Dick Prescott's First Year at West Point Part 1

d.i.c.k Prescott's First Year at West Point.

by H. Irving Hanc.o.c.k.

CHAPTER I

"TWO TINY SPECKS OF NOTHING"

"How do you feel, d.i.c.k! As spruce as you did an hour ago!"

Candidate Greg Holmes put the question with a half-nervous laugh. He spoke in a whisper, too, as if to keep his agitation from reaching the notice of any of the score or more of other young men in the room of Mr. Ward, the aged notary at West Point.

"I'll be glad when I see some daylight through the proceedings,"

d.i.c.k Prescott whispered in answer.

"I'm glad they allow us to talk here in undertones," pursued Greg.

"If we weren't allowed to do so, some of us would go suddenly crazy, utter a whoop and spring through one of the windows,"

grinned d.i.c.k.

For the tenth time he thrust his hands into his pockets--then as quickly drew them out again.

All of the young men now gathered in the room were candidates for cadets.h.i.+ps at West Point; candidates who had been appointed by the Congressmen or Senators of their home districts or states, and who must now pa.s.s satisfactory physical and mental examinations, after which they would be enrolled as cadets in the United States Military Academy. Those of the cadets who thus pa.s.sed the preliminary examinations, and who maintained good health and good standing in their cla.s.ses during the following four years and three months would then be graduated from the Military Academy and forthwith be appointed second lieutenants in the Regular Army of the United States.

Hived in this room, awaiting their turn, a spirit of awe had gripped all these nervous young men.

Some of them dreaded a failure in the coming bodily tests before the keen-eyed, impartial surgeons of the United States Army.

Probably half of the boys in the room feared that they would fail in the academic examinations.

Boys? Some of the candidates didn't look the part. They had the physiques and general appearance, many of them, of men; for a candidate may be anywhere between the ages of seventeen and twenty-two years of age.

From all over the country they came. When the new, or plebe cla.s.s should finally be a.s.sembled and put to work, that cla.s.s would represent practically every state in the Union.

Readers of a former series of books, "THE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SERIES," will not need to again be introduced to d.i.c.k Prescott and Greg Holmes. Such readers will well remember these two manly young Americans as members of that famous s.e.xtette, "d.i.c.k & Co.," famous in the annals of the good old Gridley High School.

Nor will such readers need to be told how d.i.c.k won, over the heads of forty compet.i.tors, the nomination of Congressman Spokes, the boy carrying all before him in a rigid compet.i.tive examination at the Gridley High School. The same readers will remember how Greg Holmes secured his own nomination from Senator Frayne. This was all related in the closing volume of the High School Series, "THE HIGH SCHOOL CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM."

Our former readers will also recall that Dave Darrin and Dan Daizell "ran away" with the nominations for cadets.h.i.+ps at Annapolis, while Tom Reade and Harry Hazelton, the last of famous d.i.c.k & Co., went West seeking their careers as young engineers.

To be a cadet at West Point, and then to blossom out as an officer in the Regular Army--this had long been d.i.c.k's fondest hope. Greg, too, had caught the Army fever, and now suffered from it as severely as d.i.c.k Prescott himself.

And now, at what seemed like the critical moment, this tedious waiting was almost maddening.

Before Mr. Ward's desk stood a lonely looking young man, red faced and fidgeting as though he were going through a fearful ordeal.

"What on earth can they be doing to that fellow?" wondered Greg, in a barely audible undertone. "That fine-looking old gentleman can't be hazing a cadet?"

"No; but I wonder what the ordeal is," d.i.c.k whispered back. "I haven't seen a fellow look comfortable through it yet."

"Mr. Prescott!"

d.i.c.k started to his feet so suddenly that his right almost tripped over his left.

One of the other candidates near by t.i.ttered. That caused d.i.c.k's face to turn redder than ever.

Mr. Ward, however, looked up at the boy with a kindly smile.

"State your full name, Mr. Prescott."

d.i.c.k did so.

"When and where born? Give date and place."

By this time d.i.c.k was beginning to find his voice. The excess of color began to recede from his face. He had already, almost unconsciously, pa.s.sed over the sealed envelope which he had received from the adjutant in a room on the same floor at headquarters.

Prescott was quickly breathing at his ease. He discovered that the entire ordeal consisted of giving his family history, with dates.

Then he stepped back. Another name was called.

"Don't let that rattle you a bit, Greg," whispered d.i.c.k, when he had dropped back into his seat beside his chum. "Mr. Ward doesn't do anything but take your pedigree."

"Mr. Holmes!"

Greg got up with nearly all of his self-possession about him. He was just returning to sit by his chum when the nattiest, sprucest- looking soldier imaginable, wearing the olive-drab fatigue uniform of the Army and overcoat to match, stepped into the room.

"The surgeons have directed me to bring down all the candidates who are through here," the orderly announced. "Follow me to the sidewalk, where you will fall in loosely, by twos, and follow me to the cadet hospital."

Among those of the candidates who had finished giving their pedigrees there was a rush that would put a spectator in mind almost of a football scrimmage. It represented merely the feverish anxiety of these young men to get through with the next stage in their awe-filled day.

"There are some marching down with us who won't be marching with us to the next place, I am afraid," whispered Holmes.

"I imagine so," whispered d.i.c.k, with a nod.

"Say," murmured Greg, his cheek suddenly blanching, "just how much chest expansion do the surgeons demand in the case of a fellow standing five-seven in his stocking feet?"

There was a note almost of panic in Greg's voice.

"Cheer up, Greg!" urged d.i.c.k, whose own lace was again flus.h.i.+ng.

"You've got chest expansion enough for a heavy-weight prize fighter."

"You must have the same, then. Is that so?" demanded Holmes.

"What makes your face so red?"

"Just wondering," admitted Prescott, in a low voice, "whether I ever contracted any symptoms of football-player's heart."

"Bos.h.!.+" muttered Greg. "I never heard of any such disease."