"When the time comes we'll probably find smarter young fellows ahead of us, headed for both academies." "If you do fail on West Point----- ?" quizzed Dave.
"_If_ I do," declared Dick, with a very wistful emphasis on that "if," "then, after getting through High School I'll probably try to put in a year or two of hard work on 'The Blade,' to help my parents put me through college.

They're anxious to make me a college man, and they'd work and save hard for it, but I wouldn't be much good if I didn't try to earn a lot of the expense money.
One thing I'm resolved upon---I'm not going to go through life as a half-educated man.

It is becoming more true, every year, that there's little show for the man with only the half-formed mind." Then the two turned back to the subject that had brought them out on this September night---the disappearance of Banker Theodore Dodge.
"In a minute or two we'll be in sight of the river bend," announced Darrin.
"There it is, now," nodded Dick, slowing down the horse and gazing over yonder.

"Some one is there, and looking hard for something." "Yes; I make out a couple of lanterns," assented Dave.

"Well"-- -as Dick pulled in the horse---"aren't you going to drive over there ?" "That's what I want to think about," declared young Prescott.
"I want to go at the job the right way---the way that real newspapermen would use.".