urious eyes of Ruth and a
number of their other chums.

"Well, in one way, I'm glad of this," declared Mary, her pride showing
in her face. "It's exactly what I thought dad would do the minute we
got into the war. I knew he wouldn't want to be thought a slacker."

"But, Mary! suppose they got killed--or even wounded?" murmured
Martha.

"Martha Rover! do you want your father to hang back when he thinks
it's his duty to go to the front?" demanded Mary, her eyes snapping
questioningly.

"No, no!" answered her cousin quickly. "I know it's the right thing to
do. Just the same, it worries me a great deal; and I know it will
worry mamma, too."

"You mustn't say anything about being a slacker," admonished Jack. "If
it should get to the ears of Uncle Tom, it might make him feel very
bad."

"Oh, I don't put Uncle Tom down as a slacker," returned Mary quickly.
"I think he is making a great sacrifice, by staying behind to keep the
business together, and to serve on that Loan Committee and the Red
Cross Committee."

The young folks talked it over for some time, and decided to wait
until they got further word from home. Then the two girls went back
into the school to tell Miss Garwood and their chums the news, while
the boys hurried to Colby Hall, arriving there during the morning
recess.

"Say, but we've had some fun since you went away!" cried Andy gaily,
when they appeared. "Pud Hicks, the janitor's assistant, got the
surprise of his life."

"How is that?" questioned Fred.

"Why, Pud was using a vacuum cleaner in the upper hall when he saw
something in a dark corner that he couldn't quite make out. The thing
got stuck in the cleaner, and he put down his hand to see what it was.
The next minute he let out a yell like a wild Indian and came flying
down the corridor, scared stiff."

"What was it--the snapping turtle?" asked Jack.

"You've struck it. The turtle must have crawled into the corner, and
when he felt Pud's hand on him he took a good solid hold on Pud's
little finger.

"I had just gone upstairs to get a book when I saw Pud tearing around.
Half a dozen fellows were there, and the way Pud cut up was like a
circus. Shout Plunger came tearing upstairs to find out what it was
all about, and Pud gave the snapping turtle a sling, and it hit Shout
right in the face and then fell down inside his coat. Shout put his
hand inside to find out what it was, he being too deaf to hear the
talk about a snapping turtle, an