Part 4

"And while you are walking we'll be blissfully sleeping," smiled Terry.

"Oh, I don't mind, tonight," answered Don. "It looks as though it is going to be a peach of a night, with a big moon. I may be a whole lot luckier than you two, at that. You may get something like two or three in the morning, perhaps on a rainy morning, and I'll be the one to sleep blissfully."

"Say," spoke up Jim. "Your patrol takes you right back of Clanhammer Hall, doesn't it?"

There was silence for a minute and then Don nodded. "Yes, it does," he said. "I pass right back of it. From the edge of the campus I walk back of the hall, down the slope near the lake and to the gate. Yes, I'll pass the old place a good many times, I guess."

"Perhaps you'll see something that may help a bit," Terry said. "Be careful not to get tangled up in anything, though."

Don was compelled to go to bed until a quarter of eleven, when the Officer of the Day rapped on his door and in a low tone told him to report for guard duty. Both of the other boys were sound asleep when Don left the room and went to the office. A cadet by the name of Arthurs was due to be relieved, and Don received final instructions. Then, taking his rifle, which the cadets used in drill, Don went out of the side door of Locke Hall to the edge of the campus and waited for Arthurs.

The cadet came across the campus from the direction of the old hall and saluted Don briskly. He said that there was nothing to report.

"I'm a little sorry to have you relieve me," he smiled. "Although I'm getting tired of tramping up and down. Nice night, isn't it?"

Don said that it was, and after saying goodnight to Arthurs he commenced his patrol. His way led him across the grassy campus back of the school, back of the gloomy old hall and down the slope near the lake to the iron gate at the east end of the school grounds. He made his first trip and found that it took him a full five minutes from point to point.

Don rather liked the whole idea. It might be quite useless as far as definite results went, but it was fun and a touch of the life which interested him. All of the boys would have to take turns at it, and he knew as he paced up and down that other cadets were patrolling on the other three sides of the school. He had been very fortunate in the time, for a fine big moon rode overhead, lighting the country up in a yellow splendor. The night was cool, but not unpleasantly so, and he felt exhilarated as he moved along with a swift, snappy stride.

Each time he passed back of the old hall he looked searchingly at it, but it was deserted and black, seemingly wrapped up in its covering of ivy. Down by the east gate he lost sight of it, and it was a minute or more before he once more walked around back of it. Don had been patrolling for almost forty minutes, and was now down near the gate. Reaching it, he swung around and started on his backward patrol.

He once more came in sight of Clanhammer Hall and started to pass by it. His patrol had taken him some fifty feet back of the hall, close to some small trees, and he entered a patch of black shadows. From force of habit he looked at the old building and then came to a swift halt.

A file of seven men, bending low and obviously keeping in the shadows of the old place, was making its way around the corner of the building. Each of these cadets, whose uniforms Don could plainly make out, held something in his hand. Astonishment seized Don, and although he had a faint notion of what might be going on, he could hardly believe it.

But he knew his duty and he was quite determined to carry that out. It was evident to him that they thought he was still down by the gate. Lowering his rifle he stepped forward and then stopped.

He thought at first that they intended to gather in some corner outside the building, but he found he was mistaken. They had approached a cellar window and the leader raised it and thrust his leg through. Don hurried forward, challenging them sharply.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

The seven cadets, with the leader halfway through the window, started and turned. Don's suspicions were confirmed. They were all fourth class men and each one of them had tools in his hand. They looked foolish and confused and glanced at each other.

"Hey!" cried Don, as no one spoke. "What's going on here?"

"We were going in to fix up this old hall for a dance, Mercer," said a cadet.

Don was bewildered. "On a night like this, when we have guard duty?" he cried. "And almost at twelve o'clock. You guys must be bats!" A sudden suspicion came over him. "Tell me, whose idea was this?"

There was an interval of silence and then the cadet who had answered him at first replied. "Vench's idea."

"I thought so," nodded Don. "Why did he pick out tonight and why this place?"

