The High School Captain of the Team; or, Dick & Co. Leading the Athletic Vanguard by H. Irving Hancock
CHAPTER XIX
Tom Reade Bosses the Job
"Ugh!" shivered Dave, as the chums met on the platform. "It'scold 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 thetime 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. "OnlyI told father and mother that I'd feel more like being startedif I got down here this far on the way."
"Sure thing," nodded Dave sympathetically. "My Dad had to holdon to me to stop my leaving the house an hour earlier than I did."
Both boys laughed, though not very heartily. Each was under aterrific strain---just from wondering!
"If I get through, and win out to-day," muttered Dick, "I knowI shan't feel half as anxious when it comes time to take the graduatingexams."
"No," agreed Dave. "Then you'll know you have a chance; but to-dayyou can't be sure of that much."
Five minutes before train time the chums were astonished at seeinganother of the chums walk into the station. It was Tom Reade,looking as jovial and contented as a youngster could possiblylook.
"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," explodedPrescott.
"You were making fun of Annapolis only the other day!" assertedDave, just as though making fun of Annapolis were one of the capitalcrimes.
"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 anexam and stand a chance of getting Congressman Spokes's job awayfrom him?" Dave asked.
Tom threw himself into one of the seats, crossed his feet, thrusthis hands down in his ulster pockets, and surveyed the pair beforehe answered:
"I'll tell you what ails you two. You have a notion that thesun rises at West Point and sets at Annapolis. Now, I know aheap better, and I haven't an eye on either place. Can you fellowsguess why I've taken the day off from school and why I'm goingto Wilburville?"
"We surely can't," declared Dave.
"Well, then, I'll tell you," promised Tom amiably. "I knew youtwo 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 colorsoutside. You'd try to cheer each other, but each of you is toobadly scared to be of any use to the other. So I've come alongto 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 realizedthat good old Tom was telling the truth.
"Of course, I'll admit," continued Reade, "that, if I were goingon the grill to-day, I'd be worse than either of you. But I'mnot. I wouldn't live in West Point, and I wouldn't be caughtdead at Annapolis, so I shan't have any scares or any nervousstreak to-day. I'll look after you both, the best I can, anddo 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 thejob to look after you, allow me to remind you that that is yourtrain whistling at this moment."
Three very jolly boys, therefore, piled out of the station buildingand boarded the train.
Tom spoke to the conductor a moment before following the othersto seats.
"You see," spoke Reade, "I'm even going to the trouble to makesure 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 oozingout at the bare thought. Suppose we had been harebrained enoughto get on the wrong train, and be carried so far past that wecouldn'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 guaranteeeverything. One of the little things I guarantee is that you'llboth win out to-day."
"In algebra," muttered Darrin, "I hope they won't go too deeplyinto 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 rememberjust how it runs."
With that Reade got started. He soon had his two friends startedas well. They laughed until the brakeman at last thrust his headin and called:
"Next station, Wilburville!"
"Stop and get out, young man!" called Tom. "Do you think we don'tknow 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 trioup shrewdly.
"Thank you; that's our auto over there," nodded Tom, pointingto a lunch wagon. Reade started the chums at a brisk walk. Ofthe first native they met they inquired the way.
Tom was still talking at forty horse-power when they came to thetown hall.
"That building holds our fate!" muttered Dave, as they drew near.
"Stop that!" ordered Tom. "Anyone would think that Annapoliswas 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 toyappointments 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 appointedassistant inspector general of rifle practice. He was orderedup for his exam. Poor fellow spent three weeks, days and nights,boning for that exam. The family had the doctor in twice, forthey were afraid Jack was studying himself crazy. Then the daycame for the exam. Jack went into the ordeal shivering. Theexaminer asked Jack to write down his full name, the date of hisbirth, and the date of his entry into the militia. Jack answeredall three questions straight, and got a hundred per cent. forhis marking. Yet you fellows talk about exams as though theywere really hard!"
Still laughing the three passed inside.
Dick Prescott had firmly resolved to do no more talking aboutthe ordeal. But Darrin hadn't. So, after the boys had enteredthe building, and had climbed to the next floor, where the hallwas, and had taken a look inside, Dave drew back into the corridor.
"Great guns, did you look inside?" he demanded. "There are amillion 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, somethree-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'l
Hardly had they taken their stand by the door when the three chumsreceived a shock.
For the next arrivals were Phin Drayne, and his father, HeathcoteDrayne.
Phin was now in attendance at the Wilburville Academy, and hisfather had come down, the evening before, to urge his son to tryfor 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 outeven with, or just ahead of, either Dick or Dave.
The Draynes did not favor our three chums with any greeting, butwalked on down into the hall.
"Excuse me a minute," murmured Tom. "I want to find out how theland 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 wenton.
Heathcote Drayne scowled, then stepped to one side, turning andglancing down at Reade.
"Well, young man, what is it?"
"I thought it barely possible," continued Tom coolly, "that Imight 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 WestPoint or Annapolis cadetship?"
"What if he has?"
"Then has Phin his certificates of good character with him?" demandedTom, his blue eyes steely and cold as he looked straight andsignificantly at the elder Drayne.
"Confound your impudence, Reade! What do you mean?"
"Just this," continued Tom readily. "Only boys of good characterare eligible for West Point or Annapolis. Now, the fact is, yourson was expelled from Gridley High School for a dishonorable action.Are you content to have your son try for a cadetship, with thatrecord hanging over his head and enveloping his chances?"
"Who'll know anything about that record if you don't blab?" demandedMr. 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 whichCongressman Spokes could appoint your boy to West Point orAnnapolis? Because, if you think so," wound up Reade, "go aheadand 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?" queriedReade.
"What have you been saying to Mr. Drayne?" asked Dave.
"Just watch father and son, and see how they seem to be enjoyingtheir talk," chuckled Tom. "There, what do you see now? I thoughtit would end like that."
This was the first time it had occurred to the elder Drayne thathis son's character would be inquired into. In fact, Mr. Draynehad had half an idea that the United States Military Academywas a place that made a specialty of reforming wild boys andmaking useful citizens of them.