"Dave, old chum," cried Dan tossing his cap on the bed as they entered their room. "Are you going to turn greaser, and stay greaser?"
"What do you mean?" asked Darrin quietly.
"You told me to shut up in the ranks."
"That was right, wasn"t it? I am under orders to see that there is no talking in the section when marching."
"Not even a solitary, teeny little word, eh?"
"Not if I can stop it," replied Dave.
"And what if you can"t stop it?"
"Then I am obliged to direct the offender to put himself on the report."
"Great Scott! Would you tell your chum to frap the pap for a little thing like that, and take demerits unto himself?"
"If I had to," nodded Dave. "You see, Dan, we"re here trying to learn to be Naval officers and to hold command. Now, it"s my belief that a man who can"t take orders, and stick to them, isn"t fit to give orders at any period in his life."
"This sort of thing is getting on my nerves a bit," grumbled Dan.
"Just think of all the freedom we had in the good old days back at Gridley!"
"This is a new life, Dan--a different one and a better one."
"Maybe," half a.s.sented Dalzell, who was beginning to acc.u.mulate the elements of a "grouch."
"Dan," asked Darrin, as he seated himself at his desk and opened a book preparatory to a long bit of hard study, "don"t you know that your bed isn"t the regulation place to hang your cap?"
"Oh, hang the cap, and the regulations, too!" grumbled Dalzell.
"I"m beginning to feel that I"ve got to break through at some point."
"Pick up your cap, and put it on its hook--do," begged Darrin coaxingly.
At the same time he looked us with a smile which showed that he thought his friend was acting in a very juvenile manner.
Something impelled Dan to comply with his chum"s request. Then, after hanging the cap, with great care, on its nail, the disgruntled one slipped to the study table and picked up a book.
Just as he did so there came a knock on the door.
Then Lieutenant Stapleton, in white gloves and wearing his sword, stepped into the room, followed by a midshipman, also white-gloved.
Lieutenant Stapleton was the officer in charge, the young man the midshipman in charge of the floor.
"Good morning, gentlemen," said the Lieutenant pleasantly, as both midshipmen promptly rose to their feet and stood at attention.
Dave and Dan remained standing at attention while the lieutenant stepped quickly about the room, taking in everything with a practiced glance.
"Everything in order," commented the lieutenant, as he turned to the door. "Resume your work, gentlemen."
"Maybe you"re glad you hung your cap up just in time," grinned Dave.
"Oh, bother the whole scheme!" grunted Dan "The idea of a fellow having to be a jumping-jack all the time!"
"A midshipman has to be a jumping-jack, I reckon," replied Dave, "until he learns to be a man and to live up to discipline as only a man can."
"See here, do you mean to say--"
"Go on with your study of English, unless you"re sure you know all the fine points of the language," interrupted Darrin. "I know I don"t and I want time to study."
Dan gazed steadily at his chum, but Darrin seemed too deeply absorbed in his work to be conscious of the gaze.
On the whole studies and recitations pa.s.sed off rather pleasantly for both chums that day, though both could see that there were breakers ahead.
After supper a few minutes were allowed for recreation, which consisted mostly of an opportunity for the midshipmen to chat with each other. Then came the call that sent them to their rooms to study for two solid hours.
"I wish the powers that be would let us sit up an hour later,"
sighed Dave, looking up from his book in the middle of the study period.
"I"d rather they"d let us sleep an hour later in the morning,"
grumbled Dan.
"But, really, it would be great to have chance to study an hour more each evening," insisted Dave.
"Huh!"
"Yes; I begin to feel that we"re going to need more study time than we get, if we"re ever to pa.s.s."
At 9.30 the release bell rang. Dan closed his book with a joyful bang, Darrin closing his much more reluctantly.
"I"m going visiting," declared Dalzell, starting toward the door.
Before he could reach the door, however, there sounded a slight knock and two midshipmen of the third cla.s.s stepped in.
"Mister, what"s your name?" demanded one of the visitors.
"Dalzell, sir," replied Dan, standing at attention.
"What"s yours, mister?
"Darrin, sir."
"Stand on your head, mister."
Dave obeyed with good-natured speed.
"That will do, mister. Now, on your head, mister."
Dan made a grimace, but obeyed.