"Come in," a voice responded weakly; the cadets came.
"Mr. Smith, sir?" inquired the personage with the mustache.
"Yes, sir," said Indian, meekly, awed by the man's splendor.
"I have been requested by certain of the cadets of the United States Military Academy to investigate the circumstance of your alleged passing at the recent examination. I have been informed by these same gentleman that when questioned by them you exhibited stupidity and ignorance so very gross as to cause them to doubt whether you have any right to call yourself a cadet at all."
Here the cadets shook their heads solemnly and looked very stern indeed.
"Bless my soul!" cried Indian.
"In order to consider these very grave allegations," continued the other, "a special meeting of the Army Board was first convened, with the following result:"
Here the speaker paused, cleared his throat pompously, and drew forth a frightfully official-looking envelope, from which he took a large printed sheet with the West Point seal upon the top.
"United States Military Academy, West Point, June 20th," he read—that is the way all "orders" begin. "Cadet Joseph Smith, of Indianapolis, Indiana, it has just been ascertained, was admitted to the duties of conditional cadet through an error of the examining board. A re-examination of Cadet Smith is hereby ordered to be conducted immediately under the charge of the lord high chief quartermaster of the academy. By order of the Academy Board. Ahem!"
The lord high chief quartermaster finished, and Cadet Smith sank down upon the bed in horror.