est too. The idea in requiring
cadets to begin in March instead of in June, as formerly, is that they
may have three months in which to become accustomed to the fearfully
exacting requirements of study and recitation in force at West Point.

It was a proud day for all these new plebes when they "drew" their
rifles and bayonets and began the laborious study of the manual of
arms.

One after another, as fast as they were sufficiently proficient, the
new plebes were sent into one of the companies into which the
Corps of Cadets is divided.

Cadet Prescott entered D Company four days before Greg Holmes
was assigned to the same company. Dick's success indeed spurred
Greg on to new efforts, although poor young Holmes had felt that
he was working as hard already as human flesh could endure.

Early in April nearly all of the new plebes had joined their
companies. It was a wholly new, revolutionized life.

Many of the new plebes had come from homes of luxury, where
servants had abounded.

But here at West Point former social lines had no significance,
unless it was to invite trouble down upon the head of any new
cadet who felt inclined to be priggish.

No cadet had a servant, nor could he engage anyone to perform
any of his own duties for him.

Each cadet in the entire corps rose at the tap of a
drum--"reveille"--at 5.45 A.M.

At the first sound of reveille every young man sprang from his bed.
Then followed hasty but orderly dressing and the making of the
toilet. The cadet must be spick and span.

Incidentally, but promptly, he fell to policing. The room must be in
order, and the bed made up exactly in accordance with the
regulations on the subject. All clothing must be hung as prescribed
in the regulations. A match end or a scrap of paper on the floor
brought reprimand and demerits.

"Policing" is the orderly care of quarters. At 6.20 police call
sounded on the drum outside in the area. Then came a swift but
all-seeing inspection of every occupied room in barracks.

Swiftly, indeed, was this done, for at 6.30 the tap of the drum
sounded mess call for breakfast. The cadet corps formed outside
the north sally port and marched to breakfast.

About seven o'clock breakfast ended. The corps marched back to
barracks and was dismissed.

By 7.15 every young man was hard at work, "boning" hard over the
studies in which he must recite during the forenoon. He "boned"
until 7.55. Then, in his own appropriate section, he m