and　thus　keep　the　plebes　continually　in　motion。　When　he　thought　the　punishment　sufficient　he　would　discontinue　it　by　the　command；　〃three；〃　and　give　〃place；　rest。〃　When　the　〃place；　rest〃　had　been　just　about　sufficient　to　allow　the　plebe　to　get　cool　and　in　a　measure　rested；　the　drill　would　be　resumed　by　the　command　〃'tion；　squad〃　（abbreviated　from　〃attention〃　and　pronounced　〃shun〃）。　If　the　plebe　was　slow；　〃place；　rest〃　was　again　given；　and
  〃When　I　give　the　command　''tion；　squad；'　I　want　to　see　you　spring　up　with　life。〃
  〃'Tion；　squad！〃
  Plebe　is　slow　again。
  〃Well；　mister；　wake　up。　This　is　no　trifling　matter。　Understand？〃
  〃Yes；　sir。〃
  〃Well；　sir；　don't　reply　to　me　in　ranks。〃
  And　many　times　and　terms　even　more　severe　than　these。
  Now　that　Williams　and　myself　were　admitted；　the　newspapers　made　their　usual　comments　on　such　occurrences。　I　shall　quote　a　single　one　from　The　New　National　Era　and　Citizen；　published　in　Washington；　D。C。；　and　the　political　organ　of　the　colored　people。　The　article；　however；　as　I　present　it；　is　taken　from　another　paper；　having　been　by　it　taken　from　the　Era　and　Citizen：
  〃COLORED　CADETS　AT　WEST　POINT。
  〃The　New　National　Era　and　Citizen；　which　is　the　national　organ　of　the　colored　people；　contains　a　sensible　article　this　week　on　the　status　of　colored　cadets　at　West　Point。　After　referring　to　the　colored　young　men；　'Plebes'　Flipper　of　Georgia；　and　Williams　of　Virginia；　who　have　passed　the　examination　requisite　for　entering　the　Academy；　the　Era　and　Citizen　says：　'Now　that　they　are　in；　the　stiff　and　starched　protègès　of　the　Government　make　haste　to　tell　the　reporters　that　〃none　of　the　fellows　would　hurt　them；　but　every　fellow　would　let　them　alone。〃　Our　reporter　seems　to　think　that　〃to　be　let　alone〃　a　terrible　doom。　So　it　is；　if　one　is　sent　to　Coventry　by　gentlemen。　So　it　is；　if　one　is　neglected　by　those　who；　in　point　of　education；　thrift；　and　morality　are　our　equals　or　superiors。　So　it　is　not；　if　done　by　the　low…minded；　the　ignorant；　and　the　snobbish。　If　it　be　possible；　among　the　four　hundred　young　charity　students　of　the　Government；　that　Cadet　Smith；　for　instance；　finds　no　warm　friends；　and　has　won　no　respect　after　the　gallant　fight　he　has　made　for　four　yearsa　harder　contest　than　he　will　ever　have　in　the　sterner　fieldthen　we　despair　of　the　material　which　West　Point　is　turning　out。　If　this　be　true；　it　is　training　selfish；　snobbish　martinetsnot　knightly　soldiers；　not　Havelocks；　Hardinges；　and　Kearneysbut　the　lowest　type　of　disciplined　and　educated　force　and　brutalitythe　Bluchers　and　Marlboroughs。　　We　scarcely　believe　this；　however；　and　we　know　that　any　young　man；　whether　he　be　poor　or　black；　or　both；　may　enter　any　first…class　college　in　America　and　find　warm　sympathetic　friends；　both　among　students　and　faculty；　if　he　but　prove　himself　to　be　possessed　of　some　good　qualities　。　。　。　。　If　the　Smiths；　Flippers；　and　Williamses　in　their　honorable　school　…boy　careers　can　not　meet　social　as　well　as　intellectual　recognition　while　at　West　Point；　let　them　study　on　and　acquit　themselves　like　men；　for　they　will　meet；　out　in　the　world；　a　worthy　reception　among　men　of　worth；　who　have　put　by　the　prejudices　of　race　and　the　shackles　of　ignorance。　　Emerson　says　somewhere　that　〃Solitude；　the　nurse　of　Genius；　is　the　foe　of　mediocrity。〃　If　our　young　men　of　ability　have　the　stuff　in　them　to　make　men　out　of；　they　need　not　fear　〃to　be　let　alone〃　for　a　while；　they　will　ultimately　come　to　the　surface　and　attain　worthy　recognition。'
