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10 ARMY AND NAVY WEBEKLY.
were standing'in the centre of the courtyard and staring at him,
and making no bones about it either. oe ee
‘‘T may be a curiosity,’’ thought Mark. ‘But Vl be hanged if
Iwant as much notice as that. ‘They aren’t paying me at this
dime museum.’? . _
Still the three cadets stared and grinned. _ One was a big fellow —
nearly as stalwart as Mark; the other two were dapper little chaps
with a dudish sort of an air.
“I don’t guess they’re very great shakes,” mused Mark. ‘“‘I
believe I could lick the crowd, but I shan’t try it .with only one
arm. I'll not pay any attention to them; that’s what I'll do.”
He stared about him at the now nearly deserted barracks with
their stern gray walls and frowning dark battlements ; he ‘stared .at
the clock across the way in the guard-house; and then tncon-
sciously his eyes wandered back to the solitary group in the centre.
The group still stared and grinned. Evidently it was a huge joke.
Mark was getting angry. : :
“YT don’t mind it so much,’’? he thought, ‘‘but it’s ‘so deucedly
rude. I believe I'l] try staring back.”’ oe
He tried that; but it didn’t seem to have much effect either. -
““] wonder how long this is going to last,’’ he exclaimed. “Ph
bet it don’t last much longer without my saying something.”’
It went right on lasting in spite of Mark’s threat, and at last he.
could stand it no more. oe
“What in thunder are you fellows staring at, any way ?’’ he de-
manded angrily. Bas
Instantly the three cadets sprang back in alarm, opening their
mouths in amazement. They were silent with horror for at least a
minute, as if striving to grasp the situation. And at last the big
fellow spoke, in solemn and measured tones. /
‘Candidate! Candidate! How dare you speak, sir, until you-
are spoken to?”’ : . .
And this, as may naturally be imagined, amazed and perplexed
our hero. He stood silently puzzling over it—and then suddenly
the truth broke in upon him! eons
“They think I’m a candidate: for next year. And—by George!
—they’re going to haze me.’?
Sure enough the three had started with measured tread to ap-
proach him, ‘The grin was gone now, and instead was a look of ©
intense solemnity. os SO ey “
‘‘What shall I do,’’? thought Mark, ‘‘shall.I tell I’m not one?
Pshaw, that would spoil all the fun! I believe I’il wait and see
what they’ll do. The joke’l] be all on them.”’ -
_ The three approached, still solemn. of .
“*T wish I had two well arms, or else some fire arms,’’ mused
Mark. ‘‘I wouldu’t be afraid of them then. But I suppose I can
run away and live to fight another day.”’ .
By this time the hazers were within two feet of him. ‘There
they halted and glared. ‘
Mark glared back. |
“If I don’t have some fun with them,’’ he thought, ‘‘it won’t
be because I don’t try.”’ oe _
cc “If we don’t have some fun with him,’ thought the cadets,
it won’t be because we don’t try.”’ ae
' There was fun enough for both.