[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Half the corps by this time were up and chuckling with glee at their darkened windows; and as these subdued but still audible demonstrations of sympathy and satisfaction did not cease on his arrival, the colonel promptly sent for his entire force of assistants to conduct the inspection already ordered.Already one or two "bull's-eyes" were flitting out from the officers' angle.But the piece of boyish mischief that brings such keen delight to the youngsters in the battalion strikes terror to the heart of Philip Stanley.He knows all too well that an immediate inspection will be the result, and then, what is to become of McKay? With keen anxiety, he goes to the hall window overlooking the area, and watches the course of events.A peep into McKay's room shows that he is still absent and that his room-mate, if disturbed at all by the "yearling fireworks," has gone to sleep again.Stanley sees the commandant stride under the gas-lamp in the area; sees the gathering of the "bull's-eyes," and his heart well-nigh fails him.Still he watches until there can be no doubt that the inspection is already begun.Then, half credulous, all delighted, he notes that it is not Mr.Lee, but young Mr.Lawrence, the officer in charge, who is coming straight towards "B" Company, lantern in hand.Not waiting for the coming of the former, the colonel has directed another officer—not a company commander—to inspect for him.There is but one way to save Billy now.In less than half a minute Stanley has darted into McKay's room; has slung his chevroned coat under the bed; has slipped beneath the sheet and coverlet, and now, breathlessly, he listens.He hears the inspector moving from room to room on the ground floor; hears him spring up the iron stair; hears him enter his own,—the tower room at the north end of the hall,—and there he stops, surprised, evidently, to find Cadet Captain Stanley absent from his quarters.Then his steps are heard again.He enters the opposite room at the north end.That is all right! and now he's coming here."Now for it!" says Stanley to himself, as he throws his white-sleeved arm over his head just as he has so often seen Billy do, and turning his face to the wall, burrows deep in the pillow and pulls the sheet well up to his chin.The door softly opens; the "bull's-eye" flashes its gleam first on one bed, then on the other."All right here," is the inspector's mental verdict as he pops out again suddenly as he entered.Billy McKay, the scapegrace, is safe and Stanley has time to think over the situation.At the very worst, as he will be able to say he was "visiting in barracks" when found absent, his own punishment will not be serious.But this is not what troubles him.Demerit for the graduating class ceases to count after the 1st of June, and the individual sense of honor and duty is about the only restraint against lapses of discipline.Stanley hates to think that others may now believe him deaf to this obligation.He would far rather have had this happen when demerit and "confinements" in due proportion had been his award, but there is no use repining.It is a sacrifice to save—her brother.When half an hour later his classmate, the officer of the day, enters the tower room in search of him, Stanley is there and calmly says, "I was visiting in barracks," in answer to his question; and finally, when morning comes, Mr.Billy McKay nearly sleeps through reveille as a consequence of his night-prowling; but his absence, despite the simultaneous inspection of every company in barracks, has not been detected.With one exception every bed has had its apparently soundly sleeping occupant.The young scamps who caused all the trouble have escaped scot-free, and the corps can hardly believe their own ears, and Billy McKay is stunned and perplexed when it is noised abroad that the only man "hived absent" was the captain of Company "B."It so happens that both times he goes to find Stanley that day he misses him."The commandant sent for him an hour ago," says Mr.McFarland, his room-mate, "and I'm blessed if I know what keeps him.Something about last night's doings, I'm afraid."This, in itself, is enough to make him worry, but the next thing he hears is worse.Just at evening call to quarters, Jim Burton comes to his room."Have you heard anything about this report of Stanley's last night?" he asks, and McKay, ordinarily so frank, is guarded now in his reply.For half an hour he has been pacing his room alone.McFarland's revelations have set him to thinking.It is evident that the colonel's suspicions are aroused.It is probable that it is known that some cadet was "running it" the night before.From the simple fact that he is not already in arrest he knows that Mr.Lee did not recognize him, yet the secret has leaked out in some way, and an effort is being made to discover the culprit.Already he has begun to wonder if the game was really worth the candle.He saw her, 'tis true, and had half an hour's whispered chat with her, interrupted not infrequently by giggling and impetuous rushes from the other girls.They had sworn melodramatically never to reveal that it was he who came, but Billy begins to have his doubts."It ends my career if I'm found out," he reflects, "whereas they can't do much to Stan for visiting." And thus communing with himself, he has decided to guard his secret against all comers,—at least for the present.And so he is non-committal in his reply to Burton."What about it?" he asks."Why, it's simply this, Billy: Little Magee, the fifer, is on orderly duty to-day, and he heard much of the talk, and I got it out of him.Somebody was running it last night, and was seen down by Cozzens's gate.Stanley was the only absentee, hence Stanley would naturally be the man suspected, but he says he wasn't out of the barracks.The conclusion is inevitable that he was filling the other fellow's place, and the colonel is hopping mad.It looks as though there were collusion between them.Now, Billy, all I've got to say is that the man he's shielding ought to step forward and relieve him at once.There comes the sentry and I must go."Relieve him? Yes; but what means that for me? thinks poor McKay.Dismissal; a heart break for mother.No! It is too much to face; he must think it over.He never goes near Stanley all that night.He fears to meet him, or the morrow.His heart misgives him when he is told that there has been a long conference in the office.He turns white with apprehension when they fall in for parade, and he notes that it is Phillips, their first lieutenant, who draws sword and takes command of the company; but a few moments later his heart gives one wild bound, then seems to sink into the ground beneath his feet, when the adjutant drops the point of his sword, lets it dangle by the gold knot at his wrist, whips a folded paper from his sash, and far over the plain his clear young voice proclaims the stern order:"Cadet Captain Stanley is hereby placed in arrest and confined to his quarters.Charge—conniving at concealing the absence of a cadet from inspection after 'taps,' eleven—eleven-fifteen P.M., on the 7th instant."By order of Lieutenant-Colonel Putnam."* * *CHAPTER VI.THE LAST DANCE.The blithest day of all the year has come.The graduating ball takes place to-night.The Point is thronged with joyous visitors, and yet over all there hovers a shadow.In the midst of all this gayety and congratulation there hides a core of sorrow.Voices lower and soft eyes turn in sympathy when certain sad faces are seen [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

zanotowane.pl

doc.pisz.pl

pdf.pisz.pl

listy-do-eda.opx.pl