"Come on up to the Hall," went on Jack. "I'm sure they will let you dry them in front of the open fire in the big living-room."
"Oh, Jack, we don't want to go there in such a crowd of cadets!"
"Don't worry about the cadets," put in Fred.
When they arrived at the living-room of the military academy, they found it practically deserted, the great majority of the cadets being at the lake front or in the big boathouse, where a pot stove was kept going for the benefit of the skaters.
"My, but this is a cozy place!" remarked Ruth, after she had become comfortably settled in a big armchair with her feet resting close to the blaze.
"I wish I was a cadet here," sighed May. "It's more fun being a boy than being a girl."
"How do you know? You never were a boy," returned Fred, with a grin.
"I know, just the same," May answered. "I'm sure you boys have a much better time of it than we girls."
This started quite an argument, in which all of the young people, including Spouter, joined. In the midst of the talk Andy and Randy came in, having been told where the others had gone.
"It's all over and everybody is safe," announced Randy.