And Murray lost no time in vowing that he would; Bull Harris felt then that at last he was on the road to victory.
It is necessary to explain the system of discipline which prevails at West Point. A cadet is allowed to receive only one hundred "demerits"
during the first six months of his stay. These demerits are a.s.signed according to a regular and inflexible schedule; thus for being late at roll call, a minor offense, a cadet receives two demerits, while a serious offense, such as disobedience of orders or sitting down on post while on sentry duty, brings ten units of trouble in its wake. These demerits are not given by the instructor or the cadet who notices the offense; but he enters the charge in a book which is forwarded to headquarters. The report is read out after parade that same day and posted in a certain place the next day; and four days later the superintendent a.s.signs the demerits in all cases where "explanations"
have not been received.
The following is an example of an explanation:
"West Point, N. Y., ---- --, 18--. Report--Bedding not properly folded at police inspection.
"Explanation--Some one disarranged my bedding after I had piled it. I was at the sink at the time of inspection, and I readjusted the bedding upon my return.
"Respectfully submitted,
"Cadet ----, Co. ----, ---- Cla.s.s.
"To the Commandant of Cadets."
Cadets usually hand in explanations, though the explanations are not always deemed satisfactory.
Reports are made by the army officers, and also by cadets themselves, file closers, section marchers and others. It was in this last fact that Bull Harris and his friend Murray saw their chance.
It very seldom happens that a cadet reports another except where the report is deserved; a man who does otherwise soon gets into trouble. But Bull and his gang saw no obstacle in that; most of them were always head over heels in demerits themselves, including Murray--though he was a "cadet-corporal." Being thus, and in consequent danger of expulsion, they were reckless of possible trouble. And besides, Bull had sworn to haze that plebe, and he meant to do it.
The plan in brief was simply this: Mark Mallory must be demerited right and left, everywhere and upon every possible pretext, just or unjust--and that was all. The thing has been done before; there is talk of doing it whenever a colored lad is admitted to the Point. And Murray was the man to do it, too, because he had just been transferred and put "on duty over plebes." It was only necessary to give one hundred demerits. One hundred demerits is a ticket of leave without further parley or possibility of return.
CHAPTER XXI.
A MILD ATTEMPT AT HAZING.
If Cadet Corporal Murray had any doubts about the necessity for putting this very dirty scheme into practice, or if his not over squeamish conscience was the least bit troubled by the prospect, something happened that same evening which effectually squelched such ideas. It was after supper, during half an hour of so-called "rest," which is allowed to the over-drilled plebe. Mr. Murray, in whose manly breast still burned a fire of rage at the insult which "B. J." Dewey had offered him, resolved in his secret heart that that same insult must and should be avenged. That evening he thought an especially favorable time, for Dewey was still an "invalid," as a result of his last B. J. effort.
With this purpose in view, Cadet Murray stole away from his companions and set out for barracks, around which the luckless plebes were cl.u.s.tered. Arriving there, he hunted; he spent quite a while in hunting, for the object of his search was nowhere to be seen. He caught sight of Mark and his "gang," but Dewey was not among them. When he did find him at last it was a good way from that place--way up on Flirtation Walk; and then Cadet Murray got down to business at once.
"Look a here, B. J. beast!" he called.
The object of this peremptory challenge turned, as also did his companion, the terrified Indian--once more about to be hazed. The two stared at the yearling; a lady and gentleman pa.s.sing glanced at him also, probably wondering what was in store for the luckless plebes; and then they pa.s.sed on, leaving the place lonely, and deserted, just the spot for the proposed work. So thought the yearling, as he rubbed his hands gleefully and spoke again.
"Beast!" said he, "I want to tell you that you were very impudent to me to-day!"
"Strange coincidence!" cried Dewey, with one of his merry laughs.
"Reminds me of a story I once heard, b"gee. Two old farmers got stuck in a snowdrift--five feet deep, and getting deeper. Says one of "em, b"gee, "It"s c-c-c-cold!" "B"gee!" cried the other. "B"gee, naow ain"t that pecooliar! Jes" exactly what I was goin" to say myself, b"gee!""
