Dick Prescotts's Fourth Year at West Point / Or, Ready to Drop the Gray for Shoulder Straps

" called Jordan from t

u, Jordan?"

me in, w

slightly surprised, for he had never be

bbs, pushing aside the tent fl

thing he had heard, St

rouble of some kind,

con." growle

ief designation

rt this mo

sprung a roorback on m

re coolly. "Jordan, `dog' is a pretty ex

t fellow's admirers?" d

dmirer of manliness,"

nd for a bootlick?" s

ootlick," replied Cade

ppened to-day. But it was an outrage on general principles, for the affair made a fool of me before a lot of

Stubbs. "I was over at t

tell you wh

t forenoon. Jordan didn't exactly lie, which is always a dangerous thing for a West Point cadet to do, but he col

some reason. I've known Prescott ever since he entered

plained Jordan. "Prescott's manner with me m

ed you when you were really doing nothing unmi

fend the fellow?" dem

o his own defence. But I'm astonished, Jordan, at the cha

where I think the greatest grievance lies. First classmen are men of some dignity. We are not to be treated like plebes

Jordan. I must b

ether," wheedled Jordan. "I think we should all talk this over as a strictly clas

idn't mean exac

verer and more irrevocable than even any action that the authorities of the Military Academy itself can take. He wanted to put Prescott wholly in the wrong in the matter. Class action could, at need, drive Prescott out of

an extent that, if Prescott were not actually "cut" by cla

rt in the meeting?" c

ved towar

"I'd feel out of place in such a crowd, for I'

Prescott above the dignity and hon

s flu

thank you. But I can offer you some

ommence

Prescott. Personally, I don't

ed Jordan. "He told me flatly that he'd de

t try to call h

that I mig

ut for repo

of the challenge would be," returned

t's against every tenet we have. And if such a challenge came to the ears of the superintendent, or of

e that I did call Pr

n, with a k

h part of the bootlick that you re

man; and I'll call

of his head. "The further I go into this matt

listen to him. The matter was threshed out very fully. Jordan, to his listeners, pooh poohed at the idea

one of the few who had never liked Dick well. Durville had always been one of the "wild" on

to give Prescott a week's 'silence,' but any permanent 'cut' would be out

y he--and Holmes, too, of course--were the pair who saved us from the Navy last November. And

lost sight of the football situation. Prescott and Hol

ded on the 'silence' for Prescott fo

brightened as the though

half a dozen fool things that I can provoke him into. Then he'll go so far, in his

to what his classmates were saying, the surer the cadet plotter felt t

nal feelings enter into this at all, yet I suppose I can't keep my sense of outraged class dignity wholly untainted by my personal feelings. Bes

or. Now, you know, it's a fearful thing for a man who has reached the first class to have to drop his Army career

otives," continued Jordan, "I'll have to stand back and let

y of your position, and we can attend to it all right. Besides, all we

ordan, almost betraying his over anxiety, "that i

promised Durville,

ate was away on a cavalry drill, Jorda

destroy they first make mad,'" Jordan went on, under his breath, wholly unaware that he had parodied the meaning of that famous

isters to one of the many Army officers who are stationed over them. When the cad

te the officer; they make any official communications that may be required, and do so in a faultlessly respectful manner; they answer any q

tedly until they perceive his approach. Then, all in an instant, they become mute. The officer may remain in thei

rmanent. It has sometimes happened that an officer has been forced to ask a transfer fro

applicable if he be a cadet officer who is in the habit of reporting his fel

est Point is "sent to Coventry" by the whole corps, or as a result of class action, he will never be able to form frie

e" to Dick Prescott, for Jordan believed that by this time the tantalized young cadet captain could

et battalions stood in formal array at dress parad

mpany street, and added the further infliction of "punishmen

lan newer and newer things. I'll go into the Army, and you, P

ent, other storm-clouds were gathering swiftly o