oin the permanent establishment as second lieutenants
forthwith. Counting those commissioned in the regular artillery and
infantry, there must have been a dozen in the thronging camps back of the
great city, and of these dozen, Billy Gray--"Belligerent Billy," as a
tutor dubbed him when the war and Billy broke out together--the latter to
the extent of a four-day's absence from all collegiate duty--was easily
the gem of the lot. One of the "brightest minds" in his class, he was one
of the laziest; one of the quickest and most agile when aroused, he was
one of the torpids as a rule: One of the kind who should have "gone in for
honors," as the faculty said, he came nearer going out for devilment. The
only son of a retired colonel of the army who had made California his
home, Billy had spent years in camp and field and saddle and knew the West
as he could never hope to know Haswell. The only natural soldier of his
class when, sorely against the will of most, they entered the student
battalion, he promptly won the highest chevrons that could be given in the
sophomore year, and, almost as promptly, lost them for "lates" and
absences. When the 'Varsity was challenged by a neighboring institute to a
competitive drill the "scouts" of the former reported that the crack
company of the San Pedros had the snappiest captain they ever saw, and
that, with far better material to choose from, and more of it, the
'Varsity wouldn't stand a ghost of a show in the eyes of the professional
judges unless Billy would "brace up" and "take hold." Billy was willing as
Barkis, but the faculty said it would put a premium on laxity to make
Billy a 'Varsity captain even though the present incumbents were ready,
any of them, to resign in his favor. "Prex" said No in no uncertain terms;
the challenge was declined, whereat the institute crowed lustily and the
thing got into the rival papers. As a result a select company of student
volunteers was formed: its members agreed to drill an hour daily in
addition to the prescribed work, provided Billy would "take hold" in
earnest, and this was the company that, under his command, swept the
boards six weeks later and left San Pedro's contingent an amazed and
disgusted crowd. Then Billy went to metaphorical pieces again until the
war clouds overspread the land; then like his father's son he girded up
his loins, went in for a commission and won. And here he was a "sub" in
Uncle Sam's stalwart infantry with three clas