"Fired!" added Greg, with a look of satisfaction. "There's no
getting around the truth of the old superstition, fellows!"

The "old superstition" to which Holmes referred is one intensely
believed in the cadet corps. While there is nothing whatever to
prevent a sneak from being admitted to the United States Military
Academy, the cadets believe firmly that a dishonorable fellow is
bound to be caught, before he graduates, and that he will be
kicked promptly out of the service by one means or another.

"Has the fellow gone yet?" inquired Spurlock.

"He'll slip away while the rest of us are away at dress parade,
I guess," responded Pierson. "Haynes is in cit. clothes already,
and is just fussing around a bit."

"He must feel fine!" muttered Brayton musingly. "I could almost
say `poor fellow.'"

"So could I," agreed Prescott, with a good deal of feeling. "It
would break my heart to be compelled to leave the corps, except
at graduation, so I can imagine how any other fellow must feel."

"Oh, well, he'd never be happy in the Army, anyway," replied Spurlock.
"Out in the Army the other officers can take care of a dishonorable
comrade even more effectively than we do."

"What made Haynes fess out, I wonder?" pondered Brayton aloud.

"Being sent to Coventry got on his nerves so that he couldn't pull
up enough at review and the writs," replied Pierson. "He wasn't
one of the bright men, anyway, in the section rooms."

"By Jove, suh! There's the fellow now!" muttered Anstey.

The others turned slightly to see Haynes, out of the gray uniform
that he had disgraced, wearing old cit. clothes and carrying a suit
case, step out and cross the quadrangle to the office of the K.C.

A few minutes later, Haynes came out of the cadet guard house.
Knowing that he would never have the ordeal to face again, Haynes
summoned all his "brass" to the surface and stepped down the length
of the quadrangle. He passed many groups of curious cadets, none
of whom, however, sent a look or a word to him.

Then on out through the east sally-port strode Haynes. On the
sidewalk beyond, he passed Captain Albutt. Haynes did not salute
the officer; he didn't have to. Even had Haynes saluted, Captain
Albutt could not have returned this military courtesy, for Haynes
was no longer a member of the American Military establishment.

* * * * * * *

On the afternoon of the day following the graduating exercises
came to a brilliant f