“Well, they’ve sent their submarines over here already.”
“I know that. But I don’t think they’ve got enough submarines to transport an army that way.”
Since coming to Colby Hall the Rover boys had occupied four very pleasant rooms on the second floor in a wing of the great building. But instead of using the four rooms for bedrooms, the twins slept together and all used one of the extra rooms, No. 20, for a sitting-room.
“You fellows have got to hurry up or you’ll be late for roll call!” cried Randy, when he entered.
“Oh, I think they’ll give us a little leeway on account of all the excitement,” returned Fred. And he was right,—the roll call and drill were postponed for half an hour, for which many of the cadets were thankful.
It did not take the Rovers long to throw off their baseball togs, wash, and don their uniforms. Then they lost no time in rushing below to the gun rack and obtaining their rifles, doing this just as the drums rattled on the parade ground.
Soon the battalion of several companies was examined, and then began the roll call. After this there was a brief inspection by Captain Dale, with Colonel Colby looking on. Then the drums rattled and the fifes struck up a lively march air, and the cadets marched around the grounds, disposed of their rifles, and entered the mess hall of the institution. Here each had his place assigned to him at one of the long tables, each table presided over by one of the officers or a teacher.
The meal was a substantial one, for Colonel Colby believed in treating his pupils well, and it is perhaps needless to state that all of the cadets fell to with vigor. There was a constant clatter of forks and knives, mingled with a flow of lively conversation, carried on, however, in rather a subdued tone, for boisterousness of any sort in the mess hall was against regulations. After each lad finished he excused himself and left the hall, and soon all of them had scattered in various directions.
“Bonfires to-night!” announced Andy gaily, as he turned a handspring on the campus.
“I think we ought to have some sort of feast,” said Fred.