Dinner was had under some large spreading chestnut trees. It was plain but wholesome, and the long morning march had given everybody a good appetite.
“Are you enjoying your hard-tack, Stuffer?” asked Pepper, with a wink at the always-hungry cadet.
“Humph! I knew you fellows were only fooling,” was the answer.
At two o’clock the march was resumed, and kept up until half-past five. They had now reached a spot known as Squire’s Grove, and here tents were pitched in true military style. Big fires were started, and the cadets had their first taste of camp life.
“Say, but I’d like about a month of this,” was Andy’s comment, after each cadet had been assigned to his quarters.
“Perhaps we couldn’t have some fun!” put in Pepper. “As it is, I’m going to try for some fun to-night.”
“Right you are, Pep.”
The air was so cool in the evening that the cadets were glad enough to gather around the big camp-fires. They told stories, and sang songs, and all too quickly came the hour to turn in.
As Captain Putnam wanted the students to learn what real military life was like, each cadet was assigned to two hours of guard duty during the night. As soon as he heard of this, Pepper learned where Mumps would be stationed, and then called Andy to one side.
“Did you hear that ghost story Dale was telling?” he questioned.