love
with it at once.

"My! isn't it a peach?" murmured Teddy.

"It sure does make a hit with me!" agreed Fred emphatically.

"It's a dandy, all right," was Granger's comment, "and the fellows have
no end of fun on it. But come along now," he added. "You'll have plenty
of time later on to ask 'what are the wild waves saying?' But just at
present, we'd better hunt up old Hardtack."

"Hardtack?" asked Fred wonderingly.

"Sure!" grinned Granger, "the boss of this shebang."

"Oh!" exclaimed Fred, a light breaking in upon him, "you mean Dr.
Hardach Rally?"

"Dr. Hardach Rally," said Melvin, with mock solemnity, "is the very man
I mean.

"Naturally," he went on, "I don't call him 'Hardtack' to his face. It
wouldn't be exactly healthy to do it."

"Hardtack," chuckled Teddy. "Wouldn't Uncle Aaron have a fit if he knew
the fellows called him that?"

"The name fits pretty well, too, I guess," laughed Fred. "From what
we've heard, he must be a terror."

"Oh, I don't know," rejoined Granger. "He isn't exactly a cooing dove in
disposition, and if a fellow tries any monkey business, he comes down on
him like a thousand of brick. Still, he's not such a bad kind after all.
He's pretty severe, and he won't stand for a shirk or a crook. But if a
fellow's white and tries to do the square thing, he'll get along and not
find Hardtack too hard to digest."

By this time they had mounted the steps, and Granger, who had taken an
instant liking to the boys and had made himself their "guide,
philosopher and friend," led the way to the private office of the head
of Rally Hall.

A gruff "come in" was the answer to his knock, and they entered the
study.

It was a large square room with a polished hardwood floor. Behind the
flat mahogany desk sat Dr. Hardach Rally.

He was lean and spare and above middle height. He wore a pair of horn
spectacles through which peered a keen, uncompromising pair of eyes. He
gave the impression of a stern man, but nevertheless a just one.

"Good afternoon, Granger," he said stiffly, and his eyes rested
inquiringly on the two boys.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Rally," replied Granger. "These friends of mine are
Fred and Teddy Rushton. I met them at the railroad station."

Dr. Rally shook hands with the newcomers and asked them to be seated.
Then Granger excused himself and with a whispered "see you later"
hurried from the room.

CHAPTER XV

LEARNING THE ROPES

The boys sat there, silently s