The first and third classes of cadets had gone into summer camp the previous day, immediately after the graduation exercises. From that date, the middle of June to July 1, they have a comparative holiday, with[Pg 8] no drills and no duties except guard-mounting, dress parade toward evening, and inspections. And it was during the first of the holiday mornings that the above-mentioned "meeting" was held, beneath the shady trees of Trophy Point, a short distance from the camp.
"I move," shouted a voice in the crowd, "that we elect Bud Smith chairman."
The motion was carried with a shout, and Bud Smith, just out of hospital by the way, was "boosted" up onto one of the guns, which served as the "chair." Bud Smith was a tall, heavily-built youth with a face covered by court-plaster and "contusions," as the results of a West Point fight are officially designated by the hospital surgeon.
"This meeting will please come to order," said the chairman. "And the gentlemen will oblige me by keeping quiet and not compelling me to use my voice much. For I am—er—not feeling very well to-day."
And Bud illustrated his statement by gently mopping his "contusions" with a damp handkerchief.
"We have met," began the chairman, as soon as this formality was over—"we have met, I believe, to consider the cases of three 'beasts,' Powers, Stanard and[Pg 9] Mallory, by name (a low groan from the class), and to consider the best method of reducing them to submission. I don't think it is necessary for me to restate the complaints against them, for you are probably all as familiar with the incidents as I. 'Texas' Powers, or as he calls himself, Jeremiah, son o' the Honorable Scrap Powers, o' Hurricane County, Texas, must be disciplined because he fails to understand what is expected of him. He dared to order a superior officer out of his room, and last Monday morning he succeeded in defeating no less than four men in our class—myself among them."
And Cadet Smith again mopped his "contusions," and went on.
"Of course we have got to find somebody to whip him. Then, too, Stanard lost his temper and attacked half a dozen of our class, for no other reason on earth than that they tied him in a sack and carried him out onto the cavalry plain. He, too, was victorious, I am told. And then, last of all, but of all the offenders most insolent and lawless, comes——"
The chairman paused solemnly before he pronounced the name.
"Mark Mallory."
[Pg 10]And the storm of hisses and jeers that followed could have been heard at barracks. It was evident that the yearlings had no love for Mark Mallory, whoever Mark Mallory might be.
"Mark Mallory commenced his tricks," the chairman continued, "even before he was a cadet. He was impudent then. And the other day he dared to act as Powers' second. And, worse than all, yesterday, to show how utterly reckless and B. J. he is, he deliberately locked Bull Harris and Baby Edwards up in an icehouse, with the intention of making them absent at taps and compelling them to remain imprisoned all night. It was only by the merest accident, they succeeding in forcing the door, that this plan was frustrated. Now, gentlemen, this thing is about as serious as it can possibly be. Mark Mallory's conduct shows that he's gotten the idea into his head that not only can he avoid being hazed, but even turn the tables upon us and bid us defiance. His attack upon the two cadets was absolutely unprovoked. Bull told me personally that he had not attempted to haze him, and had not even spoken to him. It was a pure case of freshness and nothing else. And he's got to be licked for it until he can't stand up."
[Pg 11]Bud Smith finished his speech amid a round of applause, and then fell to soothing his "contusions" again.
It may as well be stated here that Bull Harris' account of the incident that was just now causing so much talk was an absolute falsehood. As told in a previous volume, entitled "Off for West Point," Bull and his gang had made an attempt to lock Mark up, and had failed, and been locked up themselves instead. That was all. But Bull and his gang saw fit to omit that part of the story. It was safe, for no one could gainsay it; Mark's account was not asked for.
"I move, Mr. Chairman," said Corporal Jasper, rising, "that inasmuch as Mallory seems to be the leader of this fool business, that we lick him first, and that, too, to-morrow morning. For it's growing worse every minute. The plebes are getting so downright B. J. that a fellow can't even give an order without fearing to be disobeyed. To-morrow morning, I say. And I call for some one to volunteer."
The young officer's motion took the crowd's fancy.
"Who'll fight him? Who'll fight him?" became the cry, and was followed by a chorus of names offered as[Pg 12] suggestions. One was predominant, and seemed to be the most popular.
"Williams! Billy Williams. Get up, Billy! Speech!"
And "Billy" arose from the ground as the cry grew louder, and said that he was "very much honored," and that if the class really selected him he would be most happy to do the best he possibly could.
"Hooray! Billy's going to lick him! 'Ray for Billy."
"I move, Mr. Chairman, that a committee be appointed to convey the challenge on behalf of the class."
"Carried," said the chairman. "I appoint Corporal Jasper and Cadet Spencer. This meeting stands adjourned."
And the yearlings scattered, bearing "Billy Williams" off in triumph.
The committee, much as it hated to, was obliged to delay the sending of the challenge. There were two reasons: In the first place, Mark Mallory, together with the rest of the plebes, was being bullied and tormented just then in the course of a squad drill; and, in the second place, one of the committee, Cadet Spencer, was engaged in doing the bullying, having been appointed "on duty over plebes."
[Pg 13]After supper, however, came a blissful half hour of rest to the last-named unfortunates; and then the three yearlings gathered together, took an extra quantity of dignity, and sallied forth to find the three "B. J.'s."
