Tom Reade Bosses the Job
"Ugh!" shivered Dave, as the chums met on the platform. "It's
cold out here!"
"Come inside, then, and get warm. But you're a great athlete,
to mind an ordinary December morning," laughed Dick Prescott.
Together they stepped into the waiting room.
"What time does our train go?" asked Dave, though he had known the
time of this train for the last week.
"Seven-forty," replied Dick.
"And it's seven-twenty, now. Whew, what a await!"
"I could have stayed home a little longer," nodded Dick. "Only
I told father and mother that I'd feel more like being started
if I got down here this far on the way."
"Sure thing," nodded Dave sympathetically. "My Dad had to hold
on to me to stop my leaving the house an hour earlier than I did."
Both boys laughed, though not very heartily. Each was under a
terrific strain---just from wondering!
"If I get through, and win out to-day," muttered Dick, "I know
I shan't feel half as anxious when it comes time to take the graduating
exams."
"No," agreed Dave. "Then you'll know you have a chance; but to-day
you can't be sure of that much."
Five minutes before train time the chums were astonished at seeing
another of the chums walk into the station. It was Tom Reade,
looking as jovial and contented as a youngster could possibly
look.
"Hullo, Tom!" came from Dick.
"Howdy, Tom, old man!" was Dave's greeting.
"Hullo, fellows!" from Reade.
"Where are you bound?" inquired Dick.
"Wilburville?"
"_What_?"
"Fact!" Reade assured them.
"Going to the exams.?" Dave demanded quickly.
"Yep."
"Why, you never said a word about thinking of West Point," exploded
Prescott.
"You were making fun of Annapolis only the other day!" asserted
Dave, just as though making fun of Annapolis were one of the capital
crimes.
"Hang West Point!" exploded Tom Reade.
"Oh! Then it's Annapolis you're after," grunted Darrin.
"Sink Annapolis!" exclaimed Reade.
"Then what on earth are you after?" demanded Dick.
"Have you any fool idea in your head, Tom, that you can take an
exam and stand a chance of getting Congressman Spokes's job away
from him?" Dave asked.
Tom threw himself into one of the seats, crossed his feet, thrust
his hands down in his ulster pockets, and surveyed the pair before
he answered:
"I'll tell you what ails you two. You have a notion that the
sun rises at West Point and sets at Annapolis. Now, I know a
heap better, and I haven't an eye on either place. Can you fellows
guess why I've taken the day off from school and why I'm going
to Wilburville?"
"We surely can't," declared Dave.
"Well, then, I'll tell you," promised Tom amiably. "I knew you
two good old chaps would be going to pieces with blue funk to-day.
I knew you'd be chattering inside, and turning all sorts of colors
outside. You'd try to cheer each other, but each of you is too
badly scared to be of any use to the other. So I've come along
to take up your minds, jolly you and stiffen your backbones alternately.
That's my whole job for to-day."
Looking in some amazement at Reade, the other two chums realized
that good old Tom was telling the truth.
"Of course, I'll admit," continued Reade, "that, if I were going
on the grill to-day, I'd be worse than either of you. But I'm
not. I wouldn't live in West Point, and I wouldn't be caught
dead at Annapolis, so I shan't have any scares or any nervous
streak to-day. I'll look after you both, the best I can, and
do what little lies in my power to keep your minds off your troubles."
"Well, who'd ever have thought of a thing like that but Tom Reade?"
gasped Dick gratefully.
"It's mighty good of you, old chum," declared Darrin fervently.
"Now, then,"`resumed Reade, uncrossing his legs, "as I'm on the
job to look after you, allow me to remind you that that is your
train whistling at this moment."
Three very jolly boys, therefore, piled out of the station building
and boarded the train.
Tom spoke to the conductor a moment before following the others
to seats.
"You see," spoke Reade, "I'm even going to the trouble to make
sure that this is the right train, and not a belated express."
"I never though of that," muttered Darrin, turning a bit pale.
"Great Scott!" gasped Dick. "I can feel the cold sweat oozing
out at the bare thought. Suppose we had been harebrained enough
to get on the wrong train, and be carried so far past that we
couldn't get back to Wilburville by nine o'clock!"
"Drop all worry. Don't think of anything alarming, or even disconcerting,"
chuckled Tom. "I've taken charge of the whole job, and I guarantee
everything. One of the little things I guarantee is that you'll
both win out to-day."
"In algebra," muttered Darrin, "I hope they won't go too deeply
into quadratic equations-----"
"Cut it!" ordered Reade severely. "Likewise forget it! Say,
I heard a rattling good story last night. It carries a Dutchman,
a poodle, a dude and an old maid. Let me see if I can remember
just how it runs."
With that Reade got started. He soon had his two friends started
as well. They laughed until the brakeman at last thrust his head
in and called:
"Next station, Wilburville!"
"Stop and get out, young man!" called Tom. "Do you think we don't
know our way?"
Then into another story plunged Tom Reade. He spun it out, purposely,
until the train slowed up at Wilburville.
"'Bus right up to the town hall!" cried a driver, sizing the trio
up shrewdly.
