David Darrins Second Year at Annapolis | Page 8

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 handle that!" rasped in the voice of Whittam.
Pennington drew back his hand, a flush mounting to his face.
"The fellow has no right to talk to a midshipman in that fashion!" quivered Pennington to himself. "But it was the fault of that low-minded greaser Darrin, anyway. Darrin saw me, and he glanced swiftly at the chief electrician to draw attention to me."
It is only just to Pennington to state that he actually believed he had seen Dave do this. Darrin, however, was not guilty of the act. He had in no way sought to direct attention at Pennington.
Towards the close of the tour the officer in whose department this instruction fell passed through the dynamo room.
"Are there any breaches of conduct to be reported, Whittam?" inquired the officer, halting.
"Nothing worth mentioning, sir," replied the chief electrician.
"I asked you, Whittam, whether there had been any breaches of conduct," retorted the officer with some asperity.
"One midshipman, sir, after having been instructed to touch nothing, rested his hand on one of the brass rods."
"His name?"
"I don't know the names of many of the young gentlemen yet, sir, so I don't know the particular midshipman's name, sir."
"Then point him out to me," insisted the officer.
There was hardly any need to do so. Pennington's face, flushed with mortification, was sufficient identification. But the chief electrician stepped over, halting in front of the hapless one, and said:
"This is the young gentleman, sir."
"Your name, sir?" demanded the officer.
"Pennington, sir."
"Mr. Pennington, you will place yourself on the report, sir, for disobedience of orders," commanded the officer. "Is this the only case, Whittam?"
"The only case, sir."
The officer passed out of the dynamo room, leaving the unlucky one more than ever angry with Darrin, whom he incorrectly charged with his present trouble.
The recall sounding, Dave turned