The　plebe　looks；　and　for　the　first　time　brought　to　full　consciousness；　recognizes　the　officer　of　the　day。　Of　course　he　is　surprised；　and　the　more　so　when　the　officer　of　the　day　inspects　for　histhe　plebe'ssatisfaction　the　sentry…box；　and　finds　no　one　there。　He　〃eats〃　that　plebe　up　entirely；　and　then　sends　a　corporal　around　to　instruct　him　in　his　orders。　When　the　corporal　comes　it　may　be　just　as　difficult　to　advance　him。　He　may；　when　challenged；　advance　without　replying；　or；　if　he　replies；　he　may　say；　〃Steamboat；〃　〃Captain　Jack；　Queen　of　the　Modocs；〃　as　one　did　say　to　me；　or　something　or　somebody　else　not　entitled　to　the　countersign。　Possibly　the　plebe　remembers　this；　and　he　may　command　〃Halt！〃　and　call　another　corporal。　This　latter　may　come　on　a　run　at　〃charge　bayonets；〃　and　may　not　stop　till　within　a　foot　or　so　of　the　sentinel。　He　then　gets　another　〃cursing　out。〃　By　this　time　the　corporal　who　first　came　and　was　halted　has　advanced　unchallenged　and　unnoticed　since　the　arrival　of　the　second。　And　then　another　cursing　out。　Thus　it　is　that　plebe　camp　is　made　so　hard。
  Surely　the　officers　and　non…commissioned　officers　are　right　in　testing　by　all　manner　of　ruses　the　ability　of　the　sentinels。　It　is　their　duty　to　instruct　them；　to　see　that　they　know　their　orders；　and　are　not　afraid　to　apply　them。
  Sometimes　plebes　enjoy　it；　and　like　to　be　cursed　out。　Sometimes　they　purposely　advance　toward　a　party　improperly；　to　see　what　will　be　said　to　them。　It　is　fun　to　some；　and　to　others　most　serious。　At　best　it　gives　a　plebe　a　poor　opinion　of　West　Point；　and　while　he　may　bear　it　meekly　he　nevertheless　sighs　for　the　〃　touch　of　a　vanished　hand；〃　the　caressing　hand　of　a　loving　mother　or　sister。　I　know　I　used　to　hate　the　very　name　of　camp；　and　I　had　an　easier　time；　too；　than　the　other　plebes。
  Of　course　the　plebes；　being　inexperienced　for　the　most　part；　are　〃high　privates　in　the　rear　rank。〃　For　another　reason；　also；　this　is　the　case。　The　first　and　second　classes　have　the　right　established　by　immemorial　custom　of　marching　in　the　front　rank；　which　right　necessarily　keeps　the　plebes　in　the　rear　rank；　and　the　yearlings　too；　except　so　many　as　are　required　in　the　front　rank　for　the　proper　formation　of　the　company。　Another　reason；　perhaps；　may　be　given　to　the　same　end。　We　have　what　we　call　class　rank；　or；　in　other　words；　class　standing。　Every　class　has　certain　privileges　and　immunities；　which　the　junior　classes　do　not　enjoy；　for　example；　first…　classmen；　and　second…classmen　tooby　General　Orders　of　September；　1876are　excused　from　guard　duty　in　the　capacity　of　privates；　and　are　detailed　first…　classmen　for　officers　of　the　day　and　officers　of　the　guard；　and　second…classmen　for　non…commissioned　officers　of　the　guard。　All　members　of　the　third　and　fourth　classes　are　privates；　and　from　them　the　privates　of　the　guard　are　detailed。　All　officers；　commissioned　and　non…commissioned；　are　exempt　from　〃Saturday　punishment。〃　I　mean　they　do　not　walk　extra　tours　of　guard　for　punishment。　The　non…　commissioned　officers　are　sometimes　required　to　serve　such　punishments　by　discharging　the　duties　of　corporal　or　sergeant　in　connection　with　the　punishment　squad。　Third…and　fourth…classmen　enjoy　no　such　immunities。　Plebes；　then；　having　no　rank　whatever；　being　in　fact　conditional　cadets　until　they　shall　have　received　their　warrants　in　the　following　January；　must　give　way　to　those　who　have。　One　half　or　more　of　the　privates　of　the　company　must　be　in　the　front　rank。　This　half　is　made　up　of　those　who　rank　highest；　first…classmen　and　second…classmen；　and　also；　if　necessary；　a　number　of　third…classmen。　Plebes　must　then；　except　in　rare　cases；　march　in　the　rear　rank；　and　from　the　time　they　are　put　in　the　battalion　till　the　close　of　the　summer　encampment；　they　are　required　to　carry　their　hands　with　palms　to　the　front　as　prescribed　in　the　tactics。
  All　this　is　kept　up　till　the　close　of　camp；　and　makes；　I　think；　plebe　camp　the　most　trying　part　of　one's　cadet　life。
  On　the　28th　of　August　the　furloughmen　return；　and　report　to　the　commandant　at　two　o'clock　for　duty。
  In　the　afternoon　the　battalion　is　sized　and　quarters　are　assigned　under　the　supervision　of　the　assistant…　instructors　of　tactics。
  At　parade　the　appointment　of　officers　and　non…　commissioned　officers　for　the　ensuing　year　is　published；　and　also　orders　for　the　discontinuance　of　the　encampment。
  In　the　evening　the　〃twenty…eighth　hop〃　takes　place；　and　is　the　last　of　the　season。　On　the　29thand　beginning　at　reveillethe　cadets　move　their　effects　into　winter　quarters　in　barracks。　All　heavy　articles　are　moved　in　on　wagons；　while　all　lighter　ones　are　carried　over　by　cadets　themselves。　By　seven　o'clock　every　thing　is　moved　away　from　camp；　save　each　cadet's　accoutrements。
