Sam ruminated deep and long over this hard-wrung gossip. He could not believe that the object of his dreams was no longer in her first girlhood. There was some mistake. Then it was absurd to suppose that she was reduced to the acceptance of inferior third-cla.s.s men. How could a waiter understand the charms of Saunders" historical nose?
Evidently she had selected him from the whole corps on account of his exploits as an object of hazing. Sam almost wished that Saunders" nose was a blemish, for it would help his chances, but candor obliged him to admit that it was, on the contrary, one of his rival"s strong points, and he sighed once again to think that he bore no marks on his own person of the hazing ordeal. All that Sam could do now was to wait. He recognized the fact that no girl with self-respect would speak to a "beast," and he determined to be patient until in another twelvemonth he should have become a full-fledged third-cla.s.s man himself. The other engagements had proved ephemeral, why not that with Saunders?
Fortunately this new sentiment of Sam"s did not interfere with his military work. Instead of that it inspired him with new fervor, and he now strove to be a perfect soldier not only for its own sake, but for her sake too.
Meanwhile Saunders began to imagine that Sam looked at his _fiancee_ a little too frequently and long, and he determined to punish him for it.
How was this to be done? In his deportment toward the upper-cla.s.s men Sam was absolutely perfect, and had begun to win golden opinions from instructors and cadets alike. He always did more than was required of him, and did it better than was expected. He treated all upper-cla.s.s men with profound respect, and he did it without effort because it came natural to him. He never ventured to look them in the eye, and he blushed and stammered when they addressed him. Saunders tried to find a flaw in his behavior so that he might have the matter taken up by the cla.s.s committee, but there was no flaw to be found. Self-respect prevented him from giving the real reason, his jealousy; besides, it was out of the question to drag in the name of a lady.
One day Saunders, Captain Clark, Smith, and some other cadets were discussing the matter of fourth-cla.s.s discipline, and the merits of some recent fights which had been ordered between fourth-cla.s.s men and their seniors for the purpose of punishing the former, when Saunders tried skilfully to lead the conversation round to the case of Sam Jinks.
"There are some fellows in the fourth cla.s.s that need a little taking down, don"t you think so?" he asked.
"If there are, take them down," said Clark laconically. "Who do you mean?"
"Why, there"s that Jinks fellow, for instance. He struts about as if he were a major-general."
"He is pretty well set up, that"s a fact," said Smith, "but you can"t object to that. I must say he does his work for me up to the handle.
Look at that for a shine"; and he exhibited one of his boots to the crowd.
"I wonder if he can fight?" said Saunders, changing his tactics. "He"s a well-built chap, and I"d like to see what he can do. How can we get him to fight if we can"t haul him up for misbehaving?"
"It"s easy enough, if he"s a gentleman," answered Clark, who was a recognized authority in matters of etiquette.
"How?" asked Saunders.
"Why, all you"ve got to do is to insult him and then he"ll have to fight."
"How would you insult him?" asked Saunders eagerly.
"The best way," said Clark sententiously, "is to call him a hog in public, and then, if he is a gentleman, he will be ready to fight."
"I"ll do it," said Saunders. "I"m dying to see that fellow fight. Of course, I don"t care to fight him. We can get Starkie to do that, I suppose."
"Yes," said Clark. "We"ll select somebody that can handle him and teach him his place, depend on that."
Saunders set out at once to carry out the program. As soon as he found Jinks in a group of fourth-cla.s.s men, he went up to him, and cried in a loud voice,
"Jinks, you"re a hog."
"Yes, sir," said Sam, saluting respectfully.
"Do you hear what I say? you"re a wretched hog."
"Yes, sir."
"You"re a hog, and if you"re a gentleman you"ll be ready to fight if you"re asked to."
"Yes, sir," responded Sam, as Saunders turned on his heel and walked away. Somehow Clark"s plan did not seem to have worked to perfection, but it must be all right, and he hastened to report the affair to his cla.s.s committee, who promptly determined that Cadet Jinks must fight, and that their cla.s.smate Starkie be requested to represent them in the encounter. Starkie weighed at least thirty pounds more than Sam, was considerably taller, had several inches longer reach of arm, and was a practised boxer. Sam had never boxed in his life. These facts seemed to the committee only to enhance the interesting character of the affair.
"We"re much obliged to you, Saunders," said the chairman. "You"ve done just right to call our attention to this matter. These beasts must be taught their place. The only manly way to settle it is by having Starkie fight him. You have acted like a gentleman and a soldier."
