"Which one of you was it?" demanded Anstey, as he finally entered the tent of Furlong and his bunkies.
"No one here," Dick replied. "The other gentlemen don't even know what happened, for I haven't told them."
So Anstey withdrew his look of suspicion from the five cadets. No cadet may ever lie; not even to a comrade in the corps. Any cadet who utters a lie, and is detected in it, is ostracized as being unfit for the company of gentlemen. So, when Dick's prompt denial came, Anstey believed, as he was obliged to do.
"It was a plebe, Mace," continued Dick.
"I'll have all but his life, then!" cried the southerner fiercely.
"I wouldn't even think of it. The offender is only a cub," urged Dick. "If you accept my advice, Mace, you won't even call the poor blubber out. We'll just summon him here, and make the little imp so ashamed of himself that the lesson ought to last him through the rest of his plebedom. I'm cooler than you are at this moment, Mace, but none the less disgusted. Will you let me handle this affair?"
"Yes," agreed Anstey quickly.
As for Furlong, Griffin and Dobbs, it was "just nuts" for them to see their class president, lately so stately on the subject of hazing, now actually proposing to take a plebe sternly in hand. The three bunkies exchanged grins.
"Tell us, Mace," continued Dick, "have you had any occasion to take
Mr. Briggs in hand at any time?
"So it was Mr. Briggs?" demanded Anstey angrily, turning toward the door.