"say, fellows, what do you think?"

"what's the matter?"

"mallory's given in!"

"given in! how do you mean?"

"he's going to let himself be hazed."

"what!"

two more surprised cadets than the two who uttered this last exclamation it would be hard to imagine. they had been sitting on a bench near trophy point, and one of them had been carelessly tinkling a mandolin. he had dropped the instrument and leaped to his feet. now he was staring with open mouth at the new arrival, who bore the extraordinary tidings.

"mallory given up! gus murray, what on earth do you mean?"

the three were yearlings, all of them. the crowd which has usually been designated in these stories as "bull harris' gang." there was gus murray, the new arrival, a low, brutal-looking chap. there was the sickly and disagreeable "merry" vance. and there was the little fellow "baby" edwards, the meanest of them all.

[pg 251]"you surely can't mean," cried vance, "that mallory has consented to allow the fellows to haze him?"

"better than that even," chuckled murray. "better than that!"

"for heaven's sake," gasped the other, "sit down and tell us what you do mean. what is the use of talking riddles?"

thus enjoined, gus murray explained; he was nothing loath to tell the tale.

"i'll tell you how it was," he said. "i was never more astounded in my life. i saw that plebe strolling down the street a while ago, holding his head high as ever and looking as if he owned the place."

"confound him!" muttered vance.

"you know," the other continued, "he's never done any work like the rest of the plebes. usually we yearlings make them fix our tents and guns, and carry water, and so on. mallory never has, and of course nobody's succeeded in making him. i thought i'd guy him a little just now and see how he'd take it. so i stopped and said, 'see here, plebe. let me show you how to clean a gun.'"

"and what did he say?" cried vance.

"just as b. j. as ever," growled murray. "'thank you,' he said, 'i'll go get mine and let you do it.' of course he knew perfectly well that i wanted to show him[pg 252] on mine and let him do the work. i said to him, 'i've a gun to show you on, if you please.' and by george——"

"you don't mean he cleaned your gun for you!" gasped baby.

"that's just exactly what i do! you might have knocked me over with a feather. he said, 'certainly, sir.' yes, by jiminy, he actually said 'sir.' and when i left him he was working away like a beaver. he had the gun half cleaned. what do you think of that?"

gus finished and gazed at his two companions triumphantly. he felt that he had accomplished something that no other member of his class ever had.

"i'll bet mallory was afraid of you," chirruped baby edwards. "don't you suppose that's it, merry?"

vance picked up his mandolin and resumed his cynical smile.

"i'll tell you what i think," he said.

"what?" demanded murray.

"that you're a fool."

"what do you mean?"

"simply," said vance, "that mallory was playing some kind of a joke on you."

"but he wasn't!" cried the other. "i went back after he was through and the gun was perfect. the wood was polished till it shone like a mirror. i actually did not like to touch it, it was so pretty."

[pg 253]"and how about the rest of the tent?" inquired vance.

"he hadn't disturbed a thing. i looked particularly. i tell you, man, that mallory has given in."

"it's not much like him," said merry, dubiously.

"you don't have to look very far for the cause," began murray. "you remember how the first class gave him a licking the other day?"

vance admitted that might have something to do with it.

"it's got everything," chuckled murray. "it's simply broken his spirit. why look, man! he was black and blue all over. even now one of his arms is in a sling. i tell you he's made up his mind that it isn't safe to carry on as he's been, and so he's decided to get meek and mild for a change."

"and, oh, say, if it's true!" cried baby, excitedly. "if it's true! gee whiz, won't we have some fun!"

"just won't we!" responded murray, doubling up his fists and glaring as if the hated plebe were really in front of him. "i just tell you i mean to make him wish he'd never been born. i've been waiting for a chance to get even with that confounded beast, and now i'll have him."

for the next half hour there was joy unbounded among those three young gentlemen. only those who are familiar with their dispositions can comprehend the amount of satisfaction they felt; and only those who know our[pg 254] friend mark mallory's character as they did can appreciate their surprise at his "flunk."

"i wish bull were here to hear about it," remarked baby at last.

"where is bull anyhow?" inquired murray, who was chief lieutenant in bull's gang and an invaluable assistant in all of bull's schemes for revenge upon mark.

that question changed the topic of conversation for a few minutes. it was vance who answered it.

"there's something mysterious about bull," he said. "i've been puzzling my head to think what it means. you know bull was absent from taps last night."

"what!"

"yes, he was. and you know that's a pretty serious offense. it may mean court-martial, you know."

"good gracious!" gasped baby. "what would we do without bull?"

"i guess we won't have to," laughed vance. "you needn't begin to worry. i was corporal of the guard last night when bull came in to report. it was way after eleven."

"where on earth had he been?"

"he wouldn't tell me. he was very mysterious. it seems that he had been in the water somehow and was soaking wet; all i could get out of him was that the business had something to do with mary adams."

[pg 255]"mary adams!" cried gus. "i thought she wouldn't speak to him."

"well, i don't know," said vance. "that was what bull told me. anyhow he didn't seem a bit alarmed about his absence."

"the superintendent sent for him this afternoon," put in murray. "i suppose that was to give him a chance to explain the matter."

"yes, and i saw bull with mary a while ago," added the other, shrewdly. "i shouldn't wonder if bull were getting up some scheme. he hasn't said much about mallory to-day. he's been very mysterious."

the mystery, whatever it was, was destined to remain unsolved, however, for just then the rattle of a drum echoed across the field, and the three sprang up hastily.

"it's dress parade," said murray.

"yes," responded vance, dryly. "and now you'll have a chance to show off that beautifully cleaned gun of yours. come on."