"I saw him myself. He just got off the train. And there's going to be a review of the corps1 and a whole lot of stuff. Don't you hear those guns. That's the salute2, b'gee!"
Texas and Dewey paused in their excited conversation to listen to the booming of the cannon3 to the west of the camp. And scarcely had the sound ceased before the roll of a drum was heard coming from the guard tent at the head of the A Company Street.
"That's the call to quarters, b'gee," continued the bearer of the news excitedly. "I bet we're going to see some fun, Texas."
That "call to quarters" brought cadets from every direction hurrying into camp to "spruce up," and "fall in;" but the two, who were seated on a bench over by Trophy5 Point, did not even offer to move. For that call to quarters had nothing to do with them; that was for old cadets, the first classmen, and the yearlings.
When the battalion6 turned out for review in honor of[Pg 217] its distinguished7 guest nobody thought of putting them on exhibition.
The two sat looking at the line forming over by camp, and also at a group of figures way down at the other end of the parade ground, a group of blue-uniformed officers, with the West Point band at the head. It was evidently the superintendent8 and his staff and the distinguished visitor with him.
"Looks as if there's goin' to be high jinks roun' hyar," observed Texas. "It's a shame Mark ain't hyar to see it."
Dewey assented9 to that emphatically, and Texas after a few moments of moody10 thoughtfulness, continued:
"Hang them ole cadets!" he growled11. "It makes me want to git up and slash12 round some whenever I think of half o' that whole battalion pitchin' in to punch a feller, because not one of 'em was man enough to lick him in a square, stand-up fight. Tell you, it makes my blood boil! An' they broke his shoulder, an' sent him to hospital, an' he too much of a man to tell on 'em at that! The cowards!"
"That's what I say, too, b'gee!" chimed in Dewey. "Mark's the spunkiest man that ever they laid eyes on."
"That's what he is," growled Texas. "Jes' think o' whar we'd be ef twan't for him. We'd be lettin' them cadets haze13 us, that's what we would."
[Pg 218]"Never mind," said Dewey, prophetically. "Just wait till he's well again, b'gee! And we'll stick by him meanwhile."
"Will we?" echoed Texas. "I couldn't tell in a thousands years what that aire feller's done fo' me. An' I know one other besides us that'll stand by him, too."
"Grace Fuller, you mean?"
"That's what I do! Ever since Mark swam out and near killed himself savin' her from drownin' that girl's been the best friend ever he had. You jes' ought to go over to the hospital an' see how she sends him flowers an' fruit an' things. They let her in to sit with him an' talk to him where they won't let us plebes near him."
"B'gee, I don't blame 'em!" laughed Dewey. "They're afraid of you over there, since they had to nurse you after you rode out and 'held up' the artillery14 squadron at drill. But I tell you, Mark's in luck to have Grace spooney over him. She's the most beautiful girl I ever saw, and she's the belle15 of this place. I declare I can hardly believe it, that she's joined with us plebes to fool the yearlings."
"She's jes' full o' fun," laughed Texas, "but I reckon the great reason's cause she's so fond o' Mark. I wish I had his luck. I jes' stand off, 'n look at her and wonder s'posin' 'twas me—dog gone it!"
Texas saw an amused smile begin to flit about his com[Pg 219]panion's merry face; he suspected he was about to "remind" that cheerful recounter of a yarn18; so he stopped.
"Tell you what," he continued after some more thinking. "I know 'nother girl that's dead gone on Mark."
"B'gee!" cried Dewey in surprise. "Who's that?"
"'Moll' Adams."
"Who on earth is she?"
"I reckon she came in afore you met us," mused16 Texas. "Yes, 'twas 'fore4 you joined the Banded Seven. You know Bull Harris?"
"B'gee!" laughed Dewey. "Didn't I lick the cuss once?"
"That's so," said Texas. "I forgot. Well, Bull—'twas jes' like him—was botherin' this girl down on the road to Highland19 Falls one day. He had hold of her arm an' she was fightin' to git away or somethin'. Anyhow Mark knocked him down, which was the beginnin' of all this hazin' business. Bull got all his yearlin' gang after Mark. After that Mark did her 'nother favor, got her brother out of a terrible scrape. An' I think she's been mighty20 fond of him ever since."
"B'gee!" laughed Dewey. "This is real romantic. What makes you think so?"
"I've seen her hangin' roun' the hospital inquirin' fo' Mark. An' I can tell by the way she looks at him. I don't think she likes to see him so chummy with Grace."
