nny boy, never get out of a thing, or try to, by playing cry baby!"

"No danger," retorted Dalzell. "David, little giant, we'll just console
ourselves with the realization that we're in the worst scrape we ever
struck yet."

"Yes," nodded Dave.

Fourth classmen Flint and Austin were not long in making themselves
presentable. Then they fell in at the rear of the line.

"Squad, forward march!" commanded the discipline officer dryly.

Through the corridor and off that deck the little squad of thirteen
midshipmen marched. Never had thirteen been more unlucky, for the present
superintendent was known to be a man determined to stamp out hazing.

Nor did the affair remain a secret for more than a moment Midshipmen
returning to their own decks stepped to the wall to let the squad pass.
Nor was more than a look at the two rear fourth classmen needed to enable
any wondering midshipmen to guess the nature of the offense with which
the remaining eleven upper classmen were to be charged.

"Our Darry in that!" gasped Farley, as the squad went by. "Did you see
him?"

"Yes," Page mournfully admitted.

"Then my eyes didn't play me any trick, as I had hoped. Darry and
Dalzell! What evil spirit tempted them to be in that scrape?"

In the meantime Lieutenant Preston was arraigning the captured
delinquents before the officer in charge, and the commandant of
midshipmen had already been telephoned for and was on the way.

Study call cut short a good deal of excited discussion on the different
decks. The commandant of midshipmen arrived, heard the evidence of the
discipline officer, looked over the offenders, entered their names on his
own record, and then spoke briefly, but in the voice of fate itself:

"The accused midshipmen will go to their rooms. They will, until further
orders, remain in their quarters, except for recitations and meal
formation. They will forego all privileges until the superintendent or
higher authority has acted finally in this matter. That is all, young
gentlemen. Go to your rooms, except Midshipmen Flint and Austin, who
will remain."

As soon as the upper classmen had departed, the commandant took Flint and
Austin in hand, questioning them keenly and making notes of the more
important answers.

Back in their own rooms, Midshipman Dan Dalzell was at first overwhelmed
with horror.

"We're dished, Davy! We walk the plank! The super won't forgive a single
man who is caught at the royal pastime of hazing