wish him the
best kind of good luck that day.

Yet at 7.55 the sections marched away to mathematics, philosophy
or engineering, according to the classes to which the young soldiers
belonged.

Then Prescott faced a lonely hour in his room.

"The fellows were mighty good, a lot of them," thought the accused
cadet, with his first real sinking feeling that morning. "Yet,
if any straw of evidence, this morning, seems really to throw
any definite taint upon me, not one of these same fellows would
ever again consent to wipe his feet on me!"

Such is the spirit of the cadet corps. Any comrade and brother
must be wholly above suspicion where his honor is concerned.

Had Dick been really guilty he would have been the meanest thing
in cadet barracks.

At a little before nine o'clock Lieutenant Topham called. To
Cadet Prescott it seemed grimly absurd that he must now go forth
in holiday attire of cadet full-dress uniform, white lisle gloves
and all---to stand before the court of officers who were to decide
whether he was morally fit to remain and associate with the other
cadets. But it was the regulation that a cadet must go to court,
whether as witness or accused, in full-dress uniform.

"I'm going to do my best for you today, Mr. Prescott," declared
Lieutenant Topham, as they walked through the area together.

Into the Academic Building counsel and accused stepped, and on to
the great trial room in which so many cadets had met their gloomy
fates.

At the long table sat, in full-dress uniform, and with their swords
on, the thirteen Army officers of varying ranks who composed the
court.

At one side of the room sat the cadet witnesses. These were three
in number. Mr. Dunstan and Mr. Gray were there as the two men
who had occupied blackboards on either side of Prescott the Friday
forenoon before. Cadet Dodge was there to give testimony concerning
the handkerchief episode in the area of barracks before the sections
had marched off to math.

Captain Abbott, of course, was there, to testify to facts of his
knowledge. Never had there been a more reluctant witness than
that same Captain Abbott, but he had his plain duty to do as an
Army officer detailed at the United States Military Academy.

Lieutenant Topham and Dick, on entering, had turned toward the
table reserved for counsel.

For a moment, Dick Prescott had raised his face to the gallery.
There he beheld Mrs. Bentley, Laura and Belle, all gazing down at