"If the Illinois Central had built its tracks through to Blixton I probably would have arrived at a civilized hour," laughed Dick. "As it was, I had to come in on a wood-burning, backwoods road and the train was only five hours and a half behind schedule. Then, from a sleepy policeman I got directions that enabled me to find this place after an hour's hard work." To what effect? Only to be pounced upon by you as though you had caught me in the act of stealing all the water in the Gulf of Mexico!"
"Stop your roasting," laughed Tom joyfully. "But say, it does seem good to set eyes on you again, after two years."
All of our readers who have read the "High School Boys Series" and the "West Point Series" know all about Dick Prescott, the famous leader of Dick & Co.
"What are you now?" Tom asked eagerly. "A general, or only a colonel?"
"Nothing but a shavetail," laughed Dick. "Shavetail is the army nickname for a second lieutenant."
"I've got to join my regiment, the Thirty-fourth Infantry, out in Colorado very soon," continued Prescott. "But I came down here to spend a few days with you, if you can stand me."
"If we can stand you!" chuckled Tom, patting his old high school chum on the back. "Say, where's Greg?"
Greg Holmes had been another member of Dick & Co., and Dick's chum and comrade at West Point.
"Well, you see," laughed Lieutenant Prescott, "Greg has been falling in love with six girls a year regularly ever since he entered West Point. Now that he's in the army he has started in to increase the yearly average. He's visiting a Miss Deering, who lives near Chicago."
"Greg's likely never to marry," wisely remarked Tom. "These fellows who catch a new love fever every few weeks always end up by finding that no girl wants them. But say, Dick you hardly look the soldier."