Dave Darrins Fourth Year at Annapolis

Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at
Annapolis

The Project Gutenberg eBook, Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at Annapolis,
by H. Irving Hancock
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at Annapolis
Author: H. Irving Hancock
Release Date: June 29, 2004 [eBook #12775]
Language: English
Character set encoding: US-ASCII
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DAVE
DARRIN'S FOURTH YEAR AT ANNAPOLIS***
E-text prepared by Jim Ludwig

DAVE DARRIN'S FOURTH YEAR AT ANNAPOLIS
Headed for Graduation and the Big Cruise
H. IRVING HANCOCK

CONTENTS

CHAPTERS
I. Wanted---A Doughface! II. Some One Pushes the Tungsten III. Bad
News from West Point IV. Dave's Work Goes Stale V. Dan Hands
Himself Bad Money VI. The "Forgot" Path to Trouble VII. Dan's Eyes

Jolt His Wits VIII. The Prize Trip on the "Dodger" IX. The Treachery
of Morton X. "We Belong to the Navy, Too!" XI. A Quarter's Worth of
Hope XII. Ready to Trim West Point XIII. When "Brace Up, Army!"
was the Word XIV. The Navy Goat Grins XV. Dan Feels as "Sold" as
He Looks XVI. The Day of Many Doubts XVII. Mr. Clairy Deals in
Outrages XVIII. The Whole Class Takes a Hand XIX. Midshipman
Darrin Has the Floor XX. Dan Steers on the Rocks Again XXI. In the
Thick of Disaster XXII. The Search at the Bottom of the Bay XXIII.
Graduation Day---At Last XXIV. Conclusion

CHAPTER I
WANTED---A DOUGHFACE!
"Now, then, Danny boy, we-----"
First Classman Dave Darrin, midshipman at the United States Naval
Academy, did not finish what he was about to say.
While speaking he had closed the door behind him and had stepped into
the quarters occupied jointly by himself and by Midshipman Daniel
Dalzell, also of the first or upper class.
"Danny boy isn't here. Visiting, probably," mused Dave Darrin, after
having glanced into the alcove bedroom at his right hand.
It was a Saturday night, early in October. The new academic year at the
Naval Academy was but a week old. There being no "hop" that night
the members of the brigade had their time to spend as they pleased.
Some of the young men would need the time sadly to put in at their
new studies. Dave, fortunately, did not feel under any necessity to
spend his leisure in grinding over text-books.
Dave glanced at his study desk, though he barely saw the pile of
text-books neatly piled up there.
"No letters to write tonight," he thought "I was going to loan Danny
boy one of my two new novels. No matter; if he'd rather visit let him do

so."
In the short interval of recreation that had followed the evening meal
Dave had missed his home chum and roommate, but had thought
nothing of it. Nor was Dave now really disappointed over the present
prospect of having an hour or two by himself. He went to a one-shelf
book rack high overhead and pulled down one of his two recent novels.
"If I want Danny boy at any time I fancy I have only to step as far as
Page's room," mused Dave, as he seated himself by his desk.
An hour slipped by without interruption. An occasional burst of
laughter floated down the corridor. At some distance away, on the same
deck of barracks in Bancroft Hall, a midshipman was industriously
twanging away on a banjo. Darrin, however, absorbed in his novel, paid
no heed to any of the signs of Saturday-night jollity. He was a third of
the way through an exciting tale when there came a knock on the
door---a moment later a head was thrust in.
Midshipman Farley's head was thrust inside.
"All alone, Darry?" called Mr. Farley.
"Yes," Dave answered, laying his novel aside after having thrust an
envelope between pages to hold the place. "Come in, Farl."
"Where's Dalzell?" inquired Farley, after having closed the door behind
him.
"Until this moment I thought that he was in your room."
"I haven't seen him all evening," Farley responded. "Page and I have
been yawning ourselves to death."
"Danny boy is visiting some other crowd, then," guessed Darrin. "He
will probably be along soon. Did you want to see him about anything in
particular?"
"Oh, no. I came here to escape being bored to death by Page, and poor

old Pagey has just fled to Wilson's room to escape being bored by me.
What are these Saturday evenings for, anyway, when there's no way of
spending them agreeably?"
"For a good many of the men, who want to get through," smiled Dave,
"Saturday evening is