An Annapolis First ClassmanBeach, Edward L. (Edward Latimer)
General
An Annapolis First Classman
Beach, Edward L. (Edward Latimer)
United States Naval Academy -- Juvenile fiction
"All right, Bob," came from each sleeping room which opened into the
study room where Robert had entered, and Robert left and rushed into the
next room. It must be confessed that Robert was hardly out of the room
when Glassfell was once more sound asleep. And further it is admitted
that Robert did not give the same stern inspection to first classmen's
rooms that he gave to those of the lower classes. He was satisfied with
the report from his own classmates of "all right," but saw with his own
eyes that all others were actually turned out. On this particular
morning Mr. Harry Blunt, midshipman third class, was strangely very
tired after what should have been eight hours of sleep, so tired, in
fact, that neither gun-firing nor bugle detonation awakened him.
"Turn out, Blunt, turn out," called out Robert, standing over him. "Get
up; you're on the report for not being turned out at reveille
inspection."
Harry slowly turned out, and Robert rushed away to continue his
inspection.
Breakfast formation came half an hour later. Most midshipmen were in
ranks before roll call, but at the last note of the bugle swarms of
midshipmen rushed madly from Bancroft Hall; midshipmen who had taken a
few winks after reveille inspection, hoping to get to the formation
without being marked late. This was Glassfell's habit, and he had
developed remarkable skill in dressing himself while running at full
speed. He would leave his room half dressed and at the end of a dead run
he would appear in ranks ready for inspection.
"By George, Stone," said Robert later, "can you imagine there is anybody
in the world who does more mad rushing than midshipmen do? We are jumped
out of our sleep by a cannon going off right under us, and we run about
in a feverish hurry all day long, always having to be present at some
formation or other, always fearful of punishment if we are late at
anything. And one day is just like another; we were jumped about all day
long when we were plebes, and we are still at it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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