The officer turned. "Which is Mr. Graham?" he asked. "Call him here."
And so in another moment Pops found himself standing attention to his company commander and instructor.
"I am told you wish to tent with Mr. Frazier. Is that the case?"
Geordie colored. The question was so pat and what soldiers call point-blank. He could not truthfully say that he really wished to share Frazier's fortunes as a tent-mate. In the pursuance of the policy he had mapped out for himself he would rather have lived with some one less likely to be the recipient of much attention from the old cadets—some one less apt to be perpetually saying or doing something to invite their especial efforts. Mr. Allen saw his hesitancy, and spoke kindly.
"If you think of any one else you would rather tent with, I presume that it can be arranged."
"No, sir," answered Geordie, finding voice at last. "I had thought of no one else. I promised Mr. Frazier."
"Very well, sir. Mr. Leonard, put this young gentleman and Mr. Frazier in the same tent—two more with them. Have you any choice, Mr. Graham?"
And then again appeared Frazier, eager to speak. "Connell and Foster, sir, would like to tent with us."
The cadet officer looked interrogatively at his superior. Mr. Allen briefly nodded.
"Take that one, then," said Mr. Leonard, shortly, indicating a vacant tent on the south side of the company street, at about the middle of the row.
"Come on, boys," said Frazier, eagerly, assuming the leadership of his squad as though by vested right, and then was brought up standing by the voice of his young captain.
"Mr. Frazier," said he, "the first lesson you have to learn is that very new cadets should only be seen, not heard; and when you are heard, sir, don't again allude to members of the corps of cadets of the United States Army as _boys_. You are here to be men, if it's in you. If it isn't, you're apt to get out of it, sir."
And with this withering welcome to his company, poor Frazier was permitted to go.
"That's another young snob, that fellow Leonard!" he confided to his comrades, in low tone, as they were depositing their few goods and chattels in their eight-by-ten domain. "I'll pay him off for that yet, see if I don't." Whereat Pops and Connell exchanged glances and grins.