But, even
if you do send me to Coventry, we shall see whether your action will be
potent enough to drive me from the Naval Academy!"

Waving his arms wildly in the heat of his anger, Midshipman Jetson
hurried from the room, midshipmen moving aside to favor his swift exit.

Hardly had the door banged when from all parts of the room the cry went
up:

"Question! question! Put the motion."

"Mr. President!"

"Mr. Darrin."

"I arise, sir, to discuss the motion. I ask the gentlemen of the class to
bear with me patiently while I set forth some of the aspects of this
matter as I see them.

"At the very outset, sir, I wish to make it as plain as possible that I
do not seek to stand here as the apologist for Mr. Jetson. I feel very
certain that he would not authorize me to take that position. What I
state I am stating on my own authority purely, and therein I am only
exercising my right as a member of the second class.

"I would remind you, sir, that you all know, as well as I do, that Mr.
Jetson has always borne an honorable reputation in this class and in the
brigade. You all know his leading traits as well as I do. Mr. Jetson is
a man of quick temper and rather lasting resentments. There is a good
deal of sullenness in his nature--"

"And they're not the best qualities in a man who is being trained to
command!" broke in a midshipman at the rear of the room.

"As to whether Mr. Jetson will be, by graduation time, well fitted to
command men," Dave answered, "is not a question that this class is called
upon to pass on. That question rests with the faculty of the Naval
Academy. I am trying to get you to look at this matter only from the
personal and the class point of view. Doubtless you all feel that Mr.
Jetson is the victim of an unhappy temper. You would punish this frame of
mind. Yet I ask you, bluntly, who among you have ever tried to aid Mr.
Jetson in overcoming his own peculiar style of temper? If there is one
among you who has made such attempt at aid, I ask that gentleman to stand
until he can be recognized."

Dave made a pause, glancing around him, but no midshipman rose.

"Now, sir," continued Dave Darrin, "if we, as a class, take hasty and
unwise action, it is quite possible that we may be depriving the United
States Navy of a future officer who would be most valuable to his country
in time of need. Have we the right to punish when we are forced to admit
that none of us has ever attempted to help Mr. Jet