I've clean forgotten
to get myself ready. You hustle, and I'll try not to be late
in the formation."
As Cadet Prescott hastened along through the lower corridor, he
came face to face with the turnback.
Haynes stopped short, his jaw drooping. For just a second he
stiffened his arms as though to throw himself in an attitude of
defence.
Halting, without speaking or raising a hand, Dick Prescott looked
squarely into the other man's eyes.
Haynes turned ghastly pale, his jaw moving nervously as though
he would speak and could not.
A smile of scorn flashed into Prescotts face. Haynes fairly writhed
beneath that contemptuous look. Then, still without a word or
a sound, Prescott passed on.
"He did it!" muttered Dick to himself.
Yet, with the certainty of the turnbacks guilt, Prescott did not
wish Haynes any personal harm. The only greatly perturbed thought
that ran through Dick's mind was:
"That fellow is not fit for the Army. Must he be allowed to go
on and graduate?"
Thrice during the dinner period Dick allowed his glance to rove
over to the turnback. Not once did he catch Haynes's eye, but
that young man was making only a pretence at eating.
"If he really pushed me from the train," muttered Prescott to himself,
"I hope Haynes worries about it until he fesses cold in some study
and so has to leave the Military Academy. For he'll never be
fit to be an officer. He couldn't command other men with justice."
CHAPTER XVII
MR. CADET SLOWPOKE
Despite the fact that he had been through the first half of the
year before, Haynes actually did go somewhat stale in some of the
studies.
Some of the cadets who lived near enough were permitted to go home
at the Christmas holidays, and the turnback was among this number.
Yet Haynes came back. In the January examinations he stood badly,
getting place rather near the foot of the second class. Yet he
pulled through and retained his place in the corps.
Dick and Greg, who did not go home over the holidays, both did
fairly well in January. Each secured a number not far above the
bottom of the second third of the class.
On Washington's Birthday, the cadets had a holiday after dinner.
The day, however, was ten-fold joyous for Dick, because Mrs. Bentley,
Laura and Belle Meade were expected on the afternoon of that day,
the girls to attend the cadet hop at Cullum Hall in the evening.
Dick and Greg, in their spooniest uniforms, were at the
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