As but two cadets would occupy the same tent Tom, Harry and Sam were to be separated. But only one tent apart, they were glad to note. Tom and Sam bunked together, while Harry went in with a lad named Chad Wilson, from New Jersey, a lad to whom Tom and his chums had taken a great liking.
“Well, now let’s get straightened out,” Tom suggested to Sam as they piled their belongings on the floor of the tent. Some of the older cadets kindly showed our friends how to sling their “stretchers,” a canvas holder that hung from the ridge-pole of the tent. In this stretcher is put clothing and everything that cannot be gotten in the lockers that stand on the floor. The tent of Tom and Sam was soon in proper and perfect shape for inspection.
“Say, they’re all right—those fellows!” exclaimed Sam, as the two upper classmen left, having spent some time showing him and Tom how to arrange their tent. “I like them.”
“Don’t let ’em know it,” advised Tom.
“Why not?”
“Because they’ll freeze to us and make us their ‘special duty’ men. They probably will anyhow.”
“What’s ‘special duty’ men?” Sam wanted to know.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
And Sam did. A little later he and Tom were detailed to keep in order the tent of the two third-year cadets who had showed them how to arrange their bedding that first day. And for the remainder of that camp the two “plebes” were obliged to do all sorts of services for the upper classmen, from making contraband lemonade to going on errands and writing their less important letters.
In exchange the protection of the upper-class cadets was thrown around their special duty men. No other cadet was allowed to utilize their services, nor even to haze them mildly. And Tom and Sam also were given much friendly advice, help in their studies, and acquired some cast-off, but very good, clothing that came in very handy for lads whose spending money was limited.