"Oh, well, if you fellows are as anxious as all that I s'pose I'll have to humor you," agreed Dick, with a grin. "I dare say Bruce can let me wash up in his place," and he turned the craft back on the course he had previously been holding. A little later the motor-boat was made fast to the float, and the three cadets were greeting the three girls. "Look out for my hands!" warned Dick, as Miss Hanford's light summer dress brushed near him. "I'm all oil and grease. I'll go scrub up, if you'll excuse me." "Certainly," said Mabel Hanford, with a rippling laugh. When Dick returned, he ordered a little lunch served out on the end of the dock, where they could sit and enjoy the cool breezes, and look at the river on which were many pleasure craft. "Where were you boys going?" asked Grace Knox, as she toyed with her ice-cream spoon. "Coming to see you," answered Paul promptly. "As if we'd believe that!" mocked Irene. "Why, you were going right past here, and only turned in when you saw us!" "Dick didn't want to come at all," said Innis. "He didn't! Why not?" demanded Mabel. "Bashful, I guess," murmured Paul. "No, it was because I didn't want to inflict the company of these two bores on you ladies!" exclaimed Dick, thus "getting back." There was much gay talk and laughter, and, as the afternoon was still young, Dick proposed taking the girls out for a little jaunt in his new craft He had only recently purchased it, and, after using it at Kentfield, he intended taking it with him to a large lake, where he and his father expected to spend the Summer. "Oh, that was just fine!" cried Mabel, when the ride was over, and the party was back at the pier. "Thank you, so much, Dick!" "Humph! You have US to thank--not him!" declared Paul. "He wouldn't have turned in here if we hadn't made him. And just because his hands had a little oil on!" "Say, don't believe him!" protested the young millionaire. "I had proposed coming here before I knew you girls were on the dock." "Well, we thank all THREE of you!" cried Irene, with a bow that included the trio of cadets. "Salute!" exclaimed Paul, and the young soldiers drew themselves up stiffly, and, in the most approved manner taught at Kentfield, brought their hands to their heads. "'Bout face! Forward--march!" cried Grace, imitating an officer's orders, and the boys, with laughs stood "at ease." "See you at the Junior prom!" "Yes, don't forget." "And save me a couple of hesitation waltzes!" "Can you come for a ride tomorrow?" "Surely!" This last was the answer of the girls to Dick's invitation, and the exclamations before that were the good-byes between the girls and boys, reference being made to a coming dance of the Junior class. Then Dick and his chums entered the motor-boat and started back for the military academy. "You've got to go some to get back in time to let us tog up for guard-mount," remarked Paul, looking at his watch.