“Thank you, sir.”

“And the superintendent replied, dryly enough, that he expected that from your general record.  The superintendent sent you his personal regards.”

“Thank you, sir, and the superintendent, too.”

“Oh, and a lot of others have been inquiring about you, too—–­the K.C. and all of the professors and most of the instructors.  And at least a small regiment of cadets have tramped down as far as the office door also.  I’ve been saving the names of inquirers, and will tell you the names in the morning.  All except the names of the cadets, that is.  There was too big a mob of cadets for us to attempt to keep the names.”

It was a painful, restless, feverish night for Prescott.  He slept a part of the time, though when he did his sleep was filled with nightmares.

The surgeons won his gratitude by their devotion to his interests.  The first half of the night Captain Goodwin was in at least every hour.  The latter half of the night it was Lieutenant Sadtler who made the round.

By permission Cadet Holmes came to the hospital office just after breakfast.

It was a gloomy face that poor Greg wore back to barracks with him.

The surgeons had spoken hopefully, but—–­

“Brains always work better than brute force,” Haynes told himself, struggling hard to preserve his self-esteem.

CHAPTER XXI

THE MAN MOVING IN A DARK ROOM

May came, and, with the gorgeous blossoms of that month, Dick Prescott left the hospital.

He was able to walk fairly well, and was returned to study and recitations, though excused from all drills or any form of military duty.

Not quite all the old erectness of carriage was there, though Dick hoped and prayed daily that it would return.

He had been cautioned to take the best of care of himself.  He had been warned that he was still on probation, so far as his physical condition was concerned.

“A sudden bad wrench, and you might undo all that has been done for you so far,” was the surgeons’ hint.

So Prescott, though permitted to march with his sections to recitations, and to fall in at the meal formations, was far from feeling reassured as to his ability to remain in the service.

He was to have a physical examination after the academic year was finished, and other examinations, if needed, during the summer encampment.

And well enough the young man knew this meant that, if he was found to be permanently disqualified in body, he would be dropped from the cadet corps as soon as the decision was reached.

“Do you know,” muttered Greg vengefully, “Haynes had the cheek to come here and ask after you?”

“Did he?” inquired Dick.

“Yes; he pretended to be sorry about your accident.”

“Perhaps he really was,” returned Prescott.