“Mr. Armstrong,” asked the commandant, “how much is there in this report against Mr. Jordan this morning?  Does Mr. Jordan deserve severe discipline?”

“In my opinion he does, sir,” replied Lieutenant Armstrong.  “I had the whole happening under observation, though I pretended not to see it.”

“Why did you make such pretence, Mr. Armstrong?”

“Because I was watching to see how a man like Mr. Prescott would conduct himself when in command.”

Lieutenant Armstrong then related all of the particulars that he had seen of Jordan’s conduct.

“Then I am very glad that Mr. Prescott reported Mr. Jordan,” replied the commandant of cadets.  “Mr. Jordan is a first classman and should be above any such conduct.  We will confine Mr. Jordan to his company street for one week; and on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons during the continuance of the encampment, he shall walk punishment tours.”

Then the commandant of cadets had passed the word for Cadet Adjutant Filson, to whom he had entrusted the order that the reader has already seen delivered.

But Jordan, unable to realize that he had proved himself unfit as a soldier found his hatred of Dick Prescott growing with every step of the march that carried the cadet corps to dinner at the cadet mess hall.

“Prescott may feel mighty big and proud now!” growled the disgruntled one.  “But will he—–­when I get through with him?”

CHAPTER II

JORDAN REACHES OUT FOR REVENGE

“Hello, there, Stubbs!” called Jordan from the doorway of his tent.

“Oh, that you, Jordan?” called Stubbs.

“Yes; come in, won’t you?”

Cadet Stubbs, of the first class, looked slightly surprised, for he had never been an intimate of this particular cadet.

“What’s the matter?” asked Stubbs, pushing aside the tent flap and stepping into the tent.

Then, remembering something he had heard, Stubbs continued quickly: 

“You’re in a little trouble of some kind, aren’t you, old man?”

“Oh, I’m in con.” growled Mr. Jordan.

“Con.” is the brief designation for “confinement.”

“Some report this morning, eh?”

“Yes; that dog Prescott sprung a roorback on me.  Sit down, won’t you?”

“No, thank you,” replied Cadet Stubbs more coolly.  “Jordan, `dog’ is a pretty extreme word to apply to a brother cadet.”

“Oh, are you one of that fellow’s admirers?” demanded the man in con.

“I’ve always been an admirer of manliness,” replied Stubbs boldly.

“Then how can you stand for a bootlick?” shot out Jordan angrily.

“I don’t stand for a bootlick,” replied Cadet Stubbs.  “I never did.”

“Now, I don’t want to play baby,” went on Jordan half eagerly.  “I’m not resenting, on my own account, what happened to-day.  But it was an outrage on general principles, for the affair made a fool of me before a lot of new yearlings.  Stubbs, we’re first classmen, and we shouldn’t be humiliated before yearlings in this manner.”