United States or Algeria ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Yet Butler was a wary fighter; he blocked Greg's follow-up scheme, then fought for time. Towards the end of the round, however, Butler again tried for the plebe's nose. This time he failed again, but Greg's counter-blow landed on the point of a shoulder. Butler would have been away in another instant, but Greg's right came out of a hook and tapped the yearling emphatically on the end of his nose.
Then, with a sudden tensing of his muscles, the yearling let his left drive to "paste" the plebe's head against the hard wall. But the plebe wasn't there. Dick Prescott had counted on this, and had wriggled out by a duck and a plunge forward that carried him beyond momentary risk of Mr. Spurlock's following right.
Together they went to the hospital where Dodge reported to the medical officer in charge. "What's the trouble, Mr. Dodge?" asked the surgeon, reaching for the plebe's pulse. "Chills, sir, mumbled the cadet. "Chills? Your pulse is a bit rapid, but not suspiciously so. Let me place this thermometer in your mouth." After two minutes Captain Goodwin removed the thermometer and held it up.
"I hope so," muttered Greg dreamily. "For that one I believe I have one of the best counters known." Surely enough, in the beginning of the second round, Butler feinted, then led off for a hard one on the plebe's nose. But the delivery was the very one that Cadet Holmes wanted. He ducked, feinted, and slammed in just above Mr. Butler's belt with such force that the big yearling staggered.
It is against all West Point traditions to make a hero of a plebe. Not a word of congratulation came to Cadet Prescott. It wouldn't even save the young man from being the victim of a lot of hazing pranks, for these inflictions were deemed necessary to the plebe's training.
"At least, Butler, if you insist that the fight must be fought, let the scrap committee choose one of our class who is down nearer to the plebe's size," urged Mr. Atwater. "Under ordinary conditions, old fellow, I'd be tickled to do it," replied Mr. Butler. "But, in a trick of this kind, I couldn't get any satisfaction out of anyone else hammering the b.j. beast who put up such a tumble for me."
Kramer started in at a lively gait, trying to bear the plebe down with swift, overpowering rushes and showers of blows. Some of these landed on the plebe's sturdy body, the whacks resounding. But the blows merely stirred Prescott's fighting blood within him.
Word Of The Day