lead　there；　and　he　feels　himself；　although　curious　and　anxious　to　test　it；　somewhat　shy　of　entering　such　a　place。　There　is　no　alternative。　He　accepts　it　resignedly　and　goes　ahead。　It　is　not　always　with　smiling　countenance　that　he　marches　out　and　surveys　the　site　after　reveille。　Indeed；　those　who　do　have　almost　certainly　received　A　highly　colored　sketch　of　camp　life；　and　are　hastening　to　sad　disappointment；　and　not　at　all　to　the　joys　they've　been　led　to　expect。　　He　marches　into　the　company　streets。　He　surveys　them　carefully　and　recognizes　what　is　meant　by　〃the　plebes　have　to　do　all　the　policing；〃　servants　being　an　unknown　luxury。　He　also　sees　the　sentry…boxes　and　the　paths　the　sentinels　tread；　and　shudders　as　he　recollects　the　tales　of　midnight　adventure　which　some　wily　cadet　has　narrated　to　him。　Imagination　begins　her　cruel　work。　Already　he　sees　himself　lying　at　the　bottom　of　Fort　Clinton　Ditch　tied　in　a　blanket；　or　perhaps　fetterless　and　free；　but　helpless。　Or　he　may　imagine　his　hands　are　tied　to　one；　and　his　feet　to　the　other　tent…pole；　and　himself　struggling　for　freedom　as　he　recognizes　that　the　reveille　gun　has　been　fired　and　those　merciless　fifers　and　drummers　are　rapidly　finishing　the　reveille。　And；　horror　of　horrors！　mayhap　his　fancies　picture　him　standing　tremblingly　on　post　at　midnight's　solemn　hour；　his　gun　just　balanced　in　his　hands；　while　numbers　of　cadets　in　hideous　sheets　and　other　ghostly　garb　approach　or　are　already　standing　around　torturing　him。　And　again；　perchance；　he　challenges　some　approaching　person　in　one　direction；　and　finds　to　his　dismay　the　officer　of　the　day；　the　officer　of　the　guard；　and　a　corporal　are　crossing　and　recrossing　his　post；　or　having　already　advanced　without　being　challenged；　are　demanding　why　it　is；　and　why　he　has　been　so　negligent。
  Just　after　reveille　on　the　morning　of　June　22d　the　companies　were　marched　to　their　company　streets；　and　the　〃plebes〃　assigned　to　each　followed　in　rear。　At　the　time　only　the　tent　floors　and　cord　stays　were　on　the　ground。　These　former　the　plebes　were　ordered　to　align。　This　we　did　while　the　old　cadets　looked　on；　occasionally　correcting　or　making　some　suggestion。　It　required　considerable　time　to　do　this；　as　we　were　inexperienced　and　had　to　await　some　explanation　of　what　we　were　to　do。
  When　at　last　we　were　done；　tents；　or　rather　tent　floors；　were　assigned　to　us。　We　thence　returned　to　barracks　and　to　breakfast。　Our　more　bulky　effects　were　carried　into　camp　on　wagons　before　breakfast；　while　the　lighter　articles　were　moved　over　by　our　own　hands。　By；　or　perhaps　before；　eleven　o'clock　every　thing　had　been　taken　to　camp。　By　twelve　we　were　in　ranks　ready　to　march　in。　At　the　last　stroke　of　the　clock　the　column　was　put　in　march；　and　we　marched　in　with　all　the　〃glory　of　war。〃　We　stacked　arms　in　the　company　streets；　broke　ranks；　and　each　repaired　to　the　tent　assigned　him；　which　had　by　this　time　been　brought　over　and　placed　folded　on　the　tent　floors。　They　were　rapidly　prepared　for　raising；　and　at　a　signal　made　on　a　drum　the　tents　were　raised　simultaneously；　'mid　rousing　cheers；　which　told　that　another　〃camp〃　was　begun。
  After　this　we　had　dinner；　and　then　we　put　our　tents　in　order。　At　four　o'clock　the　police…call　was　sounded；　and　all　the　〃plebes〃　were　turned　out　to　police　the　company　streets。　This　new　phase　of　West　Point　life　and　its　phases　rapidly　developed　themselveswas　a　hard　one　indeed。　The　duties　are　menial；　and　very　few　discharge　them　without　some　show　of　displeasure；　and　often　of　temper。　None　are　exempt。　It　is　not　hard　work；　and　yet　every　one　objects　to　doing　it。　The　third　and　fourth　classes；　by　regulations；　are　required　to　do　the　policing。　When　I　was　a　plebe；　the　plebes　did　it　all。　Many　indeed　tried　to　shirk　it；　but　they　were　invariably　〃hived。〃　Every　plebe　who　attempted　any　such　thing　was　closely　watched　and　made　to　work。　The　old　cadets　generally　chose　such　men　for　〃special　dutymen；〃　and　required　them　to　bring　water；　pile　bedding；　sweep　the　floor；　and　do　all　sorts　of　menial　services。　Of　course　all　this　last　is　prohibited；　and　therefore　risky。　Somebody　is　〃hived〃　and　severely　punished　almost　every　year　for　allowing　plebes　to　perform　menial　duties　for　him。　But　what　of　that？　The　more　dangerous　it　becomes　the　more　is　it　practised。　Forbidden　things　always　have　an　alluring　sweetness　about　them。　More　caution；　however；　is　observed。　If；　for　instance；　a　cadet　should　want　a　pail　of　water；　he　causes　a　plebe　to　empty　his　（the　plebe's）　into　his　own　（the　cadet's）。　If　it　should　be　empty；　he　sends　him　to　the　hydrant　to　fill　it；　and；　when　he　returns；　gets　possession　of　it　as　before。　An　officer　seeing　a　plebe　with　his　own　pailrecognizable　by　his　own　name　being　on　it　in　huge　Roman　charactersgoing　for　water　would　say　nothing　to　him。　If　the　name；　however；　should　be　that　of　a　cadet；　the　plebe　would　be　fortunate　if　he　escaped　an　investigation　or　a　reprimand　on　the　spot；　and　the　cadet；　too；　if　he　were　not　put　in　arrest　for　allowing　a　new　cadet　to　perform　menial　services　for　him。　If　he　wants　a　dipper　of　iced…water；　he　calls　out　to　the　first　plebe　he　sees　in　some　such　manner　as　this：　〃Oh！　Mr。；　don't　you　want　to　borrow　my　dipper　for　a　little　while？〃　The　plebe　of　course　understands　this。　He　may　smile　possibly；　and　if　not　serving　some　punishment　will　go　for　the　water。
