COMPLETE IN THIS NUMBER. Two military and naval cadet novelettes by graduates of West Point and Annapolis. 5 CENTS 400044 0406060604 96000 000-06060606 FERRE ITE SRL TS aa en “THE MONARCH oF JUVENILE PUBLICATIONS | Soe oo cmannien JZ . veceeed THE SEVEN CADETS SCRAMBLED UP THE ROCKS AT THEIR UTMOST SPEED. (‘‘Mark Mallory’s Misfortune,” by Lieut. Garrison, U.S. A. Complete in this number.) No. 26 SIREET & SMITH, Publishers, New York. | DECEMBER 11, 1897, Subscription Price, $2.50 Per Year. COMPETITIVE DRILL FOR THE FLAG. By JOSEPH COBLENTZ GROFF. URING graduation week at the United States Naval Academy, the early part of June, there are always a great many very pleasing social events and drills that help to make up for the many trials and hardships of cadet life throughout the year. The most important of all the events, next to the graduation exercises themselves, is the competitive drill for the flag, and the cadets look forward to it with unusual pleasure and anxiety as to the result. The day allotted to itis the one just preceding graduation day, and by that time all who expect to visit Annap- olis to attend the graduation exercises are on hand and ready to applaud the efforts of thei? cadet friends. The entire morning is devoted to the competition and the preparation for the same. The competition is to decide which one of the four.companies of the battalion is to carry the colors during the next academic year, and this is an honor which officers and privates alike most keenly covet and do their best to win. For weeks preceding the competition each captain has been taking advantage of every opportunity to improve the condition and bearing of the cadets under his command, and the -early morning of the day itself finds the com- panies being mustered in the armory and given their final instructions. They are marched to some place of concealment in the grounds and told tu await the orders of the judges. The band is stationed at a convenient place on the parade ground to furnish music. for the marching, hosts of visitors and friends are assembled along the side lines, and at last the competition begins. One by one the companies are put through the requisite movements, and when the last one has marched from the field all await the decision of the judges. Meantime the four competing captains have met privately and have voted for some lady, who, of course, “has proved herself to be a general favorite among the cadets, to present the flag to the winning company. The decision is arrived at, and amidst deafening applause the announcement is made and passed along from one to another. The battalion is marched in line to the front of the judges’ stand, a hollow square is formed with the winning ee in front, and the flag is presented to the lucky captain by the lady chosen for that pleasant but embarrassing uty. After three lusty cheers given with a will by the cadets of the “ther three companies, the most important affair of the week becomes a thing of the past. a A WEEKLY PUBLICATION FOR OUR BOYS. ARMY AND NAVY. Issued weekly. By subscription, $2.50 per year. Entered as Second-Class Matter at the New York Post Office STREET & SMITH, 238 William Street, New York. Copyrighted 1897. Editor, - - - ARTHUR SEWALL., December 11, 1897. Wok 1 No. 26. Price, Five Cents, : : CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER: Mark Mallory’s Misfortune (Complete story), Lieut. Frederick Garrison, U. S. A. : baa Clif Faraday’s Combat (Complete story), Ensign Clarke Fitch, U. S. N. 1213 Jim Crow; His Story (illustrated Short Story) D. H. Parry > 1223 In Forbidden Nepaul (Serial), William Murray Graydon. : ‘ ( ‘ 1228 A Young Breadwinner (Serial) Matthew White, Jr. 1236 Boys and Bumblebees (Poem) A. M. Marriott 1239 Tom Fenwick’s Fortune (Serial), Frank H. Converse 1240 Editorial Chat and Correspondence : ; : ; ; : Department —§ 1244 Athletic Sports, : : : : : : : : : Department 1245 Items of Interest all the World Over : é : : : : Department 1246 Amateur Journalism oS ; co : Department 1247 A NEW SERIAL. T the next number of the Army and Navy will be published the opening chapters of a new serial by an author well-known to our readers. It will be entitled “The Cryptogram; a Story of North-West Canada.” The writer is William Murray Graydon, whose charming stories, “A Legacy of Peril” and “In Forbidden Nepaul ” has made him a prime favorite among our readers, - the air. Mark Mallory’s Misfortune; The Theft of the Counietenc Gold. ~ Bs Lieut. Brederick Garrison, U.S. A. CHAPTER I. HE DISCOVERY OF THE LOSS. ‘OThis is where you wake up and find yourself rich; how do you like it?” The person who asked the question was yawning sleépily as he sat up from his bed, a pile of blankets on the floor of his tent. He was a handsome, athletic- looking lad, some eighteen years of age, and he was speaking to three others who were also just in the act of arising. They were in one of the tents of Camp _McPherson, as the summer-home of the West Point cadets was known that year. It was about five o’clock one Sunday morning in August, and the booming echo of the reveille gun was still upon Down by the color line a drum was still rattling, with a fife to keep it company. And throughout the camp cadets were springing up to dress, just as were the four we noticed. There is no tent room. in West Point for the man who likes to lie in bed and doze for half an hour in the morning; cadets have five minutes to dress in, and they have to be out in the company street lined up fof roll call at the end of that — time. And there is no danger of their failing about it, either. They tell a good story up there about one fond mother who introduced her young hopeful, a soon-to- be plebe, to the commandant of cadets, and hoped that they wouldn’t have any trouble getting ‘‘Montmorency dear’? up in the morning; they never could get him up at home. But to return to the four A Company plebes who were meanwhile flinging on their clothes and perforining their hast toietss ze The lad who propounded the question was Mark Mallory, our old friend, the unhazable plebe. ‘The one who answered it was Jeremiah Powers, the wild and woolly cowboy from Texas; and Texas ~vowed he liked being rich ‘‘durnation’’- well. He got no chance to explain why or wherefore, however, for by that time - he was outside of the tent, and the re- splendent: cadet officer was giving his stentorian order: : ‘°Tenshun company !”’ At which signal the merry groups of cadets changed into an immovable line of figures stiff as ramrods. : There were some plebes in that com- ~ pany, and some over in Company B, too, who werep inching themselves that morn- ing to make sure that they were not dreaming and had not been dreaming dur- ing all the night’s adventures they re- membered. Those adventures. included counterfeiters, skeletons and mysterious caves, and buried treasures of gold— enough to make anybody wonder if it were not all a dream. ARMY AND NAVY There is strength and confidence how- ever in union; and on the march down to breakfast some whispered inquiries proved that there were seven plebes in the class who had all had that same ‘‘dream”’ last night. They were the members of the Seven Devils, West Point’s first and only secret society, a desperate band of adventurous and defiant plebes who much. preferred to haze than to be hazed. Mark Mallory was their leader and head devil, ‘‘Texas’’ their first lieutenant; and the whole seven of them were by this time the most hated plebes in the Aca- demy. They did not mind that, however; they were having a pretty good time. Yester- day they had spent their Saturday half holiday walking in the woods, when the adventures alluded to in the beginning of ‘this story had occurred. They. had dis- covered a secret cave, once the home of a gang of counterfeiters, who had been caught therein by a trap door and suffo- cated. Subsequent investigation that night had discovered a large chest of buried coin, five dollar gold pieces. They were genuine, too, so proven by the analysis of Parson Stanard, the chemist, geologist, and all-round encyclopaedaic genius of the seven. The plebes had come back to camp late last night, or rather early this same morning, scarcely able to realize what had happened. ‘They were still striving to realize it all as they sat whispering to each otherin Mess Hall. T’hey were rich, all of them. How much they had none of them had any idea. ‘The learned Parson had informed them—and he didn’t have togoto a book to find it out, either, that a pound of gold is worth two hundred and fifty dollars. Allowing two hundred pounds to that box, which was a modest ouess indeed, left some seven thousand dollars to each of them, a truly enormous fortune for a boy, especially a West Point plebe who is supposed to have no use for money at all. Cadets do their purchasing on ‘‘check book,’’ as it is called, and their bills are deducted from their salaries. And though they do smuggle in some contraband bills occasionally they have rio way of making use of large sums. That was the problem the Seven Devils were discussing through 1203 the meal and while they were busily sprucing up their tents for ‘‘Sunday morning inspection.”’ Texas was for quitting ‘‘the durnation ole place’? at a jump and making for the plains where a fellow could have a little fun when he wanted to. ‘The fact that he had signed an ‘‘engagement for service,’ or any such trifle as that, made no differ- ence to him, and in fact there is little doubt that he would have skipped that morning had it not been for one fact—he couldn’t leave Mark. ‘‘Dogone his boots!’’ growled Texas, ‘ef he had any nerve he’d come along! But ef he won’t, durnation, I s’pose I got to let that air money lie idle.’’ After which disconsolate observation Texas fell to polishing the mirror that hung on his tent pole and said nothing more. | | “Think of ‘Texas running away!’ laughed Mark. ‘‘Think of him not hav- ing Corporal Jasper to come in on Sun- day mornings and lecture him for talking too much instead of sprucing up his tent as a cadetshould. Think of him not hav- ing Captain Fischer to march him round to church after that and civilize him! Think of the yearlings having nobody to lick ’em any more! ‘Think of Bull Har- tis, our beloved enemy, who hates us worse than I do warm cod liver oil, hav- ing nobody to fool him every once ina while and get him wild!”’ Mark observed by that time from the twitching is his excitable friend’s fingers and the light that danced in his eye that his last hit had drawn blood. ‘Texas was cured in a moment of all desire to leave West Point. For was not Bull Harris, ‘‘that durnation ole coyote of a yearlin’,”’ a low, cowardly rascal who had _ tried every contemptible trick upon Mark that his ingenuity could invent, and who hadn’t had half his malignity and envy knocked out of him yet? And Texas go away? Not much! Parson Stanard, the grave and dignified Bostonian, was heard from next. ‘The Parson knew of a most extraordinary col- lection of fossils from the sub-carbonifer- ous period: The Parson had been saving up for a year to buy those fossils, and now he meant te do it. He swore it bv Zeus, and by -Apollo, and by each one 1204 of the ‘‘Olympians’’ in turn. Also the Parson meant to do something handsome by that wonderful. Cyathophylloid coral found by him in a sandstone of Tertiary origin. The Parson thought it would be a good idea to get up a little pamphlet on that most marvelous specimen, a pamphzet treating very learnedly upon the ‘‘distri- bution of the Cyathophylloid according to previous geological investigations and the probable revolutionary and imon- umental effects of the new modifications thereof.”? The Parson had an idea he’d have a high old time writing that treatise. Further discourse as to the probable uses of the treasure was cut short by the entrance of the inspecting officer, who scattered slaughter and trembling from his eye. Methusalem Z. Chilvers, ‘‘the farmer,’’ alias Sleepy, the fourth occu- pant of the tent, was responsible for dis- order that week and the way he caught it was a caution. He was so. disgusted that as usual he vowed he was going to_ ie his money back to Kansas and raise ‘“‘craps.’’ After which the drum suunded and they all marched down to chapel. A delightful fecling of independence comes with knowing you are tich. Periiaps--you' lave. siever. tried it, but the Seven Devils were trying it just then. They beamed down contentedly on irate cadet corporals and unfriendly year- lings with an air of conscious superiority that seeined to say, ‘‘If you only knew.”’ Of the seven there were only two who were at all used to the sensation of being wealthy. Lexas’-( "dad. 2 She - Hon, Scrap Powers, 0’ Hurricane County,” owned a few hundred thousand head of cattle, and Ghauncey, ‘‘the dude,’? was a millionaire from New York; but all the others were quite poor. Mark was calcu- lating just then what a satisfaction he meant to have in sending some of that money to his mother, to whom it would be a very welcome present indeed. - He was thinking of that in the course of the afternoon, when church and like- wise dinner had passed, leaving the plebes at leisure. And so he proposed to them that they take a walk to pass the time and incidentally bring some of that buried wealth back with them. Nothing could have suited the seven better, as it hap- pened. ‘They were all anxiety again to ARMY AND NAVY. net coins jingle once more. To cut the story short, they went. . It° was a merry patty that set out_ through the woods that afternoon. ‘The Seven Devils were usually merry, as we know, but they had extra causes just then. Everything was going about as well for them as things in the world could be expected to go. And besides this, Parson Stanard, who was a well spring of fun at_all his most solemn and therefore laughable moods at preseut. The thought: had occurred to the Par- son, as his first sordid flush of delight at having wealth had passed, that after all he was in avery unscholarly condition indeed. The very idea of a man of learn- ing being rich! Why it was preposterous; where was all the starving in garrets of genius and the pinching poverty that was — always the fate of the true patrons of Minerva. ‘That worried the Parson more than you can imagine; he felt himself a traitor to his chosen profession. And with much solemn abjurgation’ and con- siderable classical circumlocution he called the seven’s attention to that de- plorable state of affairs. Search the rec- ords of history as he could, the Parson could not find a parallel for his own un-~ fortunate condition. And he wound up the afternoon’s discussion by wishing, yea, by Zeus, that he could be poor and happy ouce more. Master Dewey, the prize joker of the crowd, -suggested very solemnly that nobody was going to compel the unfortu- nate Parson to claim his share, ‘‘b’gee;”? that he (Dewey) would be pleased to take it if he were only paid enough to make it worth while.. But somehow or other the Parson didn’t fall into that plan very readily; perhaps he didn’t think Dewey really meant it. Parson Stanard did not need to worry about having that money, as an actual fact. He was soon to find himself relieved of it with startling abruptness. ‘The way of the discovery was as follows. : Still chatting merrily, the seven had made their way “through the mile or two or woods that lay between the post and the cave. - The entrance to the latter was in a high cliff that fronted on the Hudson get up to that cave and hear those gold times, was in one of — " shares a small black hole hidden bya growth of bushes. As they drew near to it the plebes were startled to notice that the ground at the foot of the rock was marked and torn with footprints. The seven had not done that, they knew, for they had been of all things most careful to leave not the least trace that should lead any one to suspect the presence of their secret cavern. And con- sequently when they saw the state of the ground there was but one thought, a hor- rible thought that flashed over every one of them. Somebody had been in their cave! And during the night! Almost as one man, the seven madea dash for the entrance, scrambling up the rocks. There was never a thought of dan- gerin the mind of any one of them, never a thought that perhaps some ac- complice of the dead counterfeiters had come to get the gold, might now be in- side, armed against the intruders. They had time to think of but one thing. Somebody had seen them go in there last night, had seen them find the treasure! And now—and now ? ‘Texas was the first of them to get to ~ the entrance, for Mark was lame with an injured arm. He flung his body through the hole, half falling to the floor on the other side. The rest heard him stum- bling about ana they halted, silent, every one of then, scarcely breathing for anx- iety and suspense. They heard ‘Texas strike a match. They heard him run across the floor—— And a moment later came a cry that struck them almost dumb with horror. **Dogone it, the money’s all gone!” ee en CHAPTER II, “HE DISCOVERY OF THE THIEF. The state of mind of the seven can not be described. A moment before they had been upon a pinnacle of success and happiness. And now it seemed that they had climbed but that their fall might be all the more unbearable. All their ambi- tions and plans, all the fun they meant to have—it was too terrible to be true! — lt was half with a feeling of incredulity that one after another they climbed up to the opening and went in. Not one of them “ARMY AND NAVY 1205 could quite bring himself to believe that the whole thing was not a horrible delu- sion, anightmare. But when they got in- side they found that it was too true. There was the deep trench-that Parson Stanard had dug; there was the spade he had dug it with, the tracks of the others who had gathered anxiously about to watch him. There was even one of the bright glittering gold pieces half hidden in the dirt, a horrible mockery, as it ap- peared to them: for the big wooden chest that had been full to the brim with gold pieces, was gone, and the money with it. And all the hopes of the Seven Devils were gone, too. At first they stood and stared, gasping; and then they gazed about the place in ~ horror, thinking that surely they must find the chest lying somewhere else. But it was not there. They dashed around the room, hunting in every corner of the place, even in the locked cell, where the ghastly skeletons lay grinning ai them as if in delight. But there was not a sien of the chest, nor of any one who could have taken it. And then suddenly Mark noticed a footprint in the soft earth just underneath the entrance that told him the story. ‘“’They’ve taken it out!’’ he cried. Feverish with disappointment and im- patience, the seven scrambled out again - through the hole. There on the ground was the same footprint, larger than any of theirs. It did not take half an eye to see that. There, too, wasa great three- cornered dent in the ground, showing where the chest had been dropped. And there were finger marks of the hand that had scooped up the fallen coins to put them back into the chest. Texas, plainsman and cowboy, had often told stories of how he had followed a half-washed out trail for miles across an otherwise trackless prairie. He was on his knees now studying every mark and sign, his eyes fairly starting from his head with excitement. And suddenly he sprang to his feet as he noticed a traila short way off, a deep, sinooth rut worn in the earth. ‘CA wheelbarrow!’’ roared te A wheelbarrow it was, for a fact. And the track of it lay through the woods to Texas had started on a run, the river. 1206 without saying another word, and the rest were at his heels. The men who had taken that heavy chest down that steep forest slope to the river must have had hard work. Any one could see that as he looked at the mark of the wheel. It would run down a slip- pery rock and plunge deep into the soft earth at the bottom. It would run into a fallen log, or plunge through a heavy thicket. And once, plain as day was writ-* ten a story of how the chest had fallen off and the heap of scattered coins all been gathered up again. These things the plebes barely senacd in their haste. They ran almost all the way. It was perhaps two hundred yards to the river, and there was a steep, shelv- ing bank, at the bottom of which was a little pebbly beach. Down the bank the wheelbarrow had evidently been run, half falling, upsetting the box once more, and necessitating the same labor of gathering up the coins. One of them had been left in the sand. The poor plebes realized then how hopeless was their search. Deep in the sand was the mark of a boat’s keel, and they knew that the work of trailing 3 was atanend. ‘Their treasure was gone for- ever, stolen during the few hours since they had left it last. ‘“There’s no use shedding any tears about it,’? said Mark at last, when the state of affairs had had time to be real- ized, “‘We've simply got it to bear. Somebody probably saw us leave the camp last night and followed us up here. And when they saw that treasure they just helped themselves. ”? _ There is little that will make most peo- ple madder than to be told ‘‘never mind?’ when they feel ‘they have something to be very much worried over. ‘T’he seven did minda great deal. ‘They sat and stared at each other with looks of -dis- gust. have been happy) wore a funereal look, and the only one who had a natural ex- ptession was Indian, the fat boy from Indianapolis. ‘That was because Indian looked horrified and lugubrious always. They wandered disconsolately about. the spot where the boat had landed for perhaps five minutes, gazing longingly at the trace of the boat in the sand and ARMY AND NAVY Even the Parson (who ought £0. wishing they could see it in the water as well, before any new developinent came... But the development was a very ete one when it came. “(Commit a crime and the earth 1s made of glass. Commit a crime and it seems as if a coat of snow fell on the ground, such as reveals in the woods the track of every partridge and fox and squirrel and mole. You cannot wipe out the foot track, you cannot draw up the ladder, so as to leave no inlet or clue. Always some damning circumstance transpires. ‘The laws and substances of nature become penalties to the thief.’ It was Emerson who wrote that; if it were not true there could be no use for such aman as a detective. But in this case it took no detective to read the se- cret; it was written plain as day to all eyes in an object that lay on the ground. Mark was the first to notice it. He saw a gleam of metal in the sand, and he thought it was one of the coins. Buta moment later he saw that it was not, and he sprang forward, trembling with eager- ness and sudden hope. A moment later he held up before his startled companions a handsome gold watch. They sprang forward to look at it. Crying out in surprise as they did so, and a moment later he turned it quickly overt. Written upon the back were three letters in the shape of a monogram—a monogram they had seen before on cloth- ing, worn bya yearling, and that yearling was——— “Bull Harris!’ The scene that followed then precludes description. The seven danced about on the sand, fairly howled for what-was joy at one moment, anger at another. There was joy that they had found a clue, that they knew whére to hunt for their treas- ure; and anger at that latest of the many contemptible tricks that yea had tried. What Bull Harris had done scarcely Sener needs to be mentioned here. He had tried every scheme that his revengeful cunning could suggest- to even matters with that hated Mark Mallory. He had tried a dozen plans to get Mark expelled, a dozen to get him brutally hazed. And they had all been cowardly tricks in which the yearling took good care to run no danger. a e Sige a : a oH Scat omen = - “Fs £{RMY AND NAVY 1207 ‘This was the last, the climax; he had stolen their treasure by night, and what was almost as bad had he found their secret cavern. And as Mark stood and stared at that watch he clutched in his hand he registered a vow that Bull Harris should be paid for his acts in a way that he would not forget if he lived a thousand years. And then he ad to the others. “Come on fellows,’? he said. ‘‘We can’t gain anything by standing her. Let’s go back and watch Bull Harris like so many cats until we find out what he’s done with our money.”’ The seven turned and made their way through the woods once more, talking over the situation and their own course as they went. They had room for but one idea in their heads just now. They must find out where that money was and get it back, if it was the last thing they ever did in their lives. It was clear that the hiding-place could not be very far away, and that Bull and his cronies must go to it again. ‘The _ seven had left the place at about one in the morning, and reveille came at five; that gave but four hours in which Bull, who it-was presumed, had watched them digging, had returned to West Point, gotten a boat and wheelbarrow and taken the treasure away. Hecould not have taken it a great distance in that time. Another question was, who had helped him? Probably some of his gang, Mark thought, until he chanced to remember that Bull had another ally just then. He had a cousin, a youth even less lovely than he staying at the hotel. And then came another vague idea—perhaps he had the treasure there. Bull could surely not have itin his tent, and perhaps he had been afraid to bury it. That was but a faint hope, yet Mark decided in a moment to foliow it up. He thought of ascheme. Grace Fuller was at the hotel, and also ‘‘George,’’ the Ful- ler’s family butler. Grace Fuller was a beautiful girl, the belle of West Point, whose life Mark had been so fortunate as to save, earning thereby her gratitude and sincere friendship. George was a merry, red-faced Irishman, who had once fired off some cannon at night for the plebes and scared West Point out of its boots. Mark = be dismissed from West Point. _ determined after a moment’s consultation that George was the man to investigate this clue for them. As I said, it was only a possibility, a very bare one. Mark strolled around near the hotel late in the afternoon when he returned, keeping a sharp lookout for the man just mentioned. When he saw him he whispered to him and strolled slowly away. ‘“George,’’ said Mark, hurriedly, when the other joined him, ‘‘do you know which ig Cadet Harris’ cousin, the young man who’s staying in the hotel there ?’’ (Ves sit,'* said the; butler, *‘His name’s Mr..Chandler. Why?’ **I’ve got a.secret,’’ said Mark, briefly. ‘It’s something important, and I want you to help me, without saying a word to any one. Get one of the women, his chambermaid if you can, to find out if he’s got a box in his room.’’ And the butler chuckled to himself. ‘*Biless you, sit,’’ he said. “‘I can tell you that now. It’s the talk of the place, among the help. One of the girls saw Mr. Harris and his cousin carrying a heavy box up to his room just before reveille this morning. And as Mark turned away again he was ready to shout aloud for joy. CHAPTER 111. STEALING FROM THIEVES. **Now,’’ said Mark, when he rejoined his companions, ‘‘we’ve got pretty defi- nite information to go on with now. Mr. Chandler’s got our money in his room. ‘The question is what are we to do next ?’’ The plebes were sitting over in a se- cluded corner of Trophy Point discussing this. Texas doubled up his fists’with an angry durnation. “Git it back!’’ growled he, with a char- acteristic disregard of details. ‘‘But how?’’ said Mark. ‘‘Of course we could have him arrested, for he knew the money was ours. But if we did he’d tell how we skipped camp to dig it and we’d Then there’d be the deuce_to pay.”’ ‘One case where I’d be thankful I’m not in the habit of paying my debts,”’ observed Dewey, tacking on a stray b’gee as usual. ‘‘Asto Bull and his cousin; I 1208 ARMY AND NAVY say we punch their faces till thev give up- the money. - Punch ~ their faces, begee . ‘(Dog gone their boots!’ growled Texas. “That might. hurt their boots, ~ laughed Mark, ‘‘but it wouldn’t do us any good. I haven’t heard any feasible suggestion yet. You know possession is nine points, and they’ve got that.”’ It was Mark Mallory who finally hit upon a plan that seemed possible. It was we turn burglars and get our money out of there.” And Mr. Jeremiah Powers let outa whoop just then that made the windows rattle over in that self-same hotel. Jere- miah Powers hadn’t been quite so excited since the time he rode out and tried to hold up the cadet battalion. When the others assented to the plan and vowed their aid, he nearly had a fit. After that the seven did almost nothing THE SEVEN CADETS SURAMBLED UP THE ROCKS AT THEIR UTMOST SPEED (page 1205). a wild and woolly plan, too, and it took Texas with a rush. ‘They stole it from us,’’ said Mark. *€I don’t see what better we can do than steal it back again.” ‘*Vou don’t mean——’’ gasped Dewey sath pec? ‘*Ves, I do,’’ laughed Mark. mean this very night, too. “And 1 I mean that but glance at their watches during the fast waning Sunday afternoon. ‘There Was no parade to -pass the time. It seemed an age between the sunset gun and supper; and as for tattoo, all-the Parson’s much vaunted geologic periods, tines, ages and eras, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, Treassic, Jurassic and Cre- taceous, were not to be compared with Lee ARMY AND NAVY itin length. When they did finally get into bed they waited another age for taps to sound, and another for the tac to in- spect, and another till the sentry called half-past ten, and another for eleven, and another for half-past that, and then twelve, and they couldn’t stand it any longer. No matter if it was a rather early hour for burglars to begin operations, they could not wait any longer. Not aman of them had gone to sleep (except In- dian), such was their impatience. They got up, all of them, and began to dress hastily, putting on some old clothes a drum orderly had smuggled in. Anda few minutes later that momentous expe- dition crussed the sentry post unseen and sat down in old Fort Clinton. Nobody means to say for a moment that there was one of them who was not badly scared just then. None of them was used to playing burglar and they could not but see that it was a very serious and dangerous business at best. Old hands at it often get into serious scrapes, so what shail we say of greenhorns? The only one of them who had ever ‘‘done a job’ was Texas, who had once gotten Mark out of an almighty bad scrape that way. They discussed the programme they were tofollow. They knew where the room was and that it could be reached by climbing -the piazza pillars to the roof above. ‘Texas had ciimbed those pillars once before, and he had a rope to help Mark and the rest up tnistime. After that thev were to enter that room, and Texas, the desperate cowboy, was to hold young Chandler up till the deed was done. ‘That was all, very simple. But, oh, how they shivered! : They were ugly enough looking fel- lows externally. The clothes they wore were old and tough looking, turned up at the collars. Mark had in his free hand .adark lantern, and Texas was clutching in his pocket a heavy forty-four calibre which he meant to use. They had masks, everv one of them, or such masks as they could make out of their handkerchiefs. And any body who saw them stealing across the grass to the hotel grounds would have been very much alarmed in- deed. 1209 Fortunately it wasacloudy night, black as pitch. : Even the white trousers of the lonely sentries who paced the walks about the cainp were scarcely distinguishable. The hotel was a black, indistinct mass looming up in front of them. The chances of rec- ognition under such circumstances were few, the plebes realized with a sense of Leer. Once hiding close under the shadow of. the building they wasted but little time in consultation. It was a creepy sort of business altogether, but then they had started, and so there was nothing to do but go right ahead. Most of them had recovered from their first nervousness at this crisis anyway, of course excepting poor Indian, who had seated himself flat on the ground in a state of collapse. Dewey was behind him ready to grab hin - by the mouth in case one of Indian’s now fatnous howls of terror should show any signs of breaking loose. Texas and Mark meanwhile were pro- ceeding calmly to business. The pillars were very wide and high, and Mark fore- saw trouble in getting himself up them with hiserippled arm. And there was still more trouble in the case of the gentleman from Indianapolis, whose fat little legs wouldn’t reach half-way around. ‘The difficulty was fortunately removed by the finding of a short ladder in back of the house. A very few minutes later the seven anxious plebes were lying upon the piazza roof. They wormed their way up close to the wall of the building where they were safe from observation. And while Mark devoted himself to keeping Indian quiet Texas set out to reconnoitre. Poor Indian didn’t want to come, and worse yet, he didn’t want to stay. He felt safer in the hotel as a burglar than all alone outside in the darkness, and he had an idea that even Camp McPherson wasn’t safe with- out Mark. ‘‘Alas, poor Indian!’ | Meanwhile as to Texas. Did you ever walk on atin roof? If you have you can imagine what a soul-stirring, ear-split- ting operation it is, at midnight, espe- cially when you are in burglar’s costume, with a revolver in one hand and a dark lantern in the other. Every single indi- vidual bit of tin on the flooring seemed to 1210 ARMY AND NAVY have a new and entirely original kind of sound to make, and the six watchers quailed at every one of them. Texas was hunting for the window that led into the hall of the building. The room they meant to enter was unfortu- nately on the other side. ‘They had to force the window, creep down the hall and get into that room. If they could simply have entered it from a window, they might have gotten out of this fool- ish scrape a good deal more simply than they did. Texas managed to find the window without much trouble, and fortunately he found it open. He beckoned the others silently, and they crept one by one down to the place, Indian making twice as much noise as any one because he weighed'more. At any rate they climbed through the window and into the lonely hall of the hotel, where they stood and listened anxiously. They had not been very quiet, but they did not believe they had awakened any one; and after this they could be quieter. They would have been very much scared and _ terrified plebes, more so, all of them, than was Master Smith now, if they could have known the true state of affairs. For they had awakened some one. And though they had not the least suspicion of it, a pair of sharp eyes had been watching their every move. They were very beautiful eyes, too. They belonged to a young girl, a girl with lovely features and bright golden hair. She was sleeping in one of the rooms on the second floor that fronted on the piazza, and the sound that awak- ened her had been the gentle tap upon the roof when the ladder had been raised. She sat up in bed, and a moment later tose and crept tremblingly to the win- dow. Peering out into the darkness she saw the top of the ladder, and a moment later saw a masked face appear above it, and a masked figure climb up and creep into the shadow of the building. Another followed it instantly, and another; and then without a sound the girl dodged down and stole across the floor of the room. “She crept silently to a trunk that was in one corner; she raised the lid and fum- bled about anxiously in the darkness for creased their horror. something. It felt cold, like polished ‘steel, when she -found what she wanted. She picked it up and slipped a wrapper over her shoulders, then softly opened the door of her roonr to peer out into the hall. : . Meanwhile as to the seven whom we left standing inside of the window down near the other end. ‘They were, as has been said, entirely unconscious of what has just been mentioned. Texas had crept forward and extinguished the light that burned in the hall, and they were now standing in total darkness but for the single ray of the lantern. They held a whispered conversation as to what they should do next. : Parson Stanard volunteered to pick the lock of Chandler’s door; he wasn’t a bur-. glar by profession, by Zeus, said he, but he believed in a gentleman of culture knowing something about all the arts and professions. (This was whispered in al] seriousness). And so the Parson crept up to the door, the lantern in his hand. He knelt down before the lock and fell to exainining it cautiously, finally thrusting ina bent piece of wire and getting to- work. Hesaid he could get that door open in two minutes. Meanwhile the others were huddled together waiting anxiously. Indian was leaning against the wall, making it shake with his. nervous trembling, and Texas was peering out of the window to make sure that there was no sign of dan- ger there. And then suddenly came the thunder clap. Nothing could be imagined more terri- fying to the amateur burglars than what actually happened in the next half min- ute. There came first the sound of a creaking door, a sound that made them start back. And an instant later a figure sprang out into the hallway, a figure that they could plainly see in the dark- ness, for it was white as snow. The fig ure raised one arm and called in a voice that was clear and unfaltering: ‘‘What are you doing there 22” The plebes stood aghast, trembling. They knew the voice, and that but in- For it was Grace Fuller, their dearest friend! They all recognized her but one, and that was Texas; Texas had been leaning Mp she wounded Indian, ARMY AND NAVY 1211. out of the window and the voice was not so distinct to him: He wheeled about with the swiftness of a panther, giving vent to a cry of anger as hedidso. He flung his hand around to his pocket and whipped out his revolver. Before the others could make a move to stop him he swung it up to his shoulder. And an instant later there camea blinding flash of light and a loud report that woke the ae of the silent build- ing. eal CHAPTER IV: SEVEN BURGLARS IN A SCRAPE. The scene that followed beggars de- scription. Mark had leaped forward to seize the Texan’s hand, shouting aloud: ‘*Stop! stop! It’s Grace Fuller!’ Texas started back in surprise; at the saine moment came the shot, which was from the girl’s revolver. It was acci- dental, as she afterward declared, though the plebes did not know it then. The re- sult frightened Grace even more than it did them the bullet buried itself in the wall, but the sound of the report was fol- lowed by a wail of agony from the terri- fied Indian, which echoed down the hall. And Grace heard shouts from various parts of the hotel, doors opening, people running about, and she. knew that her friends were in ‘deadly peril. A much more hopeless situation it would be hard to imagine; the girl was horrified. But her first thought was had and she dashed wildly down the hallway to them. © One glance at the huddled group of ficures sufficed to answer that question. Before she could make another sound there came a bounding step upon the stairway. ‘We'll be discovered!’’ cried Mark. “Ouick?’ He turned to the window; but a single glance outside showed him two figures running across the lawn. ‘There was no hope of escape there. They were gone! An instant later Grace Fuller’s clear tones rang in his ear. “‘Come! Come!”’ Like a flash she turned and dashed down the hallway to her room. Mark ° followed at her heels, and the rest of them, too, dragging the half-paralyzed and terrified Indian along, while the shouts and footsteps swelled louder and louder to urge them on. They were justin time. Grace Fuller had scarcely time to push the last one in and then slam the door before three men, one of them her father, dashed around a turn of the hall and confronted her white figure standing at the door, the revolver still in her hand. The -huddled plebes inside were too alarmed to think. ‘They heard the quick- witted girl call tothe men: — ‘Here! Hurry up. This way!’’ And then they heard the footsteps die away again, as the men with her at their head dashed down the hall toward the rear stairs of the building. They knew that for the time they were safe. They stood panting and breathless, lis- tening for a moment. They heard the noise at the rear increase; it was evident that everybody was hurrying in that di- rection. Mark sprang to the window and looked out. He saw three men running toward the foot of the ladder. ‘“There’s where they went up!’’ he heard one of them say. And then camea shout from the rear and the three dashed around the building in that direction, leaving the lawn clear and the place deserted. Mark turned and cried to the others: “Come! Quick! Now’s our chance!’’ It was a desperate chance, but they took it. ‘“‘One dash for the camp,’’ whispered Texas. ‘‘Gitin an’ hide, no matter what!’ They leaped out of the window and made a dash for the ladder. A second or two might make all the difference now. They might get a start, or again they might find a man with a revolver to stop them at the foot. It was a critical situa- tion, and the plebes were quick as light- ning, even Indian. Texas dropped to the ground, and Dewey after him. They could not wait for the others to get down the ladder. Mark slid down like a flash, holding to the side with one hand. Indian slipped half way and tumbled the rest. Chauncey and the Parson came down one on each side, all most on top of them, and a sec- ond or two later the seven were at the 12 2 ARMY AND NAVY foot staring about them like so many hunted animals. ‘Come on!’ cried Mark, seeing no one. “For your lives!’ They sprang forward and dashed away toward the camp. They had not gonea dozen yards before there came a shout from the rear of the hotel, a shout that swelled to a roar. ‘“There they go! Halt!” Halt? Not much! ‘Those plebes were running as never did man run_ before. Even Indian was breaking records, fear urging him to prodigies of speed. Fortu- nately there was no one of the pursuers who was armed, but they were in hot pursuit, and their shouts might have the camp awake any moment. It was a very short distance to the camp, but to the burglars it seemed a league. They expected a pistol-shot any moment, and yet they could not run any faster. They bounded across the path, through the bushes and on, until sudden- ly a high embankment loomed up before them. It was Fort Clinton, dashed around the corner and into the camp beyond. : They were not so quick but that the foremost of thuse in chase saw clearly where they went; and the cry swelled out upon the breeze: ‘“The camp! The camp! The burglars - are hiding in the camp! Don’t let them get out!”? Fortunately the sentry of the post had been at the other end of the path. There was no danger of his recognizing them, but he saw them cross his beat and vanish among the white tents. He heard the cry of ‘‘Burglars!’’ and as he came dashing down the path toward the spot his shouts ran out above the others: Quick ! Stop ’em a ‘*Corporal of the guard! Post Oeics p 5 free t Camp McPherson was in an uproar ten seconds after that. The shouting woke every cadet in the place and brought them all to their tent doors at a bound. The young corporal dashed out of the guard tent and around to the sentry’s aid, the tactical officer in command right at his heels with a clank of sword. At the saine moment up rushed the crowd of ex- cited half-clad men from the hotel. and —they es -“Burglars! Burglars! They’re ae in the camp!” . The lieutenant (the tac) took in ‘the situation in an instant. He dashed down the path, warning the sentries as he ran. The officer at the guard tent turned out the members of the guard a moment later and hurried them away to double the watch about the camp. At the same time the ‘long roll’? was being sounded by a ~ druim orderly up by the color line, sum- moning the cadets to form at once on the company street. Truly those burglars were to have a hard time getting out of that trap, into which they had gotten so easily. Meanwhile, what as to the Seven Devils? The time between when they entered camp and rushed into their two tents and when the company battalion formed was perhaps one minute. In that brief space the plebes had flung off their clothes and hid them feverishly under their blankets, then leaped into their uniforms and fallen into line. And that was the end of their danger. The battalion once formed there was a hasty roll call, showing all present. And then began a search of the place. The officers, and some of the men from the hotel searched every tent, every spot with- in the camp. -And when they found no burglars they gathered together and stared at each other and wondered how that could be. ‘The tacs interviewed the sentries, and each swore that no burglars. or any one else had run across their beats. After which came another search, and another failure, and more mystery. That those burglars had been cadets on a lark no one dreamed. - For they had been desperate looking burglars, masked and armed. But where were they now? No one knew, and no one knows to this day. The cadets returned to their tents, discussing the curicus situation, and ina few minutes more the camp had settled into its customary stillness. [THE END. ] The next West Point novelette by Lieutenant Frederick Garrison, will be en- titled, ‘‘Mark Mallory’s Bargain; or, “The Stan, of the Stolen Treasure,’’ No, 27, Army and Navy. Hos sera ey SOR GAY iliac A j A. ao eee eS: ash Seen Clit Fiaday's CBribat , ? fa sy DEFENDING HIS COUNTRY’S HONOR. Bw Ensign Clarke Ritch, Uo. Ss. N, CHAPTER 1, AMONG THE BERMUDAS. ‘Breakers ahead !”? ‘Starboard the helm.”’ **Starboard the helm, ay, ay, sir.’’ The first cry was from the lookout of the vessel. Tthe second came from the pilot, and the third from the man at the wheel. The ship was a stately wooden frigate, the U. S. Monongahela, training ship of the naval cadets. She was gliding along slowly before the wind, with just enough of her canvas set to give her steerageway. Vigilance was the word on board, for the vessel was entering the harbor of the Ber- mudas. The lookout’s cry had been at the sight of the long white crest of the waves breaking over the outer coral reefs. The cadets on board were grouped about the deck, or standing aloft in the trim rigging, ready to handle the sails. All of them were gazing about them with interest. Those who had read of the famous ‘‘hundred islands,’ with their luxuriant vegetation, were somewhat disappointed at what they saw. The time was July, and a coating of whithered and dirty green was the best the land could show. Numerous white cottages, little specks in the sunlight, gleamed in the distance, but they only served to increase the som- breness of the background. Above, ‘‘all in a hot and copper sky,’’ the sun beat down upon the vessel. Be- low, the clear green waters rippled past, showing the curious changes in tints for which the islands are famous. Flying fish could be seen skipping away in all directions, petrels and tropic birds were hovering over the white track of the ves- sel. Through the water on either side the coral shallows could be distinctly seen, with their vari-colored marine growths. All these were new sights to our friends the cadets. One group of them, in whom we are especially interested, were leaning over the railing, gazing with many surprised exclamations at-the tints tlrey saw. = -d hey were Clif Faraday and his chosen band, members of the fouith or © pleve’” class, Faraday himself was a tal! handsome lad, with frank, pleasing features, and curly brown hair. On one side of him was a smaller, fair-haired chap, known as ‘‘Nanny’’-Gote among his friends. © On Clif’s other side was a dark Japanese lad, who had been blessed with the nick- name of ‘'Trolley.’’ Besides these there were the merry Grat Wallace and the mournful Joy, who at the moment was so interested that he forgot to be mournful. The scene upon the dock where the vessel was to land was scarcely less inter- esting than the water. There were hel- meted red coats of the British garrison, custom house officials, and steamship agents galore. All were watching the ap- proaching vessel with interest, and also another which was close behind in her wake. The other vessel has not been men- tioned previously because, as Trolley re- marked, ‘‘She no in it—she in soup.”’ Trolley’s slang may be explained by say- ing that there had been an impromptu race between the Monongahela and the other ship, and that the Mcnongahela 1214 had won, much to the natural joy of her youthful and ambitious sailors. The victory was not popular among ‘those on the other vessel, quite naturally. Neither was it popular among the watchers on shore. The vessel was her majesty’s frigate Albert, at present in use as a training ship of the British navy. Therefore the Americans were doubly re- joiced, especially the Jap, who was more volubly patriotic than any of them. ‘The amount of incoherent and incomprehen- sible slang which ‘Trolley had made use of during the brief race just past would have ‘‘outslung’’ a Bowery newsboy. And when at last it had become apparent that the Monongahela really was drawing away from her rival, he actually had the temerity to start a cheer. ‘The cadets took it up with a will; for- tunately for Trolley, the officer of the deck hadn’t seen him begin it, or there would have been trouble. Whether the disgruntled occupants of the Albert enjoyed the sound as it was borne back to them it is hard to say, though one would be apt to stippose they didn’t. ‘‘We’ll have something to twit out En- glish cousins about, if we meet ’em on ‘ shore,’’ laughed Clif, ‘*Please notice the fact that they’ve more canvas than we, too.”’ The honor that resulted to the victor was not altogether an enipty one, as it was found when the vessel, having furled her last jib, was brought round close to the landing-place and came gradually to a stop. The public dock was not a very large one, and it was nearly crowded. There were two large merchant ships, a steam yacht, and one of the steamers of the New York line. The Monongahela took up the rest of the space. The Eng- lishman anchored in the bay. Trolley wanted to give another cheer .at that, and was barely choked off in time. Landing in ae Bermudas is quite a ceremony. Hamilton is the town, and it is a very sleepy town. There is a time- honored custom—which no one dreams of violating—of building a gangplank to the ship instead of coming up close to the wharf. Nobody is supposed to be ina hurry on a tropical July day. ARMY AND NAVY As has been mentioned, it was then about midday. ‘The cadets were suin-— moned below to dinner a few minutes later, and Hamilton, the Bermudas, and the English schoolship were lost to view for a while. Shore leave was granted to most of the lads during the afternoon. Thus it hap- pens that we find Clif Faraday strolling through the town a short while later. Hamilton, the capital city, has not much in the way of beauty to attract the stranger. ‘The shops are what most peo- ple: would. describe as ‘‘slow;” the streets are hot, at least in July, and ex- cept for the residence portion they are far from beautiful. However, that has but little to do with the story. Clif was noticing it as he strolled along the wharf. A few minutes later recalling some trifling purchase he meant to make, he turned and entered one of the stores. ~He was not expecting the sight which met his eyes. There were four or five figures clad in blue uniforms seated near the,door. ‘They were cadets of the Eng- lish vessel, the first ones Clif had seen. He gazed at them with a look of interest as he entered, being careful, however, that his gaze should not amount toa stare that might be mistaken for rude- ness. The others were not so particular, as Clif could not help observing. They stopped their conversation abruptly and turned their heads to follow him with their eyes. A moment later as he stood facing the counter with his back to them, he distinctly heard the words: ‘‘One of those blamed Yankee cads.’’ The shopman, who was speaking to Faraday, heard the remark also, and saw his customer flush a trifle. But Clif did not see fit to turn or notice the remark in any way. . ‘‘T only Lope they aren’t all of that kind,’’ he mused to himself, ‘‘else I shall have to turn Jingo. But they’re probably just like Sharp and Crane, and the rest of that third class gang on our Own shin. 2 This thought made Clif all the more determined to keep his temper. The Englishmen were probably angry at the way the Monongahela had shown them Fe area RC apace ARMY AND NAVY | 1215 ‘fa clean pair of feet.”’ (That was Trol- ley’s version. ) The cadets of the Albert, however, had no idea of letting the matter rest so easily as that. One remark Jed on to another, and soon there was a spirited conversa- tion being carried on in a loud tone among them, all obviously meant for Clif’s ears. ‘‘Americans are all such deuced up- starts,’’? observed one. “T can’t abide them,’’ added another. ‘“They’re most of them cowards, too,’’ chimed in a third. ‘‘’They swallow all sorts of insults without daring to do any- thing.’? ‘‘Ha! ha! yes,’’ cried the first speaker again. ‘‘By Jove! they even build fast ships, you know, so’s to practice running away from the enemy.’’ When Clif Faraday once made up his mind not to do a thing it was usually not easy to make bim. He had -determined to pay no attention to those fellows, and he didn’t, though the shopkeeper watched _ him expectantly. Suddenly, however, an incident occurred which completely changed the situation. There was a light step in the doorway, and the American heard a familiar voice. “Why, Clifi——’”’ The next moment there was a heavy fall and a frightened cry! Clif wheeled about in surprise and stared. What he saw was as follows: The person who had entered was his lit- tle friend Nanny. He had fallen violently forward upon his face, and Clif had turned just in time to see one of the Eng- lishmen drawing in his foot. The next instant Clif leaped forward, _and Nanny’s assailant found himself seized by the collar in a grip like steel, jerked to his feet and flung headlong across the room. He struck the wall on the opposite side with a crash. Just above him was a huge jar, containing he knew not what. The sudden shaking brought it tumbling down, however, and a second later the cadet learned to his dismay. He found himself completely buried beneath a cascade of pickles! CHAPTER II. CADET CRANE’S ENGLISH COUSIN. The scene that followed beggars de- scription. The rest of the Englishmen had leaped to their feet and sprung for- ward to their companion’s aid. But they were too late, and they started back in- alarm as they saw the victim’s plight. The latter rose to his feet sputtering and gasping, red with fury—and green with pickles. The jar had tortunately not contained the ordinary large pickles, but the nondescript concoction known as chow-chow. It had soaked his clothing and poured down his neck. He was rubbing it from his mouth and eyes and ears. His hair was like the sea- weed locks of old Glaucus, or—— ‘‘The mermaids with their tresses-green Dancing along the Western billow.’’ He scarcely waited until he was able to see, before, yelling with rage he made a savage rush at his assailant. Clif put up his fists to give him a welcome, but just then a new party interfered. It was the shopkeeper, and he seized the English lad by the shoulder and forced him back. sssteady!’? said — the -. shopkeeper, “Won't be a teal. ‘*Let me go!’’ roared the other, ‘‘let- me go, Isay! Ill kill him! J——”’ ‘“You won’t do it here,’ retorted the shopkeeper, with emphasis. ‘‘You shan’t treat my store as if it were a barroom. If you can’t behave yourself you’d better go out on the street and do your fight- ing.’? : The lad struggled furiously to free himself from the man, but it did him no good; and presently he gave it up and fell to snarling angrily. “Pll get even with you yet, you con- founded American cad!’’ he growled. “Vou can’t fight like a gentleman——”’ Se With you,” put in Chi, anid: ‘*However,’’? he added, ‘‘if you really do want any satisfaction, why run along home and wash up. ‘Then send for me. Iam on the U. S. Monongahela. You probably noticed the name this morning —on the stern.”’ Clif put that last phrase on by way of a mild bit of sarcasm. ‘‘My name is Faraday,’? he added. ‘‘Good-day. Come along, Nanny.”’ 1216 That sould have ended the scene, so far as Clif was concerned, for he had turned toward the door. But just then some other persons chanced to enter, and their remarks caused Clif to stop. There were two of them, also cadets of the Monongahela. ‘They were the two referred to by Clif.as ‘‘Sharp and Crane, ”’ third:classmen. ‘They were probably the worst enemies our plebe friend had in that class. ‘They were bullies, both of them, and hated Clif for his successful resistance to all _ their contemptible schemes. Crane,.the elder and more viru- lent, had sprung forward in surprise as he entered the store. Clif he had not noticed; it was the Englishman he was approaching. ‘Why, hello, Tom!’ he cried. are you, old man ?”’ ‘““How The one addressed as ‘‘’T'om’’ was the one Clif had just knocked down. He gazed at Crane and then rushed toward him. By love, cousin 2? “he —_beean, “I wasn’t looking for you. How——”’ The American, instead of taking the hand the other held out, had started back in amazement as he oad at his cousin’s be-pickled figure. ‘“Why—what the dev——”’ he gasped ; then he stopped and turned, as ‘’Tom”’ pointed savagely at Clif. Mie did it! cmed we, 2 That cadt He caught me when I wasn’t looking and knocked me down.”’ Crane turned and_ faced Clif with flushed cheeks and an angry look. ‘How dare you?’ he cried. ‘‘ You fool, haven’t you any better sense than to strike a stranger that way? I should think you’d try to behave yourself before. strangers, anyhow.”’ To this, of course, Clif said nothing. He answered it with an easy, contemptu- ous smile that only angered Crane the more. : “T hope you won’t mind him," he ’ began, turning to his English friends apologetically. ‘‘He is an ignorant, vul- gar fellow, you know. Nobody has any- thing to do with him on board ship. He’s a coward; even his own class cut him.”’ Whereupon Clif calmly smiled once more, and then spoke. ‘¢Vou’re a liar,’’ he said, very low. ARMY AND NAVY Crane whirled about in a rage, ‘fYou shall pay for this!’ he cried. “Dll lick you till you can’t stand up when I catch you alone.”? “You. Gant do it,?? respended- ‘the other, still in the exasperatingly low tone. ‘“This fellow Fatraday,’’? continued Crate, “‘is-a disarace to the service... i hope you gentlemen won’t get your ideas of Americans front him: Lthink “you ought to give him a good lesson, Toi, wallop him till he can’t stand up.’’ “That would be a first-rate scheine,”’ laughed Clif. ‘‘Inasmuch as you aren’t able, Crane! Get your English cousin to do it for you?! ‘“You’re afraid to fight him!’ snorted Crane. ‘‘He knows my name,’ said Clif, gaz- ing at the burly English fellow without any very great apprehension. ‘‘He knows my name, and when he sends for me I am ready. When I come back I’ll give you a thrashing also. And now I don’t see that I am gaining very much by standing here talking with you small boys.’”? “You'll gain a black eye pretty soon,”’ snatied “Tom, ’? ‘That's better than a ereen laughed the other, significantly. do you think of that, Pickles??? To this latest insult ‘‘Pickles’’ had no chance to reply, for Clif had turned’ and strolled out of the store, his little friend at his side. As they turned the corner they recognized the voice of the store- keeper again. ‘*You loafers better get out of here now,’?’ said‘he. ‘‘I don’t think I’m gain- ing much by having you hanging around,”? And then Clif hurried on down the street. Clif chanced upon his friends a few minutes later. They were walking up the street hunting disconsolately for him, There was generally little prospect of fun for them when Clif Faraday was ab- sent. There was a joyful reunion and then Clif told the story of his quarrel with ‘‘Pickles’? and Crane. There was one,’ Poe no little indignation at the latter’s con- duct. “Crane evidently thinks more of his . | so | = | ee ae Ane a as ee 2 ET cousin than he does of -his country,” ex- . claimed Grat Wallace, angrily. eae Pi edout think it's that. so- much; a) laughed Clif. ‘‘It’s that he hates me.’’ 4 _ “*Htim bad goose egeg,’’ observed Trol- a). ley, sagely shaking his head. ‘‘Him need a good—er—how you say that??? It wasn’t often that Trolley got stuck in his slang. He gazed at his friends helplessly. you?’ inquired Clif. -“Nol) said Trolley, emphatically. ‘‘No mean licking. How you say when you put clothes on people?”’ ‘(Clothes on people!’ ; ‘Ves, You say he need good——’ ‘(Dressing 2’? inquired Toggles. ‘Yah! Dressing!’ cried the Jap, with ) ARMY AND NAVY ‘Vou mean a good licking, don’t 1217 a broad grin of relief. ‘‘Him need good dressing up.’’ | ‘You mean dressing down,’’ laughed Chit, ““Prolley, you're twisted.’ There was a shout of laughter at that last remark. Trolley looked puzzled. ‘‘Why you say I’m twisted?’ he in- quired, ‘‘I stand straight as you.’’ ‘AIL trolleys get twisted once “ina while,’ answered Clif. ‘‘T’ll have to ex- A SECOND LATER THE ENGLISH CADET FOUND HIMSELF BURIED BENEATH A CASCADE OF PICKLES (page 1215). plain that to you some day. Meanwhile we aren’t admiring the scenery.”’ During the talk they had strolled back toward the residence portion of the town before mentioned. About them were gar- deus filled with all sorts of beautiful ex- otic plants, for which the islands are so famous. Hugh royal palmsand cocoanut palms towered above them. Juniper and 1218 palmetto, banana trees and plantain grew wild along the roadside. The observant Jap was especially interested in the cocoa- nuts. Cocoanuts he imagined to be a nickname, in as much as the only thing he had ever heard referred to as a cocoa- nut was his own head. It took quite some time to straighten out his ideas on the subject, and then Trolley had added one more slang phrase to his vocabulary. ‘Cocoanut! he chuckled. “What. 4 funny name! Some day I tell somebody I smash his cocoanut—he! he! Here come somebody now. I like to smash his cocoanut !”? This last remark of ‘T'rolley’s was caused by the appearance of two figures down the street. They were none other than the two third classmen, Sharp and Crane, turning up once more. The scowls with which they favored the plebes as they passed may easily be imagined. Clif chuckled to himself, ‘*Crane is still mad,’? he observed. ‘‘However, I don’t think we need to worry about him any more. We've only to lick his English cousin for him.”’ If Clif could have heard the conversa- tion of the two as they went on he would perhaps not have uttered those careless remarks. I tell you,’’ swarled Crane, “that he’ll fight anyway, even if he is crippled beforehand. He’s just fool enough.’’ ‘‘But how do you propose to do it?”? inquired Sharp. ~ “T don't know yet,’? was the other’s answer. ‘“‘I haven’t thought, confound him! But I’m going to-fix it so that he’ll either have to back down and be jeered all over the town by the fellows from the Albert or else fight and get wiped off the earth. What do you say to that, old man ?”? : From which it will be evident to the reader that Cadet Crane had a plot. omens coreeneed meen? CHAPTER 111. A MYSTERIOUS ACCIDENT. The plebes strolled on quite unconcern- vedly. They walked far back into the island, gazing with interest at the semi- tropical growths they saw. ‘They climbed the celebrated ‘‘Gibbs Hill,’’ from which ARMY AND NAVY all the islands could be seen. . They roamed down toward the seashore and gathered the bits of coral and strangely colored shells. | ‘Toward evening they turned to retrace their steps toward the ‘‘city.”’ They met several other groups of cadets likewise homeward bound, and the parties joined forces, a merry and noisy crowd. ‘They woke the old town considerably with their cheers as they marched down the street toward their vessel. Clif was with them, when suddenly he felt some one touch him on the arm. He turned and found himself facing one of the English lads from ‘‘ Pickles’ ’’ crowd. ‘Mr. ‘Faraday ?’’ said he. Clif nodded and stepped aside. ‘“What is it you wish ?’’ he asked. ‘‘Mr. Faraday,’’ responded the other, “‘“Mr. Gregory, the. gentleman you in- sulted to-day so outrageous] y——”’ ‘*Yes,’’ said Clif, smiling, ‘‘leave out the details, Go on.”? ‘He has made me his second,”’ growled the other, surlily. ‘‘He wishes to know if you can get off from the ship to-night.”’ **T could,’’ said Clif, doubtfully. why at night?” ‘We sail in the morning,’’ answered the other. ‘‘Kither you must come to- night or be considered a coward. Mr. Gregory directs me to say that he will meet you here, on this spot, say at eleven o’clock to-night.”? ‘Thank you,’’ smiled Ct, Very kind of him, I think, And where are we to go?” ‘*Back into the country.. And you may bring two seconds with you.”? ‘“Thank you again,’’ Clif responded. ‘*How many will Mr, Gregory have??? “Mr. Gregory is a_ geéentleman!?? snapped the other. ‘‘He will take no ad- vantage over you. May I say that you will come?”’ ‘You may,’ was Clif’s answer. And then he turned and walked off to join his companions, leaving the English- man glaring at him malignantly. Tom’ll eat that fellow in just about five minutes!’ he gow es as he walked off. ~The possibility of that being true did not worry Clif very much. He was smil- “But ” patpieaephlintn nme cnampeatgutnaneanasaamemteaeneteeiete ARMY AND NAVY ing serenely as he fell in with his friends again. “Weve fixed up the fight,’’ said he. ‘“Mr. Thomas Gregory is his name— ‘Pickles,’ you know—and he’s going to get his revenge to-night at eleven.”? The announcement created a great deal more excitement than Clif thought it watranted. Toggles and Nanny, Grat Wallace, Joy and Trolley were all head over heels with curiosity, demanding to know where, when, how, who, what, and everything else, They all vowed they were going along to see, and there that only two were allowed. “Ill bet they have more than two,”’ growled Toggles, ‘‘And I'll bet I wouldn’t trust myself with fellows like that.’ Joy fell in as a chorus to this mournful strain, which he doubled in intensity when he found he wasn’t one of the lucky two selected. “Pil take Grat: and = ‘Irolley,’?. was -Chif’s decision. ‘‘’They’re the best fight- ers, so if there should be any foul play attempted they may help me some.’’ ‘It’s an outrage!’’ Joy growled. ‘‘Here Iain a faithinl advocate of peace. I preach peace, peace, nothing but peace all day, and when it comes to a fight I am deliberately insulted, left behind as if I didn’t know a good one when I saw it. How can I show the horrors of war aright if I never see a battle? How can the temperance orator tell of the evils of drink unless he takes one before he starts ?”