Mr. Merriam and his comrades made no reply in words. Nor did their faces express much. They stood at attention, looking stolidly ahead of them, though their faces were turned toward the officer. It was not the place of any of them to speak unless the officer asked questions.
Severe as the hazing had been, however, Jack [pg 127] and Hal, at least, had taken it all in good part. Nor was Jack bound by any of the rules of etiquette that prevented the cadets from speaking.
“May I offer a word, sir?” asked Jack, wheeling upon the officer.
“You were one of the victims of a hazing, were you not?” demanded the officer, regarding Jack, keenly.
“Why, could you call it that, sir?” asked Jack, a look of innocent surprise settling on his face. “We called it a demonstration—an explanation.”
“Demonstration? Explanation?” repeated the officer, astonished in his turn. “What do you mean, Mr.—er—?”
“Benson,” Jack supplied, quietly.
“I think you would better tell me a little more, Mr. Benson,” pursued the unknown naval officer.
“Why, it was like this, sir,” Jack continued. “My two friends—Hastings and Somers—and myself were talking about the West Point and Annapolis hazings, of which we had heard and read. We were talking about the subject when a cadet came along. I suggested to Somers that we ask the cadet about hazing. Well, sir, to make a long story short, some of the cadets undertook to show us just how hazing is—or used to be—done at Annapolis.”
[pg 128] “Oh! Then it was all thoroughly good-natured, all in the way of a joke, to show you something you wanted to know?” asked the naval officer, slowly.