  Plebes　are　also　required　to　clean　the　equipments　of　the　older　cadets。　They　do　it　cheerfully；　and；　strange　to　say；　are　as　careful　not　to　be　〃hived〃　as　the　cadet　whose　accoutrements　they　are　cleaning。　I　say　〃required。〃　I　do　not　mean　that　regulations　or　orders　require　this　of　the　new　cadets；　but　that　the　cadets　by　way　of　hazing　do。　From　the　heartrending　tales　of　hazing　at　West　Point；　which　citizens　sometimes　read　of；　one　would　think　the　plebes　would　offer　some　resistance　or　would　complain　to　the　authorities。　These　tales　are　for　the　most　part　untrue。　In　earlier　days　perhaps　hazing　was　practised　in　a　more　inhuman　manner　than　now。　It　may　be　impossible；　and　indeed　is；　for　a　plebe　to　cross　a　company　street　without　having　some　one　yell　out　to　him：　〃Get　your　hands　around；　mister。　Hold　your　head　up；〃　but　all　that　is　required　by　tactics。　Perhaps　the　frequency　and　unnecessary　repetition　of　these　cautions　give　them　the　appearance　of　hazing。　However　that　may　be；　there　seems　to　be　no　way　to　impress　upon　a　plebe　the　necessity　of　carrying　his　〃palms　to　the　front；〃　or　his　〃head　up。〃　To　report　him　and　give　him　demerits　merely　causes　him　to　laugh　and　joke　over　the　number　of　them　that　have　been　recorded　against　him。
  I　do　not　mean　to　defend　hazing　in　any　sense　of　the　word；　but　I　do　believe　that　it　is　indispensable　as　practised　at　the　Academy。　It　would　simply　be　impossible　to　mould　and　polish　the　social　amalgamation　at　West　Point　without　it。　Some　of　the　rough　specimens　annually　admitted　care　nothing　for　regulations。　It　is　fun　to　them　to　be　punished。　Nothing　so　effectually　makes　a　plebe　submissive　as　hazing。　That　contemptuous　look　and　imperious　bearing　lowers　a　plebe；　I　sometimes　think；　in　his　own　estimation。　He　is　in　a　manner　cowed　and　made　to　feel　that　he　must　obey；　and　not　disobey；　to　feel　that　he　is　a　plebe；　and　must　expect　a　plebe's　portion。　He　is　taught　by　it　to　stay　in　his　place；　and　not　to　〃bone　popularity〃　with　the　older　cadets。
  It　is　frequently　said　that　〃plebe　camp〃　and　〃plebe　life〃　are　the　severest　parts　of　life　at　West　Point。　To　some　they　are；　and　to　others　they　are　not。　With　my　own　self　I　was　almost　entirely　free　from　hazing；　and　while　there　were　features　in　〃plebe　life〃　which　I　disliked；　I　did　nevertheless　have　a　far　easier　and　better　time　than　my　own　white　classmates。　Even　white　plebes　often　go　through　their　camp　pleasantly　and　profitably。　Only　those　who　shirk　duty　have　to　suffer　any　unusual　punishment　or　hazing。
  I　have　known　plebes　to　be　permitted　to　do　any　thing　they　chose　while　off　duty。　I　have　known　others　to　have　been　kept　working　on　their　guns　or　other　equipments　whole　days　for　several　days　at　a　time。　It　mattered　not　how　clean　they　were；　or　how　soon　the　work　was　done。　I've　known　them　to　be　many　times　interrupted　for　the　mere　sake　of　hazing；　and　perhaps　to　be　sent　somewhere　or　to　do　something　which　was　unnecessary　and　would　have　been　as　well　undone。　Plebes　who　tent　with　first…classmen　keep　their　own　tents　in　order；　and　are　never　permitted　by　their　tentmates　to　do　any　thing　of　the　kind　for　others　unless　when　wanted；　are　entirely　unoccupied；　and　then　usually　their　services　are　asked　for。　A　classmate　of　mine；　when　a　plebe；　tented　with　a　first…classman。　He　was　doing　something　for　himself　one　day　in　a　free…and…easy　manner；　and　had　no　thought　of　disturbing　any　one。　A　yearling　corporal；　who　was　passing；　saw　him；　thought　he　was　having　too　good　and　soft　a　time　of　it；　and　ordered　him　out　to　tighten　cords；　an　act　then　highly　uncalled　for；　save　as　a　means　of　hazing。　The　first…classman　happened　to　come　up　just　as　the　plebe　began　to　interfere　with　the　cords；　and　asked　him　who　told　him　to　do　that。　He　told　him；　and　was　at　once　directed　to　leave　them　and　return　to　whatever　he　was　doing　before　being　interrupted。　The　yearling；　confident　in　his　red　tape　and　his　mightiness；　ordered　the　plebe　out　again。　His　corporalship　soon　discovered　his　mistake；　for　the　first…classman　gave　the　plebe　full　information　as　to　what　could　be　required　of　him；　and