Cadet Murray listened to this blithe recital with a frowning brow.
"You think that"s funny, don"t you!" he sneered.
"No, b"gee!" laughed Dewey, "because I didn"t write it. "Nother fellow told me that--the queerest chap I think I ever knew, he was. Had a mother-in-law that used to----"
"Shut up!" cried Murray, in anger, seeing that he was being "guyed."
"B"gee!" cried Dewey, "that"s just what she didn"t!"
There was an ominous silence after that, during which the yearling glared angrily, and Indian muttered "Bless my soul!"
"It"s quite evident," began the former, at last, "that you are inclined to be fresh."
"Ink-lined to be fresh," added Dewey, "as the stamped egg remarked when it was dated three days after it was laid. That"s another far-fetched joke, though. Still I"ve heard some more far-fetched than that--one a friend of mine read on an Egyptian pyramid and brought home to tell for new. Queer fellow that friend of mine was, too. He didn"t have a mother-in-law, this one, but he slept in a folding bed, and, b"gee, that bed used to shut up oftener than the mother-in-law didn"t. Handsome bed, too--an inlaid bed--and it shut up whenever it was laid in, b"gee."
Dewey could have prattled on at this merry rate for an hour, for he knew more jokes--good ones--and could make up more bad ones on the spur of the moment than half a dozen ordinary mortals. But he was brought to a sudden halt just then, and muttered a suppressed "B"gee!" For the yearling, wild with anger, leaped forward and aimed a savage blow at his head.
The plebe ducked; he was quick and agile in body as he was in mind. And then as the big cadet aimed another blow, he put up his one well arm--the other was in a sling--and defended himself to the best of his ability, at the same time calling Indian to his aid.
But before there was time for another move something else happened.
Dewey was debating whether discretion were not really the whole of valor, and whether it were not better to "run away and live to fight--or run away--some other day;" and Indian was actually doubling up his fat little fists about to strike the first blow in his fat little life; when suddenly came a shout behind them, and a moment later a strong hand seized the advancing yearling by the back of his collar and flung him head first to the ground.
Cadet Murray sprang to his feet again and turned purple with rage and soiled with dirt, to confront the stalwart form of Mark, and Mark rubbing his hands together and smiling cheerfully.
"Will you have any more?" he inquired, politely. "Step right up if you will--and by the way, stop that swearing."
"A very timely arrival," remarked Dewey, smoothing his jacket. "Very timely, b"gee! Reminds me----"
"Bless my soul!" cried Indian.
"Going, are you?" put in Mark, as the discomfited Murray started to slink away. "Well, good-evening. I"ve had my satisfaction for being called a coward by you."
"You shall pay for this," the furious cadet muttered. "Pay for it as sure as I"m alive!"
His threat was taken lightly by the plebes; they had little idea of what he meant when he spoke. And they were chatting merrily about the adventure as they turned and made their way back to barracks.
"It only goes to show," was Mark"s verdict, "that an alliance is a first-rate idea. I saw that fellow prowling around barracks and I knew right away what he was up to. We"ve one more enemy, that"s all."
That was not all, by a good sight. The angry yearling hurried back to camp, nursing his feelings as he went; there he poured out the vials of his wrath into the ears of his two sympathetic companions, Bull and the Baby. And the three of them spent the rest of that evening, up to tattoo, discussing their revenge, thinking up a thousand pretexts upon which Cadet Mallory might be "skinned." There was a bombsh.e.l.l scheduled to fall into the midst of the "alliance" the next day.
CHAPTER XXII.
THE BOMBSh.e.l.l FALLS.
Nothing happened that evening; Mark and his friends pa.s.sed their time in serene unconsciousness of any danger, merrily discussing the latest hazing effort of the enemy. Bull Harris and his crowd did not put in appearance, or try to put their plot into execution, for the simple reason that there was no chance. The first "whack," so to speak, was scheduled for the A. M. inspection the next day. The only inspection at night is made by a "tac"--a practical officer--who goes the rounds with a dark lantern after taps to make sure that no plebes have been run away with.