Robert looked suspiciously at Harry. In the latter's arms was a bundle of clothing. Robert suddenly grabbed this and opened it up. It was composed of a dark sack coat, out of which two articles fell to the floor. Robert picked them up and instantly recognized them. One was a brown slouch hat and the other a false beard. In an agony of bitterness and hate Robert completely lost control of himself. He grabbed Harry and shook him violently and then dashed him against the wall.

"You contemptible cur," he cried. "For the last time, will you tell me where Stonewell is?"

"I don't know," sullenly replied Harry.

"Do you expect to see him again to-night?"

"I do not."

Robert looked at him utterly without belief.

"Drake," implored Harry, "if you report me for this you will bilge me; you know how that will affect my people; I suppose it is your duty to report me, but if you do only one thing can happen to me. I will be dismissed; you know that as well as I do."

Robert looked at him with contempt, and left the room.

The long night pa.s.sed slowly, but it brought no sleep or rest to the overwrought nerves of Robert. He went to bed and tossed about in an agony.

"Oh, that Stonewell would only come," was Robert's thought, repeated countless times. But Stonewell did not come. The moonlight faded away; the silence was broken only by the striking of bells and the monotonous call of sentries. The first gleam of dawn found Robert still wide awake, hopeless and dejected. Mechanically he prepared his room and himself for Sunday inspection. Finally reveille was sounded, the gun thundered and Bancroft Hall burst into life. Later came breakfast formation and Robert, against his inclination, had to mix with the other midshipmen.

"What's the matter, Bob?" inquired Peters, with friendly concern; "you're not looking well."

"Oh, I'm all right," impatiently answered Robert. Then came breakfast, which seemed interminable. Robert sat at his table's head longing for the order "rise." Food would have choked him; he gulped down a cup of coffee, and sat idly drumming the table.

After breakfast Gla.s.sfell came up to him. "Look here, Bob, what's bothering you?" he asked with real solicitude. "You're not yourself this morning, old chap. What's the trouble?"

"Have you seen Stonewell?" abruptly asked Robert.

"By jingo!" exclaimed Gla.s.sfell. "Last night I could have sworn I saw Stonewell pa.s.s me. I was on Main Street, and a midshipman with some stripes, and I thought a good many, pa.s.sed me in a great hurry and turned into Conduit Street. It was dark and yet at the time I had no thought but that it was Stonewell. 'h.e.l.lo, Stone!' I called out; 'I thought you were in Washington;' but the fellow paid no attention to me.

He seemed to be in a hurry, almost running. Then I concluded I must have been mistaken, because I knew Stone was in Washington, and it was pretty dark. The thing bothered me a bit for the time, but I must have been mistaken. I had taken my partner home from the Armory and was on my way back. It was about half-past eleven, I think. But why do you ask me about Stone? He won't be back from Washington until ten this morning."

"If you see him tell him I'm looking for him," and Robert turned away.

He now wanted to be by himself. He went in one of the wing corridors and looked out of the window, hardly replying to different salutations of midshipmen who pa.s.sed him. Outside it was raining, one of those tenacious rains that seem determined to last throughout the day.

Overhead were spread heavy dark forbidding clouds; the day was gloomy and hopeless, but not nearly so much so as felt this midshipman.

After a while one stroke of the bell told Robert it was half-past eight, and soon he saw the commandant's tall form, wrapped up in a great rubber coat, come down the walk. Some time later he saw two figures emerge from the trees that line the main walk; one he recognized as that of Commander Beckwith, the head of the Department of Mathematics, the other, of low figure and shambling walk, he instantly recognized as that of old Grice. With throbbing heart, Robert watched them until they disappeared into the commandant's office; then the cadet lieutenant went to his room.

It was evident to him that Grice had told his story to Commander Beckwith and the latter was now talking with the commandant about it.

Robert waited for the summons he knew was coming, to appear before the commandant. Thoughts came surging through his brain. Sooner than testify against Stonewell he would accept dismissal. And likewise, in spite of his bitter dislike toward Harry Blunt, before he would bring disgrace upon the dear friends who had done so much for him, he would accept dismissal. Robert, with a steady mind, without hesitation, determined on this stand. He now knew his last moment of inaction had arrived. Not that he had any hope or expectation of saving either Stonewell or Blunt, but that he should be the means of their disgrace and dismissal was an unbearable thought. It were far better to bilge.

Steps were heard in the corridor and Farnum appeared at his door.

"h.e.l.lo, Bob," he said, "the commandant wants to see you right away. He's in his office."

