On the whole,
I believe you can lead a little better than any other man could do."

"No help from your quarter, then, Darry," sighed Midshipman Wolgast.
"Farl, help me out. Tell me some way in which I can improve
my fitness for the post of honor that has been thrust upon me.
I assure you I didn't seek it."

"Wolgast, my objection to you has nothing personal in it," Farley
went on. "With me it is a case simply of believing that Darry
could lead us on the gridiron much better than you're likely to."

"That I know," retorted Wolgast, with emphasis. "But what on
earth are we going to do with a fellow like Darrin? He simply
won't allow himself to be made captain. I'd resign this minute,
if we could have Darry for our captain."

"You're going to do all right, Wolgast. I know you are," Dave
rejoined.

"Then what's the trouble? Why don't I suit all hands?" demanded
the Navy's football captain.

Darrin was silent for a few moments. The midshipmen visitors waited
patiently, knowing that, from this comrade, they could be sure of a
wholly candid reply.

"Have you found the answer, Darry?" pressed Wolgast at last.

"Yes," said Dave slowly; "I think I have. The reason, as I see
it, is that there are no decidedly star players on this year's
probable eleven. The men are all pretty nearly equal, which doesn't
give you a chance to tower head and shoulders above the other
players. Usually, in the years that I know anything of, it has
been the other way. There have been only two or three star players
in the squad, and the captain was usually one of the very best.
You're plenty good enough football man, Wolgast, but there are
so many other pretty good ones that you don't outshine the others
as much as captains of poorer teams have done in other years."

"By Jupiter! Darry has hit it!" cried Farley, leaping from his
seat. "Wolly, you have the luck to command an eleven in which
most of the men are nearly, if not quite, as good as the captain.
You're not head and shoulders over the rest, and you don't
tower---that's all. Wolly, I apologize for my criticisms. Darry has
shown me the truth."

"Then you look for a big slaughter list for us this year, Darry?"
Wolgast asked.

"Yes; unless the other elevens that we're to play improve as much
as the Navy is going to do."

At this moment Page and Jetson rapped and then entered. Ten minutes
later there were fully twenty midshipmen in the room, all talking
animatedly