CHAPTER XXIV. CONCLUSION.

"Say, Bob, what'll we do with this money?"

 

The check had been received on the day following Mr. Golden's announcement, and as soon as the boys got into bed that night they began to talk about it.

 

"Well, I'll tell you my idea. You remember what I said before I was kidnapped, about that prize of fifty thousand dollars for flying across the Atlantic, don't you? Well, tomorrow, let's ask dad about it and if he says we may try it, we can use it to buy an airplane next summer. What do you say?"

 

"What do I say? I say that, for a youth of your tender years, you have a mighty¹ level head, and that last remark of yours is certainly a corker."

 

The next morning, at breakfast, they broached² the subject to their father.

 

"Well, I never!" declared Uncle Ben, "What in the name of common sense will you boys think of next? But of course, you are only fooling."200

 

"Indeed we're not," declared Bob, emphatically.

 

"But sober earnest now, Bob, do you think the scheme is practical?" asked his father.

 

"I don't see why not. Lots of aviators³ can stay in the air as long as their gasoline will hold out and the only reason they can't fly farther is because they can't carry enough fuel. Now we could carry enough of those cylinders⁴ to take an airship round the world."

 

"Well, well," said their father, as he rose from the table, "there's lots of time to think of that between now and next summer. I won't say yes, and I won't say no at present, but we'll see."

 

It was now the beginning of the last week in August and the boys spent the next few days delightfully⁵, sailing in the Sprite, fishing, swimming and playing tennis with the girls. To Jack⁶'s secret delight Mrs. Golden invited Evelyn Nason to spend a week with them, and as she was a lively girl, they were a very jolly party, and Mike declared that they made more noise than a barrel of monkeys.

 

September came around too soon, and Uncle Ben announced that the next day he and Aunt Lucy must start for home. All were very sorry to have them go, for they all loved them dearly.

 

"Don't forget, boys, that you are to spend a week with us next Christmas," was the last thing Aunt Lucy said, as they started off in their big car.

 

Two days later, May and Evelyn went home and 201the Roost seemed quite deserted⁷, and the Goldens began to think about leaving the lake for the summer.

 

It was Wednesday evening, and they were going to close the cottage the following Friday. They were all sitting around the open fire in the living room, for the night was chilly⁸.

 

"Boys," said Mr. Golden, throwing down the paper he had been reading, "how would you like to be tin soldiers?"

 

"Tin soldiers? What in the world do you mean?" asked Jack, as they all laughed.

 

"Well, I'll tell you. This afternoon a friend from Philadelphia was in the bank and he was telling me about a military college near there, where his boy went last year, and he praised it so highly, that I thought it might be a good place for you. I believe in military training," he continued, "as it teaches, besides other things, alertness and efficiency. I have very much regretted that I did not have the advantage of such training, and I would like my boys to have it. What do you say?"

 

The boys thought for a moment and looked at each other. Finally Bob said:

 

"I think it would be bully⁹; how about you, Jack?"

 

"Same here. Do they teach cavalry¹⁰ there, dad?"

 

"Yes, they give courses in infantry¹¹, cavalry and artillery¹²."

 

"That'll be great," declared both boys.202

 

"Then you think you would like to go, do you?"

 

"Yes, sir, I think it will be just the place for us," answered Bob and Jack said the same.

 

"All right then, we'll consider it settled and I'll write to the president the first thing in the morning as the term opens the seventeenth."

 

The boys talked about it for a long time that night, after they were in bed, and the more they thought about it, the more anxious they were to go.

 

Friday morning came, and after a final sail in the Sprite, she was pulled into the boathouse and made snug¹³ for the winter. Needless to say, the cells were taken to Skowhegan for safe keeping. By noon, the Roost was ready to be closed, and after lunch, they left for their town home, the boys on their motorcycles and the rest of the family in the car.

 

"This has been a splendid summer," declared Bob, as they were about to start, "in spite of all the trouble we've had, and I've had more excitement than I expected to have all my life."

 

"That's so," agreed Jack and then added soberly, "we certainly ought to be very thankful that everything turned out so well."

 

One day, about a week after they came down from the lake, Mr. Golden said, at the supper table:

 

"Mr. Jenkins was in the bank today and said that Fred and Will were coming home tomorrow, and that he had decided¹⁴ to send them to the same college where you're going."203

 

Instantly the faces of the two boys fell.

 

"He said," continued their father, "that he wished you two were more intimate with them."

 

"I don't," said Jack. "They're too mean and selfish and then you can't trust them. I'm mighty sorry they're going there."

 

"Oh, well," declared Bob, "I guess there'll be room enough for them and us, too."

 

It was Thursday and they were to leave the following Monday, and so we will leave them, busy and happy in their last minute preparations for their new life in college.

 

And so we shall take leave of them for a short time. Their subsequent adventures will be found in a succeeding volume entitled "The Golden Boys at the Fortress¹⁵."

1 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

2 broached   

v.谈起( broach的过去式和过去分词 )；打开并开始用；用凿子扩大（或修光）；（在桶上）钻孔取液体

参考例句：

• She broached the subject of a picnic to her mother. 她向母亲提起野餐的问题。 来自辞典例句
• He broached the subject to the stranger. 他对陌生人提起那话题。 来自辞典例句

3 aviators   

飞机驾驶员，飞行员( aviator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Analysis on Sickness Status of 1149 Aviators during Recuperation. 飞行员1149例疗养期间患病情况分析。
• In America the whole scale is too big, except for aviators. 在美国整个景象的比例都太大了，不过对飞行员来说是个例外。

4 cylinders   

n.圆筒( cylinder的名词复数 )；圆柱；汽缸；（尤指用作容器的）圆筒状物

参考例句：

• They are working on all cylinders to get the job finished. 他们正在竭尽全力争取把这工作干完。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• That jeep has four cylinders. 那辆吉普车有4个汽缸。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 delightfully   

大喜，欣然

参考例句：

• The room is delightfully appointed. 这房子的设备令人舒适愉快。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The evening is delightfully cool. 晚间凉爽宜人。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

7 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

8 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

9 bully   

n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮

参考例句：

• A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。

10 cavalry   

n.骑兵；轻装甲部队

参考例句：

• We were taken in flank by a troop of cavalry. 我们翼侧受到一队骑兵的袭击。
• The enemy cavalry rode our men down. 敌人的骑兵撞倒了我们的人。

11 infantry   

n.[总称]步兵(部队)

参考例句：

• The infantry were equipped with flame throwers.步兵都装备有喷火器。
• We have less infantry than the enemy.我们的步兵比敌人少。

12 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

13 snug   

adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房

参考例句：

• He showed us into a snug little sitting room.他领我们走进了一间温暖而舒适的小客厅。
• She had a small but snug home.她有个小小的但很舒适的家。

14 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

15 fortress   

n.堡垒，防御工事

参考例句：

• They made an attempt on a fortress.他们试图夺取这一要塞。
• The soldier scaled the wall of the fortress by turret.士兵通过塔车攀登上了要塞的城墙。