CHAPTER XIV. NEW METHODS IN THE BATTALION.

Professor Keene had no need to ask for attention when, the next day, he was ready to announce the names of the committee. There was great surprise and some disappointment among the officers when it was found that only two of them were of the number, the other two being privates of Company C. These last were Knox, one of the most troublesome fellows in the battalion, and Carr, one of the most faithful and reliable.

Knox, after the first shock of surprise, was immensely elated at having been selected. He would not have been quite so jubilant over it if he had been present at a conference between the professor, Gordon and Graham the night before.

Gordon’s whispered words to the professor had been a request for a talk with him before the names of the committee should be announced, a request which was readily granted. The hour that the two lads spent at the professor’s house that evening had given him a clearer understanding than he had had before of the state of affairs in Company C, and indeed in the whole battalion. He saw that these two boys had given very serious thought to the situation, and he appreciated the wisdom of Gordon’s suggestion that Knox, who, though one of the most troublesome in the company, was really one of the most soldierly boys, and one who, if his enthusiasm could once be aroused, might do perhaps more than any other to raise the standard of feeling and purpose in the battalion, should be one of the visiting committee. Carr was appointed partly to make it pleasanter for Knox than it would have been had the other three been officers.

Graham had wanted very much to be on the committee, as, owing to the trouble he had had with his company, he was extremely anxious to see for himself if the new method was one likely to work well in the high-school battalion; but he saw that it might not be best for three out of a committee of four to be taken from Company C. So Hamlin and one other captain were appointed.

There was a good deal of grumbling over the proposed innovation, and many of the boys declared that they would not stay on if any such scheme was carried out; but all the same, the four members of the committee were regarded with not a little envy and scarcely a boy but wished that he had been lucky enough to be selected, especially as the fortunate four were to be excused from recitations and given perfect marks for the time of their absence. Coyle and Griffin, even, would have liked to visit that school, even though they scoffed at the idea of the plan proposed.

Before the departure of the committee, Professor Keene wrote a long letter to his friend, the principal, explaining to him the reason for the sending of this committee, and for the selection of Knox as a member of it, and asking him to give the boys every possible opportunity to learn all about the working of the system under consideration. Also he begged the principal to make the visit of the boys as enjoyable as might be, and proposed that, a week or two later, a similar committee from the military school be sent down to return the visit. “And be sure and put on that committee some of your most enthusiastic boys, who will talk the thing up, and make our boys wild to try it,” the professor had added.

A royal good time indeed those four boys had during the two days they spent at the Institute.

The principal was one who knew how to get hold of boys and win their affection as well as secure their obedience. Understanding thoroughly the situation of affairs at the high school, he told his boys just enough to interest them, and incline them to further Professor Keene’s plans. The boys needed only a hint. In the first place, they were exceedingly proud of their school and their military discipline, and, in the second, they were always ready to respond to any appeal from their principal.

So they gave our committee of four a cordial, boyish reception that swept away in a moment every shadow of stiffness or shyness. They treated them like comrades and old friends, and took them into class-room and drill, gave them a dinner, and, in short, filled every hour of the two days with something that would please and interest their guests. Of course, they interlarded all this with information about their method of government and its eminently satisfactory results, until even Knox, who had intended to have a good time on the trip and laugh the new plan to scorn when he returned to the Central, became so interested that he found himself asking eager questions, and admitting to himself that perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad thing to try at the Central, after all.

When, on the last day of the visit, the principal told the assembled school of Professor Keene’s invitation, and asked those who would like to accept it, and visit the Central school, to rise, instantly every boy in the room was on his feet.

The principal smiled as he turned to Gordon, and said, “You have taken the citadel by storm, you see. I think you will have to select your committee for yourselves.”

“Very well, sir,” was Gordon’s quick response, “we shall be satisfied if the committee includes all the gentlemen that are now standing.”

A cheer broke from the students at this reply, but at a sign from the principal every boy took his seat, and in an instant the most perfect order prevailed.

But nearly the whole school accompanied the high-school boys to the station that night, and the cheers that followed them as the train moved off could have been heard for a mile around.

The visitors supposed that was the end of it, but when they reached the next station, there were a hundred or more students drawn up in line on the platform. In perfect order they stood till the train started on, when again the night resounded with the Central high-school cry, followed by that of the Institute. That _was_ the end, for there was no such short cut to the next station as there had been to this.

Was it any wonder that our committee returned overflowing with enthusiasm for the methods that turned out such boys as these? Even Knox gave up all thought of carping criticism and opposition, and instead, gave his comrades such a glowing description of the drill he had witnessed and the splendid results of the self-government plan, as shown at the Institute, that they looked at him in amazement and thought there “must be something in it to convert Knox so completely,” and they began to look forward with eager curiosity and interest to the coming of “those Institute chaps.”

So full of interest and enthusiasm was the committee of four, that Professor Keene decided to have them give their report before the entire school. At first the boys objected strongly to this. They did not so much mind speaking before all the boys, but the girls too--that was another thing!

But after all, it was not so bad, for their interest soon made them forget the gentler portion of their audience, and when they had each spoken of the points that had most impressed them, and told of the cordial hospitality they had enjoyed--they could not help speaking of that--the professor said that the committee would answer any questions that might occur to any one.

A storm of eager questions followed, and not all of them were asked by the boys.

Many of the pupils saw at once the advantages of the method proposed, and many were eager to have it adopted, at least in the battalion, but some still fought against it, and none more bitterly than Coyle and Griffin.

