which state that to be successful applicants must be able to read and write English, that they must be American citizens (native or naturalized), that they never have deserted from any branch of the naval or military service of the 64 United States. Neither had Frank or Ned ever been convicted of any serious offense, in which case special permission to enlist would have had to be obtained from the Bureau of Navigation. 

64

 “Well, now to get down to business,” said the doctor, when he had made some entries on his blanks. “You know that you—let’s see—your name is Frank Arden, isn’t it?” and he turned to the older brother. 

 “Yes, sir.” 

 “Well, since you are past nineteen, you must have a height of at least sixty-four inches, bare-footed, and weigh not less than 125 pounds.” 

 “I can qualify there all right,” said Frank. 

 “And as for your brother, he must weigh not less than 115 pounds, and be also sixty-four inches tall.” 

 “I’m that all right, though Frank is more,” put in Ned. 

 “Well, a little more in Frank’s case won’t matter—so much the better,” the surgeon remarked. 

 He then went into medical details, which need to be touched on only to remark that neither Frank nor Ned was found to have any physical defect that would bar him from the service. Their teeth were good and sound, and of course you know that of late years the United States government, as well as all foreign governments, requires that their best fighters have good teeth. Those 65 that are filled are counted as sound, provided there are not too many of them. 

65

 It is not so much to “bite the enemy,” as one soldier, who was refused enlistment, said he seemed expected to do, as it is that with unsound teeth food cannot be properly chewed, and in these days “an army fights on its stomach.” 

 “Well, I can’t find anything the matter with you,” announced the doctor pleasantly, after the examination was over. 

 “You tried hard enough,” Frank remarked, laughing. 

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