"We were just wishing that you two had fallen into the same kind
of luck, and that you were going into uniform with us," declared
Dick.
Reade glared at Prescott.
"Humph!" muttered Tom. "I thought you were a friend of mine!"
"I judge it's a mighty good thing we don't all hunger for the
same careers," laughed Harry. "For instance, all young fellows
can't go into the United Service. There aren't jobs enough to
go around. The United States Army is just about big enough to
find with a good magnifying glass. As for the Navy-----"
"Be careful," warned Darrin touchily.
"As for the Navy," continued Hazelton, "Congress has a lot of
officers trained and then seems to think that one new battleship
every other year or so ought to keep the country patient."
"You fellows are going to be downright happy, I know," resumed
Tom. "But so are Harry and I. We finish out our High School
work, and then our chance is ahead of us."
"To _find_?" queried Dave.
"No, sir! We've _got_ it," retorted Tom. "It came to us only
recently, and Harry and I have been keeping a bit quiet, but now
it is time to tell the news---just in the circle of Dick & Co."
By dint of great hustling, and backed by recommendations from
the local civil engineer, Reade and Hazelton had secured a chance,
beginning in the coming July, to join as rodmen the engineering
party that was laying a new railroad over the Rockies, in Colorado.
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