ended
to drive from the Army altogether. If a man at West Point is
"sent to Coventry" by the whole corps, or as a result of class
action, he will never be able to form friendships in the Army
again, no matter how long he remains in the Army, or how hard he
tries to fight the sentence down.

Cadet Jordan, as will have been noted, professed to be satisfied
if the class voted a week's "silence" to Dick Prescott, for Jordan
believed that by this time the tantalized young cadet captain
could be provoked into actions that would bring the imposition
of the "long silence" of permanent Coventry.

At the end of the busy cadet day, when the two cadet battalions
stood in formal array at dress parade, Cadet Adjutant Filson published
the day's orders.

One of these orders mentioned Jordan's confinement to the company
street, and added the further infliction of "punishment tours" to
be walked every Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.

"Oh, well," thought the culprit, savagely, "as I walk I can plan
newer and newer things. I'll go into the Army, and you, Prescott,
may become a freight clerk on a jerk-water railroad."

Unknown to either Jordan or Prescott at that moment, other
storm-clouds were gathering swiftly over the head of the popular
young cadet captain.

CHAPTER III

CATCHING A MAN FOR BREACH OF "CON."

Lieutenant Denton was the tac. who served as O.C. during this
tour of twenty-four hours.

A "tac.," as has been explained in earlier volumes, is a Regular
Army officer who is on duty in the department of tactics. All
of the tacs. are subordinates of the commandant of cadets, the
latter officer being in charge of the discipline and tactical
training of cadets. Each tac. is, in turn, for a period of twenty-four
hours, officer in charge, or "O.C."

During the summer encampment of the cadets, the O.C. occupies
a tent at headquarters, and is in command, under the commandant,
of the camp.

It was in the evening, immediately after the return of the corps
from supper, when Lieutenant Denton had sent for Cadet Captain
Prescott.

"Mr. Prescott," began the O.C., "there has been some trouble,
lately, as you undoubtedly know, with plebes running the guard
after taps. Now, our plebes are men very new to the West Point
discipline, and they do not appreciate the seriousness of their
conduct. Until the young men have had a little more training,
we wish, if possible, to save them from the consequences of their
ligh