e from destitution. I enlisted as a fifer, and
was assigned to your company."

"And you have been with me ten months," said the Captain. "I suppose
your relatives cannot trace you?"

"They might trace me to Philadelphia," replied Reddy; "but the trail
becomes dark there. Even if they suspected I had enlisted--which is not
likely--they could not find me, for the recruiting sergeant blundered in
registering my name. He put me down as Redmond A. Carter, when he should
have written it Raymond J. Corser."

"Not a rare mistake of the recruiting officer. So you are of the General
Corser family?"

"He was my grandfather."

"Then you have only to communicate with your relatives in order to get
out of the army. Yours is an influential family."

"I shall serve out my enlistment, sir. The army has served me a good
turn, and when I am discharged I shall be in better condition to find
employment than in Philadelphia."

"But what has become of your college aspirations?"

"It will still be possible to accomplish that. Sergeant Von Wald and I
are studying together, and I think I shall be able to enter Sophomore.
Poor boys have worked their way before."

"I have noticed Von Wald. Is he a scholar?"

"Please not to mention it, sir; he is a German university man. When I am
discharged I shall have most of my five years' pay, and considerable
savings on clothing not drawn. I expect it will amount to nearly eight
hundred dollars."

For a few moments the officer said nothing, but gazed reflectively
across the rushing and roaring river. At last he turned again toward the
boy and asked, "How would you like to be an officer in the army,
Carter?"

"I should like it above all things, sir; but it is not possible. While I
might make a struggle single-handed through college, I could scarcely
hope to secure an appointment to West Point."

"Still there is a way. The late Congress passed a law allowing men who
have served two years in the army, and been favorably recommended by
their officers, to be examined for appointment to the grade of second
lieutenant. Yon have a little more than four years to serve. In that
time you will have reached the required age, and Lieutenant Dayton and I
can give you the necessary instruction. What do you say?"

"I'll make a hard struggle for it, sir, if you will afford me the
chance."

* * * * *

Five years later Sergeant Redmond A. Carter passed a successful
examinati