"First night of plebe camp," says a well-known military writer, "is a thing not soon to be forgotten, even in these days when pitchy darkness no longer surrounds the pranks5 of the yearlings, and when official vigilance and protection have replaced what seemed to be tacit encouragement and consent.
"Then—some years ago—it was no uncommon6 thing for a new cadet to be dragged out—'yanked'—and slid around camp on his dust-covered blanket twenty times a[Pg 258] night, dumped into Fort Clinton ditch, tossed in a tent fly, half smothered7 in the folds of his canvas home, ridden on a tent pole or in a rickety wheelbarrow, smoked out by some vile8, slow-burning pyrotechnic compound, robbed of rest and sleep at the very least after he had been alternately drilled and worked all the livelong day."
In Mark's time the effort to put a stop to the abuses mentioned had just been begun. Army officers had been put on duty at night; gas lamps had been placed along the sentry9 posts—precautions which are doubled nowadays, and with the risk of expulsion added besides. They have done away with the worst forms of hazing10 if not with the spirit.
The yearlings "had it in" for our four friends of company A that evening. In fact, scarcely had the plebes scattered11 to their tents when that particular plebe hotel was surrounded. The cadets had it all arranged beforehand, just what was to happen, and they expected to have no end of fun about it.
"Parson Stanard" was to be serenaded first; the crowd meant to surround him and "invite" him to read some learned extracts from his beloved "Dana." The Parson was to recount some of the nobler deeds of Boston's he[Pg 259]roes, including himself; he was to display his learning by answering questions on every conceivable subject; he was to define and spell a list of the most outlandish words in every language known to the angels.
Texas was to show his skill and technique in hurling12 an imaginary lasso and firing an imaginary revolver from an imaginary galloping13 horse. He was to tell of the geography, topography, climate and resources of the Lone14 Star State; he was to recount the exploits of his "dad," "the Hon. Scrap15 Powers, sah, o' Hurricane Co.," and his uncle, the new Senator-elect. Mark was to give rules for rescuing damsels, saving expresses and ferryboats, etc. And Mr. Methusalem Zebediah Chilvers of Kansas was to state his favorite method of raising three-legged chickens and three-foot whiskers.
That was the delicious programme as finally agreed upon by the yearlings. And there was only one drawback met in the execution of it. The four plebes could not be found!
They weren't in their tent; they weren't in camp! Preposterous16! The yearlings hunted, scarcely able to believe their eyes. The plebes, of course, had a perfect right to take a walk after supper if they chose. But the very[Pg 260] idea of daring to do it on the first night in camp, when they knew that the yearlings would visit them and expect to be entertained! It was an unheard-of thing to do; but it was just what one would have expected of those B. J. beasts, so the yearlings grumbled17, as they went off to other tents to engage other plebes in conversation and controversy18.
But where were the four? No place in particular. They had simply joined the other three and had the impudence19 to disappear in the woods for a stroll until tattoo20. They had come to the conclusion that it was better to do that than to stay and be "guyed," as they most certainly would be if they refused their tormentors' requests. And Mark had overruled Texas' vehement22 offer to stay and "do up the hull23 crowd," deciding that the cover of the night would be favorable to the sevens' hazing, and that until then they should make themselves scarce.
In the meantime there was high old sport in Camp McPherson. In response to the requests of the merry yearlings, some plebes were sitting out on the company streets and rowing desperate races at a 34-to-the-minute stroke with brooms for oars24 and air for water; some were playing imaginary hand-organs, while others sang songs to the[Pg 261] tunes25; some "beasts" were imitating every imaginable animal in a real "menagerie," and some were relating their personal history while trying to stand on their heads.
All this kind of hazing is good-natured and hurts no one physically26, however much the loss of dignity may torment21 some sensitive souls. It is the only kind of hazing that remains27 to any great extent nowadays.
In the midst of such hilarity28 time passes very rapidly—to the yearlings, anyway. In almost no time tattoo had sounded; and then the companies lined up for the evening roll call, the seven dropping into line as silently as they had stolen off, deigning29 a word to no one in explanation of their strange conduct.
"That's what I call a pretty B. J. trick!" growled30 Cadet Harris. Bull had been looking forward with great glee to that evening's chance to ridicule31 Mark, with all his classmates to back him; it was a lost chance now, and Bull was angry in consequence.
Bull's cronies agreed with him as to the "B. J.-ness" of that trick. And they, along with a good many others, too, agreed that the trick ought not be allowed to succeed.
And so it happened that the seven, by their action, brought down upon their heads all the hazing that was done after taps. This hazing, too, was by far the least pleasant, for it was attended to only by the more reckless members of the class, members who could not satisfy their taste for torture by making a helpless plebe sing songs, but must needs tumble him out of bed and ride him on a rail at midnight besides.
The fact, however, that all such members of the yearling class had decided33 to concentrate their torments34 upon him did not worry Mark in the least. In fact, that was just what Mark had expected and prepared for.
"Now go to your tents, make down your bedding just as you were taught at barracks; do not remove your underclothing; hang up your uniforms where each man can get his own in an instant; put your shoes and caps where you can get them in the dark if need be; turn in and blow your candle out, before the drum strikes 'taps,' at ten. After that, not a sound! Get to sleep as soon as you can and be ready to form here at reveille."
