Himski laughed. “I wouldn’t think so if he gave me a four for the month,” he replied. “Moehler is all right; he just had to get acquainted with the place, that’s all. Say, Os, why do you go to the gymnasium every night?”
“Oh, I’m practicing boxing; I’m doing some heavy weight slugging. If I should get into an argument with Creelton I’d probably lose my temper, and we’d get into a fight, and I want to be able to take care of myself.”
“You needn’t worry. If Creelton is the man we suspect he is, he’ll never fight. But we’ll have a fine time here during the summer while the other classes are on leave, won’t we?”
“Yes, but I imagine it will be hot. We are to work in the different shops every morning and have boat sailing every afternoon.”
The end of Ralph’s third class year was soon at hand. It is ever a joyous time at Annapolis; for each year at this time it blossoms into happiness. Graduation came and left Ralph a second classman, and he was immediately conscious of added dignity. The old tune “Ain’t I glad to get out of the Wilderness” once more rang in his ears. “And in two more years, Himski,” he said to his roommate, “that tune will be played for you and for me.”
Himski stood first in his class for the year, Bollup second, Ralph third, and Creelton fourth. There were now seventy midshipmen left in the class, some having been dropped, or “bilged,” as midshipmen say, for being unsatisfactory in studies.
Ralph’s class remained at Annapolis during the summer. The mornings were spent in the shops, at machine work, blacksmithing and boiler work. Here, in grimy working clothes, each midshipman was given tools and required to perform different tasks. At the end of August Ralph could turn out quite a respectable piece of work from a lathe, a shaper or planer; could weld pieces of wrought iron, and was quite an all around machinist. The afternoons were generally spent in different seamanship drills, boat sailing taking up most of the time.
September first soon came and all midshipmen except fourth classmen were given a month’s leave. Ralph left at once for Toledo, but in spite of cordial greetings from many friends, with his dear father not there, Toledo no longer seemed home to him; and so in the middle of September he joyfully accepted an invitation from Bollup to spend the remainder of his leave at the latter’s home in Virginia.
On his arrival at the little country station, he was most enthusiastically received by Bollup who was waiting for him in a buggy.
“Hurrah for you,” called out Bollup as soon as he caught sight of him. “By George, but I’m glad to see you. Hop in, old man; we’ve got a short drive and then we’ll be home and a real old Virginia supper will be ready for us.”