had been commanded to
halt everybody who came near their beat, and to fire upon all who did
not come in and give an account of themselves. He was excited, and
possibly expressed his sentiments with more freedom in the presence of
his non-commissioned officer than he ought to have done.

"Dixon did right," said he. "The colonel told me to protect property,
and if he doesn't approve of the measures I have taken to do it, he can
send somebody else in command the next time he finds it necessary to
order out a company of students. These are terrible times, corporal, and
they are getting worse every day. Terrible times when neighbors are
turned against one another as they seem to be in this town."

"It's some consolation to know that they can't be much worse, sir,"
observed the corporal.

"My dear boy, you haven't seen the beginning of it," replied the captain
sadly. "I don't think you will be troubled again to-night, but carry out
your orders to the letter. That's all you have to do."

Whether or not the colonel's prompt action in sending two hundred armed
students into town operated as a check upon the firebugs (if there were
any), the boys did not know; but when daylight came and the sentries
were called in, and the column formed preparatory to marching back to
the academy, they were all satisfied of one thing: They had made any
number of enemies among the townspeople by their night's work.

"We've made a blunder, sure's you're born," said Billings angrily.

"Tell us something we don't know," said the boy who marched at his
elbow. "I saw _that_ the minute Mr. Riley came up and spoke to the
captain. But what got it through your head at this late hour?"

"I wouldn't have had it happen for anything," continued Billings. "We've
got every member of that Committee of Safety down on us, and they are
the best men in town. They wouldn't even look at me when they passed my
beat, but always turned their heads as if they did not want to see me."

"Who cares for that?" demanded Dixon. "If they want to get down on us
because we carried out our orders, let 'em get. If their arrangements
have been interfered with, let them go up to the academy and look cross
at the colonel. He's the man."

"Well, I know one thing," observed Cole. "If the colonel wants to send
any more boys into town on an errand like this, he'll send somebody
besides me. I'll refuse duty."

"Hear, hear!" exclaimed every one of the students who were close enough