Frank V. Webster

“ IN GARRISON
Sam looked at his chum a moment as if wondering whether he had heard aright. Tom continued to stare at the crumpled and torn telegram.
“What’s the matter with you, Tom?” his chum asked. “What are you talking about clues for? Been reading some detective stories?” ”

“ I certainly would give anything for the chance to go to West Point. But there! No use thinking about it!”
Tom seemed to blow the matter away as though it were some trifle, light as air, and he assumed a manner of indifference that he did not altogether feel.
“Come on, Mother,” he begged, tossing the money into her lap through the open window. “Take a half-hour off. You’ll be all the better for it. You haven’t been eating well lately. A walk to the woods will give you an appetite.”
“I believe I will go with you, Tom,” she said, with sudden decision. ”

“ A QUARREL
“Oh, Tom! How fine you look! How tall and straight you are! What a—why, what a man you have become!”
Thus our hero’s mother greeted him as she met him at the Chester station on the occasion of Tom’s first home-coming.
“Tom, you are so—so big!”
Her eyes were shining, as only a mother’s eyes can shine, while she held out her hands to welcome her son.
“Well, Mother,” Tom said, as he kissed her, “West Point makes a specialty of helping boys grow up. ”

“ Supper was rather an excited meal, and Tom fairly ran home with the dress his mother finished. He was paid, and as he carried back the money he thought:
“It’s a shame I can’t make more myself. I don’t like the idea of taking the money mother earns with her needle to go to West Point with. I sure do want to go, though!”
“But I’ll make good!” he declared to himself, “and when I do, and when I’m earning a decent salary, I’ll make it all up to mother. She can live with me in barracks, perhaps, and I’ll be an engineer in charge of some big work. Say, it sure will be great!” ”

“ After all, hazing, if not too severe and if it is unaccompanied by indignities that lower one’s self-respect, has its use in the world. It teaches a young man certain lessons that are hard to drill into him in other ways. But hazing, as it is often done in schools and colleges, is sometimes a silly performance, and sometimes a positively harmful proceeding.
“What’s the matter, Tom?” asked Harry Houston, a little later, as the three new chums were in their barrack room. ”

“ As Clarence recovered himself, Ike doubled up his fists and the two of them came at Tom together. Our hero caught his breath. He was not afraid, but it was manifestly unfair. The injustice of it, however, did not seem to strike the cronies of Clarence.
The latter reached Tom first, who, being unwilling to take too many chances, led out with a blow that might have been effective had it landed. But Clarence dodged, and, a moment later a gruff voice called out:
“Here! What’s the meaning of this! How dare you attack my nephew? Stop it at once!” ”

“ And, had Tom but known it, this was the fact.
In a way he bitterly reproached himself for having gone to West Point, leaving her to fight the battle of life alone, and when he hinted at this, and frankly offered to resign and seek some employment that would bring in a large immediate return, she said:
“No, Tom. You must keep on as you have started. This is to be your life-work. You will have only one chance, and you must take advantage of it. ”

“ Blackford had alleged, to a desire on his part to save money, he had told Tom his services would no longer be required.
“Though I’ll wager he’s found some one who will do it more cheaply than I did,” declared Tom. “Well, he won’t get any one to do it any better, that’s sure. I’m going to see Wendell to-morrow, after school. He may need a boy in his store.”
“Oh, Tom, they say he’s mean and cruel. No one likes to work for him,” objected Mrs. Taylor.
“Beggars can’t be choosers,” replied the lad, laughing. “I don’t mind hard work. I’d have to work hard if I went to West Point.” ”

“ It wouldn’t look very well reporting back all wet,” agreed Harry.
“They’ve got a motor boat,” remarked Sam, as they saw Clarence and the cadets preparing to enter a fine gasoline craft.
“Yes, that belongs to Captain Hawkesbury.” Tom said. He could not keep back a certain bitter feeling in his heart that he should be so poor as not to be able to afford a craft of this kind, while the other lad had one. “And, maybe, if the truth were known,” reflected Tom, “it was bought with the money my father might have made on that railroad land deal.” ”

“ But between old Doolittle, the railroad lawyers and some others—”
“Oh, Tom, please don’t bring up that old dispute!” begged his mother. “You know it can’t do any good.”
“No, I suppose not,” he admitted. “But it certainly is hard luck to look at what you think ought to be yours, and know that some one else is enjoying the benefit of it,” and Tom shook his [Pg 10] finger at the big railroad bridge, as if that structure of steel were, in some way, responsible for the unpleasant circumstances of his mother and himself. ”

