d upon as a confidential military
order that could not be discussed, except on permission or order
from competent military sources.

"Now, Prescott," continued Cadet Durville almost coaxingly, "we
don't want to be hard on you, and we don't want to do anything
under a misapprehension. Can't you be more explicit?"

"I have already regretted my inability to go further into the
matter with you," Dick replied, pleasantly though firmly.

"And you can give us no explanation whatever of how you came to
report Jordan for being beyond the camp limits?"

"All I am able to tell you is that my reporting of Mr. Jordan
was a regrettable but military necessity."

"Is that all we wish to ask, gentlemen?" inquired Durville, turning
to his six companions.

"It ought to be," retorted Brown dryly.

The seven nodded very coldly. Durville turned on his heel, leading
the others away.

"Unless I'm a poor kitchen judge, old ramrod, your goose is cooked,"
muttered Greg Holmes mournfully.

"Then it will have to be," spoke Dick resolutely.

"But you haven't told even me how you came to be, last night, just
where you could fall afoul of Jordan so nicely."

"Old chum," cried Dick, turning and resting a hand on Greg's right
arm, "I can discuss that matter no further with you than I did with
the class committee."

"You're a queer old extremist, anyway, with all your notions of
duty and other bugaboos. This affair has given me the shivers."

"Then cheer up, Holmesy!" laughed Cadet Captain Prescott.

"Oh, it's you I'm shivering for," muttered Greg.

CHAPTER V

THE CADET "SILENCE" FALLS

Six companies of sun-browned, muscular young men marched away to
cadet mess hall that evening.

If any of these cadets were more than properly fatigued, none
of them betrayed the fact. Their carriage was erect, their step
springy and martial. In ranks their faces were impassive, but
when they filed into the mess hall, seated themselves at table
and glanced about, an orderly Babel broke loose.

At all, that is to say, save one table. That was the table at
which Cadet Captain Richard Prescott sat.

Greg was the first to make the discovery. He turned to Brown
with a remark. Brown glanced at Holmes, nodding slightly. All
the other cadets at that board were eating, their eyes on their
plates.

"What's the matter?" quizzed Holmes. "You're ideas moving slowly?"

Again Brown glanced up at his questioner, but that was all.

"How's