“That shows how easily a suspicious man’s eyes may deceive him,” mused Lieutenant Topham as he walked along.

Kelton now allowed his gaze to follow the retreating O.C., while the yearlings in the tent stood in dazed silence.  They were still panting over the narrow escape from a scrape that might have cost them their places on the roll of the battalion.

“Safe!” whispered Kelton.  “You may thank your deliverers.”

Then, indeed, the other yearlings pressed about Prescott and Holmes, hugging them and patting them extravagantly.

When Lieutenant Topham returned to his tent, he found Captain Bates there, with a visitor.  By the time that he had stepped inside, Topham also discovered the presence of the K.C. likewise engaged.

“I’ve just had a good lesson in the pranks that a man’s eyes and ears may play upon him,” announced Topham, unbelting his sword.

Then he related, with relish, the occurrence at Dunstan’s tent.

“Humph!” grunted Captain Bates.  “You say Mr. Prescott was there?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Then, Topham, you didn’t really see very much of what happened, after all,” half jeered Captain Bates.  “If Prescott was there, the crowd had a plebe on hand, depend on it.”

“But I would have seen the plebe.”

“Not when you have to contend with a man like Mr. Prescott!  If he had a tenth of a second’s warning it would be enough for him to roll the plebe out at the back of the tent.”

“Now, I think of it,” confessed Lieutenant Topham slowly, “I think I did hear a slight sound at the back of the tent.”

“You didn’t investigate that sound, Mr. Topham?”

“Why, no, sir.  I thought I was looking at the whole show.”

“Instead of which,” chuckled Captain Bates, “you saw only the curtain that had just been rung down, and the author of the piece bowing to the audience.”

“Well, I’ll be—–­switched!” ejaculated Mr. Topham, dropping into his chair.

“Mr. Prescott has the reputation of being the cleverest dodger in the yearling class,” declared the K.C., in a dry voice.  “It was Bates who first discovered that quality in Mr. Prescott, but I must admit that he has convinced me.  Tomorrow a new cadet corporal will be appointed, and the fact published in orders.  The new corporal takes the place of Corporal Ryder, who has been busted (reduced).  Mr. Prescott would have been appointed corporal, but for his reputation for dodging out of the biggest scrapes of his class.  So Mr. Dodge is to be the new cadet corporal.”

“Oh, you sly old ramrod!” Dunstan was murmuring ecstatically, back in that other tent.  “When I think of all the yearlings who’ve been dropped for hazing in past years!  If each class had only had a Prescott all of those yearlings would have been saved to the service!”

But Dick, though he did not know it, had a reputation in the tac. department which had just prevented his attaining to the honor that he desired most—–­appointment as cadet corporal.