The cadets march to mess hall; they march to every place they go as a company. The building itself is just south of the "Academic" and barracks; it is built of gray stone, and forcibly reminds the candid2 observer of a jail. They tell stories at West Point of credulous3 candidates who have "swallowed" that, and believed that the cadet battalion was composed of disobedient cadets, about to be locked up in confinement4.
There is a flight of iron steps in the center, and at the foot of these steps, three times every day, the battalion[Pg 205] breaks ranks and dissolves into a mob of actively5 bounding figures. Upon entering, the cadets do not take seats, but stand behind their chairs, and await the order, "Company A, take seats!" "Company B, take seats!" and so on. The plebes, who, up to this time, are still a separate company, come last, as usual; they are seated by themselves, at one side of the dining-room.
The tables seat twenty-two persons, ten on a side, and one at each end. The cadets are placed according to rank, and they always sit in the same seats. The tables are divided down the center by an imaginary line, each part being a "table"; first class men sit near the head, and so on down to the plebes, who find themselves at the center (that is, after they have moved into camp, and been "sized" and assigned to companies; before that they are "beasts," herded6 apart, as has been said).
The dinner is upon the table when the cadets enter; the corporals are charged with the duty of carving7, and the luckless plebe is expected to help everybody to water upon demand, and eats nothing until that duty has been attended to. After the meal, for which half an hour is allowed, the command, "Company A, rise!" and so on, is the signal to leave the table and fall into line again on[Pg 206] the street outside. This, however, does not take place until a lynx-eyed "tac" has gone the rounds, making notes—"So-and-so, too much butter on plate." "Somebody else, napkin not properly folded," and so on. This ceremony over, the battalion marches back to camp, a good half mile, in the broiling8 sun or pouring rain, as the case may be.
That Saturday afternoon being a hot one, and a holiday, our friends of the last chapter, Bull Harris and his gang, sought out an occupation in which fully9 half the cadets at the post chanced to agree; they went in swimming, a diversion which the superintendent10 sees fit to allow. "Gee's Point," on the Hudson, is within the government property, and thither11 the cadets gather whenever the weather is suitable.
That particular party included Bull and Baby (who didn't swim, but liked to watch Bull), Gus Murray, Vance and the rest of their retainers. And, on the way, they passed the time by discussing their one favorite topic, their recent triumph over "that B. J. beast." There was a new phase of the question they had to speculate upon now, and that was what the "beast" could possibly have done to move to such unholy wrath12 so important a per[Pg 207]sonage as the senior captain of the Battalion. Also, they were interested in trying to think up a method by which those extra demerits might be speedily given without incurring13 the wrath of that officer. Though each one of the yearlings was ready, even anxious, to explain that he wasn't the least bit afraid of him.
"I tell you," declared Bull, "he couldn't prove anything against us if he tried. It's all one great bluff14 of Fischer's, and he's a fool to act as he did."
"It won't make any difference," put in Murray, "we'll soak the plebe, anyhow. We can easily give him five demerits in short order, and without attracting any attention, either."
"He's out, just as sure as he's alive!" laughed Bull. "We wouldn't need to do a thing more."
"Exactly!" cried the echo. "Not a thing!"
"All the same," continued the other, "I wish we could get up a scheme to get him in disgrace, so as to clinch16 it. I wish we could——"
Just here Bull was interrupted by a sudden exclamation17 from Murray. Murray had brought his hand against his[Pg 208] knee with a whack18, and there was a look of inspiration upon his face.
"Great C?sar!" he cried, "I've got it!"
"Got it! What?"
"A scheme! A scheme to do him!"
"What is it?"
"Write him a letter, or something—get him to leave barracks at night—have a sentry19 catch him beyond limits, or else we'll report him absent! Oh, say!"
The crowd were staring at each other in amazement20, a look of delight spreading over their faces, as the full possibilities of this same inspiration dawned upon them.
"By the lord!" cried Bull, at last. "Court-martial him! That's the ticket!"
"Shake on it!" responded Murray.
In half a minute the gang had sworn to put that plan into execution within the space of twenty-four hours. And after that they hurried on down to the point to go in swimming.
"Speak of angels," remarked Murray, "and they flap their wings. There's the confounded plebe now."
"By George!" muttered Bull. "You can't phaze that[Pg 209] fellow. I thought he'd be up in barracks, moping, to-day!"
"Probably wants to put up a bluff as if he don't care," was the clever suggestion of the Baby. "I bet he's sore as anything!"
"I told him I'd make him the sickest plebe in the place," growled22 Bull, "and I'll bet he is, too."
The yearling would have won his bet; there was probably no sadder man in West Point than Mark Mallory just then, even though he did not choose to let his enemies know it.
"Pretty good dive," commented a bystander, who was somewhat more disinterested24.
"Good, your grandmother!" cried the other. "Why, I could beat that myself if I knew how to swim!"
And then he wondered why the crowd laughed.
"Come on, let's go in ourselves," put in Bull, anxious to end his small friend's discomfort25. "Hurry up, there!"
The crowd had turned away, to follow their leader in his suggestion; they were by no means anxious to swell26 the number of those who had gathered for the obvious[Pg 210] purpose of watching Mark Mallory's feats27 as a swimmer. In fact, they couldn't see why anybody should want to watch a B. J. beast, and a "beast" who had only a day or two more to stay, at that.
Just then, however, a cry from the crowd attracted their attention, and made them turn hastily again.
"A race! A race!"
And Bull Harris cried out with vexation, as he wheeled and took in the situation.
"By the Lord!" he cried. "Did you ever hear of such a B. J. trick in your life? The confounded plebe is going to race with Fischer!"
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1
battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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2
candid
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| adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的 | |
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credulous
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| adj.轻信的，易信的 | |
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confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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actively
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| adv.积极地，勤奋地 | |
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herded
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| 群集，纠结( herd的过去式和过去分词 )； 放牧； （使）向…移动 | |
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7
carving
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| n.雕刻品，雕花 | |
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8
broiling
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| adj.酷热的，炽热的，似烧的v.（用火）烤（焙、炙等）( broil的现在分词 )；使卷入争吵；使混乱；被烤（或炙） | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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incurring
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| 遭受，招致，引起( incur的现在分词 ) | |
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bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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15
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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clinch
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| v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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18
whack
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| v.敲击，重打，瓜分；n.重击，重打，尝试，一份 | |
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19
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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23
malignant
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| adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的 | |
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disinterested
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| adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的 | |
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25
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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26
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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27
feats
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| 功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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