CHAPTER III.
TROUBLE FOR MARK.
Time has a way of passing very hurriedly when there is anything going tohappen, especially if it be something disagreeable. The hands of theclock had been at half-past eleven when Mark left. It took them almostno time to hurry on to midnight, and not much longer to get to two. Andfrom two it went on to three, and then to half-past. The blackness ofthe night began to wane, and the sky outside the window to lighten withthe first gray streaks of dawn. Not long after this time up in one ofthe rooms on the second floor of barracks, Division 8, the occupant ofone of the rooms began to grow restless. For the occupant had promisedhimself and others to awaken them. And awaken he did suddenly, andturned over, rubbed his eyes, and sat up.
"Mark! Oh, Mark!" he called, softly. "Git up, thar! It's time to behustlin'!"
There was no answer, and Texas got up, yawning, and went to the otherbed.
"Git up thar, you prize fighter you!"
And as he spoke he aimed a blow at the bed, and the next moment hestarted back in amazement, for his hand had touched nothing but amattress, and Texas knew that the bed was empty.
"Wow!" he muttered. "He's gone without me!"
And with this thought in his mind he rushed to his watch to see if hewere too late.
No, it was just ten minutes to four, and Texas started hastily to dress,wondering at the same time what on earth could have led Mark to go soearly and without his friend.
"That was the goldurndest queer trick I ever did hear of in my life, byjingo!"
It took him but a few short moments to fling his clothes on; and then hestepped quickly across the hall and entered a room on the other side.
"I wonder if that Parson's gone with him," he muttered.
The "Parson" had not, for Texas found him engaged in encasing his long,bony legs in a pair of trousers that would have held a dozen such.
"Are you accoutered for the combat?" he whispered, in a sepulchraltone, sleepily brushing his long black hair from his eyes. "Where isMark?"
"The fool's gone up there without us!" replied the Texan, angrily.
"Without us!" echoed Stanard, sliding into his pale sea-green socks.
"Bless my soul!" echoed a voice from the bed--Indian was too sleepy toget up. "Bless my soul, what an extraordinary proceeding!"
"Come on," said Texas. "Hurry up."
The "Parson" snatched up his coat and made for the door.
"I think," said he, halting at the door in hesitation. "I think I'llleave my book behind. I'll hardly need it, do you think?"
"Come on!" growled Texas, impatiently. "Hurry up!"
Texas was beginning to get angry, as he thought, over Mark's "fooltrick."
The two dodged the sentry without much trouble; it is probable that thesentry didn't want to see them, even if he did. They ran hastily outthrough the sally port and across the parade ground, Texas, in hisimpatience, dragging his long-legged companion in tow. They made a longdetour and approached Fort Clinton from behind the hotel, in order toavoid the camp. Hearing voices from inside the embankment, Texas spranghastily forward, scrambled up the bank, and peered down into theinclosure.
"Here they are," called one of the cadets, and then, as he glanced atthe two, he added: "But where's Mallory?"
And Texas gazed about him in blank amazement.
"Where is he?" he echoed. "Where is he? Why, ain't he yere?"
It was the cadets' turn to look surprised.
"Here?" echoed Corporal Jasper. "Here! Why, we haven't seen him."
"Hain't seen him!" roared Texas, wild with vexation. "What in thunder!"
"Wasn't he in your room?" inquired somebody.
"No. He was gone! I thought, of course, he'd come out yere."
And Texas fell to pacing up and down inside the fort, chewing at hisfinger nails and muttering angrily to himself, while the yearlingsgathered into a group and speculated what the strange turn in the affaircould mean.
"It's ten to one he's flunked," put in Bull Harris, grinning joyfully.
Some such idea was lurking in Texas' mind, too, but it made him mad thatany of his enemies should say it.
"If he has," he bellowed, wheeling about angrily and facing the cadet."If he has it's because you've tricked him again, you ole white-leggedscoundrel you!"
Texas doubled up his fists and looked ready to fight right then; BullHarris opened his mouth to answer, but Jasper interposed:
"That's enough," said he. "We can settle this some other time. Thequestion is now about Mallory. You say, Mr. Powers, you've not the leastidea where he is?"
"If I had," responded Texas, "if I had, d'you think I'd be hyar?"
Jasper glanced at his watch. "It's five minutes after now," said he,"and I----"
He got no farther, for Texas started forward on a run.
"I'm a goin' to look fo' him!" he announced. And then he sprang over theembankment and disappeared, while the cadets stood about waitingimpatiently, and speculating as to what Mark's conduct could mean. PoorStanard sat sprawled out on top of the earthworks, where he sat down inamazement and confusion when he discovered that Mark was not on hand;and there he sat yet, too much amazed and confused to move or sayanything.
Meanwhile Texas was hurrying back to barracks with all the speed hecould command, his mind in a confused state of anxiety and doubt andanger. The position of humiliation in which Mark's conduct had placedhim was gall and wormwood to him, and he was fast working himself into atemper of the Texas style.
He rushed upstairs, forgetting that such a thing as a sentry existed. Heburst into the room and gazed about him. The place was empty still, andTexas slammed the door and marched downstairs again, and raced back tothe fort.
The cadets were still waiting impatiently, for it was a good while afterfour by this time.
"Find him?" they inquired.
