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

. who served as O.C. during t

cs. All of the tacs. are subordinates of the commandant of cadets, the latter officer being in charge of the discipline

e O.C. occupies a tent at headquarters, and is

return of the corps from supper, when Lieuten

therwise, is actually found outside the guard line after taps, then we cannot excuse his conduct. This is where the ounce of prevention comes in. Mr. Prescott, I wish you would be up and around the camp between taps and midnight to-night. Keep yourself in the background a bit, and see if you can stop any plebes who may be prowling before they have had a chance to get outside the guard lines. If you intercept any plebes while th

ectly

all, Mr.

k turned and

. would just as soon see the plebe caught cold, poor little beast. But Lieutenant Denton can remember the time when

d his chum and roommate, Greg Holmes, now a cadet lieutenant

old ramrod?" asked Greg care

e," yawned Prescott. "

ttle oftener than once a year, when Laura comes on from the home to

go as often as I want," Dick a

and a fellow can't be an all-around gentleman unless he is at e

femme to the hop to

admitted G

--you're engaged to the

to the hop, of cour

married to her, as

y. "Let me see; this is the fourteenth gi

iss--I mean my present betrothed, is on

retty swiftly for a cadet not yet

ven girls broke off with me. On the whole, though, I'm rather obliged to the seven for handing me the mitten, for

not going to-night,"

the fortunat

amrod," protested Greg good-humoredly. "Y

Steele's

ly," nod

of the instruct

es

"That is, you will be if Miss Steele doesn't follow the exa

old ramrod? Has the heat been too much for you to-day? Practical!

invitation to a Saturday evening dinner at their quarters. And then, in ordinary good nature, they'll have to invite me,

k of society, yet you never look at anyone in a petticoat except Laura Bentley, who comes he

d across Dick's face

rattl

al to Laura, good, sweet girl that she is. But you've miffed a lot, of the girls on the post by your constan

ds, Greg," Prescott retorted with pretended dignity. "Relieving nurse-m

good time," laughed Greg, who, having finished his inspec

ing at the time. "It's a long walk, even f

y, humming un

ed Dick, looking half enviously after his c

aced it just outside at the door of his tent.

ellows dropped around for a chat, for he was aware that a numb

first classman enter or lea

rdan has never been much of a favorite before. I wonder if my reporting him to-day has made the fellows take

the road leading to the West Point Hotel. On other than hop nights, this road was likely to be crowded with couples

heir beds. An exception was made in favor of cadets who had received permission to escort young ladies to the hop. Each cadet who had to return to the hotel, or to officers' quarters with a young lady had received the needed permission, and t

adet Prescott for this night related to

re before his tent. Down at Jordan's tent he

ainly going on the

lt highly curious; then h

ening, P

evening,

brief halt before the

rdan has a good many visitors

, too, aren't they?

sure that they had a plebe or two in ther

h, for Prescott was the only first classman at present in camp w

tales, so Stubbs repressed the longing to explai

h to accept Jordan's view of the report against him, the class sentiment was considerabl

d be tale-bearing. Dick was not likely to hear of the move unless

ect. The accused man's roommate or tentm

e lights in the tents went out. Sti

mission to run a light. The assumption would be that he was engaged on some official dut

cadets returning from the hop stepped through

" asked Dick, looking up

iant smile. He had the look of being a young man very

asked Holmes, gaping,

n can around so that the bl

turning down the cover of his be

ector, made of an old tin can, that increases and concentrates the brilliancy of the candle light

athing proclaimed the fact th

busy day--threw a look of envy toward his chum. Then,

t to a plebe who wanted to run the guard and

could, Prescott stepped along until

ars alert, though he lounged in the sha

he murmured at last. "All the plebes are good litt

tt came out from his place of semi-conceal

ayonet fixed and gun resting over his right s

e yearling sentry halted, holdi

directed, after havin

after taps. But with a cadet captain it was different. Though Prescott was not cadet officer of the d

hen he came back again. Having saluted Prescott recently, he did not pa

teps again sounded so

me aware of something

evation of something less than six fee

exactly as though it ca

a civilian, it was a matte

in certain limits. But nothing in the regulations permits

ow, noiselessly, and kept his eye on the dist

rply. The yearling, his piece

t glow yonder,"

good

instant the glow wavered, as though the man that

d the sentry.

ain and sentry were close enough to see

ed uncertainly, as t

ursuers seemed to chan

d, in answer to the

ntry h

to be recognize

a halt not far

t reluctance, the f

d Prescott, in cons

admitted Jor

r not wanting to report this cadet again,

ers of confinement to the comp

s,

e of camp limits? Have you an

" replied Jordan, "a

he guard line to enj

r. Jordan," replied the young cadet captain. "Have you any addit

, s

rn to your

report this, Mr. Prescott?" a

confinement to the company street; you have made a br

good

passed on across the guard line,

frown gathering on his fine face, while th

a fellow classman for a little thing like a late smoke, and the man r

Prescott was worried; nevertheless, he ma

ghty good, after this, to keep within safe limits on demerits. But I have Prescott just where I want the insolent puppy! The class, this evening, was much in doubt about giving h

d cover. He had not fallen asleep, however,

O.C. still up. In a few wor

st unfortunate for Mr. Jordan that he has not a better excuse. You will go to Mr. Jordan's tent, Mr. Prescott, and direct him

," Prescott ans

to your own tent and

ebes have been

k you

no sign, Prescott walked along until he reached Jord

rowled Jordan to his tentmate,

returned the t

next morning, for it was the common belief that Prescott must

action now," Durville told