  Breakfast　is　served　at　7　A。M。；　and　immediately　afterward　comes　〃troop〃　and　guard…mounting；　after　which　the　entire　camp　is　thoroughly　policed。　This　requires　an　hour　or　more；　and　when　all　is　done　the　〃general〃　is　sounded。　At　this　the　companies　are　formed　under　arm　in　their　respective　company　streets。　The　arms　are　then　stacked　and　ranks　broken。　At　least　two　cadets　repair　to　each　tent；　and　at　the　first　tap　of　the　drum　remove　and　roll　up　all　the　cords　save　the　corner　ones。　At　the　second　tap；　while　one　cadet　steadies　the　tent　the　other　removes　and　rolls　the　corner　cords　nearest　him。　The　tents　in　the　body　of　the　encampment　are　moved。　　Back　two　feet；　more　or　less；　from　the　color　line；　while　the　guard　tents　and　those　of　the　company　officers　are　moved　in　a　northerly　direction。　At　the　third　tap　the　tents　fall　simultaneously　toward　the　color　line　and　the　south　cardinal　point；　amid　rousing　cheers。　The　tents　being　neatly　rolled　up　and　placed　on　the　floors；　the　companies　are　reformed　and　on　the　centre。　The　battalion　then　marches　out　to　take　up　its　winter　quarters　in　barracks。
  When　camp　is　over　the　plebes　are　no　longer　required　to　depress　their　toes　or　to　carry　their　hands　with　palms　to　the　front。　　They　are；　in　fact；　〃cadets　and　gentlemen；〃　and　must　take　care　of　themselves。
  CHAPTER　VI。
  STUDIES；　ETC。
  THE　academic　year　begins　July　1st；　and　continues　till　about　June　20th　the　following　year。　As　soon　after　this　as　practicabledepending　upon　what　time　the　examination　is　finishedthe　corps　moves　into　camp；　with　the　exception　of　the　second　class；　who　go　on　furlough　instead。
  Between　the　20th　of　August　and　the　1st　of　September；　the　〃Seps；〃　or　those　candidates　who　were　unable　to　do　so　in　the　spring　previous；　report。　Before　the　1st　they　have　been　examined　and　the　deficient　ones　dismissed。　On　the　1st；　unless　that　be　Sunday；　academic　duties　begin。　The　classes　are　arranged　into　a　number　of　sections；　according　to　their　class　rank；　as　determined　at　the　previous　annual　examination；　or　according　to　rank　in　some　particular　studyfor　instance；　for　instruction　in　engineering　the　first　class　is　arranged　according　to　merit　in　philosophy；　and　not　according　to　general　merit　or　class　rank。　The　fourth；　or　〃plebe〃　class；　however；　is　arranged　alphabetically　since　they　as　yet　have　no　class　rank。
  The　first　class　study；　during　the　first　term；　engineering　law；　and　ordnance　and　gunnery。　They　recite　on　civil　engineering　from　8　to　11　A。M。　daily；　on　ordnance　and　gunnery　from　2　to　4　P。M。；　alternating　with　law。
  The　second　class　have　natural　and　experimental　philosophy　from　8　to　11　A。M。　daily；　and　chemistry；　alternating　with　riding；　from　11　A。M。　to　1　P。M。；　also　drawing　in　pencil　from　2　to　4　P。M。　For　instruction　in　this　department　the　class　is　divided　into　two　as　nearly　equal　parts　as　practicable；　which　alternate　in　attendance　at　the　Drawing　Academy。
  The　third　class　have　pure　mathematics；　analytical　Geometry；　descriptive　geometry；　and　the　principles　of　shades；　shadows；　and　perspective；　from　8　to　11　A。M。　daily。　They　also　have　French　from　11　A。M。；　till　1　P。M。；　alternating　with　Spanish。
  The　entire　class　attend　drawing　daily　till　November　1st；　when　it　is　divided　into　two　equal　parts　or　platoons；　which　attend　drawing　and　riding　on　alternate　clays。　Riding！　〃Yearling　riding！〃　I　must　advert　to　that　before　I　go　further。　First　let　me　describe　it。　A　platoon　of　yearlings；　twenty；　thirty；　forty　perhaps；　as　many　horses；　a　spacious　riding…　hall；　with　galleries　that　seat　but　too　many　mischievous　young　ladies；　and　whose　interior　is　well　supplied　with　tan　bark；　make　up　the　principal　objects　in　the　play。　Nay；　I　omit　the　most　important　characters；　the　Instructor　and　the　necessary　number　of　enlisted；　men。
  ACT　I。
  SCENE　I。
  Area　of　barracks。　At　guard…house　door　stands　an　orderly；　with　drum　in　hands。　In　the　area　a　number　of　cadets；　some　in　every…day　attire；　others　dressed　à　la　cavalier。　These　à　la　cavalier　fellows　are　going　to　take　their　first　lesson　in　riding。　About　four…　fifths　of　them　were　never　on　a　horse　in　their　lives；　and　hence　what　dire　expectations　hover　over　their　ordinarily　placid　heads！　They　have　heard　from　the　upper　classmen　what　trials　the　novice　experiences　in　his　first　efforts；　and　they　do　not　go　to　the　riding…hall　without　some　dread。　Four　o'clock　and　ten　minutes。　The　drum　is　beaten。
  Officer　of　the　Day。Form　your　platoon！　Right；　face！　Call　your　roll！
  Section　Marcher。Bejay！　Barnes！　Du　Furing！　Swikeheimer！　Du　F