Thereupon he dismissed us. I went to him, and begged and implored him to ask the Colonel to reconsider his decision, but he replied that I was merely wasting my time and his. The blow had fallen, and I felt like a madman! The first thing I did was to obtain a copy of the list, which was posted up in the schoolroom. I then saw how the trick had been played. A few words of explanation will make the device clear. The result of the examination, so far as I was concerned, was as follows: +-----------------------------+--------------+------------+---------+ | |Co-efficients.| My Marks. | Totals. | +-----------------------------+--------------+------------+---------+ |Dismounted drill and command | 8 | 13 | 104 | |Hippology | 5 | 16 | 80 | |Voltige | 6 | 12 | 72 | |Gymnastics | 5 | 10 | 50 | |Topography | 5 | 9 | 45 | |Knowledge of regulations | 6 | 10 | 60 | |Riding | 7 | 18 | 126 | |Mounted drill and command | 8 | 12 | 96 | | | | +---------+ | Grand total | | | 633 | +-----------------------------+--------------+------------+---------+ The highest marks obtained out of a possible 1000 were 816, the lowest marks (given to the _Volontaire_ next to me on the list) were 177. By the actual marks obtained I ought to have been classed the fifth out of fourteen, but as the examiners were determined that I should be the last on the list, the following plan was devised:-- "Good conduct" was added to the other items, and a coefficient of no less than fifty was allotted to it. With the exception of two other _Volontaires_ besides myself, twenty marks were given to every one for good conduct, thus increasing their totals by _one thousand_! The _Volontaire_ who was last but one was given seventeen marks for good conduct, and this, multiplied by fifty, made 850 to be added on to his beggarly 177, giving him a total of 1027 marks. I was given nothing for good conduct, so that I remained with my original 633 marks, and was thus classed last. The regulations stated that _Volontaires_, who at the end of the year had failed to show a proficiency sufficient to enable them to obtain a number of marks at least equal to half the possible maximum at the final examination might be detained for a second year--I was therefore detained _according to the regulations_!