“Oh! I am a match for him,” panted Chet. “He will find it out yet!”
With that, overcome with chagrin and shame, Arlington turned and hastened to the dressing room.
CHAPTER XII.
A DASTARDLY DEED.
The following afternoon there was an extra drill of Arlington’s class, in which he was compelled to take part. He detested this work, and his heart was full of envy as he stood in line with his classmates, bearing a rifle, and saw the members of the baseball team, several of whom had been excused from drill, hastening away to the ball ground.
“Oh, this is a fine old school!” he thought. “Now if I was on the baseball team I could get out of this work.”
His mind wandered so that he failed to hear the command, twice repeated, of “right dress,” and at length the cadet officer in command was compelled to speak directly to him.
“Dress, Cadet Arlington!” was the order.
Chet’s face grew crimson as he moved into line with his companions. He was destined to suffer still further annoyance, for the inspecting officer, on looking his rifle over, reprimanded him sharply for not having it in perfect order.
“What does he think!” Arlington mentally exclaimed. “Does he fancy I am going to spend my time rubbing at a useless old gun with a greased rag? That’s a fine occupation for a gentleman’s son!”
When drill was over, and he could get away, Arlington hastened toward the ball ground, arriving there to find the boys on the point of leaving. In vain he looked around for Merriwell.