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

tation Walk?" as

into the famous path, which begins not far to the eastward of t

tion Walk," rep

irt, on this stroll?" asked

"Yet the surroundings often bring out all th

ever get such a na

half of it before you can quite c

een over this way tim

s M

seriously. "I have been a

e forbidden to

the brass to try it,"

e to fight the whole y

f the conversation,

ny rights or priv

s hurt he has a right to medical and surgical attendance. He is allowed to attend chapel on Sunday, just li

sighed sympa

ebe!" ame

fully glum and ho

e time, des

ght to ignore a plebe, an

t on probation while he's in the fourth class--that's all. The pleb

eadfully hard,"

's one of the smartest fellows in creation. In a good many cases, too, the fellow has been spoiled ever since he was a baby, by being the son of wealthy parents, or by being from a family distinguished in some petty local social circles. The first move here, on the part of the upper classmen, is to take all of that swel

walking close behin

h a more or less bad temper. He can't talk ugly here, or double his

ed both gir

on as the meeting can

st

ther horrible!"

yly. "We're being traine

ey fight about?

"spoke slightingly of a girl at the hop last night. The cadet who heard him didn't

ened?" inq

was, according to our code, comp

to fight?" ask

swered. "That particular 'dog' is now in a special little kennel at the hospital. Hasn

laughed Dick. "Let me call your atten

uples had halted at a rock-strewn point on the w

ost at their feet, yet far below them. Looking northward, th

of Belle. "I want to show you a

tedly with Miss Griffin. At sight of Laura, Greg halted, and the four young

entire day on this beautiful sp

begged Dick, spreading his

down. Dick threw himself o

town news, and they talked over the Hi

esently, after a few couples had strolled above them. "And such beautiful wild flowers! Look at the honeysuckle

obtained," smiled D

for Dick, after examining the face of the little cliff f

en," he directed, look

he beautiful blossoms into the open par

" Dick called down, pulling out a sample

f you

ck scrambled down, resuming his lounging seat on the

girl she has become!" kept ru

y of her low, white feminine brow Dick noted in turn. He had never seen Laura look so attractive, not even in her dainty ball finery of the night before.

rous brink of sentimentality. Since coming to West Point he had seen many charming girls, yet not on

y no means certain that he would finally graduate from the Military Academy. Without a place in life, what had he to o

to fly away every time he glanced at this

ll afternoon there is a lot that we shall fai

little start. Perhaps she, too, had been thinking,

nswered; "le

Laura Bentley might not wait long before making her choice of men

himself. "I have no right to ask her to tie he

ring the rest of the walk. Who shall know what passes in a girl's

ey found Greg and Anstey leaning against the veranda railing, chatting with Belle and Miss Gr

d at his watch. The third time a s

ed. "It is time to say good-bye, for we must get b

de? asked Laura, looking up quickly,

Dick. "After parade there will be other duties, th

s, though he knew more of the wrenc

in winter?" he murmured

looking down at her boot tip, the

e girls here again, this wint

s parents approve, I'll tr

caps Dick and the others turned and strode down the path. Laura and Belle

round by the time that the good old gray battalion had

n at that straight, inflexible wall of gray and steel, as the band played

ch battalions of the flower of young American manh

alization of what their country meant when the band crashed out in the exultant strains of the "Star Spangled

isitors took the stage

p! Dick had never known the time to hang so he

st, for that bumptious plebe, Mr. Briggs, had been caught in more misc

dn't even look in to

* *

?" asked Laura eagerly as the West Sho

astically. "But still--wait u

veling in a Pullman car, on another stage of their journey. "I wonder what

y be sure," Mrs. Bentley rep

ark," put in Belle Meade. "It must be great for you

young men are doing at

ur

entley, "you may be sure they're moving about looking as elegant

manage, to other cadets who waited to nail them in place on a pontoon bridge out over an arm of the Hudson. Greg Holmes was one of four young men toiling at the rope by which they were