noon
and Andy , who was the speaker , felt so light-hearted that he turned several cartwheels on the grass . `` Say , you look out , Andy , or somebody will grab you and put you in the circus , '' was Spouter 's comment . The Colby Hall cadets had finished their first day 's march and were now in camp on the outskirts of Rackville . They had made the hike without mishap , stopping at noon for lunch along the roadside . The encampment consisted of three long lines of tents , one for each company . As was the usual practice , the cadets had erected the canvases themselves , doing it with real military precision . They were in the center of a large , sloping field , one end of which bordered the road running into Rackville .