itions. The officers who served as instructors at
West Point did not by any means escape in the running fire of
minstrelsy nonsense.

Then came forth a woeful figure, blackfaced and attired in a
dilapidated uniform. As he turned sideways it was noted that this
cadet, who was really a rollicking second class man, wore on his
back a card labeled in large letters:

"Plebe. Please don't mistreat."

At first sight of the pitiable object a roar of laughter went up from
the spectators. Nowhere was the laughter louder than in the ranks
of the standing plebes themselves, at the rear of the audience. This
woeful-looking performer, after the orchestra had played a few
preliminary strains, launched into a parody of "Nobody Loves Me."
The song was full of hits on the b.j. "beast." The real plebes
[Transcriber's note: missing text] with keen enjoyment.

"Mr. Plescott!" called the interlocutor, after the song and two
encore verses had been sung.

"Yes, sah," falteringly replied the minstrel plebe, turning
awkwardly and saluting with the wrong hand.

Though the name called was "Plescott," half of the plebe class
turned to grin at Cadet Richard Prescott.

Dick stood it well, waiting to see what the performer would next
say.

"Mr. Plescott," continued the interlocutor, "I heard something said
about you this morning that I didn't in the least like."

"Ye-e-es, sah?" inquired the minstrel plebe falteringly.

"I consider it, Mr. Plescott, a most insulting thing that I heard said
about you."

"Ye-e-es, sah?" faltered the performer, his knees shaking and his
eyes rolling in apprehension.

"Mr. Plescott, your defamer said you were not fit to eat with
Hottentot savages! I had to call the fellow down severely. Think
of it, Mr. Plescott--you not fit to eat with Hottentot savages."

"Dat was a mighty mean thing to say, sah. Mought ah ask what yo'
said to de gemmun?"

"I told your defamer, Mr. Plescott, that he was entirely in error in
asserting that you are not fit to eat with Hottentot savages. I
assured him that you were!"

There was a wild whoop of glee from the spectators, especially
from the other plebes, and Dick, though he laughed heartily,
reddened when he found himself focused by so many scores of
eyes.

Then the singer dropped off into another song, and the nonsense
went on. After the first part came an olio in which were some fine
singing, dancing, juggling and other work.

The performance came to an end in time