y's flag."

"Oh," murmured Mrs. Bentley, looking relieved.

By this time the little party had moved out on to the veranda.

"As there is no dress parade this afternoon," urged Dick, "may
we not take you over, and let you see our camp from the outside.
Then, after supper, we may, if you wish, take you to the camp
for a look before going to the hop."

"As to supper," went on Mrs. Bentley, "you two young gentlemen
must come to the hotel a take the meal with us. Wait; I will
send word to the office that we shall have guests."

"If you do, you will give the clerk cause for a jolly smile,"
explained Prescott, smiling. "No cadet can possibly eat at the
hotel. There are many regulations that will surprise you, Mrs.
Bentley. I will explain as many as occur to me."

Prescott walked between Mrs. Bentley and Laura, while Greg came
along with Belle just behind them.

"Are you taking me to the hop tonight, Mr. Holmes?" asked Belle
with her usual directness.

Poor Greg, seasoned cadet though he was, flushed uncomfortably.

"I should be," stammered Greg, "but it happens that I am already
engaged to drag---to escort a young lady to tonight's hop."

"I like that word 'drag' better than 'escort'," laughed Belle.

"But Mr. Anstey, our tentmate, is to escort you tonight," Greg
made haste to explain.

"That is the first I have heard of it," replied Belle, with an
odd smile. "Does Mr. Anstey know about it, either?"

"Don't make fun of me," begged Holmes quickly. "Miss Meade, there
are many customs here that are strange to outsiders. But they
are very old customs."

"Some of them, I suppose," laughed Belle, "so old that they should
be forgotten."

"All cadets are regarded as gentlemen," hurried on Greg. "Therefore,
any cadet may be a suitable escort for a young woman. If one
cadet has two young lady friends coming to the hop, for instance,
he asks one of his comrades to escort one of his friends. Why,
a cadet who, for any reason, finds himself unable to attend a
hop, after he has invited a young lady, may arrange with anyone
of his comrades to call for the young lady in his place."

"What if she should decline the unknown substitute who reported
to fill the task?" teased Belle.

"It would betray her unfamiliarity with West Point," replied Greg,
with more spirit than Belle had expected from this once very quiet
young man. "Miss Meade, we look upon a our comrades here as gentlemen.
We regard the man whom we may