CHAPTER IV.
TOM NEWCOMBE'S PLAN.
When Bob arrived within sight of his home, he saw a boy standing on the beach waiting for him. It was none other than our old acquaintance Tom Newcombe, who, as it afterward proved, had found "another idea," and had come down to reveal it to the fisher-boy, and to ask his assistance in carrying it out.
Tom had remained at the military academy until the close of the term; not because he wished to do so, but for the reason that he could not help himself, and was not given another opportunity to take "French leave." During these five months he had not improved in any particular. On the contrary, he seemed to have gone down hill very rapidly in the estimation of his companions, for, when he came out of the academy, he found, to his astonishment and indignation, that every one of his friends had deserted him; that the organization of which he had so long been the honored chief had ceased to exist, and that another society had been formed, with new signs and passwords. The office of grand commander of the council had been abolished, and when Tom made application to join the new society, he was rejected without ceremony. The reason for this was, that when questioned during the court-martial that had been held at the academy, the grand commander, forgetting all the solemn promises he had made not to reveal any of the society's secrets, had exposed every thing, and thus broken up the organization of Night-hawks. This fact had come to the ears of the village boys, and they were very angry about it.
"Why did you answer them, Tom?" asked Johnny Harding, indignantly. "You have broken up the best society that ever existed in this village!"
"O, now, I couldn't help it," drawled Tom. (He still held to his old, lazy way of talking.) "If I hadn't answered them, the colonel would have shut me up in the guard-house, and fed me on bread and water."
"That makes no difference," said Johnny. "I would have stayed in the guard-house until I was gray-headed, before I would have broken my promises."
"Then some one else would have told him," whined Tom. "There were thirteen other fellows up before the court-martial."
"That makes no difference either. Your business was to hold your tongue, but you didn't do it. You can't be trusted, Newcombe, that's easy enough to be seen, and for that reason, it would not be safe for us to admit you into our new society. We don't want traitors among us."