wouldn't be fit to be an Army officer. But Captain Goodwin
laughed at me."

"Then he didn't find anything much wrong with your heart!"

"He said he guessed I had had some discomfort at times, but that,
if I would eat more slowly, and chew my food better, my stomach
would get a rest and stop shoving my heart."

"Oh! Is that all that has been ailing you?" smiled Dick.

"According to Captain Goodwin it's enough. He says my trouble
started only recently, and that I can be over the last sign of it in
three days if I'll take up with decent eating habits. But he has
known boys he has had to reject because they had been at bad
eating tricks for a longer time. You can bet I'm going to follow the
surgeon's advice after this."

Four out of this squad of candidates were rejected by the
examining surgeons. Geroldstone remained sulky, with an air of
bravado; the other three young men were so downcast that all their
companions were heartily sorry for them. The hospital orderly
marched back to the adjutant's office those who had been rejected,
while another orderly appeared and led those who had passed the
surgeons to the cadet barracks.

"This begins to look like the real thing," murmured Dick as they
neared the barracks.

Now this group were taken to the room of the cadet officer of the