"And that was the very way that Prescott's horse was enraged,
so that old ramrod got his awful tumble!" exclaimed Greg bitterly.

"You believe, now, that the whole thing was a dirty, deliberate
trick, don't you?" asked Spurlock of Prescott.

"I am pretty sure it must have been," nodded Dick.

"Then," declared Brayton, "the whole thing is something for you
second classmen to settle among yourselves. In the first place,
it is your own class affair. In the next place, we men of the
first class are practically out of the Military Academy already.
It will do the first class no good to take any action, because
we shall not be here to carry out any decree."

"You can advise us, though," suggested Holmes.

"And we'll do so gladly," nodded Brayton. "Then do we need to
hold a class meeting, and vote to make the Coventry permanent?"

"Hardly, I should say," replied Brayton. "You've already started
the cut, and it can be continued without any regular action---unless
Haynes should have the cheek to try to brazen it out. If he does
insist on staying here at the Military Academy, you can easily take
up the matter during the summer encampment."

"It would seem rather strange for me to call a class meeting,
when the whole affair concerns me," suggested Dick.

"Oh, you don't need to call the meeting, old ramrod," advised
Spurlock. "A self-appointed committee of the class can call the
meeting. You can open the meeting, of course, Prescott, and then
you can call any other member of the class to take the chair."

"I wonder if it will be necessary to drum the fellow out of the
class formally?" asked Anstey.

"Only time can show you that," replied Brayton. "Better just wait
and see what action the fellow Haynes will take for himself. He
may have the sense to resign."

Resign? That word was not in Haynes's own dictionary of conduct.
After his first few moments of despair, on gaining his room,
the turnback had risen from his chair, his face showing a courage
and resolution worthy of a better cause.

"Those idiots may think they have 'got' me," he muttered, shaking
his fist toward the quadrangle. "One of these days they'll know
me better! I'll make life miserable for some of those pups yet!"

Just before it was time for the call to dress parade Pierson came
hurrying into the room to hasten into his full-dress uniform.

Haynes, already dressed with scrupulous care, looked curiously
at his roommate. But Pierson did no