  〃That　is　plain；　practical　talk。　We　like　it。　It　has　the　ring　of　the　true　metal。　It　shows　that　the　writer　has　faith　in　the　ultimate　triumph　of　manhood。　It　is　another　form　for　expressing　a　firm　belief　that　real　worth　will　find　a　reward。　Never　has　any　bond　people　emerged　from　slavery　into　a　condition　full　of　such　grand　opportunities　and　splendid　possibilities　as　those　which　are　within　the　reach　of　the　colored　people　of　the　United　States；　but　if　those　opportunities　are　to　be　made　available；　if　those　possibilities　are　to　be　realized；　the　colored　people　must　move　into　the　fore…front　of　action　and　study　and　work　in　their　own　behalf。　The　colored　cadets　at　West　Point；　the　colored　students　in　the　public　schools；　the　colored　men　in　the　professions；　the　trades；　and　on　the　plantations；　can　not　be　idlers　if　they　are　to　compete　with　the　white　race　in　the　acquisition　of　knowledge　and　property。　But　they　have　examples　of　notable　achievements　in　their　own　ranks　which　should　convince　them　that　they　have　not　the　slightest　reason　to　despair　of　success。　　The　doors　stand　wide　open；　from　the　plantation　to　the　National　Capitol；　and　every　American　citizen　can；　if　he　will；　attain　worthy　recognition。〃
  And　thus；　ere　we　had　entered　upon　our　new　duties；　were　we　forewarned　of　the　kind　of　treatment　we　should　expect。　To　be　〃sent　to　Coventry；〃　〃to　be　let　severely　alone；〃　are　indeed　terrible　dooms；　but　we　cared　naught　for　them。　〃To　be　let　alone〃　was　what　we　wished。　To　be　left　to　our　own　resources　for　study　and　improvement；　for　enjoyment　in　whatever　way　we　chose　to　seek　it；　was　what　we　desired。　We　cared　not　for　social　recognition。　We　did　not　expect　it；　nor　were　we　disappointed　in　not　getting　it。　We　would　not　seek　it。　We　would　not　obtrude　ourselves　upon　them。　We　would　not　accept　recognition　unless　it　was　made　willingly。　We　would　be　of　them　at　least　independent。　We　would　mark　out　for　ourselves　a　uniform　course　of　conduct　and　follow　it　rigidly。　These　were　our　resolutions。　So　long　as　we　were　in　the　right　we　knew　we　should　be　recognized　by　those　whose　views　were　not　limited　or　bound　by　such　narrow　confines　as　prejudice　and　caste；　whether　they　were　at　West　Point　or　elsewhere。　Confident　that　right　on　our　own　part　would　secure　us　just　treatment　from　others；　that　〃if　we　but　prove　ourselves　possessed　of　some　good　qualities〃　we　could　find　friends　among　both　faculty　and　students。
