CHAPTER VII CHUNKY’S TROUBLE

Ned Slade clapped Jerry Hopkins on the back with such vigor that the latter almost lost his balance.

“What does that mean?” Jerry asked.

“It means I’m with you!” was the answer. “We’ll all enlist and start for the other side as soon as they’ll let us! I was just wishing for some excuse to get out of going back to Boxwood Hall, and this’ll be it all right!”

“Do you think we can make it?” asked Bob. “I mean will our folks let us cut school?”

“Oh, I guess so,” answered Jerry easily, though, to tell the truth, he had some doubts about it.

“Let’s go somewhere and ask about enlisting,” suggested Ned. “We want to get into this as soon as we can, and the sooner the better. There must be some way of finding out the quickest way of getting into the army.”

“Let’s go and ask Colonel Wentworth,” suggested Jerry. “He’ll know, all right.”

“You said it!” agreed Ned. “Say, this is great! I wonder if——”

[52]

He was interrupted by a cheer from the crowd in front of the bulletin board.

“Are they applauding our recent determination to enlist?” asked Jerry, as the car started up the street toward the office of Colonel Wentworth.

“No, it’s just a new item on the bulletin board, about the state militia being mobilized.”

“That means business,” said Jerry. “Oh, boy! but I hope we can get into this game from the very start.”

They drove to the office of Colonel Wentworth, who carried on a real-estate business when he was not making patriotic addresses. They found the old soldier holding forth to a circle of friends about what the United States ought to do, and what it ought to avoid, in the coming conflict.

“Ah, good morning, boys!” he greeted Ned, Bob and Jerry. “Come in and sit down. I’ll attend to you in just a moment. Now, as I was saying, Mr. Benson——”

“Oh, we didn’t come on business; that is, not real-estate business,” said Jerry quickly. “And we don’t want to take up much of your time. We just want to ask where’s the nearest place to go to enlist, and how do you do it.”

The eyes of Colonel Wentworth sparkled brightly. He clasped the hand of Jerry Hopkins and exclaimed:

“What did I tell you, gentlemen? Didn’t I[53] say that the youth of this land would rally to the colors as soon as the call went forth? Here is proof of it! Boys, I’m proud of you! Cresville will be proud of you! And generations to come will be proud of you!”

The colonel seemed starting on one of his orations, but he caught himself in season and said:

“There is no time like the present. There is a recruiting station of the regular army at Richfield,” naming the nearest large city. “I’ll take you over there and see that you sign up. Are you old enough to enlist without the consent of your parents? If you’re not we’ll first stop and see them and——”

“I guess we’d better stop and see them anyhow,” suggested Ned. “We’re none of us twenty-one yet, and I guess it’d be better to get formal permission.”

“Yes, it would,” the colonel told them. “I have not the slightest doubt in the world but what the consent will be given, but it makes it easier if it is first obtained.”

“We’ll go home then,” went on Ned, “and get the consents in writing. What we wanted to know was the nearest place to volunteer, and you’ve told us that.”

“Glad to have done it!” exclaimed the enthusiastic colonel. “Don’t hesitate to call on me if I[54] can be of the slightest assistance to you. Good-bye and good luck!”

And, as they left his office, Ned, Bob and Jerry could hear the former soldier telling his friends:

“That’s the spirit of ’Seventy-six reincarnated! That’s what’s going to beat the Kaiser!”

“I hope we get a shot at him all right,” murmured Jerry, as they went down to their automobile. “What do you think about your folks, Ned? Will they let you go?”

“Oh, I guess so. I heard dad saying the other night he wished he was young enough to enlist, so he ought to be glad to have me take his place.”

“I fear my mother will make a fuss at first,” said Jerry, “but she’ll give in finally, I think. The one trouble will be about school. She has her heart set on having me graduate from Boxwood Hall.”

“Oh, well, you can come back and finish the course,” said Ned. “How does it strike you, Chunky? You won’t be sorry to cut the books, will you?”

“No, I guess not,” was the rather slow answer. “Oh, of course I’ll be glad to get out of going back to Boxwood Hall. It’s nice there, and all that, but I’d rather go to a soldier’s camp.”

