llroom.
In his first year, he has dancing lessons, but that is all that
comes his way.

Greg Holmes came to Prescott with a wistful, rather sad face.

"How are you coming on, Dick?" Greg asked.

"Meaning what?"

"Are you going to be well prepared for the examinations?"

"As far as being able to pass with a decent percentage," Dick
answered, "I am not all uneasy. All that worries me is the fear
that some other fellow may have a slightly better percentage.
That would ditch me, you know."

"Oh, you'll win out," predicted Greg loyally. "And I just wish
I had a chance like yours!"

"Why don't you go in and try for it, then?" urged Dick generously.

"No use," uttered Greg, shaking his head. "You can beat me on
the scholastic examination, and I know it, Dick. The best I could
hope for would be an appointment as your alternate. And your
alternate to West Point isn't going to stand any show for a cadetship,
Dick Prescott!"

Besides the candidate each Congressman may appoint one or more
"alternates." These alternates also report at West Point. If
the "principal" fails there, the alternate is given a chance to
make good for the cadetship.

But Greg Holmes, though he was wildly anxious to go to West Point,
felt certain that it would be useless to go there as Dick Prescott's
alternate.

"I hate to see you not try at all, Greg," declared Dick. "Why
don't you try? If you beat me out there won't be any hard feelings."

"I couldn't beat you out, and I don't want to, either," responded
Greg. "But wait! I may have something to tell you later on."

Dan Dalzell had much the same kind of a talk with Dave Darrin.
Dan felt the call to the sailor's life, but hadn't any notion
that he could slip in ahead of Darrin.

"Even if I could, Dave, I wouldn't try it," declared Dan earnestly.
"I want badly enough to go to Annapolis, and I admit it. But
I believe you're just about crazy to get there."

"I am," Dave admitted honestly. "But the prize goes to the best
fellow, Dan. Jump in, old fellow, and have your try at it."

Dalzell, however, shook his head and remained silent on the subject
after that.

To both Dick and Dave it seemed as though the next few days simply
refused to budge along on the calendar. Certainly neither of
them had ever known time to pass so slowly before.

"I hope I'll be able to keep my nerve up until the seventeenth,"
groaned Darrin.

"Surely, you will," grinned Dick. "You've got to!"