"I don't know," replied John somewhat foolishly. "I suppose he
has to be about eighteen, at least I suppose a fellow eighteen
could enter."
"Could he enter if he was twenty-one?" inquired George.
"He could," spoke up Grant. "A fellow has to be between seventeen
and twenty-two years of age before he can take the preliminary
examinations. But there's another qualification almost as
necessary," he added. "He has got to be free from infirmities."
"No hope for Pop then," said John solemnly. "He has too many
infirmities."
"What, for example?" demanded George.
"His appetite is abnormal, his confidence in himself colossal,
his willingness to condescend to the level of his superiors is--"
"You're getting all mixed up," interrupted George. "A fellow has
to pass a good physical examination and that is all there is to
it. Of course if he has too long a tongue or too small a head it
might shut him out."
"Of course," assented John. "How does a fellow get a chance to
try the examination anyway?"
"He has to be named by his congressman. Most of them, I guess,
have a preliminary examination for all the boys that want to
enter and then select the one who passes the best examination.
But even if he passes, his troubles have only begun, for they
make every fellow work his way."
"The government appropriates some money for every cadet, doesn't
it?" inquired John.
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