r. Drayne?" asked Dave.

"Just watch father and son, and see how they seem to be enjoying
their talk," chuckled Tom. "There, what do you see now? I thought
it would end like that."

This was the first time it had occurred to the elder Drayne that
his son's character would be inquired into. In fact, Mr. Drayne
had had half an idea that the United States Military Academy
was a place that made a specialty of reforming wild boys and
making useful citizens of them.

CHAPTER XX

When the Great News Was Given Out

At just nine o'clock Congressman Spokes came on to the platform
followed by two other men.

One of these latter was a town official, who, in a very few words,
introduced the Member of Congress.

Congressman Spokes now addressed the young men upon the vocations
they were seeking to enter. He explained that neither the Military
nor the Naval Academy offered an inducement to boys fond only
of their ease and good times.

"At either school," warned the Congressman "you will find ahead
of you years of the hardest work and the strictest discipline.
No boy whose character is not good can hope to enter these schools
of the nation. It is not worth any boy's while to enter unless
he stands ready to sacrifice everything, his own ideas and prejudices
included, to the service of his country and his flag."

Congressman Spokes continued in this line for some time. Then
he called for the boys who wished to try for West Point to gather
at the right side of the hall; those for Annapolis at the left
side.

"This is the first time you and I haven't been on the same side
in everything, old fellow," Dick whispered smilingly, as he and
Dave Darrin parted.

What a hurried count the interested youngsters made! But Tom
Reade, who didn't belong to either crowd, probably made the most
accurate count. He discovered that sixty-two of the boys had
voted for West Point. Forty-one favored Annapolis. A few young
men present, like Tom, didn't care to go to either government
school.

"When I am ready to give the word," continued Congressman Spokes,
"the young men who want to go to West Point will file out of the
door at this end of the hall. In the rooms across the corridor
they will find the physicians who are making the physical examinations
for West Point.

"The Annapolis aspirants will file downstairs and enter through
the first door at the left, where other physicians will make the
physical examinations for A