shall be back there before sunrise," said Dixon
significantly. "We can't permit those fellows to be whipped on account
of a joke, and we won't, either. You are quite sure you can go straight
to him?"

Yes, Caleb was sure he could do that; and then his conductors, who had
all the while held fast to his arms, halted in front of Captain Wilson,
the officer of the guard, who chanced to be pacing back and forth in
front of the tent. The captain listened in amazement while the boys told
their story, and the light from the tent showed that there was a shade
of anxiety on his face when he inquired:

"Where did you find this man?"

"Outside the grounds, sir," Dixon promptly responded.

"And what were you doing outside the grounds at this hour, when you know
that such a thing is positively forbidden?" continued the officer
severely.

"I had started for Barrington, sir," answered Marcy. "The commandant
wouldn't give me a chance to ask permission to go."

"And so you went without it?"

"Yes, sir, I did. I was resolved to learn something about Rodney and
Dick before I slept."

"I shall be obliged to shut you up," said the captain.

"Very good, sir," replied Marcy. "But how about Rodney and Dick? Is that
villain Goble to be permitted to abuse them as he pleases?"

"I am surprised at your insolence, Private Gray," said the officer
sternly. "Go inside the tent under arrest."

Marcy went, and all the boys, as well as Caleb Judson, went in with him,
and Captain Wilson hastened away to lay the matter before the colonel.

"Now, I'll tell you what's a fact," said Marcy. "Captain Wilson would do
something for those boys if he were in command, but the colonel will not
do the first thing."

"So be it," answered Billings. "Then we'll see whether or not the
fellows will do something. They are not the lads I take them for if they
do not rally on center the minute they find out how the land lies."

"What's up?" whispered a student, thrusting his head into the tent and
then looking back to see if there was any one coming. "Who's that
gentleman" (nodding at Caleb), "and what are you doing in there?"

"In arrest for being sassy," replied Cole. "Say--"

Here all the boys got upon their feet, stepped to the door and held a
short but earnest conversation with the student outside, who muttered,
ejaculated, and scratched his head in a way that indicated the
profoundest surprise and bewilderment. Then he said: "You bet I'll do
it," dis