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Transcriber's note:
"Lieut. Frederick Garrison" is a pseudonym used by Upton
Sinclair.
[Illustration: "'The cadets of this academy, Miss Adams,' said he, 'do
not speak to Mr. Mallory.'" (see page 90)]
A CADET'S HONOR
Or
Mark Mallory's Heroism
by
LIEUT. FREDERICK GARRISON, U. S. A.
Author of "Off for West Point," "On Guard," "A West Point Treasure," etc.
[Illustration: BOYS' OWN LIBRARY]
Philadelphia
David Mckay, Publisher
610 South Washington Square
Copyright, 1903
By Street & Smith
A Cadet's Honor
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I--A "Yearling" Meeting 7
II--Mark's Mysterious Visitor 19
III--Trouble for Mark 26
IV--The Explanation 38
V--Mark in Disgrace 46
VI--Indian's Re-examination 58
VII--The Examination of the Parson 66
VIII--The Rescue Party 72
IX--Heroism of the Parson 76
X--More Troubles 81
XI--Disadvantages of "Coventry" 85
XII--The Embassy of the Parson 91
XIII--Preparations for the Battle 99
XIV--The Affair at the Fort 109
XV--Two Plebes in Hospital 117
XVI--The Parson's Indignation 124
XVII--Indian in Trouble 133
XVIII--To the Rescue 146
XIX--The Alliance is Completed 156
XX--Indignation of the Yearlings 162
XXI--A Mild Attempt at Hazing 171
XXII--The Bombshell Falls 177
XXIII--In the Shadow of Dismissal 185
XXIV--A Letter 193
XXV--A Swimming Match 204
XXVI--The Finish of a Race 211
XXVII--What Mark Did 219
XXVIII--Mark Meets the Superintendent 231
XXIX--The Seven in Session 239
XXX--The Move into Camp 248
XXXI--"First Night" 257
XXXII--Conclusion 268
A CADET'S HONOR
CHAPTER I.
A "YEARLING" MEETING.
The whole class came to the meeting. There hadn't been such an important
meeting at West Point for many a day. The yearling class had been
outrageously insulted. The mightiest traditions of the academy had been
violated, "trampled beneath the dust," and that by two or three vile and
uncivilized "beasts"--"plebes"--new cadets of scarcely a week's
experience. And the third class, the yearlings, by inherent right the
guardians of West Point's honor, and the hazers of the plebe, had vowed
that those plebes must be punished as never had plebes been punished
before.
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 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 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."
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."
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 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."
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.
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."
"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 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 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 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.