lives of their successors.

During the first two weeks that the plebes had been in the academy the
opportunities for hazing them had been few; but immediately on getting
into camp the mischievous lads who had suffered the year before, not a
few of whom had sworn that nothing in the wide world--nothing, nothing,
nothing!--could tempt them to molest a fourth-class man, lost no time
in "getting after" the "new stiffs," as the plebes were sometimes
called at Fardale.

The yearlings were eager to find fags among the plebes, and they
generally succeeded in inducing the new boys to bring buckets of water,
sweep the tent floors, make beds, clean up, and do all sorts of work
which the older cadets should have done themselves and were supposed to
do.

While the penalty for exacting the performance of any menial or
degrading task, as well as for hazing, was court-martial and possible
dismissal, the yearling generally succeeded in getting the work done
without giving orders or making demands, so the plebes could not say
they had been coerced into doing those things against their will.

Each yearling sought to have a particular fag to attend to him and his
wishes, and no cadet could demand service of another fellow's fag
without danger of bringing about trouble.

At first, Frank had resolved to astonish his companions by attending to
his own duties entirely by himself, and having no fag; but it was
shortly after the new boys came to Fardale that he saw something that
made him change his mind.

Among the plebes was a rather timid-looking, red-cheeked lad, who
seemed even further out of his element than did his awkward companions.
He was shy and retiring, blushed easily, and, at times, had trouble in
finding his voice.

Such a fellow was certain to attract attention at any school, and he
was soon singled out as a particular object for chaffing by the
yearlings.

He blushed to the roots of his hair on being called "Baby," "Mamma's
Boy," "Little Tootsy-Wootsy," and other names of the sort applied to
him by the cadets.

His real name was Fred Davis, and of the nicknames given him Baby
seemed to stick the best, so it was not long before he came to be known
by that almost altogether, the officers and instructors being the only
ones who did not use it in addressing him.

At the outset Fred was unfortunate in being singled out for guying by
Hugh Bascomb, who was a bully by nature, and whose ideas of fun were
likely to be of a