It's the jolliest hop I've been to," declared Dick with enthusiasm.

"Humph!" muttered Holmes. "Of course it is. You old boner, you've
never been but to three hops!

"I understand," teased Belle, "that you're much more of a veteran,
Mr. Holmes, than your chum is."

Cadet Dodge "missed" that hop.

CHAPTER XVII

"A LIAR AND A COWARD"

Long, indeed, did the memory of that hop linger with Cadet Dick
Prescott.

It had come as the fitting, cheering ending of his great trouble---the
hardest trouble that had assailed him, or could assail him, at
the United States Military Academy.

"Well, you've been vindicated, anyway," muttered Greg cheerily,
one day. "So you needn't look as thoughtful as you do half of
the time these present days."

"Have I been vindicated, Greg?" asked Dick gravely.

"What did the court say? And you're still wearing the uniform
that Uncle Sam gave you, aren't you?

"Vindication, Greg, means something more that a court-martial
verdict of acquittal."

"What more do you want?"

"Greg, the verdicts of all the courts-martial sitting between
here and Manila wouldn't make some of the men of this corps believe
that I innocent."

"G'wan!" retorted Cadet Holmes impatiently.

"I see it, Greg, old chum, if you don't."

"You're morbid, old ramrod!"

"Greg, you know the cheery greeting, in passing, that one man
here often gives another when he likes and trusts that man. Well,
some of own classmates that used to give me the glad hail seem
to be thinking about something else, now, when they pass me."

"Who are they?" demanded Greg, his fists doubling.

"You'd provoke a fight, if I told you," retorted Dick. "This
isn't a matter to fight about."

"Then you don't know much about fighting subjects," grumbled Cadet
Holmes, as he leaned back and opened his book of everlasting
mathematics.

"Let me see, Greg; have you any show to get out of the goats in
math.?"

"I'm in hopes to get out and step into the next section above,"
replied Greg. "I've been working hard enough."

"Then you'd better waste no thoughts on pugilism. Calculus will
bring you more happiness."

"Calculus was never designed to bring anyone happiness," retorted
Greg sulkily. "It's a torment invented on purpose to harrow the
souls of cadets. What good, any way, will calculus ever be to
an officer who has a platoon of men to lead in a charge on the
enemy?"

This could not very well be answered, so Dick dodged th