“ And among the few true things said about war is that “an army fights on its stomach.” No soldier can be a first-class one if he has such bad teeth that he cannot chew well.
It was a most searching examination, and no one knew whether he had passed or not, for the doctors merely looked wise and jotted down notes on papers before them.
However, it developed during the day that some of the candidates had been rejected as physically unfit, and as Tom and his two chums received no notification that they had not passed, they took it for granted that they had gone through—as they had. ”

“ Tom emphasized the word “borrow.”
“Another thing,” he went on. “I don’t need money to continue at West Point. I am being paid for staying there.”
“Paid! Huh! What’s this country coming to, anyhow, when it squanders money on such foolishness?” snorted the crabbed old man.
Tom did not answer that question. It was too big. What he did say was:
“Mr. Doolittle, I have called on you in reference to a deed of trust my father drew shortly before his death, naming you and Captain Hawkesbury as trustees of a certain piece of land—land where the railroad bridge now stands. ”

“ For he was the son of a wealthy broker, and had much spending money. However, a “plebe” has little chance to spend money, so Tom was no worse off than any of his companions. In fact, in spite of what is said about the democracy of many colleges, it is only at West Point that the absolute lack of money makes no difference at all. Money is really not given a consideration. It is comradeship, worth, and brains that count. ”

“ Tom had little doubt as to the result of the physical tests. He was in fine condition; he had lived a manly, clean life.
He played baseball and football in season, he was a good runner, jumper and swimmer. In short, he was an average, healthful American lad—a good all-around athlete, though no phenomenon in any one branch of sport.
He had been quickly passed by the first doctors who examined him, and though he realized that the physical tests at West Point would be more severe, he was not worrying on that score. ”

“ Clarence struggled to his feet, but some of the cadets with him gathered around him.
“Say, you don’t know enough to quit when you’ve had enough,” said one. “He’ll only knock you down again. You’re in no condition to fight.”
“That’s right, Hawkesbury. Take it easy,” advised another. “What do you want to mix things up for?”
“Why he’s the fellow who did me out of my appointment—my West Point place—he did it—Tom Taylor!” and he pointed a wavering finger at our hero. ”

“ Tom gave up his plan of seeing young Blasdell, at least for the present. Now all depended on the move Captain Hawkesbury would make.
Events happened more quickly than Tom had expected, though he was just as glad they did. Nervous waiting is about the most tiresome thing there is.
Shortly after dinner, when the limited freedom Tom and Sam had secured went into effect, Tom received word that Captain Hawkesbury had left his quarters, in civilian’s dress.
“That means he’s going!” cried Tom. “Are you with me, Sam?”
“I sure am! We’ll go to Garrison right away.” ”

“ Tom said, eagerly. “When may I get out of bed, Doctor?”
“Pretty soon now. I guess we’ve eliminated any possibility of an internal injury. You can get up and walk as soon as it doesn’t hurt you too much to move. I expect, though, that you’re going to be lame and stiff for some time yet.”
Tom was. It was agony to get out of bed for the first time, but he persisted, knowing that the sooner he began to use his muscles and joints the more quickly would they limber up, and lose their soreness and stiffness.
The time came when Tom could leave the hospital and walk about. His chums rejoiced with him. ”

“ Tom felt a lump coming up into his throat, but his mother, seeing which way matters were going smiled as she said:
“There, Tom! we mustn’t be sad when there’s so much cause for rejoicing. Of course you must go away. All boys do, sooner or later. And if you went to college you’d have to leave me.”
“This is better than any college!” cried Tom, enthusiastically. “West Point beats them all, in my estimation. Why, just think of it, they pay you for learning there! I’ll get real money—that [Pg 32] is after a while. ”

“ Captain Hawkesbury’s evident dislike of Tom had not abated much. True the army captain could not do a great deal to Tom, but what little he could do he did, and it only takes a little additional, during a lad’s first year at West Point, to make him almost hate life. The only excuse is that it is excellent training for him. ”

“ Tom’s mother, now properly installed in a fine home in Chester, came to see him, and he took her about West Point, from Flirtation Walk to Fort Putnam and Old Fort Clinton—to all the places of interest—so that she enjoyed herself very much. She was very proud of her son, and Tom’s chums made much of his mother.
Tom devoted himself diligently to his studies. Civil and military engineering formed a large part, during that last year, and naturally gunnery and ordnance were made much of. Tom had developed into one of the best riders at the Academy, and there were some daring and reckless ones. ”

