to Cole to catch his words.

The boys who had been left at the academy were not turned out to receive
their returning comrades, who marched to the armory looking more like
culprits than like boys who had tried to do their duty, ordered arms
spitefully, and broke ranks sullenly.

"What's the meaning of this, I'd be pleased to know?" Dixon demanded of
Marcy Gray and Dick, who were the first to greet him. "Where's our
speech of welcome? Why doesn't the colonel pat us on the back and say:
'Well done, little boys?'"

"This is the reason," answered Dick. "Shortly after I was relieved, a
delegation from that Committee of Safety rode up and interviewed the
colonel for half an hour."

"Aha!" exclaimed Dixon. "We stepped on their toes, didn't we? Well, we
suspected it from the first. Some of the fellows declare they'll not go
another time, but I will. As long as I stay here I'm going to obey
orders, I don't care what they are."

"I don't think you will ever be called upon for like service again,"
said Marcy. "The colonel has had a lesson of some kind. He looks as
though he had lost his best friend. Heigh-o!" he added, stretching his
arms and yawning. "What's the next thing on the programme? Will Fort
Sumter be reinforced?"

Dixon couldn't say as to that, but there was one thing of which he was
sure: This backing and filling on both sides couldn't last much longer,
and the first thing they knew there would be an explosion of some sort,
and it would come from Charleston harbor.

The students were not disturbed again that night, and on the following
day things passed off much as they usually did, only the colonel, to
quote from Dixon, was cross and snappish, not having had time to get
over pouting about the lesson he had received the night before. During
the day it leaked out that Mr. Riley and his friends had talked to him
very plainly, told him that it was absolutely necessary for the peace
and safety of the town that the Union men should be driven out of it,
and that the colonel's interference with the committee's plans was, to
say the least, unfriendly to the cause of the South. It was also
reported that the colonel had promised he would never do the like
again.

"That means destruction to the Union men," said Marcy, in a tone of
contempt. "I believe I'll go home. I don't care to serve under a man who
has no more pluck than the colonel seems to have."

If he had started at once he might have saved himself some anxie