dy's destination and return to camp was listed at
the guard tent. Any cadet who took more than the permitted time
to escort his partner of the hop to her abiding place would be
subject for report.

However, the special duty imposed upon Cadet Prescott for this
night related to plebes, and plebes do not go to the hops.

Bringing out his camp chair, Dick sat once more before his tent.
Down at Jordan's tent he could still hear the low hum of cadet
voices.

"Something is certainly going on there," mused Prescott.

For a moment or two he felt highly curious; then he repressed
that feeling.

"Good evening, Prescott."

"Oh, good evening, Stubbs."

Cadet Stubbs came to a brief halt before the cadet captain's tent.

"I have been noticing that Jordan has a good many visitors this
evening," Dick remarked.

"All from our class, too, aren't they?" questioned Stubbs.

"Yes. If we were yearlings I should feel sure that they had a
plebe or two in there. But first classmen don't haze plebes."

"No; we don't haze plebes," replied Cadet Stubbs with a half sigh,
for Prescott was the only first classman at present in camp who
did not fully know just what was in progress at Jordan's tent.

But West Point men pride themselves on bearing no tales, so Stubbs
repressed the longing to explain to Dick what Jordan was seeking
to bring about.

As a matter of fact, though some of the members of the first class
were hot-headed enough to accept Jordan's view of the report against
him, the class sentiment was considerably against the motion to
give Cadet Captain Richard Prescott the silence, even for a week.

However, none came near Prescott to talk it over. That again
would be tale-bearing. Dick was not likely to hear of the move
unless summoned to present his own defense in the face of class
charges.

Nor would Greg be approached on the subject. The accused man's
roommate or tentmate is always left out of the discussion.

Taps sounded; almost immediately the lights in the tents went
out. Stillness settled over the encampment.

The fact that a single candle remained lighted in Prescott's tent
showed that he had permission to run a light. The assumption
would be that he was engaged on some official duty, though the
fact of running a light did not in any way betray the nature of
that duty.

Dick sat inside at first. Then, one by one, the cadets returning
from the hop stepped through the company streets. At last Greg
Ho