"Well," answered the spokesman. "He said he was going to put on a dance that would go down in history, and he wanted to do the decorating tonight, when there were guards out, and we'd have it in Clanhammer Hall, because nobody ever goes in there."

"Where is Vench now?" asked Don.

"Inside."

"Inside Clanhammer Hall!" cried Don sharply.

"Yes. He went in early to look the place over, and we were to join him in there."

Don was taken aback at the news. If there was anything to be learned in that hall Vench might stumble on it, and he was disappointed to think that someone beside himself had been in Clanhammer first. Well, there was just one thing to do and that was to enter the old school himself. He turned to the waiting cadets.

"You fellows get back to your rooms at once, and do it without being seen by anyone. I won't report you unless you disobey me. You've been a lot of silly fools to listen to Vench at all. Why, if you are caught you will probably be expelled! Have your dance when the colonel returns but not now. Now get back, before I am compelled to turn in a report of this."

The seven cadets, glad of the chance to escape from an adventure which had begun to worry them, slipped away without a word toward the main hall. Don turned once more to the cellar window, prepared to enter the dark and forbidding place. But he drew back with a slight start.

The cellar window went up and was secured and a head appeared in the half light. Cadet Vench scrambled up and out of the window, his uniform covered with cobwebs and dirt. He looked briefly at Don and would have walked off, but Don grasped him by the arm.

"Here, Vench," Don called. "Wait a minute. Let me look at your face. What is the matter?"

He swung the cadet toward him and for a brief instant the other looked at him with wide eyes. Don almost gasped. The ordinarily brown face of Cadet Vench was white, his eyes were big and his hands shook. Don released his hold.

"What did you see in there, Vench?" he asked.

"Nothing," returned the other, dropping his eyes.

"Yes, you did," retorted Don. "Out with it. Let's have it."

"I didn't see anything!" snapped Vench, stepping away from him. "You let me go, Mercer. I--I want to get away from this place. You keep your mouth closed about it, too."

He strode away, and Don was strongly tempted to recall him and make him tell or suffer the consequences. But he was undecided as to what course to follow and he watched the cadet disappear in the direction of Locke Hall. Once more Don looked at the hall so near at hand. There was no sound and he wondered if he should go in or not.

But he did not feel like going in. Vench had seen something in there that had made him turn white. And for another thing, his patrol time was up, a thing for which he was not altogether sorry. So with this new angle to puzzle over Don went back to report his patrol over with and sought his bed, to wonder and speculate until he fell asleep.

_7. Jim Makes an Enemy_

"The thing to do," said Rhodes, "is to make Vench talk."

It was a few days later, and the cadets were talking things over back of the boathouse. Rhodes, Jim, Terry and Don were sitting on an overturned boat discussing the thing in detail. Don had told them of the events which he had seen, and they were all agreed that Vench had seen something of importance in Clanhammer Hall.

But Vench would not talk. He blustered and he sneered, but he would not open his mouth. He began by saying that he had seen nothing, and ended by saying that he would not tell what he had seen. With that they had to be content, but they were far from being satisfied.

The period of preliminary training was now over and the boys in the fourth class were definitely assigned to divisions. Jim was the luckiest of all, for he was made lieutenant of the cavalry. Don remained in the infantry and Terry went with the artillery unit. Jim was elated with his good fortune and declared that he was going to work hard for a captaincy.

To Jim first fell the office of Officer of the Day. At some time in the year each cadet served in that capacity. His duties were not complicated but consisted of the job of making the rounds of the dormitories just before the lights were put out to see if everything was in order. Immediately after they were out he had to walk down all halls and see to it that no cadet was still up. Then he was to turn in his report and return to his own room.

It was at a quarter after nine when Jim reported to Major Tireson in the office and received his instructions and his report book. He found that he had been assigned to Clinton Hall and after receiving his instructions he went there. It was the practice at the school to put the Officer of the Day in another hall, so that no excuse would be made for personal friends if any infraction of the rules occurred. At the same time that Jim was inspecting Clinton Hall another cadet was inspecting Locke and another Inslee, in each case the Officer of the Day being from another hall.