"No, I didn't!" snapped Texas.
"No fight, then," said Jasper. "It's evident he's flunked."
"Wow!" cried Texas! "No fight! What's the matter with me?"
And, suiting the action to the word, he whipped off his coat.
"Not to-day," responded Jasper, with decision. "You'll have your chanceanother day."
"Unless you run home, too," sneered Harris.
Texas' face was fiery red with anger, and he doubled up his fists andmade a leap for the last speaker.
"You coyote!" he roared. "You an' me'll fight now!"
Bull Harris started back, and before Texas could reach him half a dozencadets interfered. Williams, the would-be defender of his class, seizedthe half-wild fellow by the shoulders and forced him back.
"Just take it easy," he commanded. "Just take it easy. You'll learn tocontrol yourself before you've been here long."
Texas could do nothing, for he was surrounded completely. Bull Harriswas led away, and then the rest of the cadets scattered to steal intocamp, but Texas snatched up his coat in a rage, and strode away towardbarracks, muttering angrily to himself, the "Parson" following behind insilence. The latter ventured to interpose a remark on the way, and Texasturned upon him angrily.
"Shut up!" he growled. "Mind your business!"
Stanard gazed at him in silence.
"I guess I'll have to knock him down again," he said to himself.
But he didn't, at least, not then; and Texas pranced up to his room andflung himself into a chair, muttering uncomplimentary remarks about Markand West Point and everything in it. It was just half-past four when heentered, and for fifteen minutes he sat and pounded the floor with hisheel in rage. Texas was about as mad as he knew how to be, which wasvery mad indeed. And then suddenly there was a step in the hall and thedoor was burst open. Texas turned and looked.
It was Mark!
Texas sprang to his feet in an instant, all his wrath aflame. Mark hadcome in hurriedly, for he had evidently been running.
"What happened----" he began, but he got no further.
"You confounded coward!" roared Texas. "Whar did you git the nerve tos
how yo' face round hyar?"
"Why, Texas?" exclaimed Mark, in amazement.
Texas was prancing up and down the room, his fingers twitching.
"I jest tell you, sah, they ain't no room in my room fo' a coward thatsneaks off when he's got a fight. Now I----"
"I left word for you," said Mark, interrupting him.
"Word for me! Word for me!" howled the other. "You're a--a--a liar,sah!"
Mark's face was as white as a sheet, but he kept his temper.
"Now, Texas," he began again, soothingly. "Now, Texas----"
"Take that, too, will ye?" sneered Texas. "You're coward enough toswallow that, too, hey? Wonder how much more you'll stand. Try that."
And before Mark could raise his arm the other sprang forward and dealthim a stinging blow upon the face.
Mark stepped back, his whole frame quivering.
"How much?" he repeated, slowly. "Not that."
And then, just as slowly, he took off his coat.
"Fight, hey?" laughed Texas. "Wow! Ready?" he added, flinging his ownjacket on the floor and getting his great long arms into motion."Ready?"
"Yes," said Mark. "I am ready."
And in an instant the other leaped forward, just as he had done at FortClinton, except that he omitted the yelling, being indoors with a sentrynearby.
Physically two fighters were never more evenly matched; no one, to lookat them, could have picked the winner, for both were giants. But therewas a difference apparent before very long. Texas fought in the wild andsavage style of the prairie, nip-and-tuck, go-as-you-please; and he waswild with anger. He had swept the yearlings at Fort Clinton before himthat way and he thought to do it again. Mark had another style, a stylethat Texas had never seen. He learned a good deal about it in a very fewminutes.
Texas started with a rush, striking right and left with all the power ofhis arms; and Mark simply stepped to one side and let the wall stopTexas. That made Texas angrier still, if such a thing can be imagined.He turned and made another dash, this time aiming a savage blow at hisopponent's head. In it was all the power of the Texan's great right arm,and it was meant to kill. Mark moved his head to one side and let theblow pass, stopping the rush with a firm prod in the other's chest; thenhe stepped aside and waited for another rush. For he did not want tohurt his excited roommate if he could help it.
A repetition of this had no effect upon Texas, however, except toincrease his fury, and Mark found that he was fast getting mad himself.A glancing blow upon the head that brought blood capped the climax, andMark gritted his teeth and got to work. Texas made another lunge, whichMark dodged, and then, before the former could stop, Mark caught him acrushing blow upon the jaw which made his teeth rattle. Texas staggeredback, and Mark followed him up rapidly, planting blow after blow uponthe body of his wildly striking opponent. And in a few moments Texas,the invincible Texas, was being rapidly pummeled into submission.
"I'll leave his face alone," thought Mark, as he aimed a blow that halfparalyzed the other's right wrist. "For I don't want the cadets to knowabout this."
And just then he landed an extra hard crack upon the other's chest, andTexas went down in a corner.
"Want any more?" inquired Mark, gravely.
Texas staggered to his feet and made one more rush, only to be promptlylaid out again.
"I guess that's enough," thought Mark, as the other lay still andgasped. "I guess that's enough for poor Texas."
And so saying, he took out his handkerchief, wiped the blood from hisface, and then opened the door and went out.
"I'm sorry I had to do it," he mused; "sorry as thunder! But he made me.And anyhow, he won't want to fight very soon again."