Dave Darrin on Mediterranean Service | Page 9

has been found necessary to
construct eighty-odd tunnels through the headlands for the railway that
runs the whole length of the Riviera."
Most of the talk, during that breakfast hour, was about the Riviera, and
much of that had to do with Monte Carlo.
"For years I've wanted very particularly to see that town of Monte

Carlo," Danny Grin confessed.
"Not to gamble, I hope," replied Dave.
"Millions for sight-seeing, but not a cent for gambling," Dalzell
paraphrased lightly.
"Gentlemen," warned Mr. Wales, "don't be too certain that you'll see
Monte Carlo on this cruise. Often the weather is too rough for a landing
in that vicinity."
"And in that case?" queried Lieutenant Totten.
"In that case," replied Wales, "the usual rule is for the ship to go on to
anchorage in the harbor at Genoa."
"Any one know whether the barometer is talking about a storm?"
Dalzell asked.
"That's a foolish question," remarked Lieutenant Barnes grouchily.
"Hello!" said Danny Grin, turning half around and eyeing the last
speaker. "You here?"
"As usual," nodded Barnes gruffly.
"What was that you said about a foolish question?" demanded Dan.
"I was referring to your habit of asking foolish questions," retorted
Barnes.
"Do I ask any more of them than you do?" Dalzell retorted, a bit
gruffly.
"You do," Barnes declared, "and that's one of them."
"If I thought I asked more foolish questions than you do, sir," Dan
rejoined, laying down his coffee cup, "I'd--"

Here Dalzell paused.
"What would you do?" Barnes insisted.
"On second thought," Dan went on gravely, "I don't believe I'll tell you.
It was something desperate that I was thinking of."
"Then drop the idea, Dalzell," scoffed Lieutenant Barnes lightly.
"You're hardly the fellow we'd look to for desperate deeds."
"Oh, am I not?" demanded Dan, for once a bit miffed.
Several of the officers glanced up apprehensively. From necessity, life
in the ward-room is an oppressively close one at best. A feud between
two officers of the mess is enough to make all hands uncomfortable
much of the time.
"Cut it, Barnes," ordered the officer sitting on the right-hand side of
Lieutenant Barnes. "Don't start any argument."
"Gentlemen," broke in the paymaster, anxious to change the topic of
conversation, "have you gone so far with your meal that a little bad
news won't spoil your appetites?"
Most of those present nodded, smilingly.
"Then," continued the paymaster, "I wish to bring up a matter that has
been discussed here before. You all know that in some way, owing to
the carelessness of some one, there is an unexplained shortage of
thirty-three dollars in our mess-fund. You appointed Totten and myself
a committee to look into the matter. We now beg to report that the
thirty-three dollars cannot be accounted for. What is your pleasure in
the matter?"
"I would call it very simple," replied Lieutenant Commander Wales.
"Why not levy an assessment upon the members of this mess sufficient
to make up the thirty-three dollars? It will amount to very little apiece."
That way of remedying the shortage would have been agreed to

promptly, had not Lieutenant Barnes cut in eagerly:
"I've a better plan for making up the shortage. One man can pay it all,
as a penalty, and there will be a lot of fun in deciding which member
has to pay the penalty."
"What's the idea, Mr. Barnes?" asked the executive officer.
"It's simple enough," Barnes went on, grinning. "Let us set apart the
dinner hour on Tuesday evening, say. Every time this mess gets
together we hear a lot of foolish questions asked. Now, on Tuesday
evening, if any member of this mess asks a question that he can't
answer himself, let it be agreed that he pay into the mess a fine of
thirty-three dollars to cover the shortage."
"It won't work," objected Totten. "Every officer at this table will be on
his guard not to ask any questions at all."
"In that case," proposed Barnes, "let the rule hold over on each
successive Tuesday evening until the victim is found and has paid his
fine."
"It sounds like sport," agreed Dave Darrin.
"It will be sport to see the victim 'stung' and made to pay up," grinned
Dan Dalzell.
"And I think I know, already," contended Lieutenant Barnes, "which
officer will pay that shortage."
"Are you looking at me with any particular significance?" demanded
Danny Grin.
"I am," Barnes admitted.
"Oh, well, then, we shall see what we shall see," quoth Dalzell, his
color rising.
The scheme for fixing the thirty-three-dollar penalty was quickly

agreed upon. In fact, the plan had in it many of the exciting elements of
a challenge.
Darrin left the mess to go on duty. Dan found him presently.
"Say," murmured Danny Grin, in an aside, "do you think Barnes will