Dave Darrins Third Year at Annapolis | Page 4

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 larks ashore and
afloat, with plenty of athletics to keep us from ever feeling dull. Of
course, I knew we had to do some studying, but I didn't imagine the
studies would be hard for a chap who had already gone through a good
High School."
"Your High School studies did help, didn't they?" demanded Belle.
"They helped somewhat in the exams, to enter Annapolis, but they've
never helped me with any of the studies that I've had to tackle as a
midshipman."
"Oh, well, you'll get through," the girl predicted with cheery
confidence.
"I shall, if it's really in me," Dave promised. "But I'm not going to do
any bragging, Belle, until I'm safely through and have been out of the
woods for a long time."

"And you won't do any bragging then, either. It isn't in your line.
What's Dan Dalzell going to do while he's home on leave?"
"Sleep, he says."
"The lazy boy!"
"No, he's a tired boy, Belle. I think the past year has been even just a
little harder on him than it has on me. However, of course Dan won't
really sleep. He'll be out by this afternoon. Just now I imagine that he's
talking like wildfire with his mother."
It was a wrong guess, however. Just then the telephone sounded in the
next room, and Belle went to answer it.
"It's your shipmate, Dan," she called laughingly. "He wants to talk with
you, Dave."
"I wonder how the fellow ever guessed that I was here," smiled Darrin,
as he hastily joined Belle at the 'phone.
"Hello," hailed Dalzell at the other end of the wire. "Going to do
anything in particular this afternoon, David, little giant?"
"Yes; I hope to make myself more or less agreeable to Miss Meade."
"A small crowd won't be any bar to that, eh?" Dan wanted to know.
"Not if the crowd and the occasion are agreeable to Miss Meade."
"Well, you know Foss and Canty?"
"Two of our old High School boys? Yes."
"Foss has a new gasoline launch; he says it's a beauty, and he wants us
to invite Miss Meade and Miss Bentley, to join them and a couple of
the former High School girls for a couple of hours' cruise on the river.
What say you?"

"What does Belle say, you mean. Wait a moment, and I'll ask her."
Darrin explained the invitation.
"Why, if it will be pleasant for you, Dave, I shall be delighted to go,"
Belle answered.
"It's all right," Dave called back over the 'phone. "What's the hour for
the start!"
"Two o'clock," Dan answered.
"All right, then; will you ask Laura Bentley, or shall we, from here?"
"I've already asked Laura," Dalzell replied. "She accepted on condition
that Belie did. Now I'll ring up Laura and tell her that it's all arranged."
"It'll be a pleasant trip for you, won't it!" inquired Belle, half-anxiously.
"Or do you get too much of boats in your working year?"
"I shall be glad to be anywhere that you are," Dave replied gallantly.
"The form of entertainment doesn't matter to me as long as it appeals to
you."
At two o'clock the young people met at the float of the Boat Club house
on the river's bank.
On the way across town Dave had been noting the direction and force
of the wind. He didn't altogether like it, but didn't say anything. At the
float he found Tom Foss, Ab Canty, Ella Wright and Susie Danes
awaiting the midshipmen and their fair companions.
"All ready and waiting for you amateur sailors," called Foss laughingly.
"And here's the boat. Say, isn't she really a beauty?"
"Good lines," nodded Dave Darrin. "And she looks speedy. But you've
changed your mind about going out this afternoon, haven't you, Foss?"
"Why?" demanded the young fellow, in very evident astonishment.

"Look at the water," responded Dave, pointing to the white-caps, which
were running rather high for an inland stream.
"Pooh! You're not afraid of a little foam on top of the water, are you?"
demanded Foss.
"The waves are running pretty high for the inches of freeboard that
your boat has," remarked Darrin quietly. "And look at the sky to
windward. There's a bit more blow coming out of those clouds yet."
"Say, what do they teach you at Annapolis?" grinned Foss. "To go
sailing only in calm weather?"
"Since you ask," Dave replied as quietly as before, though a slight flush
mounted to his face, "one of the things they teach us at the Naval
Academy is consideration for women. Now, if just we four fellows
were going out, I wouldn't say a word."
"Don't