Jim began his duties at once. Coming to the first room in Clinton Hall he raised his hand and rapped smartly. There was a "Come in" from the other side of the door and Jim entered. As soon as the cadets in the room saw that it was the Officer of the Day they put down their books and rose, saluting as they did so. Jim returned the salute and then looked keenly around the room, noting the condition of the bed, the closet, the place of the cadets' hats and the general look of the room. Everything was in place and Jim placed an OK beside the number of the room. His duty was to inspect the room and report any irregularities on the part of the cadets themselves, but unless these irregularities were very flagrant the cadet officers never did report them.

"Very well, gentlemen," nodded Jim, and left the room. The two cadets resumed their studying and Jim went to the next room. In each dormitory room he followed the same procedure. The first floor having been attended to he went to the second and repeated the process.

He had now come to the last room and he knocked. There was no immediate answer and he pushed his way in. To his surprise he found that Cadet Vench was in the room, sitting at the window on the sill, looking out at the ivy-covered wall of an addition which loomed up close to his window. It was then that Jim remembered that Vench, who had formerly roomed in Locke Hall, had been transferred, at his own request, to Clinton. Asked as to why he had obtained a transfer Vench had replied that the bunch in Locke made him sick and he wanted to be nearer friends. It was the boastful little cadet whom Jim was now facing.

Vench turned quickly at his step and his right hand went behind his back. But he was not quick enough to hide what he was holding. Jim saluted him and the cadet returned it. Before speaking Jim inspected the room and then turned once more to Vench.

"Your room is all right, Mr. Vench," reported the Officer of the Day. "But you yourself must be reported for smoking a cigarette."

"You're not going to report that, Mercer," replied Vench, easily.

"No, I'm not," agreed Jim. "I am going to allow you to report it yourself, Mr. Vench. In that way you will save yourself a few 'groan marks.'"

"Groan marks" were demerits, and if enough of them were gathered by a cadet he was expelled. If a cadet accumulated a few of them he lost valuable privileges. But Cadet Vench smiled and shook his head.

"I guess we'll just forget all about it, eh, Mercer?" he suggested.

But Jim shook his head calmly. "No we won't, Mr. Vench. Smoking is absolutely against the rules of the institution. You may enjoy it, and perhaps some of the other fellows do too, but they don't do it, and if you see fit to, you'll have to stand what comes to you."

"Don't preach to me, Mercer!" snapped the little cadet.

"I'm not preaching. If you don't go and report, I shall be compelled to do it for you. So make up your mind at once, please."

Vench's face flushed. "All full of soldier-boy dignity and importance, aren't you, Mercer? No sense of fair play or honor about you."

"Why, yes, I think that there is," retorted Jim, coolly. "I'm giving you a chance to report yourself and lighten your punishment. Seems to me that I couldn't be any fairer than that."

"You could forget it altogether," cried Vench heatedly. "Look here, Mercer, I'll make it worth your while!"

"In what way?" asked Jim, his eyes narrowing.

"Well, I have a little money that the officers don't know anything about----"

"That will do!" snapped Jim. "A moment ago you were talking about honor! How much honor do you think is in a proposition like that?"

Vench took a step forward, his face flaming. "Look here you--you cad! Do you mean to say that I'm not honorable? I'll have you understand that some of the noblest blood in old France runs in my veins!"

"That won't help you now," returned Jim. "As far as that goes, I guess my own blood is pretty good, although I'm not aware that any of it came from noblemen, unless they happened to be the only kind of noblemen that count, honest people."

"See here, you!" hissed the enraged cadet. "You only talk like this because you are the Officer of the Day. I'd be quick to call you out if you weren't."

"I won't be Officer of the Day tomorrow," said Jim coldly. "If you want to, you may call me out then, though I doubt if you will do anything as rash as that. Come, Mr. Vench, make up your mind what to do."

