t's wrong with my manners!" demanded Cadet Dodge.

"What's that!" cried Pratt.

"What's wrong with my manners!" repeated Dodge, though a bit
more tractably.

"What?"

"What is wrong with my manners, sir!" Bert amended.

"That's just a shade better, mister," admitted Yearling Pratt. "But
you are too sparing of your 'sirs,' mister. Now, answer me again,
and use 'sir' after each word."

Plebe Dodge gulped hard, but Pratt and Judson were glaring at
him. So he began:

"What, sir, is, sir, wrong, sir, with, sir, my, sir, manners, sir!"

"Mister, why didn't you stand at attention when we entered the
room!"

"Because you're not--"

"What!" exploded Yearling Judson.

"Because, sir, you're, sir, not, sir, my, sir, superior, sir,
officers, sir."

"Are we yearlings!"

"Yes, sir."

"And what are you!" demanded Cadet Judson, with infinite
contempt.

"Only, sir, a, sir, plebe, sir."

"Mangy, unkempt, uncouth and offensive, are you not!"

Bert flared and swallowed hard, but he responded, very meekly:

"Yes, Sir."

"You're--what?"

"A, sir, mangy, sir, unkempt, sir, uncouth, sir, and, sir, offensive,
sir, plebe, sir."

"Very true," nodded Mr. Pratt. "But, at least, mister, you have
learned how to answer a yearling or any other superior, haven't
you!"

"Yes, sir," Bert meekly assented.

"But there's one thing the poor beast doesn't know how to do yet,"
observed Mr. Judson, turning to his classmate. "He doesn't
understand how to stand at attention when he is honored by a
yearling's visit."

"Teach him--if you find that he's intelligent enough," advised
Yearling Pratt.

"Turn down that mattress, mister," commanded Mr. Judson,
pointing to Dick Prescott's iron cot.

Bert made the mistake of looking first at Cadet Prescott for
permission.

"Now, mister, what makes you hesitate!" fumed Mr. Judson.

"It isn't my cot, sir," replied Dodge.

"What?"

"It, sir, is, sir, not, sir, my, sir, cot, sir."

"That has nothing to do with your orders. Turn down that
mattress!"

Bert obeyed with great alacrity.

"Now, then, mister," ordered Yearling Judson, "get up on that
mattress, and stand at attention upside down!"

It took Bert Dodge a few precious seconds to understand the full
nature of the ignominious thing he had to do.

This was neither more nor less than to stand on his head on the
mattress. He could rest his hands beside his head, at the outset,
bracing his feet against the wall. So far it was