“Bully for you, Dad!” shouted Andy slangily.
“I’ve already put in my application, and Major Kirby, who is an old friend of mine, has promised to push it right through; so I think I’ll be landed here in a day or two.”
The coming of Tom Rover and the ladies from New York City made the party at the camp quite a large one. The boys and girls enjoyed themselves thoroughly. It could be seen that a great weight was lifted from the minds of the twins, and there was no holding them in when it came to making fun.
All too soon it came time for the boys and girls to depart. The Rover boys shook hands warmly with their fathers, and the girls of course came in for a number of hugs and kisses.
“Take good care of yourself, Dad,” said Jack to his parent. “Don’t let those Huns shoot you.”
“I’m sure you’ll be coming back a general, Dad,” remarked Fred to his father.
“And don’t forget to bring back some German helmets, Dad, and things like that!” cried Randy.
“We’ll take any kind of souvenir, Dad—even a German sauerkraut masher,” put in Andy.
Then the boys and girls said good-bye to their mothers, and all hurried off to the two automobiles awaiting them. In a minute more they were leaving Camp Huxwell and were on their way to Camp Barlight. Martha was openly crying, and tears filled the eyes of Mary, and who could blame them? Even the boys looked mighty serious, and Ruth and the others had quite a task trying to cheer them up.
“There is no use in talking,” was the way Fred expressed himself: “Going to France is a serious business. It’s all well enough to talk about shooting up the Huns, and all that sort of thing, but don’t forget that the Huns may do a little shooting on their own account.”