Dick Prescott's First Year at West Point; Or, Two Chums in the Cadet Gray

the same, for the heat was turned on and t

hat fellows usually get most wo

" retorted Prescott, with spirit. "Such

be awfully looked do

g a

. "If we can't, we can't endure lots

a good, filling meal,"

f fare. I understand that candidates are allowed to have their meals served in rooms. Althou

'kidding,'"

we've passed and it's known that we are going to stay and be cadets," lau

ly!" rang, from below, a vo

finish it, but Dick, snatching down his overcoat and hat, was already o

Greg! Get

a cadet corporal in the lower hallway

g waited on by mothers and sisters. Yet here, in the seemingly freezing and hostile air of the Military Academy,

as right guide," called Cadet Brayton with th

ayton looked at the lad's stooping sh

your hands out of

, obeying, and trying to laugh n

y to make a reply necessary. And when you do address a Superior officer

by turning on his heel and stepping, with a magnificently m

next to Mr. Danvers. Then the othe

ptly!" sounded snappily i

s and out of doors with feverish haste, to be conf

I tell you. Button your jackets and overcoats all the way down! Stand erect, with your heels together, and your toes pointing out at an angle of sixt

lly could stand as this handsome young son of Mars did! To them it seemed impossible ever to acquire such truly military carriage. They did not realize that, bet

ike an ostrich, Mr.

Brayton

more so because he heard one o

Mr. Danvers!" comma

xaggerated it that now he found himself trembling f

lmes!" demanded Brayto

e right position, sir," s

tion of even a respe

ed the cadet co

, but for the benefit of all the awkwardly standing green candidates. Not a word in Bra

and give this fellow a licki

the position of the soldier. Let your hands fall naturally at your sides, each littl

o another candidate whom he found in a ludicrously bad position. After some minutes of this attempt to instru

her awkward squads w

iforms," whispered Gr

w like a fool I'd look in it when I don't even know how to stand, let alone attempting to

get anywhere in," muttered Greg vengefully. "That co

self like a king," retorted Dick. "At least, I don't believe a

all as bad as this co

s a tyrant

ing of the first day, and we have before us months-years-of taking our medicine. Don't lose the gai

Brayton, wheeling and once more favoring

as Mr. Brayton that the boys under his command at this moment would have gasped had they been told that Brayton was considered one of the easiest and best-natured of the

ed in the mystery of marching a few steps at command, how to keep the

d Brayton. "Squad halt!" he commanded hoarsely, in disgust, ere the young men had taken four steps

e his squad of candidates away from West Point. At almost every move through the drill he berated

ast. "The candidates will go to

long-continued drilling in what was yet, to them, the rigor of near-

g in the middle of the room and shaking

ueried Prescott,

ut Brayton?" almost

at fellow ha

if you want to hear it,"

egged Candi

believe he d

ped Greg in

faces if he passed the members of his sq

rsecute us so?" dema

it is persecution

t fellow put us under the heel of hateful usage? Why

Point way-that'

to submit to it?

soberly. "I don't wan

o home stampe

ate tone. "But I wonder whether we have to stand so much

here, Greg, can't you make a good guess a

ee any human reason in

lm

we come here

ldi

soldie

not," Gre

at West Point have time t

hey-or can't that fellow B

to be soldiers, but as yet we're only ignorant, unregenerate, untaug

em anything at all. No cadet here, unless he's obliged

plebes. Now brace up, Greg. Remember what a small fraction of nothing you are, and be thankful for the sev

ther candidate knew it. Almost immediately, however, B

s turn out

iver once more," frow

length. Greg forgot. As he darted through the doorway to the porch overlooking

button your

ng, too, it must be

ough the north sally port and make fo

sergeants and four cadet corporals busied themselves with forming the candidates and alternates in line. When the word was

column of fours, though some of the bewildered boys forgo

ry fellow of them feeling more awkward than his nearest neighbors in the line. Badly out of step was this green material. S

great dining hall at cadet mess. There, in a fine dinner, they f

by other cadet corporals. Greg soon found, under the tender m

ass directly above the plebes. As corporals these members of the ye

d that academic examinations would begin at eight

they hoped, to a man, that they would pass these academic examination

rubbing his hands in q

d I'm sca

g mysteries of the academic examinations, which he had h