The fight was arranged for a Sat.u.r.day afternoon on the familiar hazing-ground near the old fort. Sam selected Cleary and another cla.s.smate for his seconds, and Starkie chose Saunders and Smith.
"Jinks," said Smith in a moment of unwonted affability, "you"ve got a chance now to distinguish yourself. I"ll see that you get fair play. Of course, you"ll have to fight to a finish, but you must take your medicine like a man."
"Did General Gramp ever have to fight here?" asked Sam, touching his cap.
"Of course," said Smith, "and on that very ground, too. You don"t seem to have read much history."
The prospect of the fight gave Sam intense joy. His sense of glory seemed to obliterate all antic.i.p.ation of pain. This was his first opportunity to become a real hero. When he was hazed he only had to suffer; now, on the other hand, he was called upon to act. He got Cleary to show him some of the simplest rules of boxing, and he practised what little he could during the three intervening days. He was quite determined to knock Starkie out or die in the attempt.
At four o"clock on the day indicated a crowd of first-and third-cla.s.s men were collected to see the great event. No fourth-cla.s.s men were allowed to attend except the two seconds. A ring was formed; Captain Clark was chosen as referee; and the two combatants, stripped to the waist, put on their hard gloves and entered the ring. Starkie eyed his antagonist critically, while Sam with a heavenly smile on his face did not focus his eyes at all, but seemed to be dreaming far away. When the word was given, however, he dashed in and made some desperate lunges at Starkie. It was easy to see in a moment that Sam could do nothing. He could not even reach his opponent, his arms were so much shorter. If Starkie held one of his arms out stiffly, Sam could not get near him and was entirely at his mercy. The third-cla.s.s man consequently set himself leisurely to work at the task of punishing the unfortunate Jinks. Two or three blows about the face and jaw which started the blood in profusion ended the first round. Sam did not recognize the inevitable result of the fight, and was anxious to begin again. He did not seem to feel any pain from the blows. Two or three rounds had the same result, and Sam became weaker and weaker. At last he could only go into the ring and receive punishment without making an effort to avert it, but he did not flinch.
"Did you ever see such a chap?" said Smith to Saunders. "Let"s call the thing off."
"Nonsense," said the latter. "Wait till he"s knocked insensible"; and the rest of the spectators expressed their agreement with him.
Just then a sound of marching was heard, and a company of cadets were seen coming up the hill in command of an army officer.
"Hullo, Clark," whispered Smith. "Stop the fight. Here comes old Blair, and he may report us."
"Not much," said Clark. "He"ll mind his own business."
The company approached within a few yards of the ring.
"Eyes right!" shouted Captain Blair, and every man in the company turned his eyes away from the a.s.sembled crowd, and Blair himself stared into the woods on the other side of the path. The company had almost pa.s.sed out of sight when Blair"s voice was heard again.
"Front!" and the danger of detection had blown over.
After this faint interruption, Sam was brought up once more, pale and b.l.o.o.d.y, and hardly able to stand. Yet he smiled through the blood.
Starkie stood off and gave him his _coup de grace_, a full blow in the solar plexus, which doubled him up quite unconscious on the ground.
Clark declared the fight finished, and the crowd broke up hastily, leaving Cleary and his a.s.sociate to get Sam away as best they could.
They had a pail of water, sponges and towels, and they bathed his face; and after half an hour"s work were rewarded by having him open his eyes. In another half-hour he was able to stand, and supporting him on each side, they led him slowly down to the hospital.
"What"s the matter?" said the doctor as they entered the office. "Oh! I see. You found him lying bleeding up by Fort Hut, didn"t you?"
"Yes, sir," said Cleary.
"He must have fallen down and hit his head against a stone, don"t you think so?"
"Yes, sir."
"That"s a dangerous place; the pine-needles make it very slippery,"
said the doctor, as he entered the case in his records. "Here, Mose, put Cadet Jinks to bed."
This time Sam was laid up for two weeks, but he felt amply repaid for this loss of time by a visit from no less a person than Cadet Smith.
"Mind you never tell any one I came here," said Smith, "and treat me just the same when you come out as you did before; but I wanted to tell you you"re a brick. I never saw a man stand up to a dressing the way you did, and that"s the truth."
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE MANLY SPORT AT EAST POINT "STARKEY STOOD OFF AND GAVE HIM HIS COUP DE GRACE"]