"I RESPECTFULLY DECLINE TO ANSWER, SIR."
"Mr. Prescott reports, sir."
"Mr. Holmes reports, sir."
Saluting, the two yearlings stepped into the tent of the O.C., then
halted at attention.
Two officers returned their salutes. Captain Bates sat at his
desk. Lieutenant Colonel Strong, commandant of cadets, sat back
in lower chair at the right of Captain Bates's desk.
"Mr. Prescott," began Captain Bates, transfixing the yearling
with his burning eyes, "you and Mr. Holmes were close to Battle
Monument when the firecrackers were discharged there this evening.
"Yes, sir," Dick admitted.
"What do you know about the affair?"
"Only this, sir: That, after passing you, we walked along the
same path until we turned in not far from the monument. We were
walking toward it when we heard the discharges, and saw the flashes."
"Had you been nearer to the monument at any time through the evening,
Mr. Prescott?"
"No, sir."
Dick answered with great promptness.
"Mr. Prescott, have you sufficiently considered my question and your
reply?"
"Yes, sir."
"I will put a question of another kind. Did you see, do you know,
or have you any knowledge of any kind, of those who placed the
firecrackers by the monument, or who set them off?"
"Absolutely no knowledge, sir, on any point you mention," Dick
rejoined promptly.
"Did you have any knowledge that such a breach of discipline was
being planned."
"I did not, sir."
"Mr. Prescott!"
It was Colonel Strong who spoke. Dick wheeled about, saluted,
then stood at attention.
"A serious offence against military discipline has been committed
at Battle Monument tonight. Have you any knowledge about the matter
which, if in our possession, would aid in any way in clearing up the
mystery surrounding this offence?
"I have absolutely no knowledge of any form, sir, except that,
as I stated, while Mr. Holmes and I were walking toward the monument,
we heard the reports and saw the flashes."
"You realize the full import of your statement, Mr. Prescott?"
pressed the K.C.
"I do, sir."
"Then, on your honor as a cadet and a gentleman, you declare that
your statement is true?"
"I do, sir," Cadet Prescott replied.
The pledge he had just given is the most solemn that is exacted
of a United States military cadet. Usually, the cadet's plain
word is accepted as ample, for the sense of faith and honor is
paramount at West Point. A cadet detected in a lie would be forced
out of the cadet corps by the ostracism of his own comrades.
"That is all, for the present, Mr. Prescott."
Dick respectfully saluted the K.C., then the O.C., next wheeled
and marched out of the tent, going straight to his own tent.
Prescott would gladly have remained, but he had been dismissed.
It was twenty minutes later when Greg crept back into the tent and
began to undress.
"How about it?" whispered Prescott.
"I was asked more questions, but all of the same import," Holmes
answered in a whisper.
"Did the O.C. make you tell on yourself, about being over by the
reveille gun?"
"No; I thought some of his questions led that way, but my other
answers stopped him in that line. As a last resort I would
respectfully have declined to say anything to incriminate myself."
As was afterwards learned, Dick and Greg were the only witnesses
examined that night. Captain Bates had followed the only trail
at which he could guess, and had learned nothing.
* * * * * * * *
"Mr. Prescott and Mr. Holmes both have the usual excellent reputation
of cadets for truthfulness, haven't they, Captain?" asked Colonel
Strong.
"Yes, Colonel."
"Then I am afraid we shall get no further in this investigation."
"Unless, sir, my questions were so badly put as to give them a
chance of shielding themselves without giving untruthful answers.
I shall sleep on this matter tonight, Colonel. I don't want
these young men to think they can put such an easy one right over
my head."
"I wish you luck, Bates. But I'm afraid you've shot off your
only round of ammunition, and have found it a blank charge. Good
night."
"Good night, sir."
"Mr. Prescott was clever enough to prevent my pouncing on Mr.
Holmes at the reveille gun tonight," mused the O.C. "I can hardly
suspect Mr. Prescott of untruthfulness, but I wonder whether he
has been clever enough to baffle me in this monument affair, without
telling an absolute untruth?"
For nearly a half an hour the O.C. lay awake, reviewing the method
he had followed in questioning Cadet Prescott.
In the morning, after breakfast, there were a few minutes of leisure
in camp before the squads or platoons marched away for the first
drills.
"You were on the grill, last night, old ramrod?" asked Furlong, in
a chuckling whisper.
"Yes," Dick nodded.
"You couldn't tell anything?"
"I knew less than nothing to tell."
"You didn't see us, last night, as we slipped away from the monu-----"
"Shut up, you sun-scorched idiot!" cried Prescott sharply, under
his breath. "I don't want to know anything about it now."
"Oh, that's all right, I suppose," said Mr. Furlong, looking furtively
towards Bert Dodge, who was standing some distance off.
The very thought that he was now practically certain, morally,
at least, who one of the perpetrators of the monument affair was,
made Dick uneasy. He knew there was still a danger that he and
Greg might be summoned again to the tent of the O.C.