There was something in the way Bob spoke that made Ned remark to Jerry, a little later:

“I wonder what’s the matter with Chunky? He didn’t seem to enthuse very much.”

[55]

“No, he didn’t, that’s a fact,” admitted Jerry. “Maybe he has a little indigestion.”

“I should think he would have, the way he eats. But I don’t believe it’s indigestion this time. Something’s wrong with Bob, and I’d like to know what it is.”

But Ned was so occupied with his own affairs, wondering whether or not his parents would consent to his enlisting, that he did not give the matter of his stout chum much consideration just then.

As might have been expected, there was a momentary opposition on the part of Mrs. Hopkins as regarded Jerry, and on the part of Mr. and Mrs. Slade and Mr. and Mrs. Baker as to their sons. And it was not from any lack of patriotism. It was merely that they felt the boys were a little too young to be of real service to their country.

“If you were a little older, I’d at once say go,” said Mrs. Hopkins to Jerry. “I want you to serve your country. But I think you can best do it, now, by getting a good education, and enlisting later.”

“It may be too late then, Mother,” said Jerry. “There is talk of a draft, and while those who go under the forced call will be just as good soldiers as the volunteers, I’d like to volunteer.”

“But what about school? I don’t want to see you lose all the advantage your studies will give you.”

[56]

“I can take them up later.”

Both Jerry and his mother, as did other boys and other parents, seemed to ignore the chance that there would be many who would not come back. But it is always that way, and it is a good thing it is.

“What are Bob’s parents, and Ned’s, going to do?” asked Mrs. Hopkins.

“I’ll find out,” answered Jerry.

In the end there was a family council, and the matter was gone over in detail. The boys were so much in earnest, as the war fervor swept over the country, that Mr. Slade said:

“Well, I don’t see, as patriotic citizens, that we can do any less than let our boys do their share. They are strong and healthy. There will be no trouble about passing the physical tests, I imagine.”

“The only trouble is about school,” said Mr. Baker. “The spring term is about to begin, and I understand there are some important studies to be taken up in anticipation of the final examinations.”

“There are,” said Ned. “But we aren’t the only ones who will be out of school. Lots of the boys are volunteering. And some have already gone to France to drive ambulances or fly aeroplanes. Fully a score of the fellows we know,[57] and some we aren’t intimate with, won’t come back to Boxwood Hall.”

“Are you sure about this?” asked his father.

“I had it from Professor Snodgrass,” was the answer, for by the time of this family council the scientist had returned to Boxwood Hall. “And, what’s more, a lot of the members of the faculty are going to volunteer, also. Boxwood Hall won’t be the same place it was before the war.”

“Well, in that case,” said Mr. Baker, “probably some rules will be made about those who drop out on account of volunteering. They may be given certain credits, and allowed to make up the lost time by degrees. I don’t see, Mrs. Hopkins and Mr. Slade, but what the boys have won their point.”

“Then are we to consent to their enlisting?” asked Jerry’s mother, and she was not ashamed of the tears in her eyes nor the catch in her voice, for Jerry was an only son and his mother was a widow. When Jerry went there would be only his sister Susie left.

“I shall consent to Ned’s going,” said Mr. Slade.

“And Bob has my permission,” added Mr. Baker. “He’s getting too stout, anyhow. It may do him good.”

“You may go, Jerry,” said Mrs. Hopkins.

“Fine, Mother! I knew you’d say I might![58] And now, boys, let’s go and see Colonel Wentworth and find out what the next step is.”

They hurried to their automobile and were soon speeding toward the office of the former soldier. He received them with delight, and gave them a letter of introduction to the recruiting officer at Richfield.

“Let’s go right over and sign up!” proposed Ned eagerly.

“Might as well,” added Ned. “How about it, Chunky?”

“Well, I s’pose if we’re going to enlist we’ve got to sign, or do something, but I was thinking we might wait a few days and——”

“Wait?” cried Jerry.

“What for?” demanded Ned.

Bob did not answer at once, but on his face there was a troubled look. His chums wondered what it meant.