matter what I have to risk to stop him!"

CHAPTER XXIV

CONCLUSION

For most of the young men at West Point the academic year now
came swiftly and joyously to an end.

True, some score and a half of plebes were found deficient, and
sent back to their homes.

The same thing happened to a few of the third classmen.

All of the members of the first class succeeded in passing and
in graduating into the Army.

The poor plebes who had failed had been mournfully departing, one
at a time.

These unhappy, doleful young men felt strangely uncouth in the
citizens' clothes that they had regained from the cadet stores.

Yet everyone of these plebes received many a handshake from the
upper classmen and a hearty good wish for success in life.

More doleful still felt the dropped third classmen, who had been
at the Military Academy for two years, and who had thoroughly
expected to "get through" into the Army somehow.

It was now a little before the time when cadets must hasten to
quarters to attire themselves for dress parade.

Several score of cadets still lingered in the quadrangle when
Greg Holmes and Pierson suddenly appeared, heading straight for
one of the largest groups, in which Dick Prescott stood.

"Heard any news lately?" asked Greg, a pleased twinkle in his eyes.

"Nothing startling. We've been supplying new, dry handkerchiefs
to the poor, late plebes," answered Brayton.

"Haven't heard about that fellow Haynes?" asked Greg.

"Nothing," admitted Brayton.

"Well, you see," exclaimed Pierson, "Haynes made up his mind to
disregard the grand cut. He determined to stick it out, anyway,
even for a whole year."

"He'll have a sweet time of it, then," put in Spurlock dryly.
"I never heard of a fellow who got the general cut lasting a whole
year here before."

"That was Haynes's decision, anyway," went on Pierson. "This
is no guess work. The fellow told me so himself."

"I reckon, suh, maybe we'll be able to change his mind," drawled
Anstey.

"No you won't," broke in Greg decisively. "Haynes got in bad
on the last two days of general review. Chemistry and Spanish
verbs threw him. So he was ordered up for a writ (written
examination) in both subjects. He fessed frozen on both of them.
He applied for a new examination in a fortnight, but the fact
that Haynes was already a turnback went against him."

"He's `found,' eh?" questioned Brayton, smiling gleefully.

"Dropped," nodded Pierson.