Little Briggs,
a trifle less plump and correspondingly longer, stood before them,
grinning almost sheepishly.

"Hullo, Briggsy!" cried Prescott, extending his hand, which the
third classman took with unusual warmth.

"Being no longer a plebe, I enjoy the great pleasure able to address
an upper classman before I'm addressed," went on Briggs.

"That's so, Briggsy," affirmed Greg.

Before going off on their furlough both had been compelled to
regard Briggs as an unfortunate plebe, with whom it was desirable
to have as little to do as possible. Then it had been "Mr. Briggs";
now it was "Briggsy"; that much had the round little fellow gained
by stepping up from the fourth class to the third.

"Have you found any b.j. beasts among the new plebes, Briggsy!"
Dick wanted to know.

"Plenty of 'em," responded Briggs with enthusiasm.

"Any that were b.j.-er than Mr. Briggs?" inquired Greg.

A shade annoyance crossed the new yearling's face.

"I never was b.j., was I?" he murmured.

"Think!" returned Dick dryly. "However, you're Briggs, now, with
all my heart---no longer 'mister.'"

"We've had a busy, busy summer," murmured Briggs, "licking the
new beasts into shape."

Greg laughed heartily at memory of some of the hazing stunts through
which he had once helped to rush Briggs.

Furlong, Griffin and Dobbs, of the second class, hurried over to
greet Prescott and Holmes.

"Where's Anstey?" Dick inquired.

"Not back yet, I'm sure," replied Briggs.

"Oh, well, he'll be back before the day's over," Dick went on
confidently. "That youth from Virginia is much too good a soldier
to fail to report on time."

Soon after the instruction parties of the first, third and fourth
classes came marching back into camp. It seemed, indeed, like
old times, to see the fellows all rushing off to their tents to
clean up and change uniforms before the dinner call sounded.

Then the call for dinner formation came. Dick and Greg fell in,
in their old company, and marched away at the old, swinging soldier
tread.

Most of the afternoon the returned furlough men spent in their new
rooms. During that afternoon Anstey pounced in upon them. The
Virginian said little, as usual, but the length and fervor of the
handclasp that he gave Dick and Greg was enough.

With evening came the color-line entertainment. Dick and Anstey
walked on the outskirts of the throng of visitors.

Cadet Holmes, having discovered that the especial girl to