over the big snake, to learn that the "spy"
was none other than Professor Snodgrass, and then to hear of his
strange mission, would have been almost too much for any group of lads
less sophisticated than this trio.
And hardly had they digested the news about the two missing girls, in
a search for whom they mentally agreed they would join, than along
came excitable Andy Rush and--more girls.
"There's Mollie Horton!" cried Ned, recognizing a girl who lived near
him in Cresville, and with whom he was very friendly.
"Yes, and I see Alice Vines," added Jerry.
"And Helen Gale is with her," commented Bob. "I'm glad she came!
Helen's a great girl for sport and----"
"You'd better be careful how you talk," warned Jerry, as the girls
continued to approach. "Helen and Helena are names very much alike,
but if you get them mixed up--well, Helen isn't one to stand any
nonsense."
"Aw, say----" began Bob, and then the nearer approach of the three
girls, to whom Andy Rush was beckoning, put a stop to any further talk
concerning them.
It might be added, to explain Jerry's reference, that Helena Schaeffer
was a girl in whom Bob Baker felt more than ordinary interest. At
first, because of the pro-German leanings of her father, she had been
a bit cold toward Bob when he joined the army with his chums, to fight
the Kaiser. But, as readers of the volume preceding this know, Helena
changed her attitude, much to Bob's relief.
"Well, of all the sights that are good for sore eyes!" cried Ned, as
he hurried forward to greet the girls, an example followed by his
chums. "What fine wind blew you here?"
"We didn't come in an airship!" burst out Andy Rush. "I wanted to, but
they wouldn't--'fraid they'd fall--swoop up--swoop down--get here
quicker--fall maybe--maybe not--lots of fun, anyhow. Gosh, it's
great--I say, fellows, are you going----"
Jerry gently but firmly took hold of Andy by the ear, and, pointing to
Professor Snodgrass, who was wandering about a distant field in
search of possible insects, said:
"Andy, you go and aid in the interests of science, and, incidentally,
cool off. We'll see you later."
And Andy, whose rapid flow of words had been suddenly stopped, looked
once at the tall, bronzed lad, and then followed the instructions to
the letter. So, whether he wanted it or not, Professor Snodgrass had
the assistance of the small youth.
"Well! Well!" exclaimed Jerry, as he shook hands lingeringly with
Alice. "How did you get here?"
"Going to enlist?" asked Ned.
"Maybe they're going to join the girls' motor corps," suggested Bob,
who had attached himself to Helen.
"No, we just came on a visit," explained Mollie.
"To see us?" asked Ned.
"Of course!" was the mischievous answer. "We got lonesome back in
Cresville, with all the nice boys gone, and so we got Andy to bring us
down here."
"And if we believe that, I suppose you'll tell us another," laughed
Jerry. "Seriously now, how did you happen to come, and how long are
you going to stay? Fellows, we'll have to get furloughs and take the
girls around. Not that there's much to see down here, but we'll do
our best," he added.
"Cease! Cease!" commanded Ned, holding up his hand like a traffic
officer in front of Jerry. "Let's hear how they happened to come."
"Oh, that is soon told," remarked Alice. "Mollie's aunt lives not far
from here."
"And she invited Mollie down on a visit," added Helen. "And Mollie was
good enough to ask us, so we all came together. We reached there
yesterday, and, knowing you boys were at camp here, we decided to come
out to see you, which we have done."
"And for which we are duly grateful," added Jerry. "But what about
Andy Rush? I never was more surprised in my life when I heard his
usual flow of language. How did he happen to be with you?"
"That was just an accident, a coincidence, or whatever you want to
call it," said Mollie, with a laugh. "When Andy heard we were coming
down this way he asked if he couldn't come with us. He says he is
going to enlist. He isn't going to wait to be drafted. He said he'd
sort of look after us on our way down."
"But it's been the other way about!" laughed Alice. "We've had to
watch him all the while. He was always hopping about, talking to
strangers, and every time the train stopped at a station longer than
a minute he'd get off, and we'd be in a fix for fear he'd be left. But
he's here, thank goodness!"
"Going to enlist!" cried Ned. "Why, he's too _small_."
"That's what they told him back in Cresville when he tried it,"
remarked Alice. "But we must give Andy credit for being a determined
little chap. He's sixteen, and he says lots of boys of sixteen have
gone in, and he's going. He said if the recruiting officer at home
wouldn't take him one here at camp might. So he came with us, and I
believe he's going to ask you boys to use your influence to get him
into the army."
"A heap of influence we have!" laughed Ned. "Privates--with Jerry just
made corporal."
"Well, Andy was very nice to us on the way down," said Helen, "so
please do all you can for him."
"We will!" promised Jerry. "And now tell us about yourselves, and how
all the folks are at home. Oh, but it's great to see you again!"
Then followed a talk until it was time for the three chums to report
for drill duty.
"What are you girls going to do this evening?" asked Bob.
The girls looked at one another.
"Oh, just sit around, I suppose," remarked Mollie.
"No, you're not!" cried Jerry. "There's a dance in town--a really nice
place--and we've been wishing for some girls to come along to help us
out. It's under the auspices of the local Y. W. C. A. And if we can
get off----"
"Oh, we'll get off all right!" broke in Ned eagerly.
