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

breakfast, in the great mess hall, the followi

very table save that at which the

to Dick. Other cadets at his table talked among themselves, though never to Pre

eir curiosity until the two battalions had ma

ong slowly. Wherever they passed backs were turned to them, th

il Durville's fate had overtaken him. Otherwise, the Military Academy authorities m

eant, to the initiated, that the Superintendent had tak

m the corps. Had the offender, before leaving West Point in "cits.," gone to the cadet guard house and made any false report concerning his absence, nothing could have saved him from dismissal for making a false official report. All t

. A class meeting was called, that neither Pr

anting first classmen who looked upon Durville as a sacrifice, and wh

former occasion, fe

t's sid

her plain that Mr. Prescott, following his previous course with Jordan, had revenged himsel

or comings of the unlucky Durville. The Virginian declared that Prescott had happened to be abroad in time to "catch" Mr. Durville, sim

ate oratory, the defence was regarded as "too transparent."

ey was nominated for the office just made vacant, but, with cold polit

s presently elect

hard Prescott. Without further debate a motion was car

Holmes, who was informed by Anstey, fell

Holmesy," was Di

Greg. "This terrible mess will all b

me any good," rep

at do y

losed his

ther, just then. He contented himself with crossin

low who lies down, or runs away, isn't a man. The fellow who fights his trouble out to a grim finish, is a man every inch of his five or six feet! The class is wild,

good deal

he line of running away. Whatever I decide upon will be wha

Greg, looking wond

k's section did not recite. Greg's did. So Pre

at recitation, that he "fessed cold"--that is,

s dismissed Cadet Holmes, his heart

oks aside. Before him rested only a sheet of paper. With pen in hand Prescott wrote somethin

he announced simply,

hoed Cadet Ho

ignation as a member o

tes Milita

he resignation is written, signed, and--it stic