“It’s too bad they’re not in the majority, then,” murmured Miss Meade.

“They will be, in the end,” asserted Greg.  “We’re working things around to that point.  You should have heard the fierce row we put up at the class meeting last night.”

When it was too late Greg could have bitten his tongue.

“Class meeting?” asked Laura.  “Then has there been further action taken?”

Greg nodded, biting his lips.

“What was last night’s meeting held for?” persisted Laura.

“To try to oust Dick from the class presidency,” confessed Cadet Holmes.

“Did they do it?” quivered Laura Bentley.

“No!”

“Ah!  Then the attempt was defeated.  Dick is to retain the presidency of his class?”

“Action was deferred,” replied Greg in a low voice.

He wished with all his heart he could get away, for he saw that, no matter how he tried to hedge the facts about, these keen-witted girls realized that Dick Prescott’s plight was about as black as it could be for a young man who wanted, with all his soul, to remain in the military service of his country.

CHAPTER VII

JORDAN MEETS DISASTER

Belle, with her combination of impulsive temperament, good judgment and bluntness, came to the temporary rescue.

“Greg is trying to conceal the fact that he’ll have a desperate rush to get into his dress uniform in time for parade,” Miss Meade interposed.  “Anyway, there’s far more about this matter than we can understand in a moment.  Greg, you and Dick can call on us at the hotel this evening, can’t you?”

“We most surely can.”

“Then come, as early as you can.  We’ll eat the earliest dinner we can get there, and be prepared for a long evening.  Now, hurry to your tent, for I don’t want to see you reported for being late at formation.”

Between her visits to West Point, and her trips to Annapolis to see Dave Darrin, as related in the Annapolis Series, Belle had by this time a very considerable knowledge of formations, and of other incidents in the lives of Army and Navy cadets.

“This evening, then,” replied Greg, shifting his campaign hat to the other hand and feeling like a man who has secured a reprieve.

“And give my love to Dick,” Belle went on hastily, “and tell him that the President of the United States couldn’t, if he wanted to, change our opinion of dear old Dick in the least.”

“Thank you,” bowed Greg, gratitude welling up in his heart.

“And you send him your love, don’t you, Laura?” insisted Belle swiftly.

Laura recoiled quickly, flushing violently.

It was all right for Belle Meade to send her “love” to Prescott, for they were old friends, and Belle was known to be Dave Darrin’s loyal sweetheart.

With Laura the situation was painfully different.  She and Dick had been schoolboy and schoolgirl sweethearts, after a fashion, but Dick had never openly declared his love for her.