"You know I can't do that," muttered Cadet Jordan. "But you-----"
"Silence, sir, and attend to your duty!"
Then, raising his voice to one of general command, Prescott called:
"Construct the bridge!"
Jordan fell back, with a surly face and a muttered imprecation, to
take command of the squad of yearlings, or third classman who must
serve in carrying the heavy balks.
In the meantime Dick's roommate, Greg Holmes, had hurried his
squad away to the flat-bottomed, square-ended pontoon boats, placing
his crews therein.
Almost instantly, it seemed, Greg had placed the first boat in
position.
"Lay the balks!" ordered Dick Prescott.
Cadet Jordan moved forward with some of his yearlings, who carried
the heavy balks, or flooring timbers, on their shoulders. It was
hot, hard work---"thankless," as the young men often termed it in
private.
These balks were laid across the first pontoon.
As quickly as the balks had been laid the detachment of lashers were
at work securing the balks in place.
"Shove off!"
The first was floated to the mooring stakes and a second boat
was moved into position.
"Chess!"
Another column of yearlings moved forward, each with a heavy plank
on his shoulder. It was heavy, hot, hard and dirty work. Outsiders
who imagine that the Military Academy is engaged in turning out
"uniformed dudes" should see this work done by the cadets.
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