Of course both Mrs. Hopkins and Mr. Baker were much disturbed, and so was Mr. Martley. The jeweler was in a bad way financially, and this made matters worse than ever for him. His creditors came down on him immediately and the next day he had to make an assignment. The other jeweler was better fixed and settled up promptly for his losses. “It looks as if my father would be out his watch,” said Bob to his chums. “And such a fine timepiece too! It cost a hundred and sixty dollars!” “That isn’t as bad as my mother’s loss,” returned Jerry. “That diamond brooch cost eight hundred dollars!” “Martley was a fool to trust the old Frenchman with the things.” “He knows that--now. Not but what I guess the old man was honest enough. But it was a careless thing to do.” “Maybe Crooked Nose got the things.” “If he did, I hope we get Crooked Nose.” “So do I. I don’t think we’ll get much out of Martley. He’s too deeply in debt, so I’ve heard.” Professor Snodgrass was still at the Hopkins home and the boys went with him on one or two short trips, looking for bugs. But there was, on their part, not much interest in the work. They were, as was every one else in town, too much absorbed in the exciting events that followed the entrance of the United States into the war against Germany. It was about a week after the fire, when Ned, Bob and Jerry were out in their automobile, discussing what they would do at the coming term of school, that they passed a newspaper office and stopped to read the bulletin. “Look at that, fellows!” cried Jerry. “What is it?” asked Bob, whose view was obstructed by Ned. “It’s a call for volunteers to fight the Kaiser,” was the answer. “There may be a draft, later, fellows, and the volunteers are the boys who go first!” Jerry rose in his seat to read the bulletin over the heads of the crowd. “The first call for volunteers,” he murmured. Then, with a suddenness that was startling, he exclaimed: “Fellows, this hits us! I’m going to offer myself to Uncle Sam! Are you with me?” CHAPTER VII CHUNKY’S TROUBLE Ned Slade clapped Jerry Hopkins on the back with such vigor that the latter almost lost his balance. “What does that mean?” Jerry asked. “It means I’m with you!” was the answer. “We’ll all enlist and start for the other side as soon as they’ll let us! I was just wishing for some excuse to get out of going back to Boxwood Hall, and this’ll be it all right!” “Do you think we can make it?” asked Bob. “I mean will our folks let us cut school?” “Oh, I guess so,” answered Jerry easily, though, to tell the truth, he had some doubts about it. “Let’s go somewhere and ask about enlisting,” suggested Ned. “We want to get into this as soon as we can, and the sooner the better. There must be some way of finding out the quickest way of getting into the army.” “Let’s go and ask Colonel Wentworth,” suggested Jerry. “He’ll know, all right.” “You said it!” agreed Ned. “Say, this is great! I wonder if----”