Turnback Haynes was quite able to convince himself that Dick Prescott, who avoided him, was really his worst enemy in the world.

So, one Saturday afternoon, in early April, it chanced that Dick and Cadet Haynes took to the same stretch of less-traveled road over beyond engineers’ quarters.

Suddenly, going in opposite directions, they met face to face at a sharp bend in the road.

“Oh, you?” remarked Haynes, in a harsh, sneering voice.

Prescott barely nodded coldly, and would have passed on, but Haynes stepped fairly in his path.

“Prescott,” cried the turnback, “I don’t like you!”

“Then we are about even in our estimate of each other,” responded Dick indifferently.

“Were you following me up, just now?”

“Why, as I have a memory, I might more properly suppose that you had been prowling on my trail,” retorted Dick, eyeing his enemy sternly.

“Humph!  What do you mean by that?” demanded Haynes bristling.

“Do you deny, Haynes, that on the night when we were returning from the Army-navy game you pushed me from the rear platform of the train?”

Cadet Prescott spoke without visible excitement, but gazed deeply into the shifty, angry eyes of the other.

Haynes swallowed hard.  Then he replied gruffly: 

“No; I don’t deny it.”

“Why did you do that, Haynes?”

“I haven’t admitted that I did do it.”

“You know that you did, though.”

“Humph!”

“Why did you do it?”

“I’ll tell you, then,” hissed the turnback.  “It was because neither West Point nor the Army is going to be big enough for both of us!”

“When do you intend to resign?” demanded prescott coolly

“Re-----” gasped Haynes “Resign?   I?”

Then you imagine that I am going to quit, or that you’re going to force me to do so? retorted Prescott.  “Haynes, even up to this hour I have hesitated to believe the half evidence of my own eyes.  I have tried to convince myself that no man who wears the honored gray of West Point could do such a dastardly piece of work.  And you have as good as admitted it to me.”

“Well,” sneered the turnback, what do you think you’re going to do about it?”

“If I knew,” glared Dick, “I wouldn’t tell you until the time came.”

“It will never come,” laughed Haynes harshly.  “That is, your time of triumph over me will never come.  What else may happen it is yet a little too early to say.”

Cadet Prescott felt all the cold rage that was possible to him surging up inside.

“Haynes,” he went on, “it may seem odd of me to ask a favor from you.”

“Very odd, indeed!” sneered the turnback.

“It is a very slight favor,” continued Prescott, “and it is this:  Don’t at any time venture to address me, except upon official business.”

With that Prescott stepped resolutely around the cadet in his path, and went forward at a stiff stride.