whom
he was at present betrothed was not at West Point, played the
casual gallant for a fair cousin of Second Classman McDermott.

The night went out in a blaze of color, illumination and fireworks
just before taps. In the morning the cadet battalion marched
back into barracks, and on the morning after that the daily grind
began in the grim old academic building.

Cadets Prescott and Holmes were thus fairly started on their
third year at West Point. There was a tremendous grind ahead
of them, the very grind was becoming vastly easier, two years
of the hard life at West Point taught them how to study.

CHAPTER X

THE SCHEME OF THE TURNBACK

"I must be getting back to my room," murmured Anstey. "I haven't
had a demerit so far this year, and I don't want to begin."

"If you must go, all right," replied Dick, though he added, with
undoubted heartiness:

"Whether in or out of proper hours, Anstey, your visits are always
too short."

"Thank you, old man," replied the Virginian gratefully.

The time had worn along into October. During the first month
of academic work, neither Dick nor Greg had stood as high in their
class as they had wished. This is often the case with new second
classmen, who have just returned from all the allurements and
excitements of their furloughs.

"Are you studying very hard, Anstey?" asked Greg, turning around,
as the Virginian entered the door.

"Not very," drawled the Virginian. "I never did like haste and
rush. I'm satisfied if I get through. I did hope to stand high
enough to get into the cavalry, but now I think I'm going to be
pleased if I get the doughboy's white trousers stripe."

The "doughboy" is an infantryman.

"I think I'm going to find it all easy enough, now, after I once
get my gait. Thank goodness, we're past the daily math. grind."

"We'll all find plenty of math. in its application to other studies,"
sighed Prescott. "But what gets me is for an Army officer to
have to be roundly coached in philosophy, as regards sound and light."

"And chemistry," groaned Greg, "with heat, mineralogy, geology
and electricity. And how the instructors can draw out on the
points that a fellow hasn't been able to get through his head!"

"Don't!" begged the Virginian. "It makes my temples throb. I've
written mother, asking her to send me some headache powders.
Unless our third-year science instructors let up on us, I see
myself eating headache powders like can