"Out of the cadet corps?" screamed Henckley. "Then what becomes of what you owe me?"

"That's something you'll have to settle to your own satisfaction,"

jeered the dismayed cadet. "I can offer you no help."

Jordan turned on his heel, starting to walk away, when Mr. Henckley leaped after him, seizing him by the arm.

"See here-----" began the money shark hoa.r.s.ely.

"Let go of my arm," warned Jordan in a rage, "or I'll hit you harder than Dougla.s.s did."

As the money lender shrank back out of Jordan's reach, the cadet strode off swiftly.

Mr. Jordan was in his bed when the subdivision inspector went through the rooms that night.

At morning roll call, however, Jordan did not answer.

An investigation showed that he had gone. All his uniforms and other equipment he had left behind, from which it was judged that Jordan had, in some way, managed to get hold of an outfit of civilian attire.

Jordan had deserted, with a heart full of hate for d.i.c.k Prescott, with whom the deserter swore to be "even" before the academic year was out.

CHAPTER XV

THE CLa.s.s MEETING "SIZZLES"

That Sunday, save Greg, none of the cadets addressed Prescott.

Anstey, however, thought up a new way of getting around the "silence."

As he pa.s.sed d.i.c.k, the Virginian winked very broadly. Other cadets were quick to catch the idea. Wherever d.i.c.k went that Sunday he was greeted with winks.

Monday d.i.c.k was in a fever of excitement. For once he fared badly in his marks won in the section rooms.

When evening came around every member of the first cla.s.s, save Prescott, hurried off to cla.s.s meeting. For the first time in many months, Greg attended.

As the cadets began to gather, excitement ran high. The room was full of suppressed noise until President Dougla.s.s rapped sharply for order.

Then, instantly all became as still as a church.

"Will Mr. Fullerton please take the chair?" asked the cla.s.s president.

"The present presiding officer wishes the privileges of the floor."

Amid more intense silence Fullerton went forward to the chair, while Dougla.s.s stepped softly down to the floor.

"Mr. Chairman," called Dougla.s.s.

"Mr. Dougla.s.s has the floor."

Dougla.s.s was already on his feet, of course. He plunged into an accurate narrative of what had happened, and what he had overheard, on Sat.u.r.day night. He told it all without embellishment or flourish, and wound up by calling attention to Jordan's plain enough desertion from the corps.

Durville then obtained the floor. He corroborated all that the cla.s.s president had just narrated.

"May I now make a motion, sir?" demanded Durville, turning finally toward the cla.s.s president.

"Yes," nodded Cadet Dougla.s.s.

"Mr. Chairman, I move that the first cla.s.s, United States Military Academy, remove the Coventry and the silence that have been put upon our comrade, Mr. Richard Prescott. I move that, by cla.s.s resolution, we express to him our regret for the great though unintentional injustice that has been done Mr. Prescott during these many months."

"I second the motion!" shouted Dougla.s.s.

It was carried amid an uproar. If there were any present who did not wish to see d.i.c.k thus reinstated, they were wise enough to keep their opinions to themselves.

"Mr. Chairman!" shouted another voice over the hubbub.

"Mr. Mallory," replied the chair.

"I move that Messrs. Holmes and Anstey be appointed a committee of two to go after Mr. Prescott and to bring him here---by force, if necessary."

Amid a good deal of laughter this motion, too, was carried. The two more than willing messengers departed on the run.

"Mr. Chairman!"

"Mr. Dougla.s.s."

The cla.s.s president rose, waving his right hand for utter silence.

Then, slowly and modestly, he said:

"I have greatly enjoyed the honor of being president of this cla.s.s.

But I can no longer take pride in holding this office, for, in common with the rest of you, I realize that I secured the honor through a misapprehension. I therefore tender my resignation as president of the first cla.s.s."

"No, no, no!" shouted several.

"Thank you, gentlemen," replied Dougla.s.s with feeling. "I appreciate it all, but I feel that I have no longer any right to the presidency of the cla.s.s, and I therefore resign it---renounce it! Gentlemen, comrades, will you do me the favor of accepting my resignation at once?"

"On account of the form in which the request is put," said Durville, as soon as he had secured the chair's recognition, "I move that our president's resignation be accepted in the same good faith in which it is offered."

"Thank you, Durry, old man!" called Dougla.s.s in a low voice.

A seconder was promptly obtained. Then Chairman Fullerton put the motion. There were cries of "too bad," but no dissenting votes.

In the meantime Greg and Anstey all but broke down a door in their effort to reach d.i.c.k quickly.

"Come on, old chap!" called Greg, pouncing upon his chum. "It's all off! Savvy? We have orders to drag you to cla.s.s meeting, if force be necessary. Come on the jump!"

"Won't I, though?" cried d.i.c.k, seizing his fatigue cap and hurrying on his uniform overcoat.

A smaller mind might have insisted on taking slowly the request from the cla.s.s that had unintentionally done him such an injustice.