“Sure thing,” nodded Dave sympathetically.  “My Dad had to hold on to me to stop my leaving the house an hour earlier than I did.”

Both boys laughed, though not very heartily.  Each was under a terrific strain—–­just from wondering!

“If I get through, and win out to-day,” muttered Dick, “I know I shan’t feel half as anxious when it comes time to take the graduating exams.”

“No,” agreed Dave.  “Then you’ll know you have a chance; but to-day you can’t be sure of that much.”

Five minutes before train time the chums were astonished at seeing another of the chums walk into the station.  It was Tom Reade, looking as jovial and contented as a youngster could possibly look.

“Hullo, Tom!” came from Dick.

“Howdy, Tom, old man!” was Dave’s greeting.

“Hullo, fellows!” from Reade.

“Where are you bound?” inquired Dick.

“Wilburville?”

“What?”

“Fact!” Reade assured them.

“Going to the exams.?” Dave demanded quickly.

“Yep.”

“Why, you never said a word about thinking of West Point,” exploded Prescott.

“You were making fun of Annapolis only the other day!” asserted Dave, just as though making fun of Annapolis were one of the capital crimes.

“Hang West Point!” exploded Tom Reade.

“Oh!  Then it’s Annapolis you’re after,” grunted Darrin.

“Sink Annapolis!” exclaimed Reade.

“Then what on earth are you after?” demanded Dick.

“Have you any fool idea in your head, Tom, that you can take an exam and stand a chance of getting Congressman Spokes’s job away from him?” Dave asked.

Tom threw himself into one of the seats, crossed his feet, thrust his hands down in his ulster pockets, and surveyed the pair before he answered: 

“I’ll tell you what ails you two.  You have a notion that the sun rises at West Point and sets at Annapolis.  Now, I know a heap better, and I haven’t an eye on either place.  Can you fellows guess why I’ve taken the day off from school and why I’m going to Wilburville?”

“We surely can’t,” declared Dave.

“Well, then, I’ll tell you,” promised Tom amiably.  “I knew you two good old chaps would be going to pieces with blue funk to-day.  I knew you’d be chattering inside, and turning all sorts of colors outside.  You’d try to cheer each other, but each of you is too badly scared to be of any use to the other.  So I’ve come along to take up your minds, jolly you and stiffen your backbones alternately.  That’s my whole job for to-day.”

Looking in some amazement at Reade, the other two chums realized that good old Tom was telling the truth.

“Of course, I’ll admit,” continued Reade, “that, if I were going on the grill to-day, I’d be worse than either of you.  But I’m not.  I wouldn’t live in West Point, and I wouldn’t be caught dead at Annapolis, so I shan’t have any scares or any nervous streak to-day.  I’ll look after you both, the best I can, and do what little lies in my power to keep your minds off your troubles.”