vicious order.

Bascomb saw he could plague Davis, and he kept at the little fellow,
piling it on unmercifully. In fact, he seemed to take a strong dislike
to the boy with the pink cheeks, whom he derisively designated as "the
dolly boy," and he lost no opportunity to humiliate Davis.

It happened that, on a certain occasion, Bascomb desired that Fred
should lie for him, but, to his surprise, the timid plebe absolutely
and firmly declined to lie.

"I--I can't do it, sir," stammered the little fellow. "I'd do it if I
could, but I can't."

"Why not, pray?" fiercely demanded Bascomb, towering above the
shrinking lad and scowling blackly. "That's what I want to know--why
not?"

"Because I promised mother I would not lie, and she--she has confidence
in me."

"Oh, she--she has!" mocked Bascomb. "You make me sick--you do! I
never took any stock in mamma boys. Now you're going to do as I want
you to, or I'll make it hot for you."

"I shall not lie, sir."

"All right; wait till you get into camp. Oh, we won't do a thing to
you!"

From that time Bascomb did his best to set his companions against
Davis, a fact which Frank soon noted.

Knowing that Bascomb was at heart a bully, Frank immediately saw that
Davis would have a hard life during his first months in the academy.

Frank's sympathy went out to the little fellow, who had been so
tenderly reared that he knew very little of the harsh ways of the world
outside his own home. He resolved that the little plebe should be
given a fair show.

Somehow Frank divined that Bascomb intended to secure Davis for his
fag, and he resolved to balk the bully in this. So it came about that,
on the day that the plebes marched into camp, with their bundles under
their arms, Merriwell found an opportunity to take Davis into his tent
and instruct him in cleaning shoes and setting things to order.

Fred attended to these things cheerfully, never dreaming that they were
not a part of his regular duties. When he had finished, Merriwell said:

"That is very satisfactory, Mr. Davis. Immediately after tattoo you
may come round and be shown how to make up beds. In the meantime, if
any one else should require you to perform service of a similar nature
in any tent other than your own, you may inform them that you have
already received instructions from me, and that the state of your
health will prevent you from doing too much labor of the kind. Do you
understand?"

"I think