There was an almost imperceptible catch in Dick Prescott’s voice.  He was thinking of Laura Bentley as the one for whom he had hoped to do all his best things in life.

“I don’t know but you’re right, old fellow.  But it’s fearfully hard to decide such a matter off-hand,” returned Greg.  His own voice broke.  For some moments Holmes sat in moody silence.

At last he reached out a hand, resting it on Dick’s arm.

“If you get out, old ramrod, it’s the outs for me on the same day.”

“Greg!”

“Oh, that’s all right,” retorted Cadet Holmes, trying to force a cheery ring into his voice.  “If you can’t get through and live under the colors, Dick, I don’t want to!”

“But Greg, old fellow, you mustn’t look at it that way.  You have had three years of training here at the nation’s expense.  It will soon be four.  You owe your country some return for this magnificent training.”

“How about you, then?” asked Holmes, regarding his friend quizzically.

“Me?  I’d stay under the colors, and give up my life for the country and the Army, if my comrades would have it.  But if they won’t, then it’s for the best interests of the service that I get out, Greg.”

“Well, talk yourself blind, if it will give you any relief.  But post this information up on your inside bulletin board:  When you quit the service, old ramrod, it will be ‘good-bye’ for little Holmesy!”

CHAPTER VI

TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO THE GIRLS

Breakfast, the next morning, was a repetition of what had happened the night before.

At Dick’s table the silence was absolute.

Even Captain Reid, cadet commissary, noticed it and understood, in his trip of inspection through mess hall.

The thing that Reid, who was an Army officer, did not know was—–­who was the victim?  He never guessed Prescott, who was class president, and believed to be one of the tallest of the class idols.

It speaks volumes for the intended justice of the cadets when they will, in time of fancied need, destroy even their idols.

Thus it went on for some days.

Dick performed all of his duties as usual, and as well as usual.  Nothing in his demeanor showed how keenly he felt the humiliation that had been put upon him.  Only in his failure to attempt any social address of a classmate did he betray his recognition of the silence.

Greg did his best to cheer up his chum.  Anstey expressed greatest sorrow and sympathy for his friend Prescott.  Holmes promptly reported this conversation to Dick.  Other good friends expressed their sorrow to Holmes.  In every case he bore the name and the implied message hastily to the young cadet captain.

A few whom Dick had considered his good friends did not thus put themselves on record.  Dick thereupon understood that they had acted upon their best information and convictions, and he honored them for being able to put friendship aside in the interests of tradition and corps honor.