Four barefoot West Point cadets wearing summary Hawailas shirts hoisted a fifth cadet up a brick wall outside of the Harvard Hillel on Mr. Auburn St. late Saturday night and absconded with the Jewish student organization's flag, according to eyewitness John B. Rabinowitz '84.

However, thanks to the efforts of Rabinowitz and the Harvard Police, the flag was recaptured and again flew over the Hillel entrance by 2 p.m. yesterday.

Rabinowitz, who was returning from a late party, followed the cadets to Leverett House, where he confronted them.

According to Rabinowitz, the cadets were reluctant to answer him. They were less reluctant to answer a Harvard police officer who, according to Capt. Jack W. Morse, acting director of security, was notified of the incident by a call from a student in Claverly Hall.

"Any you guys seen a flag?" Rabinowitz recalled the policeman asking.

The alleged culprits explained that they stole the flag because they thought it belonged to a fraternity and handed over the flag to Rabinowitz, the Adams House resident said. "They looked somewhat apologetic," Rabinowitz added. He remembered the officer murmuring. "Why don't you guys go to bed."

Yesterday afternoon, Rabinowitz and two friends returned the missing flug to Marilyn Abel, assistant director for programs at Hillel.

"I didn't even know it was missing before that," Abel said yesterday.

Morse said last night that no punitive action was taken against the cadets, but that they were "warned, lectured, and released."