CHAPTER VII
FOR LOVE OF COUNTRY
Although it was nearly midnight when he reached home, Frank found hismother sitting up and waiting for him.
"You shouldn't have sat up for me, Mother," he said, in tones of tenderreproach. "It's too bad that you should be robbed of your sleep likethis."
"I don't mind as long as I know you're coming," replied his mother."It is the other nights I shall dread, the nights when I shall not hearyour footsteps on the porch, and I'm afraid that time is coming verysoon."
"I fear it is, Mother," he replied gently. "There's only one thingleft for me to do. I have felt it before, but I feel it more than everafter what I've heard to-night. I wish you'd been there, Mother, andheard the unbelievable things I did about the way the Germans arecarrying on this war. And yet again I'm glad you weren't, for it wouldhave turned your very soul sick. There's no use talking, the Prussianspirit must be crushed, and until it is, this world won't be a fitplace to live in."
"I know you are right, dear," responded Mrs. Sheldon. "And though itbreaks my heart to have you go, I'll give you up as cheerfully as I canand try to live through the long days when you're away from me. Of onething I feel sure, that wherever you go, or whatever your country callsupon you to do, you'll make me proud of you."
"I'll do my best, Mother," Frank replied. "I'm not going for glory orfor promotion or anything else except to see my country win the war.All I ask is a chance to do my bit."
Camport was a changed city the next day. A new spirit and new purposewere visible in the looks of all. The long strain of waiting was overand America was girding herself for the fight.
"Well," old Peterson was saying as Frank entered the office, "it's upto you young fellows to show that America's still got the stuff. Ionly wish I were young enough to shoulder a gun and go myself."
"You've done your share, Mr. Peterson," said Bart. "If the boys ofto-day do as well as those who wore the blue and gray they'll show thePrussians where they get off."
"It will make a big change in this place," said the old bookkeeper, ashe looked around at the group of eager faces. "You young roosters allseem to be aching to get into the scrap, and there won't be any of youleft."
"Rabig will be here," piped up Reddy, and there was a general laugh.
"I could spare him," growled old Peterson, with whom Rabig was about asunpopular as he was with the younger men.
"Well, fellows, let's count noses," said Frank. "How many of us aregoing to enlist and how many of us are going to wait for the draft?"
"Enlist! enlist!" came in a general chorus, reinforced by Reddy'sshrill treble.
"You'll have to wait awhile, Reddy," laughed Frank. "Your heart's allright, but Uncle Sam isn't ready for the kids yet."
"Mr. Peterson said there were boys in the Union army only fourteenyears old," grumbled Reddy. "And if they could fight I don't see why Ican't."
"I'm going into the navy," announced Dick Ormsby, whose father was aretired sea captain. "I've got the love of blue water in my veins Iguess, and I'm aching to get a chance to pot a German U-boat."
"Me for the aviators!" cried Will Baxter. "I always wanted to be ahigh flyer--now I've got the chance. I know all about running amotorcycle and that ought to help a lot."
"I'd like to join the cavalry," joined in Hal Chase. "But they don'tseem to have much use for them in this war. Horses can't go overtrenches and barbed wire fences."
"The infantry's good enough for me," declared Frank.
"And for me, too," echoed Bart. "Uncle Sam needs men in every branch,but after all, it's the hand to hand fighting of the armies that'sgoing to decide this war."
At this moment, Mr. Moore, the senior member of the firm, came out fromhis office. He was a large man with a genial face and bearing, and wasgenerally liked by his employees to whom he was fair and just.
His eyes twinkled as he saw the alacrity with which the young menscattered to their desks.
"Don't worry, boys," he said. "I know that your minds aren't much onbusiness to-day, and I don't wonder. To tell the truth, I'd be sorryif they were. There come times when there's only one important thingin the world, and this is one of the times. I've got just a word tosay to you boys," he went on. "I don't know just what each one of youis planning to do in connection with this war. Each one of you mustdecide that matter for himself. From things I've heard, most of youseem eager to go. I shall be sorry to lose you, for we never werebusier than we are now, but I should be still more sorry to have youstay here when your country needs you at the front.
"Mr. Thomas and I have been talking this thing over and we want to sayto you that as far as the money part of it is concerned you needn'thesitate. We're not going to let you lose a cent by following yourpatriotic instinct. Some of you have dependents at home who rely inpart or wholly upon what you earn. So we have decided that yoursalaries will go on as usual--that is, that we will make up thedifference between what the Government pays you and what you aregetting now. In that way you will be able to serve your country withnothing on your mind except the best and quickest way to win the war."
A spontaneous cheer rose from the young men, as with a smile and waveof his hand their employer turned back to his office.
"Gee, but he's a game sport!" exclaimed Reddy, voicing forcibly ifinelegantly the feeling of all.
If there had been any hesitation before, this generous speech removedit and now the boys were ready for action.
That very evening Frank and Bart, accompanied by Billy Waldon, went tothe headquarters of the Thirty-seventh regiment. Here they put intheir applications for enlistment.
There were few formalities, for the regiment was eager to recruit itsnumbers up to full strength.
Neither one of the chums had any trouble in passing the physicalexamination, for both were splendid specimens of manhood. Frank wassix feet tall in his stocking feet, straight and lithe as an Indian,and with fine muscular development.
Bart, who was two inches shorter, was broad shouldered, well set up,and capable of great endurance. All the prodding of the doctors failedto reveal the slightest defect, and they passed the test triumphantly.
Then they took the oath of allegiance, promising in words what they hadlong since promised in their hearts, and were duly enrolled as membersof the famous regiment.
"Well, now you're one of us, boys," cried Billy, as he grasped the handof each warmly. "And, believe me, it's a great old regiment to belongto. Come along and I'll show you some of the flags we carried in theCivil War."
They went with him through the armory and saw some of the treasuredrelics that the regiment cherished as its most priceless possessions.
There were the old flags, blackened with powder, torn with bullets,that had gone through the fire of Antietam and Gettysburg andChickamauga.
The boys took off their hats as they stood before them.
There were the cannon that had thundered on the banks of the Rapidanand in the valley of the Shenandoah. A glass case covered a letter ofcommendation for a wild charge that had saved the day at Shiloh. Therewas the blood-stained hat of the colonel who had fallen while leadingthe regiment at Gaines' Mill.
"That was the kind of stuff the regiment was made up of in the olddays," said Billy, proudly.
"It's a glorious record," said Frank, reverently. "And now it's up tous to show that what the old boys did in Virginia, the young fellowsare going to do again in France!"