Page:Cornelia Meigs-The Pirate of Jasper Peak.djvu/130

 knew that war was declared, there was nothing I thought of but that I must be a soldier or a  sailor as quickly as chance would let me. I rushed down to Duluth to enlist; my scheme for  helping Rudolm was forgotten as though it had  never been.”

Oscar’s tale stopped suddenly short. Hugh, looking down, saw his big hand clench suddenly  upon his knee until the knuckles were white and  the cords stood out along his wrist. For a moment the boy did not dare to speak.

“Wouldn't they take you, Oscar?” he said gently at last.

“They wouldn't take me,” was the heavy answer, as though even how the disappointment was too keen to dwell upon. “It was on account of what that fight with the pirates had done to my  arm, the bone had been injured so that the elbow  will only move halfway. I never believed it amounted to anything, but every man at the recruiting station thought otherwise.”

“What did you say to them?”

“Say—I have no notion what I said. I