"I'll turn myself in," fairly shouted the little cadet. "And then I'll seek satisfaction from you, you high and mighty soldier boy!"

"Anything you please," shrugged Jim. "Do not forget to report yourself, Mr. Vench, for I am going to make a notation of the circumstance, and if you fail to do it, it will be tough for you."

With that Jim turned on his heel and walked out of the room. He was angrier than he had allowed Vench to see, for he hated the suggestion of a bribe and the manner of the cadet had been irritating. Just as he got out into the hall the lights were snapped out and he had one more duty to perform. He walked down the halls and saw to it that all doors were closed and all was quiet and then went back to Locke Hall, where he related his experience to Terry and Don.

"You did perfectly right," agreed Don.

"I doubt if he'll fight," said Terry. "He likes to make a big noise, but I don't think he will say another word about it."

But Terry was wrong. Cadet Vench reported his break in the rules and received fifty demerits. Two hundred demerits was sufficient to keep a cadet out of all activities and two hundred and fifty was the limit. Vench lost a few privileges and he was boiling with rage. That afternoon Cadet Willis, a roommate of Vench's, came into the room where Don and Jim were preparing to go out for track.

"May I speak to you a moment, Mr. Mercer?" he asked Don.

"Certainly, Mr. Willis," nodded Don, and followed him out into the hall. Terry looked at Jim and whistled.

"Ah, ha!" said the red-headed boy. "War is declared!"

When Don came back he grinned at Jim. "Well, you're in for it, kid," he said. "Cadet Willis brought to me, your second, a formal declaration of war. If you aren't scared to death you will kindly meet Mr. Vench in physical combat back of the gym at eight o'clock this evening!"

"Well," grinned Jim. "I'm scared to death, all right, but I'll meet him just the same. I'll be so nervous I won't be able to run or study all afternoon!"

The news of Vench's challenge spread like wildfire, and just before eight o'clock a group of the cadets, constantly increasing in number, assembled back of the gym. The spot selected was well fitted for the fight, as it was just back of a large window from which a stream of light came, and well out of sight of the main school building. Jim and his friends reached the place at eight and Jim immediately peeled off his shirt and moved his arms about to limber them up. Vench had not as yet appeared, and when five minutes passed by with no sign of him the cadets began to murmur things decidedly not complimentary to the absent one.

"Here comes Willis," spoke up a cadet, at last. "But he is alone."

Willis, with a worried look on his face, approached the group, and ignoring the questions put to him, spoke to Don.

"May I have a word with you, Mercer?" he asked.

He took Don aside and they talked in low tones for a moment, after which Willis hurried off and Don walked slowly back to the group. There was a faint smile on his face, and he handed Jim his shirt.

"Put your shirt on, Jim," he said. Turning to the cadets he said, "Boys, there has been a mistake made. When Mr. Vench asked Mr. Willis to be his second Mr. Willis presumed it was to be a fist fight. It was not until a few minutes ago that Mr. Willis, to his vast astonishment, found out that Mr. Vench is very blood-thirsty. Mr. Vench claims that my brother insulted his honor and that nothing less than blood would satisfy him. He was coming out here with two dueling swords, obtained from the museum upstairs, and it took Mr. Willis and some friends several minutes to disarm him and take the weapons away. Under the circumstances, there will be no fight, I guess!"

There was a moment of amazed silence and then the cadets broke loose in excited talk. Mr. Vench was treated to a verbal overhauling that left nothing to be desired, and many a scornful laugh was uttered as the cadets went back to their rooms. A dozen plans to annoy and remind the hot-headed cadet were immediately made up.

"Nothing but blood would satisfy him, eh?" laughed Terry when they were back in their rooms. "Well, if he had run up against Jim's fist he would have been satisfied, all right."

