The Go Ahead Boys and the Racing Motorboat | Page 7

feet and tried to wipe up the grease as I
went along. "
"And didn't that work?"
"Nay, verily it didn't work. I took my seat that time on the pole and
then when I slipped, I tried to throw my arms around it. But for some
good reason I didn't delay very long, before I dropped with a splash
into the St. Lawrence."
"I hope they will have those things this summer," spoke up John.
"You would be a good one to walk on a greased pole," said George
soberly. "You wouldn't take much space and if you could once get a
footing you could reach forward almost to the end and grab the cup."

"If I did," retorted John, "you can rest easy that I wouldn't let go of it."
"How soon do we come to West Point?" inquired Grant.
"In about an hour," answered Fred.
"Do you know, I sometimes think I should like to go there," said
George.
"Couldn't be done, my son," spoke up John.
"Why can't it be done?"
"Because a fellow that enters West Point has to pass an examination."
"Don't you think I could pass it?" demanded George as his friends
laughed.
"It depends on what it is," answered John.
"If they would examine you about the old Meeker House and running
tin tubes from the kitchen into the front room and a few other things
like that maybe you would pass."[4]
[4] See "The Go Ahead Boys and the Mysterious Old House."
"That's all right," spoke up George promptly. "I know something about
what a fellow has to do before he passes the West Point examinations
anyway and that's more than some fellows I know can say."
"What do you know that we don't?" inquired John.
"How old does a fellow have to be to enter West Point?" demanded
George.
"I don't know," replied John somewhat foolishly. "I suppose he has to
be about eighteen, at least I suppose a fellow eighteen could enter."
"Could he enter if he was twenty-one?" inquired George.

"He could," spoke up Grant. "A fellow has to be between seventeen and
twenty-two years of age before he can take the preliminary
examinations. But there's another qualification almost as necessary," he
added. "He has got to be free from infirmities."
"No hope for Pop then," said John solemnly. "He has too many
infirmities."
"What, for example?" demanded George.
"His appetite is abnormal, his confidence in himself colossal, his
willingness to condescend to the level of his superiors is--"
"You're getting all mixed up," interrupted George. "A fellow has to
pass a good physical examination and that is all there is to it. Of course
if he has too long a tongue or too small a head it might shut him out."
"Of course," assented John. "How does a fellow get a chance to try the
examination anyway?"
"He has to be named by his congressman. Most of them, I guess, have a
preliminary examination for all the boys that want to enter and then
select the one who passes the best examination. But even if he passes,
his troubles have only begun, for they make every fellow work his
way."
"The government appropriates some money for every cadet, doesn't it?"
inquired John.
"Yes," replied George, "$709.50 per year. That is supposed to cover the
necessary expenses. It is not only hard work but the boys don't get but
one leave of absence in all the course, and even that isn't given until
after the first two years."
"But they have vacations, don't they?" inquired John.
"If you want to call them vacations," laughed Grant. "From about the
middle of June to the end of August the cadets go into camp. They are

busy every day."
"What does a fellow have to pass an examination in in order to enter
West Point?"
"English grammar, English composition, algebra through quadratic
equations, plane geometry, descriptive geography, physical geography,
United States history and the outlines of general history."
"I think I'll go if that's all," laughed John, who was well known to have
troubles with most of his examinations in school.
"Look at that boat over yonder!" suddenly interrupted Fred, pointing to
a motor-boat about one hundred feet away. "It looks to me as if it was
trying to pass us."
"That's just what it is trying to do," said Grant eagerly.
"Don't you let them do it, Peewee."
"That's just what I intend not to do," said Fred resolutely.
In a moment the speed of the Black Growler was increased, but it was
also manifest as the boys glanced behind them that the boat they had
noticed was in swift pursuit.
CHAPTER III
JOHN DISAPPEARS
The rival boat was distant about one hundred feet, moving in a line
nearly parallel with that which