David Darrins Second Year at Annapolis | Page 8

steam instruction, Dalzell
being made leader of the section in this branch.
The class was then dismissed. Somewhat later Pennington and Hallam
returned from their interview with the commandant.
Hallam at once sought out Dave.

"Darry, old man," murmured Hallam, "Pen is as crazy as a hornet
against you. As he had taken the first step by sticking himself on the
pap-sheet (placing himself on report), the commandant said he would
make the punishment a lighter one."
"What did Pen get?" queried Dave.
"Fifty demerits, with all the loss of privileges that fifty carry."
"He's lucky," declared Dave promptly. "Had the report come from other
sources, he would have been dismissed from the service."
"If Pen's lucky," rejoined Hallam, "he doesn't seem to realize the fact.
He's calling you about everything."
"He can keep that up," flashed Dave, "until his toothache leaves him.
Then, if he tries to carry it any further, Pen will collide with one of my
fists!"
Not much later a call sounded summoning the youngsters to the
midshipmen's mess. Dave was glad to note that Pennington sat at some
distance from him at table.
While the meal was in progress the "Massachusetts" and the other
battleships got under way. The midshipmen were on deck, an hour later,
when the fleet came to anchor for the night, some miles down
Chesapeake Bay.
Before the youngsters were ordered to their berths that night Third
Classman Pennington had found opportunity to do a good deal of
talking to a few comrades who would listen to him.
Pennington was determined to stir up a hornet's nest for Dave Darrin.
CHAPTER III
MIDSHIPMAN PENNINGTON GOES TOO FAR

At eight o'clock the following morning the various sections were
formed and marched to the deck.
Dave reported:
"All present, sir."
The chief electrician was now summoned, and to him the section was
turned over. This young man, Whittam, by name, was an enlisted man,
but a bright young sample of what the Navy can do for the boy who
enlists as an apprentice.
"You will take your orders from Mr. Whittam as though he were an
officer," directed the officer, his words intended for all members of the
section, though he looked only at Darrin.
Dave saluted, then, as Chief Electrician Whittam turned to lead the way,
Dave called quietly:
"Section, left wheel--march!"
They followed Whittam down into the dynamo room, an interesting
spot for a machinist.
"It's fine," muttered Dan, as he stared about him at the bright metal
work, the switch-board and the revolving machines. "But I'm afraid I
couldn't learn the use and sense of all this in five years."
"Silence in the section," commanded Dave, turning around upon his
chum.
Whittam now began a short, preliminary talk upon the subjects in
which the midshipmen would be required to qualify.
"One of the first and most important requests I have to make," said
Whittam presently, "is that none of you touch the switches, except by
direction. None of you can guess the harm that might follow the
careless and ignorant handling of a switch."

"It's pretty cheeky for an enlisted man to talk to midshipmen about
ignorance," whispered Pennington to Farley.
"Oh, I don't know--" Farley started to reply, but Darrin's quiet voice
broke in with authority:
"Cease talking in section."
Farley knew this to be a merited rebuke, and accepted it as such, but
Pennington's face went violently red.
"Confound that grease-spot-chaser," growled Pen. "He'll be bound to
take it out of me as long as the cruise lasts. But I'll get even with him.
No cheap greaser is going to ride over me!"
That morning none of the midshipmen were called upon to handle any
of the fascinating-looking machinery. Nearly the whole of this tour of
practical instruction was taken up by the remarks of the chief
electrician. As he spoke, Whittam moved over to one piece or another
of mechanism and explained its uses. Finally, he began to question the
attentive young men, to see how much of his instruction they had
absorbed.
"This is a shame, to set an enlisted man up over us as quiz-master, just
to see how little we know," growled Pennington; but this time he had
the good sense not to address his remark to anyone.
Pennington was not yet in good shape, after his harrowing experiences
of the day before.
Ere the tour of instruction was over, he began to shift somewhat
uneasily.
Then his attention began to wander.
A brilliantly shining brass rod near him caught his eye. Something
about the glossy metal fascinated him.
Once or twice Pen put out his hand to touch the rod, but as quickly

reconsidered and drew back his hand.
At last, however, the temptation proved too strong. He slid one hand
along the rail.
"Here, sir, don't