“ Three army surgeons, grim and grizzled, went over each boy minutely. Their feet were looked at, for the United States government, as well as that of other nations, has found that a soldier to be of value must not be troubled with corns and ingrowing nails. It impedes his marching. And as a chain is no stronger than its weakest link, so a company can march no faster than its poorest walker. No poor walkers are wanted.
And teeth—
“You’d think we were horses up for sale,” complained Clarence Hawkesbury, after one of the doctors had made him and the others open their mouths. ”

“ Of course money wouldn’t make any difference to me at West Point. That’s one place where money doesn’t count. But if we had a few thousands mother could be nearer me, say in New York, and she could run up to see me once in a while. It’s going to be a long drill—two years at a stretch. But I guess I can stand it all right.”
Tom was about to proceed to the boathouse to hire a craft, when he was aware of a figure coming around a bend in the path that led to the river. A moment later he saw that it was Captain Hawkesbury. ”

“ He got himself out,” Tom answered. “But I’m glad, too, that he’s gone. We’ve got some stiff work ahead of us, and he’d only make it all the harder for us.”
There was indeed hard work, but it was compensated for when Tom and his chums finally got into the first class—that is they were now beginning their fourth, and final, year at West Point. They now had many more privileges than at first. They could leave camp when they liked, after duty; they had first choice of horses and rooms—in fact they were very superior beings compared to the poor plebes. ”

“ Every time he had a chance Captain Hawkesbury [Pg 121] made matters unpleasant for Tom, giving him extra hours of guard duty for the slightest infraction of rules. Be Tom’s shoes never so brilliantly polished, his rifle never so shining, and his face never so cleanly shaved, he often was called to account for some fancied neglect. Others, as well, were reprimanded by different officers, but every one noticed that more than Tom’s just share of reproof and punishment was meted out to him.
“I know what he’s doing it for, too,” Tom told his chums. ”

“ Shortly before the three chums had been telling one another some of their experiences [Pg 77] before they came to West Point, and all had agreed that the fun they had had while camping in the summer was best of all.
“Oh well, we’ll have a taste of camp life here,” observed Harry, as he looked around the room, to make sure it was in perfect order against the unexpected inspection of some “tac.”
“Yes we’ll have a taste of it, and that’s about all!” Tom went on. “We’ll have to drill harder than we do now, and we’ll have to wait on some of the upper classmen like slaves.” ”

“ When the candidates had been marched back to their barracks Tom and his chums decided to put in some time at studying. Twice while they were at work a corporal came in to inspect their room, and each time they had to rise smartly, and stand at attention until he went out. No fault could be found with the lads themselves or their room, and at this the corporal seemed to be deeply disappointed.
Studying went on until parade time, which brought with it a rigid inspection of each candidate in person, from his collar to his shoes. Some were reprimanded for not being neat enough. ”

“ This, of course, was due to the West Point training. It tends to make a lad stand on his own feet, for the Academy trains him with the idea of some day having him handle large bodies of men; and to rule over others one must first learn to govern himself.
“Let me see that paper, Mother,” Tom said, when they had talked the matter over a little longer.
She gave it to him, and he studied it earnestly. It was, as she had said, a copy, or draft, of a deed of trust, for the valuable land on which one end of the railroad bridge stood.
“I’ll see Doolittle about this,” Tom decided. ”

“ He was an experienced man, and, doubtless had played the same trick himself many a time. He stooped and looked under the cots where the shoes of the “plebes” should have been. Tom knew what was going on and he felt sure that Sam must have left his soil-begrimed shoes in plain sight.
But Tom had not given his tent-mate credit for some common sense. Sam had guessed that shoes would be looked at, since there was some mud about the camp that day. So Sam had put his shoes in his locker, and had taken out a clean pair which he put at the foot of his cot. ”

“ The candidates were kept to themselves during this period, and though the upper classmen [Pg 67] were forbidden to come to the barracks while the candidates were there, the rule was often violated, and mild hazing was indulged in, especially in the bathrooms. Some of the boys were made to give an imitation of swimming, as they lay face downward on a chair.
It was one day, after a particularly hard examination, that Tom went in to freshen up with a bath. As he undressed he was suddenly seized by a couple of yearlings, one of whom yelled in his ear:
“Now for the slide for life!” ”

“ Tom found it rather strange at first, to be under absolutely no set rules or requirements in regard to study. The cadets were allowed to fix their own standards in this respect. All that was required of them was that they be perfect in recitation.
Military discipline, of course, was insisted on. The instructors were all West Point graduates, the strictest of the strict, and not only must the cadets be perfect in their lessons, but in their manner, deportment and dress. ”