A week or two later, a delegation came from the Institute, and the four members of the committee had an opportunity to return the hospitality that had been shown them; an opportunity which they were not slow to improve. Either there was an exceptionally fine class of boys at the Institute, or else the principal had shown great wisdom in his selection, for they made friends of everybody, from Professor Keene down to the roughest and rudest boys in Company C. Even Coyle and Griffin were forced to acknowledge that they were “good fellows enough.”

But amid all the good times crowded into these two days, the boys did not forget the purpose of their coming. They were always ready to talk self-government to anyone who was interested, but they did it so wisely that nobody was bored or offended, while most were so convinced of the advantages of the system that, to the great satisfaction of the Institute boys, the battalion voted by a large majority to try the plan for the remainder of the year.

Of course, the entire battalion escorted their guests to the depot when the visit was ended, and though they could not be in waiting at a station further on, they did the best they could. They engaged a brass-band to meet the committee at the station nearest the Institute, and give the boys a welcome home with all the martial music that they could render.

It is needless to say that the most friendly relations continued between the two schools from this time on, each manifesting a strong interest in the doings of the other.

At the Central, after a spirited meeting, an election was held, resulting in the appointment of Gordon as judge, with a jury of twelve boys, two from each company.

Singularly enough, the first offender brought before this court was Coyle himself, and his disgust at this was in no wise lessened by the knowledge that he himself had actually been the one largely instrumental in bringing this new court of justice into being, in the Central.

Coyle had deteriorated steadily as the weeks passed. He was a thorn in the flesh to Gordon, Hamlin and Clark, for his frequent failures in class brought down the record, in spite of the good work of the majority. Coyle rejoiced that this was so. In no other way could he have so effectually annoyed and tormented these three, whom he hated more and more as he saw how their influence was growing in the school. They had even succeeded in arousing a feeble ambition in Barber, and consequently, Barber was “no fun at all,” these days. He insisted on pegging away at his lessons, and wouldn’t, half the time, help Coyle “make things a bit lively in class.” In short, Coyle considered himself decidedly aggrieved because the boys of section D were working for honors, or for solid acquirements, this year, instead of wasting their time in foolish tricks, or idling the hours away without accomplishing anything. True, there were still in Company C a few jolly chaps who went in for good times, but most of the fellows had taken up with that fol-de-rol about self-government, and wouldn’t so much as wink or “crack a smile” in drill, nor answer back, no matter what ridiculous order an officer might give them. All this was contrary to Coyle’s ideas, and he came to the conclusion at last that he would let them all see that he, for one, had a little spirit and independence, and didn’t choose to be ordered about by any of them. Wasn’t he battalion quartermaster, ranking as high as any of the captains? Long he pondered and planned, but he could not hit upon any way of asserting his independence and humiliating his brother officers at the same time.

He not only neglected his studies and fell steadily behind the class, but he attended so poorly to his duties as quartermaster that Gordon was finally obliged to speak to him on the subject, and though he took pains to speak privately, and in the most courteous way possible, Coyle was very angry, and answered so insolently that Gordon had hard work to control his temper.

A few days after this, the quartermaster’s accounts were sent to Gordon for approval, and finding several errors in them, he sent them back for correction. Without stopping to look over the accounts, Coyle went directly to Gordon and angrily accused him of picking flaws in the accounts on purpose to bring him--Coyle--into disgrace.

“The accounts are right to a penny, and you know it,” he shouted furiously. “You’ve been trying to find something against me all this year, and now you’ve hatched this up. If there is any error in the books you’ve changed the figures yourself, that’s all.”

Gordon turned fairly white in the strong effort he made to control himself, while Hamlin started to his feet with an indignant exclamation, and another officer who was standing by clenched his fists and took a step forward, looking as if he longed to knock the impudent fellow down.

There was a moment of silence, then Gordon turned to his adjutant, and said very quietly, “You will consider Mr. Coyle under arrest.”

“I’d like to see you try to arrest me,” blustered Coyle, who had lost all control of himself by this time. As he spoke, Prof. Keene entered the room.

“What is that, Coyle?” he said, sharply, “please repeat what you said.”

Coyle shrank a little before the professor’s stern eyes, but he repeated still angrily, “I said that I’d like to see Gordon arrest me. He’s finding fault with me about--”

“Silence, sir,” interrupted the professor; “if _Major_ Gordon has ordered you under arrest, he must have had good reasons for so doing, and your case will be tried by court-martial.” And without another word, the professor left the room.

So it came about that Coyle was the first offender tried and sentenced under the new rules. Prof. Keene was not present during the trial, but a full account of the proceedings, in shorthand, was submitted to him, and he fully approved the sentence, which was that Coyle be degraded to the ranks or permitted to resign, whichever he chose. He chose the latter, and did not appear again in the school, which was altogether the most satisfactory ending to the matter, since, with such a boy, there was no hope of any real reform.

This affair of Coyle’s had a good effect upon the worst element in the battalion. The boys saw that the majority were determined to put down disorder and insubordination, and that Prof. Keene was ready to second their efforts at reform. They did not want to be suspended from the battalion or the school, or told that their permanent absence was desired--and so they concluded that it would be wisest for them to obey orders and do their best, instead of worst, in drill and class-room, and the result was soon seen in better recitations, and much more orderly class-rooms, and a steady improvement in the drill.