"B. J.," it may be added, is West Point for fresh, and stands for "before June."
Entering barracks, the committee made straight for Mark Mallory's room and knocked.
"Come in, thar!" shouted a voice.
There were four occupants in the room. One was a round, fat-faced boy with an alarmed, nervous look, Cadet Joseph Smith, of Indianapolis, commonly known as "Indian."
In a chair by the window sat a still more curious figure, a lank, bony individual with ill-fitted, straying clothes and a long, sharp face.
Upon his big, bulging knees rested a leather-bound volume labeled "Dana's Geology," and opened at the Tertiary fossiliferous strata of the Hudson River Valley. "Parson" Peter Stanard was too much interested to notice the entrance of the cadets. He was trying to classify a Cyatho phylloid coral which he had just had the luck to find.
[Pg 14]Sprawled upon the bed was another tall, slender fellow, his feet hoisted up on the pile of blankets at the foot. All the committee saw of "Texas" Powers was a pair of soles, for Texas didn't care to move.
The fourth party was a handsome, broad-shouldered chap, with curly brown hair. And to him Corporal Jasper, the spokesman, addressed himself.
"Mr. Mallory?" said he.
Mr. Mallory bowed.
"We have come as a committee representing the yearling class."
"I am honored," said Mr. Mallory.
"Pray do not feel so in the least," said Corporal Jasper, witheringly. "The class desires to express, in the first place, its entire displeasure, both as a class and as individuals, at your unprovoked conduct toward two of its members."
"Um," said Mark, thoughtfully. "And did the two members tell you the attack was unprovoked?"
"They did."
"Then I desire to express, in the first place, my entire displeasure, both as a class and as an individual, at being thus grossly misrepresented."
[Pg 15]"Bully!" came the voice from behind the mattress.
"In short," continued Mark, "I desire to call the statement of Messrs. Harris and Edwards a downright, unmitigated and contemptible lie."
"Sock it to 'em!" chuckled the voice from the mattress. "Wow!"
"Well put!" added "Parson" Stanard. "Worthy of the great Patrick Henry himself."
"Bless my soul!" chimed Indian, ready to run.
Cadet Jasper took it coolly, like the gentleman he was.
"It is customary, Mr. Mallory," he said, calmly, "for a man to have to earn the right to call a higher class man a liar."
"I am quite ready, sir," responded Mr. Mallory.
"That is fortunate. The class offers you such an opportunity. We are directed to bring a challenge from Cadet Williams, of the third class, to meet him at Fort Clinton at four o'clock to-morrow morning."
"I will consider it a favor," said Mark, politely, "if you will be good enough to inform the class that I am most happy to accept."
"An' look a yere," cried Texas, Mark's chum, raising[Pg 16] his head and peering out between his feet. "Look a yere! Whar do I come in, in this bizness?"
"Your seconds?" inquired Jasper, not noticing the interruption.
"Mr. Powers and Mr. Stanard."
"And is there any other information?"
"None."
"Remember, Fort Clinton at four A. M."
"I shall be there without fail. And I thank you for your trouble in the matter."
Cadets Jasper and Spencer bowed and withdrew, while the four "beasts" sat and looked at each other in silence.
"Well," Mark said, at last, "what do you think of it?"
"Think?" growled Texas. "I think it's a skin, that's what I think. An' it's jest like you an' your luck, Mark Mallory!"
And, so saying, Texas kicked the mattress off the bed.
"If you don't do that feller Williams, whoever he is, in the first round, I'll kick you out an' do it myself!"
"But who is this Williams?" inquired Mark, as he picked up the mattress and threw it at Texas. "Does anybody here know?"
"I do," said the "Parson," reverently depositing Dana[Pg 17] on the floor. "I do know, and I shall, forsooth, be very happy to tell you about him. Williams is, in the first place, as to physical proportions, the largest man in his class; in the second place, he is the best all-around man——"
"All round like Indian?" inquired Texas, gravely.
"Inasmuch as," continued the "Parson," "he won a considerable proportion of the Olympic contests, which are celebrated here under the designation of 'the spring games.'"
"That sounds promising," said Mark, thoughtfully. "I wonder if he can fight."
"As to his pugilistic abilities, I am by no means so accurately informed, but if my conjecture be of any value whatsoever, I should be inclined to infer, from the fact that our enemies, the representatives of tyranny and oppression, who are endeavoring to reduce us to submission, have selected him as their champion and representative in arms, that——"
"He's a beaut," put in Texas, to save time. "And I only wish I'd had Mark's luck."
"And I wish," added the Boston student, "that I could[Pg 18] contrive to account for the presence of this Cyathodhylloid fossil in a sandstone of Tertiary origin."
It was not very long after this that "tattoo" sounded. But before it did the little band of rebels up in the barracks had time to swear eternal fealty, and to vow by all that man held dear to be present "at Fort Clinton at four A. M. to-morrow," there, as the "Parson" classically put it, to fire a shot for freedom that should be heard around the world. Mark swore it, and Indian, too; Texas swore it by the seventeen guns which were stowed away in his trunk, and by the honor of his father, "the Honorable Scrap Powers, o' Hurricane County;" and Peter Stanard swore it by Bunker Hill and, yea, even by Lamachus, he of the Gorgon's crest.
And then the meeting adjourned.