he latter half of the night it was Lieutenant Sadtler who
made the round.

By permission Cadet Holmes came to the hospital office just after
breakfast.

It was a gloomy face that poor Greg wore back to barracks with him.

The surgeons had spoken hopefully, but---

"Brains always work better than brute force," Haynes told himself,
struggling hard to preserve his self-esteem.

CHAPTER XXI

THE MAN MOVING IN A DARK ROOM

May came, and, with the gorgeous blossoms of that month, Dick
Prescott left the hospital.

He was able to walk fairly well, and was returned to study and
recitations, though excused from all drills or any form of military
duty.

Not quite all the old erectness of carriage was there, though
Dick hoped and prayed daily that it would return.

He had been cautioned to take the best of care of himself. He
had been warned that he was still on probation, so far as his
physical condition was concerned.

"A sudden bad wrench, and you might undo all that has been done
for you so far," was the surgeons' hint.

So Prescott, though permitted to march with his sections to
recitations, and to fall in at the meal formations, was far from
feeling reassured as to his ability to remain in the service.

He was to have a physical examination after the academic year
was finished, and other examinations, if needed, during the summer
encampment.

And well enough the young man knew this meant that, if he was
found to be permanently disqualified in body, he would be dropped
from the cadet corps as soon as the decision was reached.

"Do you know," muttered Greg vengefully, "Haynes had the cheek
to come here and ask after you?"

"Did he?" inquired Dick.

"Yes; he pretended to be sorry about your accident."

"Perhaps he really was," returned Prescott.

"What? After his trick in pushing you from the train?"

"I hope he has lived to regret that," said Dick quietly.

"You're not quite a lunatic, old ramrod, are you?" asked Greg
wonderingly.

"Oh, I've heard of fellows being bad, and then afterward repenting,"
murmured Dick. "Perhaps this has been the case with Haynes.
You see, Greg, lying there in hospital, day after day, I had time
to do a lot of thinking. Perhaps I learned to be just a trifle less
severe in judging other fellows."

Anstey visited as often as he could. He and Greg did all they
could to coach Prescott over the hard work that he had missed.

"There isn't going to be anything