A WELL EARNED REWARD.
Buck Kennon smarted so much under the castigation of Mr. Willard that
he had hardly stopped his outcries when he reached home. In answer to
the demands of his startled father, he stated that a big man, with
a cane as large as a telegraph pole, had tried to kill him and came
pretty nigh succeeding.
Mr. Kennon was naturally stirred by the news and set out to
investigate. He was a sensible man, but could not be expected to
submit tamely to such an outrage upon his offspring. He learned, after
due inquiry, that the offending gentleman was Mr. Willard, the newly
elected congressman. Seeking him out, he received the facts from that
person, who expressed the regret that opportunity was denied him for
making his punishment more complete. Mr. Kennon, as I have said, was
a sensible man and told Mr. Willard that he had served his boy right.
In fact, he was so well pleased that he promised to vote for him if he
should run a second time for congress. Then Mr. Kennon strode homeward,
and, as he expressed it, made his hopeful “dance,” for his cowardly
behavior.
The occurrence became so generally known that it reached the ears of
Mr. Bryton, the teacher, who instituted a committee of inquiry of
his own, with the result that Buck was call upon to answer again for
his flagrant breach of discipline, so that it may be said, the mean
behavior of the bully received its full meed of punishment. The teacher
talked severely to James Decker, but felt obliged to add that, after
all, he could not blame him for his chivalrous course.
“It is always manly to defend the helpless, but I don’t like fighting;
it is brutalizing and I’m afraid if you keep on, James, you will end in
being a full back on some football club. Then all hope will be lost.”
Some nights after the exciting incident, Mr. Willard called upon his
old friend, Mr. Decker. As the gentlemen sat by themselves, smoking
their cigars and discussing public questions, the caller suddenly
remarked:
“Decker, do you know you have got a mighty bright boy?”
“Yes; James is a good lad.”
“He’s as full of pluck as an egg is of meat. You heard about his fight
with that big bully who tried to impose upon the Goodwin cripple boy?”
“Yes, James told me about it; I was glad you arrived when you did; for
you not only gave the scamp a good castigation, but saved James from
being badly beaten.”
“I don’t know about that; I think the bully suffered the most, even
though he was on top when I appeared on the scene. There’s another fact
which gives me pleasure.”
“What is that?”
“Mr. Bryton, the teacher, tells me that your son is his brightest
pupil.”
“Since he has told me and his mother the same thing, there must be some
truth in the statement. It is a source of gratitude to me that James
does so well.”
“What are you going to do with him?”
“I have hardly given the matter thought. He is only thirteen years old,
and there’s time enough to think of that. I presume he will be a lawyer
or doctor or minister, though,” qualified the parent. “I’m afraid that
he may not take quietly to a calling of peace.”
“There’s no reason why he should not. What I meant to say is this: if
I am elected to serve a second term, I shall have the appointment of a
cadet to West Point; James will be of the right age; if you desire him
to go there, I will make the promise now to appoint him.”
“You are very kind, Mr. Willard; I will talk over the matter with his
mother and with James himself. If they all like it, I will be glad to
avail myself of your kindness.”
“Take my advice and accept; I have already had a number of
applications, though the appointment is nearly three years off. I have
made no promises and, understand, that it is yours, if you wish it.”
Some days later the gentlemen met again.
“Mr. Willard,” said his friend, “James is eager to go to West Point;
his mother held off at first, but has given her consent, and I favor
the scheme very much. So I accept your promise with thanks.”
“We will consider it settled then. Keep the matter a secret until after
the next election, for I shall make any number of enemies because of
the disappointments.”
“Mr. Willard, let me make a suggestion to you.”
“I shall be glad to hear it.”
“As you say, you will receive many applications for this appointment,
and if you fail to promise every one before your election comes around
again, each man will be your opponent. It has become quite fashionable
to select the candidates for the Military Academy by competitive
examination. Do so in this case.”
“But I wish your son to receive the honor and that may jeopardize his
success.”
“If he cannot secure the appointment by a fair contest against all
comers, I don’t wish him to get it. I have been told that less than one
half of those admitted to West Point succeed in being graduated, and in
many cases the vacancies are unfilled because of the poor material sent
by congressmen.”
“That I know to be a fact, and you have named the right cause. A
brilliant lad may prove to be physically weak, while one physically
strong is mentally deficient. The government has reason to complain
that so much time, labor and money are wasted because of this state of
things.”
“It seems to me that the true means of meeting this objection is
through competitive examinations. The advantage is not only that the
government secures the best qualified young men, but you will escape
a great deal of fault finding. You can let it be known that, when you
have an appointment at your disposal, that you will decide it by a
competitive test. That places all on the same level, and though some
parents will be dissatisfied, you will receive much less blame. So you
see, Mr. Willard, that it will be a wise procedure, whatever view you
take of it.”
“I am glad of your suggestion; I think I shall follow it. The only
objection I feel is that possibly your boy may be crowded aside by some
one else.”
“I shall not complaint if such proves the fact. He has several years in
which to prepare himself; he possesses a fine physique; he is anxious
for the appointment, and, if all this is not sufficient to secure it,
then it will be certain to go to some one who is better entitled to the
same.”
