Saunders tried to find a
flaw in his behavior so that he might have the matter taken up by the
class committee, but there was no flaw to be found. Self-respect
prevented him from giving the real reason, his jealousy; besides, it
was out of the question to drag in the name of a lady.
One day Saunders, Captain Clark, Smith, and some other cadets were
discussing the matter of fourth-class discipline, and the merits of
some recent fights which had been ordered between fourth-class men
and their seniors for the purpose of punishing the former, when
Saunders tried skilfully to lead the conversation round to the case
of Sam Jinks.
"There are some fellows in the fourth class that need a little taking
down, don't you think so?" he asked.
"If there are, take them down," said Clark laconically. "Who do you
mean?"
"Why, there's that Jinks fellow, for instance. He struts about as if he
were a major-general."
"He is pretty well set up, that's a fact," said Smith, "but you can't
object to that. I must say he does his work for me up to the handle.
Look at that for a shine"; and he exhibited one of his boots to the
crowd.
"I wonder if he can fight?" said Saunders, changing his tactics. "He's
a well-built chap, and I'd like to see what he can do. How can we get
him to fight if we can't haul him up for misbehaving?"
"It's easy enough, if he's a gentleman," answered Clark, who was a
recognized authority in matters of etiquette.
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