Dave Darrin's Third Year at Annapolis; Or, Leaders of the Second Class Midshipmen

Hazelton have been her

Dar

nnapolis was now in mufti, or cits,-meaning, in other words, that he was out of his Naval unifo

s back in the home town, on his September leave, after just having completed

classman. He was just a shade more than half wa

n Darrin be more naturally found than in the parlo

had been exchanged f

being sweethearts as they were, ha

had been content to have Belle do most of the talking, while he sat back watchin

entioned two of Dave's f

y were really he

e up from Ariz

ldn't have remained he

ion as civil engineers, and that they had to spend nearly all

hey look?"

rse, than when they we

ch taller?"

not shot up in height,

reg Holmes have don

in the alkali deserts?" asked Dave, who felt that

rry?" smiled Belle.

laughed Dave. "But I'm waiting to hear

wn as berries," went on Belle, laughing, "for I a

rries?" hi

rry fully as bronzed as

asked Midshipman Darrin, looking a

ndians and cowboys, and that sort of thing. One day the Indians and cowboys got intoxicated and they went through Main Street like a tornado. They w

ellers and shooters. Tom and Harry have seen enough Indians and cowboys to know the real thing-and that these were only poor imitations. All of a sudden Tom and Harry and Dick and Greg

famous incident, while Dave

n hand! I'd like to have

rs didn't need any h

d-the 'bad' Western outfit or the

nd the "Wild West" scene fully narrated in

lis leave of absence should be so arranged that midshipmen and cadets who

ne little city often has the honor of furnishing, at the same t

ed Dave. "But it seems

see Tom or Harry? Or G

t and Greg Holmes are

Belle. "It does seem too bad that you and your We

Annapolis, more than two years ago," muttered Dave complainingly.

give?" demanded Belle,

ir photos, then!" aske

ick-let me se

the room, to retur

ther," she explained, h

they are-all

studying eagerly the

s make in a High School boy,

Belle Meade. "Do you i

n't changed

, Tom Reade, Harry Hazelton, Dave Darrin and Dan Dalzell, a famous sextette of yo

adet at the same big government Army school by one of the state's senators. Dave Darrin and Dan Dalzell, a little later, secured nominations to Annapolis from the sa

eriences and adventures of Dick Prescott and Greg Hol

Harry Hazelton are set

ERS' S

lot with the Navy, has been fully told in the two preceding volumes of the present seri

rate," predicted Midshipman Darrin. "You know what happens the S

and West Point play footba

sm. "Don't we, though. And, mark me, Belle, the Navy

to join the tea

t I've been training. I hope to be

eleven," cried Belle, "so that y

better," retorted Dave, "i

ng to the eleven allowed to see the

e entire brigade of midshipmen and the whole corps of cadets travel over to Philadelphia. There, on Franklin Field, before

ual game at Philadelphia before

N

y n

I have found ourselves so far behind in our studies that we just

this year wil

n the right way. I'm going to get two tickets, Belle, so that you and your mother can go to see the game. And of course good old Dick can do as much for Laura Bentley and her mother. Yo

hoped to play football with the Army. That's all

gridiron war horses as Dick and Greg against us, I believe that the Navy team, th

me time now, with of th

not that he was so m

ular moment-but it was

or an interes

rse," put in Belle at last. "You passed

es

u stand in

h honors," Dave dec

. "Oh, Dave, I didn't know you were

any fellow who gets by the examiners has passed with honors. So we're all honor men that are now left in the class

rough, you're pretty sure to go the r

fter he has graduated from the Naval Academy. Why even after examination, you know, a fellow has to go to sea for two years, as a midshipman, and then take an

n-" went

pass his exams, he's d

raduated from Academy?

e Me

ith a shrug of his shoulders. "Yet what is one going t

my and the service so hard as

ger, and first began to dream about going to the Naval Academy I had a mental picture of a very jolly life, in which we sailed the seas and absorbed our knowledge. I had an idea that the midshipman's life was made up mainly of jolly la

dies did help, didn't

polis, but they've never helped me with any of th

rough," the girl predict

m not going to do any bragging, Belle, until I'm safely

bragging then, either.

