Greg Holmes's face blanched when he heard the news.

"There'll be fine class ructions by to-morrow!" he told himself
with unwonted grimness.

CHAPTER IX

THE CLASS TAKES FINAL ACTION

By the time the corps of cadets was seated at breakfast, in the
great mess hall, the following morning, the news began to circulate
rapidly.

It was discussed in low tones at every table save that at which the
silence against Prescott prevailed.

The silence by this time had ceased to be literal, except so far
as it applied to Dick. Other cadets at his table talked among
themselves, though never to Prescott. Greg, being Dick's roommate,
was the sole cadet exempted from this rule.

But the men at Prescott's table restrained their curiosity until
the two battalions had marched back to barracks and had been dismissed.

After the dismissal of the companies Dick and Greg strolled along
slowly. Wherever they passed backs were turned to them, though
this would not have happened to Holmes had he been alone.

Though the news was discussed, no class action was taken. This
must not be done until Durville's fate had overtaken him. Otherwise,
the Military Academy authorities might take such action as defiant
and visit a more severe penalty upon Cadet Durville.

For five days Durville remained in close arrest. This meant, to
the initiated, that the Superintendent had taken up the matter with
the War Department at Washington.

On the sixth day Durville was once more sent for by the commandant
of cadets. His sentence was handed out to him. On account of
an academic reputation of high grade, and a hitherto good-conduct
report, Mr. Durville was not dropped from the corps. Had the
offender, before leaving West Point in "cits.," gone to the cadet
guard house and made any false report concerning his absence,
nothing could have saved him from dismissal for making a false
official report. All things being taken into consideration, Cadet
Durville was "let off" with loss of privileges up to the time
of semi-annual examinations, with, in addition, the walking of
punishment tours every Saturday afternoon during the same period.

Now the gathering wrath broke loose upon Dick. A class meeting
was called, that neither Prescott nor Holmes could attend with
propriety.

Durville, as a matter of policy, did not attend, but there were
not wanting first classmen who looked upon Durville as a sacrifice,
and who were fully capable of pres