The thought would not down, even for a moment.

Dick became wilder in his thoughts the more he thought about it.

“The cribber!  And he sought to blast me here on a false charge of cribbing.  For now I know in my soul that he put that paper crib in my handkerchief that Friday morning months ago!”

Dick’s indignation, as he rode, was more than personal.  True, he longed to show up the sneak who had nearly wound up another and honest cadet’s career here at West Point.  But there was an even higher purpose in Prescott’s mind at the same time.  The corps of cadets loathes a cribber as it does any other kind of cheat or liar.  It is justly regarded as a moral crime for any cadet, knowing another to be a sneak, stand by and silently allow that sneak to graduate into the brotherhood of the Army.

“Dodge, you cur, every minute, now, is bringing you nearer your own merited disgrace,” muttered Dick savagely.  “As soon as this detachment is dismissed at barracks I’ll denounce you before all the fellows.  I’ll insist that you expose that cuff—–­and you’ll have to do it!”

Once Prescott caught himself wondering whether he might not fail through being too hasty.  Was it barely possible that the writing on Bert Dodge’s left cuff was wholly innocent?

“No!  I’m not making any mistake, and I’ll prove it to my own satisfaction!” throbbed this cadet who had waited patiently all these months for complete vindication before the corps.

Never had Dick known such relief at being dismissed from riding drill.  The detachment formed under Haskins’ orders, and marched up the road from riding hall, across the street to the Academic Building, and then, with Corporal Haskins still at the head, turned in at the east sally-port.

But here, right at the entrance to the port, stood Chaplain Montgomery.

“Corporal Haskins,” called the chaplain, as he returned the cadet officer’s smart salute, “will you excuse Mr. Prescott that I may speak with him?

“Mr. Prescott, fall out!” came Haskins’ command.

With a feeling of horror and anguish Dick fell out, saluting Chaplain Montgomery, for the chaplain, though an ordained minister of the church, was also, by virtue of his post of chaplain, a captain of the United States Army.

On moved the detachment, the feet of the cadets moving at a rhythmic beat as these perfect young soldiers moved on across the barracks area.

And all Chaplain Montgomery had to say to Cadet Prescott was to tell him in which bound file of a magazine at the Y.M.C.A. could be found an article about which Dick had asked the churchman a fortnight before.

Dick returned thanks, though he meant no disrespect to the kindly chaplain.  Then, saluting, he hurried on after the detachment.

But more than a fatal minute had been lost at the sally-port, and now the detachment was dismissed.  The men had been in their rooms for at least forty-five seconds.