Bert Dodge saw, from a distance, the whispered talk between Dick
and Mr. Furlong; he also saw the latter's quick, stealthy glance.
Now, Dodge, from having tried to visit Furlong the night before,
knew that the young man had returned from the hop, for he had
seen Furlong go into his tent shortly after ten. Dodge also knew
that Furlong had been absent from camp at the time of the monument
discharges.
"Furlong is one of the offenders," thought Bert, "and Prescott
is roasting him about it. I suppose our highly conceited class
president thinks it his place to lecture all the jokers in the
class. But how would it be possible, without getting myself into
trouble, to pass on the hint that Prescott knows more than he
is telling?"
It didn't take a fellow with all of Cadet Dodge's natural meanness
very long to invent a plan that looked feasible.
Sauntering along near the guard tent, Dodge encountered a classmate
with whom he was on fairly good terms, Mr. Harper, who was waiting
to fall in when the next relief of the guard was called.
"Prescott was on the grill last night, I hear," began Bert.
"So I hear," nodded Harper.
"I guess he dodged the O.C. cold," chuckled Dodge.
"He denied any knowledge of the monument business, I've heard,"
replied Harper.
Bert chuckled.
"That sounds like old Prescott," laughed Bert. "And I'll bet
he managed it without telling any lies. I know Prescott of old.
Our family once lived in the same town with him, you know. Prescott
was one of the biggest jokers in our High School. And he never
got caught in those days. Prescott was always the artful dodger."
"What do you mean by that!" asked Harper. "You don't mean that
Prescott is untruthful."
"Oh, no, not at all," laughed Bert. "But, if I could put him
on the rack, and get the whole thing, unreservedly, out of Richard
Prescott, I'd be willing to bet, in advance, that he knows just
who set off the cannon crackers last night."
Dodge was careful not to speak so that he could be overheard by
Prescott or Furlong, yet he was certain that, on the still morning
air around the guard tent, his voice was carrying sufficiently
to penetrate to the other side of the khaki walls of the O.C.'s
tent.
"Prescott is the clever one, and the loyal one to all but tacs.,"
laughed Bert to Harper, as he strolled away. Dodge hoped that
the O.C. was in his tent.
It is true---Captain Bates was there. Having drawn the flap,
and being in the act of enjoying his morning newspaper, the O.C.
heard.
"Hang it, I felt last night that, while answering me truthfully,
Mr. Prescott was proving the possession of sufficient cleverness
to keep me off the monument trail, just as he foiled my catching
Mr. Holmes," mused the O.C. "And I said as much last night to
Colonel Strong."
At that moment the flap of the tent was lifted and the K.C. returned
the salute of his subordinate, who had promptly leaped to his feet.
In a few swift, low words, Captain Bates repeated the conversation
he had just overheard.
"That bears out what you thought last night, Bates," rejoined the K.C.
"I think there is nothing for it but to have Mr. Prescott in here and
put him on the wheel again. Rack him, Bates!"
"I've just time, Colonel to catch Mr. Prescott before the drill
squads go out. Corporal of the guard!" hailed the O.C., looking
out from his tent.
In another moment a very erect young member of the guard was striding
around the head of the encampment, and then down one of the company
streets. Dick, in front of his tent, in field uniform, received
the summons and responded at once.
"Caught him!" quivered Bert Dodge. "No if that infernal humbug
will get hot-headed and answer the O.C. rashly, there may be something
good coming in the punishment line! It would be a source of wild
joy if I could get Dick Prescott on the wrong flank with the tacs.!"
The instant that Dick reported, and found himself in the presence
of his two inquisitors of the night before, he knew that some
hint of his new knowledge must have reached the tactical department.
"Mr. Prescott, last night," began Captain Bates, "you denied
absolutely having any knowledge as to the persons who set off
firecrackers near Battle Monument."
"Yes, sir."
"I have since gained good reason to think," went on the O.C., "that
you know who at least one of the perpetrators was."
Mr. Prescott remained silent.
"Why do you not reply, Mr. Prescott?"
"I didn't understand, sir, that you had asked me a question."
Captain Bates flushed. He hadn't asked a question, in question
form, and he saw how neatly this cadet had "caught" him. But
that only served to increase the suspicion of both officers present
that Mr. Prescott was a very clever witness who was successfully
contriving to keep something back.
"Mr. Prescott, do you now know who was responsible for the monument
affair of last night?" insisted the O.C.
"I don't know sir," replied Dick, putting all proper emphasis
on the word.
"Yet you suspect?"
"I suspect one man, sir," Dick responded without attempt at concealment.
"Is the one you suspect a cadet?"
"Yes, sir."
"His name?" broke in Lieutenant Colonel Strong.
Dick Prescott whitened a bit. He knew the chances he was taking now,
but he replied, in a clear, steady voice:
"I very respectfully decline to answer, sir!"