"By Jove! do you know what day this is?" he asked, excitedly.
"No—that is—it's——"
"The first of August, and the bids for those army contracts are to be opened at noon!"
FOOTNOTE:
[1] An actual occurrence. On the sixteenth of July, 1888, the volcano of Bandai-San, in Northern Japan, exploded, killing a thousand people. The mountain was almost rent asunder, one-third being turned into liquid mud!
CHAPTER XXXVI. CONCLUSION.
"The army contracts!" echoed Grant. "Why, bless my soul, you are right! This is the day set by the war department for opening them."
All three lads instinctively glanced at the station clock.