Page:Robert Carter- his life and work. 1807-1889 (IA robertcarterhis00coch).pdf/176

160 credentials on the inside of my vest. I undid the sewing and showed him them. ‘How did you get them? Our most influential young men have difficulty in getting such appointments.’ I gave him my story. ‘I will see you down to West Point.’ He took me to a steamer, and paid for my passage, and so I made my way there.

“It was a hot day in the middle of summer when I climbed the hill at West Point. There were others on the same errand, but they were genteelly dressed and rather elbowed me out. When we reached the Academy, there was a door standing open, and a number of us entered a large room. With my knapsack on my back, in my homespun garb, I felt a little depressed, and sat down by the door. A patrol paced backward and forward, and each time he came to the door he gave me a pleasant look. After a while a bell was rung and my fellow travellers rushed out to dinner. As I had no money I sat still. When the patrol came up, he said, ‘Never mind, you will dine with me to-day. I shall soon be through.’ Soon after he came and said, ‘Come along. We shall dine, and you will sleep with me to-night.’ He was a fine, generous youth, the son of Fulton, who ran the first steamer up the Hudson to Albany, and he proved a true friend. After dinner he said, ‘The examination begins to-morrow; I will get a list of candidates.’ He did so, and we found my name was not on the list for next day, but the day following. ‘That is good,’ he says. ‘You will see to-morrow how the examination goes.’ Next day he took me to a room where there were a number of benches and a platform a little raised from the floor, and, behind, a blackboard hanging on the wall. I thought that was a picture turned to the