[Pg 220]"That's more romantic yet," chuckled21 Dewey. "Why don't Mark care for her?"
"You see," said Texas, "some o' the cadets, one of 'em a pretty decent feller, a friend o' Mark's, told him that she waren't—she waren't quite right. She's somethin' of a flirt22, you know. I don't like girls that kind much myself an' I'm sure Mark don't. He's kep' pretty shy o' her, an' I kinder think she's noticed it."
"Is she pretty?" inquired the other.
"She's mos' as pretty as Grace," responded Texas. "An' that's sayin' a deal. She's what you call a brunette—black hair an' eyes. There's some girls a feller feels are all right; he feels he's a better feller when he's with them. Grace Fuller's one of 'em. She's jes' the angel we call her. Then there's some that ain't, an' this girl's one of them."
"Quite a character analysis," laughed the other. "But I guess, b'gee, you're right, all the same. And speaking of unpleasant characters, there's that Bull Harris. We haven't heard from him for a long time."
"I reckon," said Texas, "Bull's been wantin' to see what the first class'd do to Mark since he'd failed to haze him. I reckon the durty ole rascal's right well satisfied now."
"You don't love him much," observed the other.
"Why should I? Ain't he tried every mean kid trick he could think of on Mark an' me, too? He's all right to[Pg 221] bully23 girls but when he tried Mark now, he found he'd hit a snag. He's been doin' nothin' ever since but tryin' to get us into scrapes. An' I was thinkin' to-day, 'tain't no lucky sign he's quiet. I jes' reckon he's plottin' some new durnation trick."
"I wish he'd come on with it," laughed Dewey. "Life is getting really monotonous24 the last two days since Mark's been in hospital. We've been having so many lively and interesting brushes with the cadets, b'gee, that I can't get along without some excitement at least every day."
"I reckon it'll come soon enough," observed Texas. "An' they say when you speak of angels they flap their wings. I wonder how 'bout17 devils. There's ole Bull Harris now, the third feller from the right in the front rank of A."
"And he's going out to salute the general," observed Dewey. "I wish we had another bloodhound now so's we could put it on his trail the way we did once. B'gee, but he was mad!"
As the two had been talking the battalion had formed on the company ground; roll call had passed quickly, and the cadet adjutant had turned the parade over to the charge of the tactical officer, Lieutenant25 Allen. The latter's sharp commands had rung out a moment later and the firmly-stepping lines had swung around and were now[Pg 222] well on their way down the parade ground, at the other end of which stood the famous general and his staff.
It was an inspiring moment. The air seemed fairly to shake with the gay music of the band. The cadet's uniforms and equipments were glittering in the sunlight, their banners waving on the breeze. They wheeled like so many splendid pieces of mechanism26 and in a few moments more were standing27 at "present arms" in one long line that extended the width of the field.
The officers brought their swords up to the salute and the spectators cheered, as a handsome figure rode out from the group of officers and cantered down the line. It was General Miles himself, a fine military figure, striking and imposing28. The cadets would have cheered him, too, if they had dared.
During this interesting ceremony our two friends of the plebe class had gotten up and started on a run for the scene. They had been so much interested in their discussion of "Meg" Adams and Bull Harris that they had forgotten all about watching this. But by the time they got there the review was over, and the cadets had scattered29 once more. This time to prepare for exhibition drill of the afternoon.
The two wandered about disconsolately30 after that, Texas growling31 at Dewey for having talked too much.[Pg 223] And then suddenly the former stopped short and stared at his friend.
"I know what I'm going to do!" he declared.
"What?"
"I'm a-goin' to see Mark."
"I thought they wouldn't let you in," laughed Dewey.
"I'm a-goin' all the same," vowed32 the other. "Ef they won't let me I'll make 'em. Jes' you watch me!"
And with that the impulsive33 Texan faced about and set out for the hospital in a hurry.
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1
corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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2
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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trophy
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| n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品 | |
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battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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7
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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8
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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moody
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| adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的 | |
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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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12
slash
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| vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩 | |
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13
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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14
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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15
belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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yarn
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| n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事 | |
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highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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21
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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flirt
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| v.调情，挑逗，调戏；n.调情者，卖俏者 | |
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bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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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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mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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27
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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29
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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disconsolately
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| adv.悲伤地，愁闷地；哭丧着脸 | |
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31
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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32
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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impulsive
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| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
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