[Pg 263]So spoke36 Cadet Corporal Jasper; and then at the added command, "Break ranks, march!" the plebe company scattered, and with many a sigh of relief vanished as individuals in the various tents.
The corporal's last order, "be ready to form here at reveille," is a source of much worriment to the plebe. But the one before it, "get to sleep as soon as you can," is obeyed with the alacrity37 born of hours of drill and marching. Long before tattoo, which is the signal for "lights out," the majority of the members of the class were already dreaming. Perhaps they were not resting very easily, for most of them had a vague idea that there might be trouble that night; but they knew that lying awake would not stop it, and they were all too sleepy anyway.
The last closing ceremony of a West Point day in camp is the watchful38 "tac's" inspection39. One of these officers goes the rounds with a dark lantern, flashing it into every tent and making sure that the four occupants are really in bed. (The "bed" consists of a board floor, and blankets.) Having attended to this duty, the tac likewise retires and Camp McPherson sinks into the slumbers40 of the night.
[Pg 264]After that until five the next morning there is no one awake but the tireless sentries41. A word about these. The camp is a military one and is never without guard from the moment the tents are stretched until the 29th of August, when the snowy canvas comes to the ground once more. The "guard tent" is at the western end of the camp, and is under the charge of the "corporal of the guard," a cadet. The sentries are cadets, too, and there are five of them, numbered—sentry No. 1 and so on. The ceremony each morning at which these sentries go on duty is called "guard-mounting." And during the next twenty-four hours these sentries are on duty two hours in every six—two hours on and then four off, making eight in the twenty-four.
These sentries being cadets themselves—and yearlings at present—hazing is not so difficult as it might seem. A sentry can easily arrange to have parties cross his beat without his seeing them; it is only when the sentry is not in the plot that the thing is dangerous.
The "tac"—Lieutenant42 Allen was his name—had made his rounds for the night, finding plebes and yearlings, too, all sleeping soundly, or apparently43 so. And after that there was nothing moving but the tramping sentinels, and[Pg 265] the shadows of the trees in the moonlight as they fell on the shining tents—that is, there was nothing moving that was visible. The yearlings, plenty of them, were wide awake in their tents and preparing for their onslaught upon the sleeping plebes.
Sleeping? Perhaps, but certainly not all of them. Some of those plebes were as wide awake as the yearlings, and they were engaged in an occupation that would have taken the yearlings considerably44 by surprise if they had known it. There were seven of them in two tents, tents that were back to back and close together, one being in Company A and one in B.
They were very quiet about their work; for it was a risky45 business. Discovery would have meant the sentry's yelling for the corporal of the guard; meant that Lieutenant Allen would have leaped into his trousers and been out of his tent at the corporal's heels; meant a strict investigation46, discovery, court-martial and dismissal. It was all right for yearlings to be out at night; but plebes—never!
It grew riskier47 still as a few minutes passed, for one of the B. J. beasts had the temerity48 to come out of his tent. He came very cautiously, it was true, worming his way[Pg 266] along the ground silently, in true Indian—or Texas style. For Texas it was, that adventurous49 youth having vowed51 and declared that if he were not allowed to attend to this particular piece of mischief52 he would go out and hold up a sentry instead; the other three occupants were peering under the tent folds watching him anxiously as he crawled along.
As a fact, Texas' peril53 was not as great as was supposed, for the sentries had no means of telling if he was a yearling or not. The idea of a plebe's daring to break rules would not have occurred to them anyhow. Be that as it may, at any rate nobody interrupted the Seven Devils' plans. Cadet Powers made his way across the "street," deposited his burden, a glistening54 steel revolver some two feet long. And then he stole back and the crowd lay still in their tents and watched and waited.
They had not long to do that. Texas barely had time to crawl under the canvas and to mutter to his friends—for the hundredth time:
"Didn't I tell ye them air guns 'ud come in handy?"
"Just in time!" whispered Mark, seizing his friend by[Pg 267] the hand and at the same time giving vent50 to a subdued56 chuckle57. "Just in time. S-sh!"
"Will it work? Will it work?" was the thought in the mind of every one of them.
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1
battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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somber
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| adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的 | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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pranks
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| n.玩笑，恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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7
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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10
hazing
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| n.受辱，被欺侮v.（使）笼罩在薄雾中( haze的现在分词 )；戏弄，欺凌（新生等，有时作为加入美国大学生联谊会的条件） | |
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11
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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12
hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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13
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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14
lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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15
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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17
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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18
controversy
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| n.争论，辩论，争吵 | |
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impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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20
tattoo
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| n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于 | |
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21
torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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22
vehement
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| adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的 | |
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23
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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25
tunes
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| n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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26
physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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27
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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28
hilarity
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| n.欢乐；热闹 | |
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29
deigning
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的现在分词 ) | |
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30
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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ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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32
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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33
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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34
torments
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| （肉体或精神上的）折磨，痛苦( torment的名词复数 )； 造成痛苦的事物[人] | |
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35
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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36
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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37
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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38
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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39
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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40
slumbers
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| 睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 ) | |
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sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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42
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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43
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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44
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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45
risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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46
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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47
riskier
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| 冒险的，危险的( risky的比较级 ) | |
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48
temerity
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| n.鲁莽，冒失 | |
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49
adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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50
vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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51
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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52
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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53
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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54
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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55
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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56
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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57
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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58
thumping
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| adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持 | |
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