"All right, Farnum, I'll start in a moment." And then taking a sheet of official paper, and hurriedly heading it, he wrote:

"I hereby tender my resignation as a midshipman in the naval service."

This he signed, and with it in his hand he walked down the corridor, and was soon standing before the commandant.

CHAPTER XXIV

IT WAS STONEWELL

"Good-morning, Mr. Drake," said the commandant, pleasantly enough. "I'm surprised that you haven't been to me with a report before now--that is, unless Grice has made some great mistake. He has told me that you and he caught two midshipmen last night attempting to steal an examination--he says he knows who they are, but seems afraid to give their names. Who are they, Mr. Drake?"

Commander Dalton was grave and impa.s.sive. He spoke to Robert as one officer might to another on an official matter; his manner betokened an expectation on his part of receiving an absolutely frank report from the cadet lieutenant.

Instead of making any reply Robert approached the desk at which the commandant was sitting and handed him a folded sheet of paper.

"Who were the midshipmen, Mr. Drake? Or did you fail to recognize them?" And then after a pause, with a trace of annoyance in his voice due to Robert's backwardness in answering his questions, "Or is Grice's report incorrect?"

He looked at Robert with surprise as the latter made no effort whatever to reply. He then opened the paper and cried out in amazement: "You tender your resignation as a midshipman? What does this mean, sir? I have asked you certain questions which you do not answer, and then you resign. Come, Mr. Drake, explain yourself, sir! First tell me if Grice's statement is correct. Do you refuse to answer, sir?"

Still Robert was silent; he looked at the commandant with gloomy, troubled eyes.

"Mr. Drake, are you aware of what you are doing? Don't you know that persistence in this course will cause your summary dismissal?"

"Don't dismiss him, capting," cried out old Grice, now in great trouble about Robert. "He's a fine young gemman, 'deed he is, suh. I'll tell yo'

who dese young gemmen wuz; he doan' want to tell yo', but I'll tell yo', capting, suh; dey wuz Mistah Stonewell and Mistah Harry Blunt, suh. I seed 'em, suh, and Mistah Drake seed 'em, and Mistah Drake doan' want ter tole yo', suh, becase----"

The commandant jumped from his chair as if he had been shot. "What are you talking about? You're demented!" he roughly cried. "Do you know who you are talking about? Do you know that Mr. Stonewell is cadet commander? Grice, you must be crazy!"

"Yes, suh, capting, suh; beggin' yo' pardin, suh, dat's why I didn't tole yo' befoah, suh. I knowed you'd say ole Grice wuz surely crazy; but de fax am, capting, that Mistah Stonewell, in his unerform--I counted de five gold stripes on his sleeve, suh, at de time--and Mistah Harry Blunt, the son of de ole commerdan', at 'bout 'leven 'clock las' night tried to steal a zamnation. I seed dem try, and Mistah Drake, he seen 'em try ter steal it. An' ef yo' doan' believe me, capting, yo' ask Mistah Drake; he knows Mistah Stonewell tried to steal the zamnation 'kase he seen him. Yo' ask Mistah Drake, capting."

"Mr. Drake," cried Commander Dalton, "you have heard this monstrous charge; I'm waiting for your indignant denial! Why are you silent? Are you mute, when you hear the character of the first midshipman of his time so shamefully a.s.sailed? You shall answer me! Do you understand that this negro says that you and he together saw Mr. Stonewell and Mr. Blunt attempt to steal an examination last night? Do you hear that, and are you silent, sir?"

Commander Dalton's manner was vehement and intimidating. "What have you to say, sir?" he thundered, slamming a clinched fist with a bang on his desk.

With parched lips and in trembling accents Robert commenced to speak.

Four years of the strictest training urged him to yield to the commandant's order; but Robert had expected this and had tried to prepare himself for it.

"As I have handed in my resignation, sir," he faltered, "I respectfully request that I be not asked any questions. This is all I can say, sir."

The commandant dropped into his chair; he looked sorrowfully at Robert, and then in an altered tone said:

"Mr. Drake, you and Mr. Stonewell are close friends, are you not?"

"He has been more to me than a brother could have been, sir," replied Robert, in a broken voice. And then in an effort to control his feelings he turned his back on the commandant and with blinding tears in his eyes looked through the window in front of him at the mournful, steady rain without.

Captain Dalton picked up a telephone and said, "Central, give me number twenty-seven. h.e.l.lo, is this Captain Blunt?"

"Yes, the commandant of midshipmen."

"Blunt, can you come to my office immediately? A most serious charge has been made against your son."

Then he rang for his orderly and said: "Tell the officer-in-charge I won't inspect this morning, and tell him to send Midshipman Blunt to my office immediately."