  I　came　to　West　Point；　notwithstanding　I　had　heard　so　much　about　the　Academy　well　fit　to　dishearten　and　keep　one　away。　And　then；　too；　at　the　time　I　had　no　object　in　seeking　the　appointment　other　than　to　gratify　an　ordinary　ambition。　Several　friends　were　opposed　to　my　accepting　it；　and　even　persuaded　me；　or　rather　attempted　to　persuade　me；　to　give　up　the　idea　altogether。　I　was　inexorable。　I　had　set　my　mind　upon　West　Point；　and　no　amount　of　persuasion；　and　no　number　of　harrowing　narratives　of　bad　treatment；　could　have　induced　me　to　relinquish　the　object　I　had　in　view。　But　I　was　right。　The　work　I　chose；　and　from　which　I　could　not　flinch　without　dishonor；　proved　far　more　important　than　either　my　friends　or　myself　at　first　thought　it　would　be。
  Let　me　not；　however；　anticipate。　Of　this　importance　more　anon。
  CHAPTER　IV。
  CANT　TERMS；　ETC。
  AS　a　narrative　of　this　description　is　very　apt　to　be　dry　and　uninteresting；　I　have　thought　it　possible　to　remove　in　a　measure　this　objection　by　using　as　often　as　convenient　the　cant　lingo　of　the　corps。　A　vocabulary　which　shall　contain　it　all；　or　nearly　all；　becomes　necessary。　I　have　taken　great　care　to　make　it　as　full　as　possible；　and　at　the　same　time　as　intelligible　as　possible。
  There　are　a　few　cant　words　and　expressions　which　are　directly　personal；　and　in　many　cases　self…explanatory。　They　are　for　such　reasons　omitted。
  〃Animal；〃　〃animile；〃　〃beast；〃　〃reptile。〃　Synonymous　terms　applied　to　candidates　for　admission　into　the　Academy。
  〃Plebe。〃A　candidate　after　admission；　a　new　cadet。　After　the　candidates　are　examined　and　the　proficient　ones　admitted；　these　latter　are　known　officially　as　〃new　cadets；〃　but　in　the　cant　vernacular　of　the　corps　they　are　dubbed　〃plebes；〃　and　they　retain　this　designation　till　the　candidates　of　the　next　year　report。　They　are　then　called　〃yearlings；〃　a　title　applied　usually　to　them　in　camp　only。　After　the　encampment　they　become　〃furloughmen〃　until　they　return　from　furlough　in　August　of　the　following　year。　They　then　are　〃second…classmen；〃　and　are　so　officially　and　à　la　cadet　throughout　the　year。　From　this　time　till　they　graduate　they　are　known　as　the　〃graduating　class；〃　so　that；　except　the　second　class；　each　class　has　its　own　peculiar　cant　designation。
  Candidates　generally　report　in　Mayabout　the　20th　and　during　July　and　August　are　in　camp。　This　is
  their　〃plebe　camp。〃　　The　next　is　their；　〃yearling　camp。〃　During　the　next；　they　are　en　congé；　and　the　next　and　last　is　their　〃first…class　camp。〃　Of　〃plebe　camp；〃　〃yearling　camp；〃　and　〃first…class　camp；〃　more　anon。
  〃Rapid。〃A　〃plebe〃　is　said　to　be　〃rapid〃　when　he　shows　a　disposition　to　resist　hazing；　or　to　〃bone　familiarity〃　with　older　cadetsi。e。；　upper　classmen。
  〃Sep。〃A　cadet　who　reported　for　admission　in　September。
  〃Fins。〃A　term　applied　to　the　hands　generally；　of　course　to　the　hands　of　〃plebes。〃
  〃Prelim。〃A　preliminary　examination。
  〃Pred。〃A　predecessor。
  〃Pony。〃A　key；　a　corrigé。
  〃To　bone。〃To　study；　to　endeavor　to　do　well　in　any　particular；　for　instance；　to　〃bone　demerits〃　is　to　strive　to　get　as　few　as　possible。
  〃To　bone　popularity。〃This　alludes　to　a　habit　practised；　especially　by；　〃yearlings〃　while　in　camp；　and　is　equivalent　to　our　every…day　expression　in　civil　life；　viz。；　〃to　get　in　with。〃
  〃To　bugle　it。〃To　avoid　a　recitation。　To　avoid　a　recitation　is　an　act　seldom　done　by　any