ourse his offer will be accepted," answered Ralph Mason. "Now
that we are in this great war Uncle Sam will need all the soldiers he
can possibly muster, and of course they've got to have first-class men
like Colonel Colby to command them."

"You're right there," said Fred. Then he looked questioningly at Jack
and the twins. The others understood that look, but just then nothing
was said concerning the thought which had rushed into their minds.

"I've got to go now," said Ralph Mason, a few minutes later. "I
suppose you fellows will want to celebrate that baseball victory
to-night?"

"Surest thing you know!" declared Jack.

"I don't suppose we'll have as much fun as we would have had if the
shell-loading plant hadn't gone up," grumbled Andy. "We can't make any
such noise as that."

"Oh, we'll have fun enough--don't worry about that," answered his twin
quickly.

"Well, don't tear the old Hall down," returned the young major,
laughing, and then hurried away.

"This certainly is great news about Colonel Colby's volunteering for
the army," said Jack, a little later.

"I wonder why Captain Dale doesn't volunteer, too?" said Andy.

"Oh, he's too old; and besides he's somewhat crippled by rheumatism or
something," said Randy.

The Rover boys hurried off to their room to get into their cadet
uniforms. The twins went on ahead, leaving Jack and Fred alone for the
time being.

"Jack, what do you think our fathers will do?" questioned Fred. He
remembered that both Jack's father and his own had at one time been
officers of the cadets at Putnam Hall. The fun-loving father of the
twins had never aspired to such a position, being content to remain "a
high private in the rear rank," as he himself had often expressed it.

"I'm sure I don't know, Fred," was the sober reply. "It may be that
they will be just as anxious to get into the war as Colonel Colby
seems to be. But you must remember that they are at the head of The
Rover Company, and possibly they won't be able to leave--at least not
right away."

"But they are so patriotic they'll want to go," declared Fred.

"Well, if they make up their minds to go, I guess we'll be among the
first to hear about it."

"Gee, how I'd like to be a soldier boy!" sighed Fred. "Wouldn't it be
great if all of us cadets could go into the army?"

"We'll have to wait four or five years before we can do that, Fred.
And I rather think that by that time this great war will be over."

"Oh,