"Thank you; that's our auto over there," nodded Tom, pointing
to a lunch wagon. Reade started the chums at a brisk walk. Of
the first native they met they inquired the way.
Tom was still talking at forty horse-power when they came to the
town hall.
"That building holds our fate!" muttered Dave, as they drew near.
"Stop that!" ordered Tom. "Anyone would think that Annapolis
was all the candy in the land. What are you worrying about, anyway?
Haven't I taken all the responsibility for this thing upon myself?
Haven't I promised you both that you shall find your little toy
appointments in your Christmas stockings? Do you think I'm lying?"
"But the exams!" groaned Dave.
"Well, they're competitive," quoted Tom cheerily.
"That's just what ails 'em!" argued Dave.
"You make me think of my cousin, Jack Reade, of the militia,"
taunted Tom. "He's a captain. Now, Jack wanted to be appointed
assistant inspector general of rifle practice. He was ordered
up for his exam. Poor fellow spent three weeks, days and nights,
boning for that exam. The family had the doctor in twice, for
they were afraid Jack was studying himself crazy. Then the day
came for the exam. Jack went into the ordeal shivering. The
examiner asked Jack to write down his full name, the date of his
birth, and the date of his entry into the militia. Jack answered
all three questions straight, and got a hundred per cent. for
his marking. Yet you fellows talk about exams as though they
were really hard!"
Still laughing the three passed inside.
Dick Prescott had firmly resolved to do no more talking about
the ordeal. But Darrin hadn't. So, after the boys had entered
the building, and had climbed to the next floor, where the hall
was, and had taken a look inside, Dave drew back into the corridor.
"Great guns, did you look inside?" he demanded. "There are a
million boys in there already."
"Cheer up," soothed Tom. "Most of 'em want to go to West Point."
Tom fairly forced his chums inside. The boys already there, some
three-score, at least, turned to regard the newcomers curiously.
"The rest of you may as well go home," announced Tom laughingly.
"My friends have a first mortgage on the jobs you're after."
Presently, more fellows came in. Then some more, and still more.
"Let's go down and stand by the door, where we can get more air,"
urged Darrin.
"Yes," agreed Tom. "And we'll throw out any of the rest that
may have a nerve to try to step in here."
Hardly had they taken their stand by the door when the three chums
received a shock.
For the next arrivals were Phin Drayne, and his father, Heathcote
Drayne.
Phin was now in attendance at the Wilburville Academy, and his
father had come down, the evening before, to urge his son to try
for West Point.
Tom looked the newcomer over with especial disfavor. Young Drayne,
like many another "peculiar" fellow, was an unusually good student.
At any time Drayne would have a very good chance of coming out
even with, or just ahead of, either Dick or Dave.
The Draynes did not favor our three chums with any greeting, but
walked on down into the hall.
"Excuse me a minute," murmured Tom. "I want to find out how the
land lies."
Tom thereupon walked boldly over to the Draynes.
"May I speak with you just a moment, Mr. Drayne?" asked Tom.
"Go ahead," replied Mr. Heathcote Drayne, not over-graciously.
"It is important, sir, that I speak with you aside," Tom went
on.
Heathcote Drayne scowled, then stepped to one side, turning and
glancing down at Reade.
"Well, young man, what is it?"
"I thought it barely possible," continued Tom coolly, "that I
might be able to offer you a hint or two worth while."
"Worth whose while?" demanded Heathcote Drayne, suspiciously.
"Yours. Has your son come here to compete for either the West
Point or Annapolis cadetship?"
"What if he has?"
"Then has Phin his certificates of good character with him?" demanded
Tom, his blue eyes steely and cold as he looked straight and
significantly at the elder Drayne.
"Confound your impudence, Reade! What do you mean?"
"Just this," continued Tom readily. "Only boys of good character
are eligible for West Point or Annapolis. Now, the fact is, your
son was expelled from Gridley High School for a dishonorable action.
Are you content to have your son try for a cadetship, with that
record hanging over his head and enveloping his chances?"
"Who'll know anything about that record if you don't blab?" demanded
Mr. Drayne.
"Why, your son would have to state where he had attended school,
and furnish certificates of good character from his teachers,"
ran on Reade. "Now, honestly, do you think that Dr. Thornton,
of Gridley High School, would furnish a certificate on which
Congressman Spokes could appoint your boy to West Point or
Annapolis? Because, if you think so," wound up Reade, "go ahead
and put Phin in the running, to be sure."
With that Tom marched off back to his chums.
"What have you been up to?" asked Dick curiously.
"I'm manager for you two half-witted fellows, ain't I?" queried
Reade.
"What have you been saying to Mr. Drayne?" asked Dave.
"Just watch father and son, and see how they seem to be enjoying
their talk," chuckled Tom. "There, what do you see now? I thought
it would end like that."
This was the first time it had occurred to the elder Drayne that
his son's character would be inquired into. In fact, Mr. Drayne
had had half an idea that the United States Military Academy
was a place that made a specialty of reforming wild boys and
making useful citizens of them.