E-text prepared by Steven desJardins and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustration. See 36101-h.htm or 36101-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/36101/pg36101-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/36101/36101-h.zip) Transcriber's note: "Lieut. Frederick Garrison" is a pseudonym used by Upton Sinclair. [Illustration: "Cadet Mallory received a letter from a friend." (See page 7)] ON GUARD Or Mark Mallory's Celebration by LIEUT. FREDERICK GARRISON, U. S. A. Author of "Off for West Point," "A West Point Treasure," "A Cadet's Honor," etc. [Illustration: Boy's Own Library] Philadelphia David Mckay, Publisher 610 South Washington Square Copyright, 1903 By Street & Smith On Guard CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I.--A Letter from a "Furlough Man" 7 II.--Mark's Idea 15 III.--A New Ally 22 IV.--A Surprise for the Seven 31 V.--The Scheme Succeeds 36 VI.--What Mark Overheard 46 VII.--Mark's Counterplot 57 VIII.--The Attack on Mark 65 IX.--Three Discomfited Yearlings 74 X.--Texas Runs Amuck 80 XI.--Texas Raids West Point 91 XII.--The Cause of a Friend 103 XIII.--The Reformation of Texas 110 XIV.--A Plot of the Yearlings 118 XV.--The Plebes Plot, Too 128 XVI.--Setting the Trap 133 XVII.--The Result at the Hop 141 XVIII.--A Strange Announcement 149 XIX.--Texas Turns Highwayman 160 XX.--Two Midnight Prowlers 167 XXI.--Benny is Exposed 178 XXII.--Mark Receives a Committee 183 XXIII.--A Fight, and Other Things 199 XXIV.--Six to the Rescue 208 XXV.--Mark in the Hospital 216 XXVI.--Texas Has an Interview 224 XXVII.--A Plot to Beat "the General" 232 XXVIII.--"Bull" Finds an Ally 241 XXIX.--Strange Conduct 250 XXX.--A Surprise for Murray 256 XXXI.--The Plot Succeeds 265 XXXII.--Triumph--Conclusion 277 ON GUARD. CHAPTER I. A LETTER FROM A "FURLOUGH MAN." "A letter for me, did you say?" The speaker was a tall, handsome lad, a plebe at the West Point Military Academy. At the moment he was gazing inquiringly out of the tent door at a small orderly. The boy handed him an envelope, and the other glanced at it.