“If there’s any real danger I guess I’d better remain cool,” spoke Prescott slowly, though there was a flash of fire in his eyes.

“There’s Bert Dodge again!” quivered Holmes, glancing along the street.  “Hurry up!  Let’s meet him.  Just on general principles one of us ought to thrash him, and I most joyously volunteer.”

“Don’t you do anything of the sort,” begged Dick quickly.  “We don’t want to make any matter worse.  Here’s the building where Griffin has his offices.  Come; we’ll go up and see him.”

The two West Pointers were soon in the lawyer’s office.  Mr. Griffin was disengaged, and saw the young men at once.  This attorney was rather a new-comer in Gridley.  Dick and Greg met him for the first time.  Prescott rather liked the man’s appearance.

“Do you want the whole affair discussed before your friend, Mr. Prescott?” demanded Griffin.

“By all means, sir,” Dick responded.

“Very good, then,” replied the lawyer, who was still engaged in studying the faces of both cadets.

Then, while the two West Pointers sat before him, their faces impassive, Mr. Griffin continued.

“When I was retained on this case I was asked to put the whole matter before the Grand Jury at its next sitting.  It is so very unusual, however, to have criminal cases against West Point men that I insisted with my clients that I would not take a decisive step, Mr. Prescott, until I had first seen you.”

“Thank you, sir,” nodded Cadet Prescott.

“In brief then,” went on the lawyer, “Mr. Dodge and his son Bert have placed a good deal of sworn evidence in my hands, and they have instructed me, Prescott, to procure your indictment on a charge of uttering criminally libelous statements against Bert Dodge!”

CHAPTER VII

PRESCOTT LAYS A POWDER TRAIL

Greg Holmes turned very white for an instant.

Then a flush rose to his face.  He leaped to his feet, his hands clenched.

“This is an infamous, outrageous, lying-----”

“Thank you, Greg,” Prescott broke in coolly.  “But will you let me question Mr. Griffin?”

“Yes,” subsided Greg, sinking back into his chair.  “I don’t know that I could say any more.  It would be merely a change in the words.”

Cadet Prescott turned back to the lawyer.

“Mr. Griffin, will you tell me why you sent for me?”

“Because,” replied the man of law, “I have some knowledge of the average West Point material.  Frankly, I couldn’t wholly credit this charge against you.  I wanted to see you and have a talk with you, and I so informed the elder Dodge.  Unless you can satisfy me that this is a ridiculous case, or a wholly malicious prosecution, then I shall feel obliged, as a lawyer, to take up the charges with the district attorney, after which we shall proceed in the usual way.  But, first of all, I want to have a talk with you.”