oys walking with the girls to
Clearwater Hall.

"Oh, Jack, you can't think how proud I am to know they have made you a
captain!" said Ruth, who was walking beside the newly-elected officer.
"And I think you ought to be very proud yourself."

"I admit it makes me feel pretty good, Ruth," he answered.

"But you'll have to be careful," went on the girl anxiously. "Randy
told me on the way to church that a cadet named Werner is very angry
because you cut him out of one of the captaincies."

"I'm not afraid of Werner or any of his crowd!"

"Yes, but he may try to make trouble, Jack. Don't forget how Brown and
Martell acted--and are acting still."

"I won't forget, Ruth." And then, making sure that none of the others
was noticing, he pressed the girl's fingers tightly within his own.
"It's awfully nice to have you so interested," he whispered. And,
although she did not answer to this, she gave him a bright look that
lingered in his memory for many a day afterward.

In the meantime Fred was walking along with May Powell, and had also
been congratulated on attaining a lieutenancy. May was full of fun,
and her eyes showed it.

"I suppose some day it will be Major Fred Rover!" she exclaimed. "My,
won't you look grand with a whole lot of gold lace, and a cockade hat,
and all that sort of thing!"

"No gold lace for mine, May!" he laughed.

Spouter and Gif were walking with Martha and Mary, and soon the whole
crowd reached Clearwater Hall. Here the boys had to say good-bye to
the girls, and this was rather a lingering process, since the young
folks did not know exactly when they would get together again.

"But don't forget we expect to march past here to-morrow morning about
ten o'clock," said Jack. "If you are really patriotic you'll be
watching for us and have your flags out."

"Don't you worry about that," answered Ruth. "We're going to ask Miss
Garwood for a special recess in honor of the occasion."

The evening was spent by the boys in packing their things and in
otherwise getting ready for the encampment. There was, however, the
usual song service at eight o'clock in the assembly room of the Hall,
on this occasion presided over by a minister who had stopped at the
Hall to visit his two nephews, who were pupils there. The minister was
a good speaker, and he made an address which the cadets listened to
with close attention.

Early in the morning came a sound that told all the cadets that the
annual encampment w