"Oh, Maxie, isn't that fine!" whispered Lulu, ecstatically. "Wouldn't you like to be that officer?"
"I'd ten times rather be captain of a good ship," returned Max.
"I believe I'd rather be in the navy, too, if I were a boy," she said; "but I'd like the army next best."
But the drum again tapped sharply, the cadets in each street resolved themselves into two long parallel lines, elbow to elbow, and at the last tap faced suddenly outward, while the glistening rifles sprang up to "support arms;" every first sergeant called off his roll, every man as he answered to his name snapping down his piece to the "carry" and "order."
That done, the sergeant faced his captain, saluting in soldierly fashion, and took his post; the captain whipped out his shining sword; the lieutenants stepped to their posts.
"This is the morning inspection," Mr. Keith said in reply to an inquiring look from Max and Lulu.
"Are they very particular, sir?" queried Max.
"Very; should a speck of rust be found on a cadet's rifle, a single button missing from his clothing, or unfastened, a spot on his trousers, a rip or tear in his gloves, or dust on his shoes, it is likely to be noted on the company delinquency-book to-day, and published to the battalion to-morrow evening."
"I wonder if they're as strict and hard on a fellow as that at Annapolis," thought Max to himself. "I mean to ask Papa about it."
"Now," said Mr. Keith, "there'll be a moment's breathing spell, then more music by the band while the cadets go through some of their exercises, which I think you will find well worth looking at."
They did enjoy it extremely,--the music, the manoeuvres of the cadets under the orders now of the adjutant, and again of the officer in command.
There followed a half-hour of rest, in which Mr. Keith introduced his friend, Captain Raymond, to some of the other officers, and they all had a little chat together.
But as the clock struck nine the cadets were again in ranks.
"What are they going to do now, Mr. Keith?" asked Lulu.
"This is the hour for battery drill," was the reply.
"Ah, I'm glad we're going to see that!" said Max. "I'd rather see it than anything else."
"The cadets are dividing and going in different directions," said Lulu. "Some of them seem to be going down by the river."