Drills were now frequent, and were of various kinds; company drill, with field guns, in which no horses were used at first, mortar battery drill, battalion drill, and so on. The boys were tired many times during the days and nights spent in camp, but they all realized that it was for their good, that it was what they had come to West Point to learn, and that it was very necessary, if they were to become soldiers.
Tom sometimes wished he could take part with the older classes in building pontoon bridges, and in the practical military engineering, which consisted in mounting guns temporarily, making hasty entrenchments, temporary fortifications, barbed-wire entanglements, and so on.
But this was only for the upper classmen, and he realized that his turn would come soon enough. As for the “plebes” they had a daily routine that was rather dull, and often consisted in doing work in preparation for the evolutions and practice of the higher classes.
Dancing and swimming lessons were a part of the work, and it may be guessed that on hot days there was no inducement needed to get the boys into the water. It was not quite so with the dancing, however. Even though some of them were good dancers already, it was little fun whirling about with another plebe wearing a white handkerchief on his arm, to indicate that he was a “lady.”
But it all had to be done, and Tom rather liked it.
CHAPTER XVI
ON FURLOUGH
Tom had frequent letters from his mother, and in turn he sent her long accounts of his life at West Point. He emphasized the best points only, leaving out all references to the hard work, unless he could give a humorous turn to it, which he frequently did.
He did not mention his trouble with Clarence, and made light of the rescue of the boys from the burning motor boat. This was in case she might see something of it in the papers. It was reported in some of the New York journals, but, as Tom afterward learned, was not printed in his home town.
Indirectly Tom learned that Clarence had his motor boat repaired and went to Florida with it.
“Well, that’ll take him out of the way here for some time,” commented Sam, on hearing the news.