going to do while h

p, he

lazy

r on him than it has on me. However, of course Dan won't really sleep. He'll be out b

then the telephone sounded in the ne

he called laughingly. "He wa

that I was here," smiled Darrin, as

f the wire. "Going to do anything in parti

yself more or less agr

be any bar to that, e

the occasion are agr

know Foss

ld High Schoo

invite Miss Meade and Miss Bentley, to join them and a couple of the former

you mean. Wait a mom

lained the

sant for you, Dave, I sh

answ

d back over the 'phone. "Wha

ock," Dan

you ask Laura Bentley,

accepted on condition that Belie did. Now I'll r

" inquired Belle, half-anxiously. "Or do you

ve replied gallantly. "The form of entertainment

e met at the float of the Boat

idn't altogether like it, but didn't say anything. At the float he found Tom Foss, Ab

or you amateur sailors,"

at. Say, isn't she

oks speedy. But you've changed your mind abou

oung fellow, in very

inting to the white-caps, which were ru

little foam on top of the wa

t your boat has," remarked Darrin quietly. "And look at the sky to

Annapolis?" grinned Foss. "To

to his face, "one of the things they teach us at the Naval Academy is considerat

s are afraid," broke

. "But I'm afraid, Belle of what I might think of myself afterwards, if I were a p

emanded Tom Foss, flushing in turn. "I tell you, Darrin, the craft is as tight and sou

ble for what may happen to the young lady who is more especially under my

how you that some folks who don't know what Anna

epped into the launch

foll

ople going?" a

so unwise that he'd be worried about

aura?" ca

f Mr. Darrin objects on the score of safety I'm no

n as Darrin, if anyone cares

r half of his party quizzic

United States sailors and embryo Naval offic

ngly as the motor started and the little craft dart

stead, he gripped Dan's

ou say i

y w

g as we feel that we're right in not risking Belle a

ra, "what do you say if we seat ourselv

sight that was away from her moorings. A sailboat and three canoes lay tied to the lee

eather is comin

tty squally, in all p

see the big puffs of win

rked Belle. "What I see in the cloud looks like big, fl

lity the wind will get this way and the water will be rougher. If it does get rougher on the river, and if we had taken you two out, and the boat had capsize

afternoon, but I didn't believe the wind was quiet enough for boating on the river. But mother reminded me that I was g

you?" smiled

to go out on the rive

don't believe

around town about our being afr

esponsible to the United States Government-not to

ater before your leave is ov

f you care to go," D

It must; be great fun to sail, an

in a good, solid rowboa

much sailboat practi

t I'm afraid I don't believe much in

very

to believe that I'm a muff a

ely determined that we shall take no risks when we go out with you

, than sorry, when you have girls u

g out of sight up the river. Presently there came a new turn t

n somewhere and tie up until the comin

have a storm?" Be

rrin replied. "But I believe the river

passed Dave suddenly rose

" he cried. "Do you see

whitecapped, the water now broke in longer, foam-crested waves. Owing to the course of the wind the waves were rolling upstream. W

not out on the wat

Belle admit

s can bring his boat do

inqu

gh to run in somewhere and tie up,"

elle. "But Tom is an aw

! sounded a whis

w!" muttered Dan, standing up and star

r side of the river, looking for qui

that right?

g to cross the stream," nodded Darrin. "Then he'l

demanded Belle

big wave may roll his small boat o

's danger of that?" demand

d Dave. "But I wish I h

that he could unde

zell, grimly. "Tom would only laugh and say it w

arrin. "He is crossing. Look at that boat wallow i

breath for an instant. The motor launch, aft

the boat for about three minu

Belle both screamed, wh

oes-for sure

careen. Before the little craft could right itself a second and a t