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

l Spurlock, Bert Dodge actually made a l

of the Regular Army officers stationed at the Academy as instructors, he must add "sir" to every commu

was no better than anyone else, and of not a thous

, soft-voiced, helpful and sunny young man from Virginia. Anstey was one of the bes

ke the mistake of trying to cultivate the

ed two already,

stey smiled

e continued, then related what had happene

ently, Dodge," nodded Cadet Anstey. "Mr. Pr

o pass any of their terro

hat new cadet-for Bert had passed his academic exams. without even a hint of trouble-und

nd Holmes do, don't you?" asked Anstey, one a

don't," replied Ber

nodded

des, now, but I don't like that

and then all the way down again," murmured Anstey seriously. "For my

the same place. I used to live in Gridley, but I-er-well, I went away to Fordham to another school. My father had a summer place in Fordham, and

just been wondering if it were not crowding thin

Gridley, but I came in

on with Corporal Sp

eadth of applying to the commandant of cadets for a new instructor in drill. O

, you'll be through the prelim. grind soon, and the

for it now,"

y, though, until Corporal Sp

nt I ever saw anywhere," growled Bert,

fternoon, however, in the latter part of March, a heavy, blinding snowstorm had come along. Cad

red Anstey, at last. "Now, I think I'll go over and bo

t. He didn't care to

But it was so deadly

are to be left

th a snap and rising. "But I'd like it even be

larly because I've been talking over football with them, and they've been telli

ld football days back in Gridley, then Bert feared they might be tempted to

ay anything against me if I'm sitting right

sented themselves at

ed to find himself p

e to their decision to

if po

lked over to a window, watching the snow swirl down into the area

stey. "I don't suppos

grow to like this beas

ls and dress pa

erything of an outdoor nature,

o out and keep on, within cadet limits, until you've

to be out in a snowstorm, I'm afraid they'd make us

, wheeling about, "have any of you f

Prescott, with a

," add

elligerently. "Who are the yearlings that they should feel at liberty to rub our noses in the mud

, cheerily, as the d

att and Judson ste

plebes present rose a

odge d

y manners, mister!" demanded Cadet Pratt

h my manners!" de

hat!" cri

ners!" repeated Dodge, th

ha

th my manners, si

Pratt. "But you are too sparing of your 'sirs,' mister

ut Pratt and Judson were g

rong, sir, with, sir,

stand at attention whe

e you'r

loded Yearl

r, not, sir, my, sir, sup

e year

s,

manded Cadet Judson, w

, a, sir,

uncouth and offen

lowed hard, but he r

s,

're-

sir, uncouth, sir, and, sir,

t, mister, you have learned how to answer a

Bert meekl

bserved Mr. Judson, turning to his classmate. "He doesn't understand

nd that he's intelli

ing P

r," commanded Mr. Judson, point

looking first at Cadet

makes you hesitate!

cot, sir,"

ha

r, not, sir, my,

o with your orders. Tu

d with gre

g Judson, "get up on that mattress,

conds to understand the full nature

ttress. He could rest his hands beside his head, at the outset, br

t Pratt, with feigned anger. "Your hands should hang naturally at

lly" at the sides. In fact, Bert had to hold his hands up in the air

ed all of Mr. Dodge's athletic powers. He had to try over again, more than a h

good a soldier you ar

turning around u

er, but he speedily mastered this novel way of standing a

sors. The old gym. and field work of training for the Gridley High School

earling Judson, focusing his

took the position of attention on his feet, and then exaggerated the position by throwing

an effective form of hazing. "Bracing" is generations old at West Point. The theory of upper class men has always been that bracing, long continu

less plebes looked as they stood thus, wondering when the hazers would let up on them. But Yearlings Pratt and Judson

der if he will take the full position of the brace, and hol

durance must soon give out. Dick and Greg felt their back muscles and nerves throbb

tep was heard in t

my as long as had Pratt and Judson knew t

of inspection. For an upper class man to be caught hazing, or for a plebe to be caught