"

"But is a plebe forbidden to stroll here?"

"If a plebe did have the brass to try it," replied Anstey slowly,
"I reckon he would have to fight the whole yearling class in turn."

Laura caught some of the conversation, and turned to Dick.

"Haven't plebes any rights or privileges?" she asked.

"Oh, yes, indeed," replied Prescott gravely. "A plebe is fed
three meals a day, like anyone else. If he gets hurt he has a
right to medical and surgical attendance. He is allowed to attend
chapel on Sunday, just like an upper classman, and he may receive
and write letters. But he mustn't butt into upper-class privileges."

"Poor plebe!" sighed sympathetic Laura.

"Lucky plebe!" amended Dick.

"Weren't you fearfully glum and homesick last year?

"Some of the time, desperately so."

"Yet you believe it is right to ignore a plebe, and to make him
so wretched?"

"The upper classmen don't make the plebe wretched. The plebe is
just on probation while he's in the fourth class---that's all.
The plebe is required to prove that he's a man before he's accepted
as one."

"It all seems dreadfully hard," contended Laura.

"It is hard, but necessary, if the West Point man is to be graduated
as anything but a snob with an enlarged cranium. Laura, you remember
what a fuss the 'Blade' made over me when I won my appointment?
Now, almost every new man come to West Point with some such splurge
made about him at home. He reaches here thinking he's one of
the smartest fellows in creation. In a good many cases, too,
the fellow has been spoiled ever since he was a baby, by being
the son of wealthy parents, or by being from a family distinguished
in some petty local social circles. The first move here, on the
part of the upper classmen, is to take all of that swelling out
of the new man's head. Then, most likely, the new man has never
had any home training in being really manly. Here, he must be
a man or get out. It takes some training, some probation, some
hard knocks and other things to make a man out of the fellow.
He has to be a man, if he's going to be fit to command troops."

Anstey, who had been walking close behind his comrade, added:

"The new man, if he has been spoiled at home, usually comes here
with a more or less bad temper. He can't talk ugly here, or double
his fists, or give anyone black looks---except with one invariable
result."

"What?" asked both girls eagerly.

"He must fight, as soon as the meeti