“I’d like to know what put that into your head, Tom,” came from the tent opening, and Sam Rover, the youngest of the three brothers, stepped into view.

“Uncle Randolph put it into my head, not over half an hour ago, Sam.  It’s this way:  You’ve heard of John V. Black of Jackville?”

“The man that owed Uncle Randolph some money?”

“Exactly.  Well, Black is a bankrupt, or next door to it.  He couldn’t pay Uncle Randolph what was coming to him, so he turned over a houseboat instead.  She’s a beauty, so I am told, and she is called the Dora—­”

“After Dora Stanhope, of course,” interrupted the youngest Rover, with a quizzical look at his big brother Dick.

“Now look here, don’t you start in like that, Sam,” came quickly from Dick, with a blush, for the girl mentioned was his dearest friend and had been for some years.  “Tell us about this houseboat, Tom,” he went on.

“The houseboat is now located on the Ohio River, at a place not many miles from Pittsburg.  Uncle Randolph says if we wish to we can use her this summer, and float down to the Mississippi and further yet for that matter.  And we can take along half a dozen of our friends, too.”

“Hurrah! that’s splendid!” burst out Sam.  “What a glorious way to spend the best part of this summer!  Let us go, and each take a chum along.”

“Father says if we go we can take Alexander Pop along to do the cooking and dirty work.  The houseboat is now in charge of an old river-man named Captain Starr, who knows the Ohio and Mississippi from end to end, and we can keep him on board.”

“It certainly looks inviting,” mused Dick Rover.  “It would take us through a section of the country we haven’t as yet seen, and we might have lots of sport, fishing, and swimming, and maybe hunting.  How many will the houseboat accommodate?” he added.

“Twelve or fourteen, on a pinch.”

“Then we could have a jolly crowd.  The question is, who are you going to take along?  We can’t take all of our friends, and it would seem a shame to ask some and not others.”

“We can decide that question later, Dick.  Remember, some of the fellows already have their arrangements made for this summer.”

“I know Major Colby can’t go,” said Sam.  “He is going to visit some relatives in Maine.”

“And George Granbury is going up to the Thousand Islands with his folks,” put in Tom.

“We might ask Songbird Powell,” came from Dick.  “I don’t believe he is going anywhere in particular.”

“Yes, we ought to have him by all means, and Hans Mueller, too.  They would be the life of the party.”

“I should like to have Fred Garrison along,” said Sam.  “He is always good company.  We can—­”

Sam broke off short as the roll of a drum was heard on the parade ground outside the tent.

“Dress parade, for the last time!” cried Dick Rover.  “Come, get out and be quick about it!” And as captain of Company A he caught up his sword and buckled it on in a hurry, while Tom, as a lieutenant of the same command, did likewise.