"I shouldn't--ah--care for such dirty work," replied William Philander Tubbs with dignity.

"Or police a camp?"

"Surely you don't think I was ever a policeman?"

"Don't you remember what policing a camp is?" asked George Granbury.

"Upon my honor, I do not."

"It means to clean up the streets, burn up the rubbish, and all that."

"Thank you, but I do not--ah--care to become a street cleaner," returned Tubbs, with great dignity.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid you are not cut out for a corporalship," came from Tom.

"I didn't say a corporalship, Tom, I said--"

"Excuse me, I meant a sergeantship."

"No, I said--"

"Make it a second lieutenantship, then, Tubby. Anything to be friends, you know."

"I said--"

"Oh, bother, if you want to be a major-general, go ahead. n.o.body will stop you."

"Hurrah, Major-General Tubbs!" cried Sam. "That sounds well, doesn't it, fellows?"

"We'll have to present him with a tin-plated sword," came from one of the crowd.

"And a pair of yellow worsted epaulets," added another.

And then Songbird Powell began to sing softly:

"Rub a dub, dub!

Here comes General Tubb!

He'll make you bow to the ground!

You must stop ev'ry lark, And toe the chalk mark, As soon as he comes around."

"There you are, Tubby; think of Songbird composing a poem in your honor," cried Tom. "You ought to present him with a leather medal."

"I--I don't like such--er--such doggerel," cried William Philander Tubbs angrily. "I think--"

"Well, I never!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Tom, in pretended astonishment. "And Songbird worked so hard over it, too! Thus doth genius receive its reward. Songbird, if I were you, I'd give up writing poems, and go turn railroad president, track-walker, or something like that."

"You boys are simply horrid, don't you know!" cried Tubbs, and, pushing his way through the crowd, he walked to the other end of the boat.

"Being away from school hasn't done Tubby any good," was Fred Garrison's remark. "He thinks he's the High Tum-Tum, and no mistake."

"Don't fret, he'll be taken down before the term is over," came from Larry Colby.

"That's true," added another pupil, who had been taken down himself two terms before. "And when he hits his level he'll be just as good as any of us."

The time on the steamer pa.s.sed quickly enough, and after several stops along the lake, the Golden Star turned in at the Cedarville landing, and all of the Putnam Hall cadets went ash.o.r.e.

CHAPTER VII

SOMETHING ABOUT THE MILITARY ACADEMY

As my old readers know, Cedarville was only a small country village, so the arrival and departure of the steamer was a matter of importance to the inhabitants.

The boys, consequently, found the little dock crowded with sightseers and more than one face looked familiar to them.

"There are the Rover boys," said one man, quite loudly. "Everybody knows 'em."

"We are growing notorious, it would seem," whispered d.i.c.k to Sam.

Back of the dock stood the big carryall attached to Putnam Hall, with the old Hall driver, Peleg Snuggers, on the box.

"Hullo, Peleg, old friend!" shouted Tom, waving his hand at the man.

"How are we to-morrow, as the clown in the circus puts it?"

"I'm all right, Master Tom--an' will be so long as you let me alone,"

was the deliberate answer from the driver.

"He remembers you all right enough, Tom," came from George Granbury.

"Now, Peleg, don't throw cold water on my enthusiasm," said Tom reproachfully.

"I ain't throwin' water on n.o.body, Master Tom; I'm only giving fair warning that I want to be let alone," answered the driver doggedly. "No more monkey shines around me, remember that."

"All right, Peleg, I'll remember. And how is Mrs. Green, our worthy housekeeper?"

"First-rate."

"No whooping-cough?"

"No."

"Nor measles, or chicken-pox?"

"Not a bit of 'em."