Jim dismissed the whole thing and thought no more of the little cadet. But from that time on the noisy newcomer was in misery. Everywhere he went he saw some evidence of his rashness and foolishness. Paper swords were hung on his door, gentlemen in grotesque positions were sketched on the blackboards, engaged in dueling, and whenever he was around some pair of cadets were sure to fence with rulers or whatever they had handiest. He was angry and unhappy, but knowing as he did that he had made a sorry spectacle out of himself he kept quiet except when he was alone. He had lost the friendship of even his roommate, who felt his own position ridiculous, and the loud cadet was silenced for the time being.

"It's all the doings of that Mercer bunch," he told a friend savagely. "But I'm just waiting for my chance. Wait until it comes, and I'll make Jim Mercer and his gang suffer for this. Just wait until it comes, that's all!"

_8. The Fall Offensive_

One of the events most eagerly awaited by the cadets each year was the fall military offensive. It was designed to give the cadets, especially the newer ones, some taste of actual military work. Rhodes explained it to the friends.

"The idea is to teach unity of action between the different branches of the service," the senior said. "First of all, the infantry takes up its position with the artillery under cover just back of it and waits there until the actual shelling begins. The cavalry, dismounted, is stationed somewhere near to support the infantry. After the shelling of a hill--we generally shell an old hill which we call Hill 31--the infantry advances close behind the fire of the artillery, meanwhile getting a message through somehow to the cavalry to dismount and fall in on the wings. I don't know how the message will be sent this year. Sometimes they send it through by telephones that the engineers put up and sometimes they send a runner through the hill just before the bombardment or after it. When we take up the active campaign we don't use these uniforms, of course. We get into the regular khaki and go at it right. I guess we'll get to it soon."

It was a week later when Major Tireson issued orders that the fall offensive was to take place. The cadets were overjoyed at the prospect, for it meant three days of vacation. It was the custom then to camp out one day, drill on the second, and attack the imaginary enemy on the morning of the third day, returning home in the evening. To Jim, who was an officer of the cavalry, instructions were given.

The captain and lieutenants of the infantry, artillery and cavalry were present at the time instructions were given. There was no captain of the cavalry, for the last captain had graduated, and Major Tireson was undecided as to whether to make Jim or a cadet named Thompson captain. Consequently, both of them were lieutenants and equals. The major explained that the infantry would wait until the shelling was over and then advance on the hill. The artillery officers were instructed in the method and time, and then Major Tireson turned to the cavalry lieutenants.

"You understand, boys, how you are to advance dismounted when the word comes to you?" he asked, and the lieutenants nodded. "Very well," continued Major Tireson. "Mercer, you are to have charge of the left wing of the cavalry and are to take up a position on the east side of Hill 31. Thompson, you will take your place on the west side of the hill, on the flank of the infantry, and you will send a man over Hill 31 as soon as the firing has been stopped. The artillery fire will be ended all in one burst, there will be no scattering shots, and it will be perfectly safe to send your man over the hill to inform Lieutenant Mercer to join the left wing of the infantry. We are going to act as though our telephone lines were down at the time, and the message is to be delivered by word of mouth. You both understand plainly?"

Both cavalry lieutenants replied that they did understand and after looking over maps they went back to rooms to prepare. Official word was passed around the school and campaign uniforms were issued, together with "tin hats," trench tools and all the necessary implements. The artillery was brought out, horses prepared, and one brilliant morning late in October the three divisions marched away to the practice warfare.

Hill 31 was twelve miles from Woodcrest and in wild country, where the danger of running across anyone was slight. The infantry marched first, the artillery rumbling back of them, and in the rear, the cavalry unit followed leisurely. The spirits of the cadets were raised by the clear and sparkling air and the bright sunshine, and they marched with a swing. Terry, who was riding a gun carriage, laughed at Don when they all halted for a brief rest.

"Seems like Jim and I have the cream of the outfit," he grinned. "I ride a gun carriage and Jim rides a fine horse. Little old Donny walks along on his feet."

"I don't mind," retorted Don. "You and Jim will grow old and fat, while I will still be in my prime, due to the fact that I used my feet. When you two are in your wheelchairs, I'll come around and see you."

Terry laughed. "That's how you talk, but wouldn't you just jump at the chance to ride!"