Dinner was on the table, and there were a good many tables in the big hall. Each table had seats for twenty-two persons, ten on a side and one at either end. There were tablecloths, but no napkins, and one waiter for every two long tables; the waiters did not pass anything, but brought water, bread, etc., when needed. The cadets (and candidates) at the ends of the tables did the carving, while those at the center of the long tables poured the water. At supper and breakfast there were no tablecloths. Tablecloths and napkins are now furnished for all meals, and there are cane seat chairs instead of the old iron stools. The tables of the cadets were divided crosswise in the center by an imaginary line into two parts, and each part was called a table. The cadets had seats according to rank, and they always sat in the same seats. First classmen sat near the end called the head of the table, second classmen next, third classmen (except the corporals) next, and then fourth classmen, the latter being at the center of the long tables. The corporals at the ends of the tables were the carvers, and the fourth classmen poured the water.[9] After dinner we were marched back to barracks, and before being dismissed the candidates were informed that they could do as they pleased until the bugle sounded “Call to quarters” at 2 o’clock, and then they must repair promptly to quarters, that is, to their own rooms in the barracks. All the time that we were in ranks the usual volleys were fired at us, such as: “Eyes to the front. Head erect and chin in.” After we were dismissed we were constantly reminded to “carry palms of the hands to the front,” notwithstanding the fact that we had been told to go where we pleased for a whole half hour. Some of the candidates went to the sink (i. e., water closet),[10] and some of the old cadets went there, too. A number of them surrounded a poor candidate, called him a plebe or an animal, and fired dozens of questions at him at once. The madder the plebe got the more fun it was for the old cadets. As the candidates were not acquainted with one another, and as they dreaded to meet the old cadets, they naturally drifted to their quarters, thinking that the safest place to be, but, alas! some of the old cadets called upon them there. While they did not mention their names, something like this generally occurred: “‘Shun, squad. Come to attention, plebes. Palms to the front. What’s your name? Spell it; spell it backwards. What state are you from? Who’s your predecessor?’ Say ‘Mr. ⸺.’ Do you think you can pass the ‘prelim’? Where is Newburg? Don’t know? How do you expect to get in here if you don’t know where Newburg is? Climb up on that mantel and be lively about it, too. Now move your arms and say ‘Caw, caw.’ Stop that laughing. Eyes to the front.” And so on, till the old cadets would slip out in time to go to their rooms for “Call to quarters.”