"Please do!" cried Indian, innocently. "I'll never chase the yearlings again."
"That's good! B. J. stands for 'before June,' and is West Point slang for 'fresh.'"
"I knew what B. J. means," put in Indian.
"What! Then why didn't you say so and save me the trouble? The other B. is the present imperative of the verb to be; he was, being, been, is, am, ain't. And the only way I can explain what B. B. J. means is to say that it means be B. J., be B. J. with a vengeance, and when you get tired of being B. J., B. B. J. some more. Do you see?"
"Er, yes," said Indian.
"And now," laughed Mark, "since we're through, three cheers for the Seven Devils!"
And that is the story of the forming of West Point's first and only secret society, a society which was destined to introduce some very, very exciting incidents into West Point's dignified history, the Seven Devils, B. B. J.
CHAPTER XX.
INDIGNATION OF THE YEARLINGS.
"By George, he's the freshest plebe that ever struck this place!"