ted.

"Dick knows it, and you know it," said he. "And if the other fellows do
not suspect it, they must be both blind and deaf. I don't care to stay
longer about the academy where everything I see will remind me of events
I should be glad to forget, and I shall start for home by the first
train that leaves Barrington to-morrow. If the colonel will not let me
go--"

"I don't think he will object to any of us going," replied Marcy. "During
the riot, when Dixon marched us back into the armory, he said he
intended to disband the whole thing at once. Matters were coming to such
a pass that he couldn't and wouldn't stand it any longer."

"I hope he will stick to it," said Rodney. "We might as well have been
home three months ago for all the good we've done in school. If he won't
permit me to go I'll skip, if you will send my trunk after me."

Marcy said he would, provided he was there to attend to it, and then
gradually led the conversation into other channels; for that letter was
a sore subject to Rodney, and Marcy never wanted to hear it again. No
matter what happened, it would never get to his mother's ears or Sailor
Jack's either.

When the company reached the academy, after four hours' absence, they
learned that the teachers had made repeated efforts to get the boys to
go to bed, but without doing much toward accomplishing the desired end.
They went to their dormitories as often as they were told, but leading a
horse to water and making him drink are two different things. As soon as
the teachers' backs were turned, they would slip out into the hall, run
downstairs, and join some of the excited groups strolling about the
grounds. They were all up and awake when the rescuers returned, and
accompanied them into the armory; but they did not cheer them as they
would like to have done. The coolheaded ones among them thought that
would be carrying their triumph a little too far. When ranks were broken
Marcy reported to Captain Wilson, and asked if he should go into the
guard-house.

"What for?" inquired the captain.

"Have you forgotten, sir, that you put me under arrest?"

"Why did you not stay in the guard-tent when I put you there?" said the
officer, with a smile.

"Because the colonel ordered me out, sir. I am glad he did so, for it
gave me a chance to go with my company and see Rodney and Dick helped
out of their scrape."

"Well, behave yourself in future, and we'll not say any more about your
being under arre