David Darrins Second Year at Annapolis | Page 7

experience with the opium pipe.
"That's no good whatever for a toothache, sir," growled Dr. Mackenzie.
"Besides, it's a serious breach of discipline. I shall have to report you,
Mr. Pennington."
"I expected it, sir," replied Pennington meekly.
"However, the report won't cure your toothache," continued Dr.
Mackenzie in a milder tone. "We'll attend to that first."
The surgeon busied himself with dissolving a drug in a small quantity

of water. This he took up in a hypodermic needle and injected into the
lower jaw.
"The ache ought to stop in ten minutes, sir," continued the surgeon,
turning to enter some memoranda in his record book.
After that the surgeon called up the ship's commander over the 'phone,
and made known Pennington's report.
"Mr. Pennington, Captain Scott directs that you report at his office
immediately," said the surgeon, as he turned away from the telephone.
"Very good, sir. Thank you, sir."
Both midshipmen saluted, then left the sick-bay.
"This is where you have to go up alone, I guess," hinted Midshipman
Hallam.
"I'm afraid so," sighed Pennington.
"However, I'll be on the quarter-deck, and, if I'm wanted, you can send
there for me."
"Thank you, old man. You're worth a brigade of Darrins--confound the
greasing meddler!"
"Darrin acted according to his best lights on the subject of duty,"
remonstrated Mr. Hallam mildly.
"His best lights--bah!" snarled Pennington. "I'll take this all out of him
before I'm through with him!"
Pennington reported to the battleship's commander. After some ten
minutes a marine orderly found Hallam and directed him to go to
Captain Scott's office. Here Hallam repeated as much as was asked of
him concerning the doings of the afternoon. Incidentally, the fact of
Midshipman Darrin's report to the police was brought out.

"Mr. Pennington, I shall send you at once, in a launch, over to the
commandant of cadets to report this matter in person to him," said
Captain Scott gravely. "Mr. Hallam, you will go with Mr. Pennington."
Then, after the two had departed, an apprentice messenger went
through the ship calling Dave's name. That young man was summoned
to Captain Scott's office.
"I am in possession of all the facts relating to the unfortunate affair of
Midshipman Pennington, Mr. Darrin," began Captain Scott, after the
interchange of salutes. "Will you tell me why you reported the affair to
the police?"
"I went to the police, sir," Dave replied, "because I was aware that
many members of the new fourth class are away from home for the first
time in their lives. I was afraid, sir, that possibly some of the new
midshipmen might, during one of their town-leaves, be tempted to try
for a new experience."
"A very excellent reason, Mr. Darrin, and I commend you heartily for it.
I shall also report your exemplary conduct to the commandant of
midshipmen. You have, in my opinion, Mr. Darrin, displayed very
good judgment, and you acted upon that judgment with promptness and
decision. But I am afraid," continued the Navy captain dryly, "that you
have done something that will make you highly unpopular, for a while,
with some of the members of your class."
"I hope not, sir," replied Dave.
"So do I," smiled Captain Scott "I am willing to find myself a poor
prophet. That is all, Mr. Darrin."
Once more saluting, Dave left the commanding officer's presence.
Almost the first classmate into whom he stumbled was Dan Dalzell.
"Well, from what quarter does the wind blow!" murmured Dan.
Darrin repeated the interview that he had just had.

"I'm afraid, Dave, little giant, that you've planted something of a mine
under yourself," murmured Dalzell.
"I feel as much convinced as ever, Danny boy, that I did just what I
should have done," replied Darrin seriously.
"And so does Captain Scott, and so will the commandant," replied Dan.
"But winning the commendation of your superior officers doesn't
always imply that you'll get much praise from your classmates."
"Unfortunately, you are quite right," smiled Dave. "Still, I'd do the
same thing over again."
"Oh, of course you would," assented Dan. "That's because you're Dave
Darrin."
Here a voice like a bass horn was heard.
"All third classmen report to the quarter-deck immediately!"
This order was repeated in other parts of the ship. Midshipmen
gathered with a rush, Pennington and Hallam being the only members
absent. As soon as the third classmen, or "youngsters," as they are
called in midshipman parlance, had formed, the orders were read off
dividing them into sections for practical instruction aboard ship during
the cruise.
Dave's name was one of the first read off. He was assigned to duty as
section leader for the first section in electrical instruction. Dalzell,
Farley, Hallam, Pennington and others were detailed as members of
that section.
The same section was also designated for