Shelled by an Unseen Foe | Page 2

Adjutant."

"What's he going to get ragged for now, I wonder," mused
Nickell-Wheelerson as he and Morales joined the crowd and went into
the mess hall.
Zaidos did not come back. Nick watched the door anxiously. They were
room-mates, and Nick was well aware of Nosey's tendencies in the way
of breaking minor rules. As soon as he could get out of the mess, he
hurried down past the Adjutant's office, and hastily framing an errand,
went in. The room was empty.
Nick hurried over to the barracks to their room. Sitting on the side of
his narrow bunk, his hands clenched, his face white, was Zaidos.
"What's the row, old top?" Nick sang out cheerfully as he made a great
pretense of picking up his books and stuffing a couple of pencils in the
top of his pigskin puttee.
The young Greek shook his head, and Nick realized that it was
something indeed very serious with him.
"What is the row, old man?" he said again, coming over and sitting
beside his friend. "What has the Adjutant got in for you this time?"
"Nothing," said Zaidos. "He had a cablegram from home. It is pretty
bad, Nick . . ." He paused. "My father is sick; fact is, he is dying; and
I've got to leave to-night."
"Gosh!" exclaimed Nick. "That's too bad! I'm more than sorry!"
"Yes, it's bad," said Zaidos. "And the queer thing is that I don't seem to
feel as sorry about my father dying as I do to think that I don't know
him any better. Think of it, Nick, I came over here to school when I
was not quite seven. My mother died when I was six, and since that I
have seen my father twice; once when he came over here, and the year I
went home. And it is not as though there was not plenty of money. I
suppose my father is the richest man, or one of the richest men, in
Greece. He's just--Oh, I don't know! He never seemed to be like a lot of
fathers I have seen. I never could get next to him. And I've been pretty

lonely most all my life. I have always planned to go back as soon as I
finished school, and get acquainted with my father. I thought if I tried, I
could make him like me. I suppose he does well enough, but I wanted
to be chummy with him. I thought I could if I tried."
"You bet you could, Nosey!" said Nick, an arm over the bowed
shoulder beside him. "You could warm up a wooden Indian, you old
live-wire, you! I jolly well know you! You would get under the crust if
anyone could! Perhaps it isn't as bad as they think. You go home, and
perhaps your father will get better, and you will get to be the best
chums in the world. Cheer up, old chap! It will come out all right. Do
you really go tonight?"
"Yes, I go to-night. They have got my tickets, and now they are
telephoning for my passage."
Nickell-Wheelerson sat thinking hard. Then he rose and bolted for the
door.
"Wait!" called Zaidos. "I want you to help me pack, Nick."
But the big English boy had disappeared. In half an hour he returned,
looking triumphant. He flung his trim military jacket on the bunk.
"That's done for!" he cried. He jerked a trunk into the middle of the
floor and, opening it, commenced to turn out its cluttered contents.
"Come on, Nosey!" he cried. "As our American brothers put it, 'get a
move on!' We have about half a day to get packed."
"Are you crazy?" demanded the Greek, staring at him.
"Not crazy, Nosey, dear chappie! Not crazy; merely going home!"
"Home?" repeated Zaidos feebly. "Home?"
"Home!" said Nick jubilantly. "With you! At least on the same steamer.
So if they blow us up on the way over, we can soar hand in hand, old
chum!"

"Well, when you get through raving, I wish you would tell how you did
it."
"I simply reminded the Adjutant that the arrangement was that I was
remaining here at my own discretion, as per Pater's written agreement. I
said I had decided to go with you, although I had been thinking for a
week that I might leave at any time. They mentioned money, and I
showed my little roll. There is plenty. So I am going to-night with you.
They have telephoned about a stateroom. That's all! I'm going to give
all my stuff away. I won't come back."
Nickell-Wheelerson never did come back. But that is another story.
There were a lot of poor marks made that afternoon. With the two most
popular fellows in the school going off,