Dave Darrins Fourth Year at Annapolis | Page 8

the night, however, there were none passing save Naval
officers on duty. None other than the lieutenant himself had lately
passed in the corridor. How, then, had this electric light bulb been
shattered and made to give forth the sound of the explosion?
"It wouldn't go up with a noise like that," murmured the lieutenant to
himself. "These tungsten lights don't explode like that, except when
rapped in some way. They don't blow up, when left alone. At least, that
is what I have always understood."
So the puzzle waxed and grew, and Lieutenant Adams found it too big

to solve alone.
"At any rate, I've questioned all the young gentlemen about the window
episode, and they all deny knowledge of it," Lieutenant Adams told
himself. "So I'll just report that fact to the O.C., and at the same time I'll
tell him of the blowing up of this tungsten light."
Two minutes later Lieutenant Adams stood in the presence of
Lieutenant-Commander Henderson, the officer in charge.
"So you questioned all of the midshipmen who might, by any chance,
have entered by a window?" asked the O.C.
"Yes, sir."
"And they all denied it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did you see signs of any sort to lead you to believe that any of the
midshipmen might have answered in other than the strict truth?"
continued the O.C.
"No, sir," replied Lieutenant Adams, and flushed slightly, as he went on:
"Of course, sir, I believe it quite impossible for a midshipman to tell an
untruth."
"The sentiment does you credit, Lieutenant," smiled the O.C. Then he
fell to questioning the younger discipline officer as to the names of the
midshipmen whom he had questioned. Finally the O.C. came to the two
names in which the reader is most interested.
"Darrin denied having been out after taps?" questioned
Lieutenant-Commander Henderson.
"He did, sir."
"Did Mr. Dalzell also deny having been out of quarters after taps?"

"He did, sir."
Lieutenant Adams answered unhesitatingly and unblushingly. In fact,
Lieutenant Adams would have bitten off the tip of his tongue sooner
than have lied intentionally. So firmly convinced had Adams been that
Dan was about to make a denial that now, with the incident broken in
two by the report of the tungsten bulb, Lieutenant Adams really
believed that had so denied. But Dan had not, and had Dave Darrin
been called as a witness he would been compelled to testify that Dan
did not deny being out.
The explosion of the tungsten bulb was too great a puzzle for either
officer to solve. A man was sent with a new bulb, and so that part of the
affair became almost at once forgotten.
Dan finally fell into a genuine sleep, and so did Dave Darrin. In the
morning Dave sought out Midshipman Farley to inquire to whom the
doughface should be returned.
"Give it over to me and I'll take care of it," Farley replied. "Say, did
you hear a tungsten bulb blow up in the night!"
"Did It" echoed Darrin devoutly. Then a sudden suspicion crossed his
mind.
"Say, how did that happen, Farl?" demanded Dave.
"If anyone should ask you-----" began the other midshipman.
"Yes-----?" pressed Darrin.
"Tell 'em---that you don't know," finished Farley tantalizingly, and
vanished.
It was not until long after that Darrin found out the explanation of the
accident to the tungsten bulb. Farley, during Dan's absence, had been
almost as much disturbed as had Dave. So Mr. Farley was wide awake.
When he heard Lieutenant Adams receive the message in the corridor

Farley began to wonder what he could do. Presently he was made to
rise, with Page, stand at attention, and answer the questions of the
discipline officer.
Soon after Dave and Dan were called up, Farley, listening with his door
ajar half an inch, slipped out and hit the tungsten burner a smart rap just
in the nick of time to save Dan Dalzell's Navy uniform to that young
man.

CHAPTER III
BAD NEWS FROM WEST POINT
Bump! The ball, hit squarely by the toe of Wolgast's football shoe,
soared upward from the twenty-five-yard line. It described an arc,
flying neatly over and between the goal-posts at one end of the athletic
field.
"That's the third one for you, Wolly," murmured Jetson. "You're going
to be a star kicker!"
"Shall I try out the rest of the squad, sir?" asked Wolgast, turning to
Lieutenant-Commander Parker, this year's new coach.
"Try out a dozen or so of the men," nodded coach, which meant, in
effect: "Try out men who are most likely to remain on the Navy team."
"Jetson!" called Wolgast.
Jet tried, but it took his third effort to make a successful kick.
"You see, Wolly, who is not to be trusted to make the kick in a game,"
remarked