st Point. A cadet detected in a lie would be forced
out of the cadet corps by the ostracism of his own comrades.

"That is all, for the present, Mr. Prescott."

Dick respectfully saluted the K.C., then the O.C., next wheeled
and marched out of the tent, going straight to his own tent.
Prescott would gladly have remained, but he had been dismissed.

It was twenty minutes later when Greg crept back into the tent and
began to undress.

"How about it?" whispered Prescott.

"I was asked more questions, but all of the same import," Holmes
answered in a whisper.

"Did the O.C. make you tell on yourself, about being over by the
reveille gun?"

"No; I thought some of his questions led that way, but my other
answers stopped him in that line. As a last resort I would
respectfully have declined to say anything to incriminate myself."

As was afterwards learned, Dick and Greg were the only witnesses
examined that night. Captain Bates had followed the only trail
at which he could guess, and had learned nothing.

* * * * * * * *

"Mr. Prescott and Mr. Holmes both have the usual excellent reputation
of cadets for truthfulness, haven't they, Captain?" asked Colonel
Strong.

"Yes, Colonel."

"Then I am afraid we shall get no further in this investigation."

"Unless, sir, my questions were so badly put as to give them a
chance of shielding themselves without giving untruthful answers.
I shall sleep on this matter tonight, Colonel. I don't want
these young men to think they can put such an easy one right over
my head."

"I wish you luck, Bates. But I'm afraid you've shot off your
only round of ammunition, and have found it a blank charge. Good
night."

"Good night, sir."

"Mr. Prescott was clever enough to prevent my pouncing on Mr.
Holmes at the reveille gun tonight," mused the O.C. "I can hardly
suspect Mr. Prescott of untruthfulness, but I wonder whether he
has been clever enough to baffle me in this monument affair, without
telling an absolute untruth?"

For nearly a half an hour the O.C. lay awake, reviewing the method
he had followed in questioning Cadet Prescott.

In the morning, after breakfast, there were a few minutes of leisure
in camp before the squads or platoons marched away for the first
drills.

"You were on the grill, last night, old ramrod?" asked Furlong, in
a chuckling whisper.

"Yes," Dick nodded.

"You couldn't tell anything?"

"I knew less than nothing to tel