Dave Darrins First Year at Annapolis | Page 8

others will form in line of platoon front, using Mr. Darrin as their

guide," directed the young instructor.
Then followed some rapid-fire drilling in dressing, facings, counting
fours, marching and halting. The material in hand was excellent, or
Midshipman Cranthorpe might have been in despair.
Presently their instructor gave the order to break ranks, showing the
new men where to stand, up against the building, out of the way.
Almost immediately a bugler sounded a call. Then the new men were
treated to a sight that made their blood dance.
Out of Bancroft Hall hastily poured scores and scores of midshipmen,
until nearly six hundred had assembled. These were the members of the
three upper classes.
The brigade of midshipmen is divided into two battalions, each of two
divisions, six companies. The first and fourth companies formed on the
right of the first battalion, the seventh and tenth companies on the right
of the second battalion. The divisions formed with intervals of two
paces between companies preparatory to muster. Second call was
sounded quickly on the bugle, immediately after which the first petty
officer of each company began briskly to call the roll. Each man
answered just loudly enough to be heard. While roll-call was going on
company commanders stepped briskly along inspecting their
companies.
As the muster of each company was completed the first petty officer
commanded, "count off!"
"One, two, three, four! One, two, three four!" went the count along
each company line. Then the first petty officer of each company
wheeled about, saluted his company commander, and reported:
"Sir, all present or accounted for!"
Company commanders next corrected the alignment on the right center
company of each line.

Battalion commanders, seeing the divisions of their respective
battalions aligned, faced about, while the battalion adjutants took post
to right and rear. The brigade adjutant then faced about, saluted the
brigade commander, reporting: "Sir, the brigade is formed."
Receiving the word from his superior, the brigade adjutant next read
the orders, after which he was ordered to take his post.
While this was going on Midshipman Cranthorpe had formed his
awkward squad to the rear, behind the first battalion.
Now orders rang out crisply for battalion commanders to take charge.
Thereupon each battalion commander marched his command in column
of squads into the mess hall; battalion commanders preceding their
battalions, company commanders preceding their companies and the
junior officers of each company following the company. Last of all
came Midshipman Cranthorpe's awkward squad.
And very awkward, indeed, these young men felt. Each had a burning
conviction that he was being watched curiously by hundreds of pairs of
eyes. The new men might as well have saved themselves their worry.
Barely an upper class man in the hall was paying any heed whatever to
these self-conscious plebes.
The meal, a mid-day dinner, was an excellent one. Few of the new men,
however, had any notion of what it consisted.
Mess hall was left with almost the same amount of formality. In the
short recreation period that followed the new men, painfully conscious
that their caps were the only part of the uniform they wore, were
hurried away by Midshipman Cranthorpe.
Now they were quickly assigned to the rooms that they would occupy
during their first year at the Naval Academy.
The midshipmen are not roomed by classes. Instead, each is assigned to
a company, and there are three companies to a division. Each division
occupies a floor in Bancroft Hall. It is not called a "floor" but a "deck."

Dave and Dan were assigned to the armory wing of the lowest deck, on
what was virtually the basement floor of Bancroft Hall, or would have
been, but for the mess hall underneath.
As far as wood work went it was a handsome room. When it came to
the matter of furniture it was plain enough. There was the main or study
room. Off at either side was an alcove bedroom. There was also a closet
in which stood a shower bath. The one window of the room looked
over across the Academy grounds in the direction of Academic Hall.
A cadet petty officer from the first class briefly, crisply instructed them
concerning the care of their room, and their duties within its walls.
What followed that afternoon put the heads of the new midshipmen in a
whirl. Afterwards they had a confused recollection of having been
marched to the tailor at the storekeeper's, where they were measured for
uniforms, all of which are made to order. They recalled receiving a thin,
blue volume entitled "Regulations of the U.S. Naval Academy," a book
which they were advised by a first clansman instructor to "commit to
memory."
"In former days, in the old-time academy, there were something more
than six hundred regulations," dryly remarked the