"If worst comes to worst, we'll have the professor ask the colonel on
our behalf. The prof seems to pull a pretty good stroke with the C. O.
So a dance it is to be!" declared Bob.
And a dance it was. The boys received permission to remain away from
camp until midnight, passes being issued to them, and they at once
proceeded to "doll up," as Bob expressed it.
A joyous week followed, for the girls were to remain in the vicinity
of Camp Dixton, at Mollie's aunt's house for some time, and they asked
nothing better than to have the company of the three chums as often as
it might be possible.
Of course, Ned, Bob and Jerry did not have very much time to
themselves during the day, and some of their nights were occupied. But
fate was kind to them, and they had several dances with the girls, and
also went to "shows" at the local Y. M. C. A., as well as entertaining
the girls by escorting them about the cantonment.
Meanwhile, Professor Snodgrass received permission to loose his pet
snake, Ticula, in certain restricted areas, so that he might observe
her feeding habits in the open.
"But I cannot stay here very long," he told the boys. "I must soon
begin to prepare for my trip to Europe. I simply must make an attempt
to find those two girls."
"And we'll help you!" declared Jerry. "Just wait a few days more. I
think our orders to go across are coming."
And come the orders did. The day before the three home-town girls were
to return to Cresville orders came for the larger part of the soldiers
at Camp Dixton to leave for France.
"Hurray!" cried Ned, Bob and Jerry, as they saw the orders posted.
"Now we'll get a whack at the Germans!"
"And I'm going, too!" declared Andy Rush. "I'll go if I have to leave
as a stowaway! I've simply got to fight--get me a gun--let me go in an
aeroplane--I want action--got to do something--can't keep
still--Hurray for Uncle Sam!"
"Say, you'll burst a blood vessel if you aren't careful!" cautioned
Ned. "Better go slow, Andy."
But Andy Rush was not the lad for that, and he hurried about the camp,
more excited than ever, seeking for a chance to go abroad.
Ned, Bob and Jerry, with thousands of their chums, were to go to
Hoboken, New Jersey, there to go aboard a transport and be escorted
to France. By a stroke of good luck, and by pulling some official, or
scientific wires, Professor Snodgrass received permission to go on the
same vessel. He hurriedly sent his pet snake to a museum to be cared
for until his return, mailed his specimens of _ameba_ to a scientific
friend to be made into microscopical slides, and then, having fitted
himself out with as many specimen boxes and other paraphernalia as he
was permitted to take, announced that he was ready for his dual
mission--the seeking out of the two girls that he might apprise them
of their good fortune and to undertake the study of the effect of war
noises on crickets and katydids.
The final drills, bayonet practices, hikes and other camp activities
were held, and then the order came to break camp. Professor Snodgrass
went on ahead, promising to meet the three chums in Hoboken, and
Mollie, Alice and Helen departed for Cresville, their good-byes to the
boys being rather tearful, it must be admitted.
As for Andy Rush, he disappeared on the day when the young soldiers
were to take the train for the North, and no one seemed to know what
had become of him.
"Guess he found he couldn't get in the army, and he went back home,"
remarked Ned.
Finally the three chums were on their way for the fighting front with
thousands of fellow soldiers, some being volunteers and others of the
selective service.
Many and varied were the thoughts of our heroes as the train bore them
northward. What would be their fate in France? Would they ever see
home again, or would they be left across the water with the others who
died that civilization might live? And mingled with these thoughts
were others as to the mission of Professor Snodgrass.
"It surely is some commission--trying to find two girls with just
their photographs and nothing much else to go by," commented Ned.
"But we have done harder things," added Jerry.
The journey North was rather tiresome, but the boys and their
companions enlivened it as much as possible by singing, telling
stories, and general activities.
Once, when the train was delayed at a junction the three Cresville
friends got out, as did hundreds of others, to "stretch their legs."
There was another train-load of young soldiers on a siding, having
come from another camp, and lads from this were also walking up and
down.
As Ned, Bob and Jerry stood together, looking at a group of recruits
who had been trained in Texas, they heard a voice saying:
"This drafting business makes me sick! I don't like it at all!"
"Maybe you'd rather have been passed over," suggested some one.
"Naw, you get me wrong!" was the answer. "I want to fight all right,
but I want to do it my own way. I'd have enlisted in the air service
if they'd given me time enough. I was thinking of it when the draft
law went into effect, and then I couldn't. I know a lot about
airships. I used to run one, and I invented one, too."
"Did it fly?" some one wanted to know.
"It would have if it hadn't been for some mean fellows in my town who
didn't want me to beat them," was the announcement. "You wait until I
get on the other side! I'll show 'em what flying is, if they give me
the chance, and Jerry Hopkins and his pals sha'n't stop me, either!"
"Did you hear that?" asked Ned in a low voice.
"I should say so!" exclaimed Bob. "We ought to know who that is."
"Noddy Nixon, without a doubt!" remarked Jerry. "And up to his old
tricks! I hope he isn't going on the same transport with us!"