? : ‘‘He!l hel’? chuckied Trolley, who was delighted because he was to go. ‘Him funny boy! Him think he can fight——”’ **Ican lick you anyway !’’ roared Joy, in mock rage. ‘‘T’ll do it right now if you——.’’ ‘‘T smash your cocoanut!’ chuckled Trolley. That ~— triumphant announcement brought the dispute to an end, for the simple reason that Joy couldn’t help joining in the laugh. Trolley smiled placidly; he had worked in his new slang at last, and therefore he might rest in peace. : As for Clif there was nothing for him to do but make the preparations for steal- Cilf’s warning was unnecessary. 1219 ing off that night. Walking across that gangplank in the moonlight without dis- covery bid fair to be by no means an easy task: Clif set to work to find out which of the cadets would be on guard, so as to ‘*fix’? him beforehand. During this he did not fail to notice the two third classmen scowling at him malignantly. Clif turned to Toggles, who was with him at the time and re- marked: ’ ‘fOld man, I wish you’d keep your eyes on those two for me. I’m not afraid of the English fellows, but if Crane and was great dismay when Clif announced ' Sharp go ashore to-night I think I'l] pre- ~ pare for dirty work.”’ That was avery shrewd surmise on Chf’s part. He had good reason to sus- pect that Crane might try some scheme to help his cousin. But as it happened, Crane’s plot was destined to be developed on ship- board, and before the time for the fight. This was the way it happened. The summons to turn in for the night found all of the cadets tired and sleepy. They had been roaming about the land all day and were quite ‘ready for their hammocks. Clif hurried below at the first tap of the drum, resolved to get as much sleep as he could before the hour of. the battle. He hurried to the berth deck, where he with the rest of the cadets slept. He grasped his hammock preparatory to turn- ing in. The next instant he snatched his hand away with a scream of pain! The deck was in an uproar in an in- stant. Clif’s friends rushed to his side. Scarcely able to contain himself for the agony he suffered, Clif held up his left hand. It was covered with a black sub- stance that seemed alinost to sizzle on the flesh. The plebe’s cry had brought one of the officers tumbling down the hatchway. He gave one glance at the unfortunate lad’s hand and then shouted for the sur- geon. The latter came rushing in breath- less. He glanced at the discolored hand. ‘‘Good Lord!’’ he gasped ‘‘It’s acid!?? Quick as a flash he seized the plebe by the shoulder and hurried toward a pail of water. ‘“Wash it in there,’’ he cried. ‘‘I°1l be back.”’ EET RTE 1220 - Poor Clif was ready to faint with agony as the officer dashed away. He was back a moment later with a bottle in his hand. It contained lime water, and he dashed it over the lad’s hand to neutralize the effects of the cruel acid.. It was all over then, so far as the burn- ing was concerned; but Faraday’s hand was taw half to the bone, and he could scarcely stand from weakness and pain. Cadet Crane’s hour of triumph had come! CHAPTER IV. CLIF FARADAY’S BATTLE. ‘Ah! So you've come at last, have you?’ The speaker was he whom we have variously known as Gregory, Tom, and Pickles. He was standing beneath the shadow of one of the buildings along the water front of the town. His voice was gruff and menacing. He was addressing three lads who were hurrying toward him. ‘*Yes,’’? responded Clif Faraday, for he was one of the three; “1 am here,’ ‘‘T was wondering if you were going to be coward enough to back out, con- found you!” : | Clif flushed scarlet at the unprovoked insult, but he steadied himself and answer- ed calmly. ‘*T am not a coward,’’ he said, in a low voice. ‘‘But Ihave come to tell you that I cannot fight you.’?’ ‘*Not fight me!’’ roared the other, his coatse features swelling. with rage. “You've got to fight me. Jf you don’t, by thunder I’ll wipe the place up with you right here.”’ “Tf you will listen——’’ began Clif, still quietly. i Placue take 3t, 1. don’t-want to listen! That’s always the way with these infernal American upstarts. I knew you were a coward, and I said so. It’s just as Crane said, you’re all talk.’ “liam tiyine to tell you, said Cir swallowing his wrath and starting again. ‘That I have a friend who will fight for mes)” ‘*Well, why in blazes can’t you fight for yourself?’ ARMY AND NAVY “T met with an accident,’’ answered Faraday. ‘‘My hand is burned and—”’ ~“Humph! A nice story. Got it done up in rags to carry out the bluff, too, I see. Well, who’s the fellow that’s going to fight for you?”’ At this Trolley, who had been waiting in the background, came forward. “Here. said Het oI do it.” The English bully stared rudely into his face. ‘hen he sneered. « “Want me to fight a confounded Chi- nese do you? Whatthe dickens do you take me for any——”’ Thomas Greogry never finished that sentence. Trolley’s hands were all right, if Clif’s were not, and he let one of them drive straight at his tormentor’s nose. . The latter staggered back, then recovered himself and leaped forward with a yell of fury. The little Jap smiled at him calm- ly, though trembling in every limb with indignation. — “Vou fight?’? he said. Come on!’ The English lad’s two companions seized him justin time to prevent his starting a battle then and there. “Come, Tom, whispered one “of them. ‘‘Not here. We’ll be found out. Come on back into the country.” Tom didn’t want to do that. He strug- gled like a wild man to get away, and nothing but brute force kept him back. At last, however, he gave in. “Come. on, he snarled “VIL wait. But by jingo, when I do get a chance at him, Vil murder fini 2? With this pleasant promise he turned and started angrily up the street. Our three plebe friends followed at a little distance. Nothing was said on thé trip, beyond a little sweating on the Englishman’s part. ‘T'rolley was too mad to say any- thing. As for Clif, he was simply boiling over with indignation. He felt somehow that all his strength had come back to him; he felt like flinging the bandages from his helpless hand and throwing himself upon his brutal tormentor. ‘They passed completely through. the city and out to the suburbs and the coun- try beyond, where Clif and his friends had strolled that afternoon. They did not go very far. Gregory espied a clear space ‘*T thought so! eI PON et eet ee eS May ne wipe oN ane oa ee or —— Wi tne en ae Samar Boe , Se le ARMY AND NAVY 1221 to one side of the road in a lonely part of the country, and he turned and leaped over the fence. yeone on) he cried. This 1s) far enough. I’m getting impatient. I want to get a whack at that confounded Chi- nese)? This last remark was nct lost upon our Japanese friend. If there is any insult to infuriate a man of his race it is to call him by that name. But Trolley said nothing; he simply clinched his fists the tighter as heclimbed the fence and joined the other three. ‘‘Hurry up!’’ commanded Gregory, im- patiently whipping off his coat. ‘‘Geta move on you there!” Nothing could have suited Trolley bet- ter. He flung his own jacket to the ground, clinched his teeth, and without waiting for a word or a signal, madea leap at his hated foe. ‘There was a lively time after that. The fight was not very equal. ‘Trolley was strong and active, but he-was noth- ing compared with the powerful English- man. ‘The latter was tall and heavily built. Clif, as he looked, could see through his shirt sleeves the muscles moving in his great arms. Gregory was evidently a fellow who could strike a blow to fell an ox. All this the Jap did not stop to notice when he made his savage rush. His op- ponent was ready for him, and in fact sprang forward with no less eagerness. The pace was so swift from the start that the rest could scarcely follow it. A fight like that could not last Jong. Both the fighters were strong; both were putting all their strength into every blow, having no object on earth but to paralyze the other. Trolley, quicker than the Englishman, was dancing about and lunging in at him. The Englishman was ' smashing blow after blow with all the power of his frame. ‘‘Tust one of them’ll land,’’ groaned Clif, ‘‘and then it’s all up with—there it i Clif’s last exclamation came as he teaped forward. ‘The Jap had caught one of his opponent’s crushing drives upon the side of the head, and down he went, as motionless as a log. Such was the: other’s rage that he leaped at his fallen foe with an oath, and it was with difficulty that his seconds dragged him back. Clif raised his help- less friend upon his knee. Poor Trolley was done for a fact. He was gasping for breath; that was the only sign of life that was in him, for his eyes were shut and his body limp. Gregory was raging still, striding back and forth and glaring at him. ‘““Want any more, you confounded heathen?’ he cried. ‘‘Get up, if you do! By thunder, I wish you were one of those blamed American cowards!’? Cilf paid no attention to this. He had drawn a damp sponge from under his coat and was bathing his companion’s face. At last a convulsive shiver passed over Trolley’s form and he opened his eyes. ‘Where am I?’ he gasped; and then, catching sight of the bully’s face, he struggled to his knees. Clif forced him down again. ‘No, no, Traley,’)) said He: Lie still, old man. [Pll ’tend to this now.”? The Jap sank back and closed his pal- lid eyelids again. Clif rose to his feet and painfully began to remove his jacket. Pit yeu, dent mind, Mr. Gresory,’”? said he, ‘‘1’1l try my skill now.”’ *‘Gotten tired of the bluff, have you, hey ?”? sneered the bully. : Grat Wallace had leaped to his friend’s side as he saw his purpose. ; No, no, Clitl he