"Such as what?"
"Dave, old fellow, can you keep a secret?"
"Bosh! You know I can."
"A big secret?"
"Stop that!"
"Well, I'll tell you, Dave. By and by there are going to be, in this state, two appointments to cadetships at West Point. Our Congressman will have one appointment. Senator Alden will have the other. Now, in this state, appointments to West Point are almost always thrown open to competitive examination. All the fellows who want to go to West Point get together, at the call, and are examined. The fellow who comes off best is passed on to West Point to try his luck."
"And you think you can prove that you're the brightest fellow in the district?" laughed Dave good-humoredly.
"There are to be two chances, and I think I can prove that I'm one of the two brightest to apply. And Dave!"
"Well?"
"Why don't you go in to prove that you're the other brightest fellow. Just think! West Point! And the Army for a life career!"