The disastrous consequences of Buck Kennon’s collision with James
Decker had a most salutary effect upon him. He was subdued and
thoughtful, and ceased in a great measure his oppressive course toward
his classmates.
It is probable that this would have been the fact, had not his father
and teacher taken a hand in reforming him. He could not forget that,
though he was able to outwrestle the young champion, the latter really
inflicted the most punishment, and what struck Buck as strange, young
Decker did not show any fear of him. James was too manly to exult over
him, but he gave Buck to understand that if he acted again as he had
toward the crippled Almon, a second fight was certain. On the whole,
Buck decided that it was wise not to invite another bout at arms.
Mr. Willard followed the suggestion of his friend, Herbert Decker. He
announced, shortly after his second election to Congress, that the
West Point vacancy in his district would be filled by competitive
examination, on a certain date which was named, so that no possible
misunderstanding could follow.
In accordance with the custom, recommended by the authorities, this
date was so arranged that the appointment would occur one year before
the time of the application of the candidate at West Point. Young
Decker, by a little figuring, discovered that, if he should be the
successful contestant, he would attain the required age just one week
before taking his eventful journey up the Hudson, to learn whether
Uncle Sam would pronounce him qualified to become one of his future
generals and leaders of his armies.
And now let us pass over the intervening years to the day fixed for
the test of scholarship and ability. Mr. Bryton had been selected
by Congressman Willard to pass upon the merits of the thirty odd
candidates who presented themselves on the decisive day. The honorable
gentleman himself was present, and expressed his pleasure as he looked
into the faces of the boys, who were mostly alert and fully alive to
the task before them.
To his eye James Decker was the brightest and must promising of
all. Looking down from the platform, he caught his eye and smiled
encouragingly. James was tall, handsome, and manly. His frame had
expanded and hardened a good deal in the intervening years, for he was
one of those boys who possessed a healthy mind in a healthy body.
He was the captain of the leading baseball club and its best player.
He had become that which his teacher dreaded, full back on a football
eleven, but he never indulged in “slugging,” or received any serious
injury. He was a good runner and swimmer, and, when Buck Kennon looked
at him, he thought that he would as soon tackle a full-grown grizzly
bear as engage him in a test of physical ability. Conditions had
greatly changed in the few years since that first collision of the lads.
“Of course,” remarked Mr. Willard to Teacher Bryton, “I wish this to be
a competitive examination and, therefore, to be perfectly impartial,
but—that is—I am very hopeful that—or—James may be successful.”
“He has every chance in his favor,” replied the examiner, with a quiet
smile at the earnestness of the gentleman.
“He has maintained the high standard he showed when I first made his
acquaintance?”
“Fully so; there is no boy in the school that is his equal.”
“I would have no anxiety if it was confined to this school, but you
know it takes in my whole congressional district. More than half these
boys are from outside Burkville, and there’s no saying what will be the
result; there may be one or two prodigies among them.”
“That is possible, though I think, if your district had any prodigies,
I would have heard of them; I am not afraid,” said the teacher, with
a glow of pride, “to pit my school against any similar institution in
city or country.”
“You are warranted in saying that; you deserve credit for the fine
reputation you have given it.”
At this point Mr. Bryton announced that the hour devoted to the subject
of history had expired, and he would collect the papers. He passed
round the room and took the documents in turn from the young men, whom
he told that the next hour would be devoted to grammar.
The questions on the subject of grammar had been written on the
blackboard, but were hidden from sight until now. Drawing aside the
large map which had concealed them, the teacher directed the boys to
go to work. From his elevation on the platform, he could detect any
attempt on the part of one to help another, and this was his principal
occupation, except when talking with his friend at his elbow.
“Suppose you take a look through the papers,” suggested Mr. Willard.
“Would you like to examine several of them?” asked Mr. Bryton, but the
congressman spoiled the compliment by exclaiming:
“Gracious! I couldn’t tell whether half the answers are right. What
little I ever knew about history was forgotten long ago, and, as for
grammar, I doubt whether I can tell a conjunction from a noun.”
“You do yourself injustice,” laughed the teacher, who selected James
Decker’s papers from the collection. His experienced eye ran rapidly
down the pages, making little jots in the way of memoranda, until he
reached the end.
“How has he made out?” anxiously asked Mr. Willard.
“His papers are perfect; I have marked him one hundred.”
“Good! none can beat that.”
“Some, however, may equal it. Let me look through these, which are very
neatly prepared.”
Sure enough, those papers also were perfect as were the third. Mr.
Willard began to feel uneasy.
“The questions are comparatively easy; the real test will be in
mathematics, which is the favorite branch at West Point. That is the
last subject and will occupy two hours this afternoon.”
It proved to be as the examiner had stated. Although six candidates
held their own in all other studies, yet in the severest test of all,
mathematics, James Decker drew away from them and came out ahead of
every one else.
It will be understood with what pleasure Mr. Willard sent in the name
of Decker to the secretary of war, as his nominee for the vacant West
Point cadetship.