Dick Prescott's Second Year at West Point / Or, Finding the Glory of the Soldier's Life

us feel so ashamed over our thoughts of hazing," muttered Mr. Furlong,

rank piece of b.j.-ety. We couldn't let his offence go by. We hazed him for a straight cause, not

soiree you mentioned

in ea

"I had no intention of bringing him over for a soiree this eve

lf at the tent of some upper classman. Several yearlings are here gathered to receive him. He is taken in hand in no gentle way. He is rebuked, scored "roasted." He is made to feel that he is a disgrace to the United States Military Academy, and that he never will be a particle

capable yearlings, is always afterwa

ch before supper time that the rain stopped and the sun came out briefly. But the brief period of relaxation had been app

, and was dismissed, the young men turned t

there was to be a

however, attend

many of the cadets beg

urlong, standing just outside his tent while h

" returned Dic

Furlong demanded. "Yet when we were under instruction in the

of the hops, later on i

sco

ing to do better, aren't you, Holmesy?" continued Furlong, a

being punched, I suppose," grinned Greg. "I'm

friend to the hop, must needs dance, if at all, with the girl s

' tonight," declared Furlong, cont

to the hop. If she be "spoony," that means tha

" inqui

s Wilton. I don't believe you've met her. Unless

d enjoy going through

office, in the book kept for that purpose, as every cadet is required to do, Mr. Furlong hoped for several minutes of talk with his pretty partn

, brought out his stool and seated hi

er to the hop tonigh

't wish to," replied

rather wondering wh

Gridley chum, looking quizzically at Holmes. "Greg, I'm

ought to be the very place t

afraid of," res

You're talkin

his marriage acts as an automatic resignat

that," Hol

ural gallant, anyway, goes so far in being spoons with some girl that he has to act like a gentleman, then, and declare intentions. A fellow can't show a nice girl a whole lot of spoony att

t a cadet becoming engaged to a girl. The regulat

to capture the average girl's heart; it's his uniform, I suppose, for women always have been weak when uniforms enveloped fellows who otherwise wouldn't attract their notice. Greg, I wonder how many cadets have been lonesome enough to propose to some girl, and afterwards find out it was all a mistake? And how many girls fall i

ughed yearling Holmes grimly. "I wonder if I'd b

," Dick replied. "If you feel proof against the da

," mused Greg, "of a

ome girls bac

hat promise,"

each invite them to hops, you to West Point and Dave to Annapoli

" nodded

After a few momen

ay we moved into encampment--the

coming on West Point so

lis, too. Now, it may be that, even if the girls can get away to travel a bit, they can't go to West

here," murmured

rescott repl

f I ask a question,"

, "for I think I

is Laura--

any understanding before I left Gr

hat I was

to one, now or later. I don't know myself yet, either, Greg. I want to wait until I have grown some in mind. Laura

d Belle Meade had any understa

wered. "So I can't be sure. But I don't bel

He had drawn off one of his white lisle-thread glo

coin, Greg," warned his chum. "Did you lea

s he finished drawing on his glove, "I'm unpledged,

hree years more, then," laughed Dick, a

was presently invited over to join a group that was entertaining thre

tle girl, and danced one number with her. He presently secured another partner. But too many of

" mused Greg, finding himself n

t of his gray uniform coat. He wasn't quite decided whether to go back to

"Yet, at West Point in the summer, it's either girls or mischief. Mischief, if carried

d way from Cullum Hall, and was not again s

* *

eir hosts, felt that a slow stroll outside of camp would be one of the pleasantest ways of

passed near the head of the color line. "Some of our glee-cl

g of sentimental or mournful ditties was not in his line that night.

hotel, but was careful not to enter the grounds, though three or four yearlings called g

with the K.C. for a stupid little

borhood of "Execution Hollow," the depression in t

, an amused look cre

tting into sheer mischief, all by himse

d yards or so away, and stealing toward th

ch a long line to the firing cord, and rig it across the path here, so that some 'dragger,' coming back from seeing his 'femme' home, will trip over the cord and fire the gun. The dragger ca

man standing, there, in the olive drab uniform of the Army officer. Captain Bat