Once he was struck or kicked with great violence.
After a few moments of this treatment, Davis managed to get his head clear of the enfolding blanket and shout for help.

His cries produced another alarm in camp, and his assailants quickly took to flight, leaving him in a badly battered condition.
Fred got upon his feet, and was standing dazed and bewildered when the corporal of the guard actually appeared, with the guard at his back.
Lieutenant Gordan, who had been on the alert for another outbreak, showed up at the same time; but Davis was so bewildered that it was several moments before he could answer their questions.
It was finally found that he had been robbed of his gun, his belt slashed, and his uniform cut in half a dozen different places, so it was quite ruined.
By this time Lieutenant Gordan was thoroughly angry, and he declared he would give his time and attention during the next week to the discovery and punishment of the perpetrators of the outrage.
"There is going to be an end to this hazing of sentries," he asserted.
"Somebody shall be made an example of, and we'll see if that will do any good." Fred was told to go to his tent and get to bed, and he was only too glad to do so.
Somehow, in the morning, the report got around that Davis had been stabbed or cut in the attack upon him.

Frank lost no time in investigating, finding his fag attending to duties about his own tent.
In answer to Merriwell's questions, Fred said he had not been cut in any way, but his clothing had been mutilated, and he had been robbed of his gun, cartridge-box and bayonet-scabbard.

He showed Frank his clothing, and the latter was scarcely less indignant than Lieutenant Gordan had been.
"This is not fun," Merriwell declared.

"It is malicious and wanton brutality, and I fancy I can lay my hands on the fellow who was at the bottom of it." The search for Fred's rifle had proved unsuccessful, and so he was given another from the armory, while a new uniform was ordered for him.
Lieutenant Gordan came around, and questioned the unlucky plebe again concerning the assault upon him; but it had been too dark for him to recognize any of his assailants, and the voice of the fellow who had announced himself as corporal of the guard had been muffled and disguised.
It now began to appear that the unusual activity during the night had been for the purpose of drawing the attention to the side of the camp opposite Davis' post, so that the attack upon him might be carried out successfully.
The boys found enough to think of and talk about during such opportunities as were given them.
At dinner the conversation was almost entirely about the tumultuous events of the night, and, by keeping eyes and ears open, Frank sought to discover who knew the most concerning those things which had taken place.
Bascomb seemed in high spirits.