was about
your age I attended Putnam Hall Military Academy. I am sure the training
I received there did me much good, and I am also sure that I made many
friends who will stand by me as long as I live.

"I want this institution to be one of good-fellowship all around, and I
am relying upon all of you to do your best. At Putnam Hall in many
respects we followed the honor system which I have put into operation
here. That honor system did not fail there, and I do not look for it to
fail here. I want you all to have a good time; but there is a limit, and
every one of you knows what that limit is just as well as I do. In the
late war the training which some of our soldiers had received at Putnam
Hall stood them in good stead. And I want the training received here to
be of equal benefit if any of my cadets should ever be called upon to
fight for our country."

"Three cheers for Colonel Colby!" came from Jack a minute later, and the
boys assembled nearly split their throats trying to do justice to their
feelings.

While this dinner was going on the other cadets had their repast in the
mess hall and then flew off in all directions to prepare for the real
festivities of the evening. They had gotten together several piles of
barrels and boxes, as well as brushwood from the forest behind the
school, and these were soon heaped up along the river bank into great
bonfires, the light of which could be seen a long distance.

"It's going to be some night, believe me!" sang out Andy merrily. "We'll
tear the woodpile down, as the old saying is."

"We want to be a little bit careful or else we'll have Snopper Duke or
some other professor calling us down."

"Snopper Duke is going away. I heard him tell one of the other teachers
that he had had a sudden call to go somewhere out of town," answered
Randy.

"Going away again, eh?" questioned Gif, in surprise. "He certainly is
getting to be a regular Man of Mystery."

The greater part of the cadets were wildly excited over the prospects of
a good time that night. A few of them, however, including Lieutenant
Harkness, Paul Halliday, and Brassy Bangs, looked far from pleased.

"They make me tired," was Brassy's comment. "You'd think that being major
of the school battalion was next to being president."

"If I can't be anything better than a lieutenant I think I'll resign
altogether," returned Harkness. "I'd rather go in for athletics."

"You'll have a pretty good chance if you do," a