CHAPTER XIX. THE ALLIANCE IS COMPLETED.

 Having been thus easily rid of their unpleasant enemies, the plebes set out in high feather for home.

 

"I must get back in time to dress for dinner, don't ye know," said the dude.

 

"I'm 'bliged to yew¹ fellows," put in the farmer, getting up from his seat with a lazy groan². "My name's Methusalem Zebediah Chilvers, and I'll shake hands all raound."

 

"And mine's Chauncey Van Rensallear Mount-Bonsall, don't ye know," said the other, putting on his immaculate white gloves. "Bah Jove! I've lost a cuff³ button, quarreling with those deuced yearlings!"

 

Chauncey's cuff button was found at last—he vowed⁴ he wouldn't go to dinner without it—and then the party started in earnest, the two strangers giving a graphic⁵ and characteristic account of the scrimmage we have just witnessed.

 

Mark in the meantime was doing some thinking, won[Pg 157]dering if here were not two more eligible⁶ members of the "alliance." While he was debating this question the "dude" approached him privately⁸ and began thus:

 

"I want to say something to you," he said. "Dye know, I can't see why we plebes suffer so, bah Jove! I was thinking aw, don't ye know, if some of us would band together we could—aw—chastise the deuced cadets and——"

 

Master Chauncey Van Rensallear Mount-Bonsall got no further, for Mark came out then and told the secret. In a few moments the alliance had added Number Six and Number Seven.

 

"And now, b'gee, I say let's organize, b'gee!" cried Dewey.

 

The sound of a drum from barracks put a stop to further business then, but before supper there was a spare half hour, and during that time the seven conspirators⁹ met in Mark's room to "organize." Indian was there, too, now calm and meek¹⁰ again.

 

"In the first place," said Mark, "we want to elect a leader."

 

"Wow!" cried Texas, "what fo'? Ain't you leader?"

 

"I say, Mark, b'gee!" cried Dewey.

 

[Pg 158]"Mark," said the Parson, solemnly.

 

"Mark," murmured Indian from the corner, and "Mark" chimed in the two newcomers.

 

"It seems to be unanimous," said Mark, "so I guess I'll have to let it go. But I'm sure I can't see why you think of me. What shall we call ourselves?"

 

That brought a lengthy¹¹ discussion, which space does not permit of being given. The Loyal Legion, the Sons of the Revolution, the Independents, the Cincinnati—suggested by the classic Parson—and also the Trojan Heroes—from the same source—all these were suggested and rejected. Then somebody moved the Seven Rebels, which was outvoted as not expressive¹² enough, but which led to another one that took the whole crowd with a rush. It came from an unexpected source—the unobtrusive Indian in the corner.

 

"Let's name it 'The Seven Devils'!" said he.

 

And the Seven Devils they were from that day until the time when the class graduated from the Point.

 

"Three cheers for the Seven Devils!" cried Dewey, "b'gee!"

 

"Now," said the Parson, rising with a solemn look, "let us swear eternal fealty¹³ by all that man holds holy.[Pg 159] Let us swear by the Stygian Shades and the realms of Charon, whence all true devils come. Yea, by Zeus!"

 

"And we'll stand by one another to the death, b'gee," cried Dewey. "Remember, we're organized for no purpose on earth but to do those yearlings, and we'll lick 'em, b'gee, if they dare to look at us."

 

"Show 'em no mercy, don't ye know," said "Chauncey."

 

"And let's have a motto," cried Indian, becoming infected with the excitement. "'Down with the yearlings.'"

 

"I suggest 'We die but we never surrender,' b'gee."

 

"'Veni, vidi, vici,'" remarked the Parson, "or else 'Dulce et decorum est pro⁷ patria mori,' in the immortal¹⁴ words of Horace, poet of the Sabine farm."

 

"A motto should be brief," laughed Mark. "I can beat you all. I'll give you a motto in three letters of the alphabet."

 

"Three letters!" echoed the crowd. "Three letters! What is it?"

 

"It expresses all our objects in forming," said Mark, "and we'll have lots of fun if we obey it. My motto is 'B. B. J.'"

 

[Pg 160]"Bully, b'gee!" cried Dewey, and the rest echoed his approval with a rush.

 

That was, all except the unobtrusive Indian in the corner.

 

"I—I don't quite," he stammered¹⁵, "quite see it. Why is——"

 

"Ahem!" Mark straightened himself up and put on his best professional air in imitation of the Parson. "Ahem! If you had lived in Boston, and devoted¹⁶ yourself to the cultivation¹⁷ of the intellectualities—yea, by Zeus!—instead of learning to lose your temper and chase yearlings like a wild Texan—— However, I'll explain it."

 

"Please do!" cried Indian, innocently. "I'll never chase the yearlings again."

 

"That's good! B. J. stands for 'before June,' and is West Point slang for 'fresh.'"

 

"I knew what B. J. means," put in Indian.

 

"What! Then why didn't you say so and save me the trouble? The other B. is the present imperative¹⁸ of the verb to be; he was, being, been, is, am, ain't. And the only way I can explain what B. B. J. means is to say that it means be B. J., be B. J. with a vengeance¹⁹, and when[Pg 161] you get tired of being B. J., B. B. J. some more. Do you see?"

 

"Er, yes," said Indian.

 

"And now," laughed Mark, "since we're through, three cheers for the Seven Devils!"

 

And that is the story of the forming of West Point's first and only secret society, a society which was destined²⁰ to introduce some very, very exciting incidents into West Point's dignified²¹ history, the Seven Devils, B. B. J.

1 yew   

n.紫杉属树木

参考例句：

• The leaves of yew trees are poisonous to cattle.紫杉树叶会令牛中毒。
• All parts of the yew tree are poisonous,including the berries.紫杉的各个部分都有毒，包括浆果。

2 groan   

vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音

参考例句：

• The wounded man uttered a groan.那个受伤的人发出呻吟。
• The people groan under the burden of taxes.人民在重税下痛苦呻吟。

3 cuff   

n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口

参考例句：

• She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。
• Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗？

4 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

5 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

6 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

7 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

8 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

9 conspirators   

n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The conspirators took no part in the fighting which ensued. 密谋者没有参加随后发生的战斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The French conspirators were forced to escape very hurriedly. 法国同谋者被迫匆促逃亡。 来自辞典例句

10 meek   

adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的

参考例句：

• He expects his wife to be meek and submissive.他期望妻子温顺而且听他摆布。
• The little girl is as meek as a lamb.那个小姑娘像羔羊一般温顺。

11 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

12 expressive   

adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的

参考例句：

• Black English can be more expressive than standard English.黑人所使用的英语可能比正式英语更有表现力。
• He had a mobile,expressive,animated face.他有一张多变的，富于表情的，生动活泼的脸。

13 fealty   

n.忠贞，忠节

参考例句：

• He swore fealty to the king.他宣誓效忠国王。
• If you are fealty and virtuous,then I would like to meet you.如果你孝顺善良，我很愿意认识你。

14 immortal   

adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的

参考例句：

• The wild cocoa tree is effectively immortal.野生可可树实际上是不会死的。
• The heroes of the people are immortal!人民英雄永垂不朽！

15 stammered   

v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

16 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

17 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

18 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

19 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

20 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

21 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。