re, and
'Tommy Atkins' never has been known to be averse to a good fair fight.
The soldiers will wipe up the floor with him. Then there is the
provost guard, patrolling the streets of Gibraltar. If Mr. Green Hat
grows too noisy the provost guard will gather him in."

"And might also gather us in, if the provost officer thought us
intelligent witnesses," muttered Darrin.

"That would be all right, too," grinned Dan. "There is bound to be a
British army officer in command of the provost guard. As soon as we
handed him cards showing us to be American naval officers he'd raise
his cap to us, and that would be the end of it."

"I don't like to be present at rows in a place of this kind," Ensign
Darrin insisted.

"Then we'd better be going," proposed Ensign Dalzell.

The place was Gibraltar, and the time nine o'clock in the evening. The
two friends were seated well back in one of the several Spanish
vaudeville theatres that flourish more or less in the city on the
Great Rock, even in such times as this period of the great European
War.

The theatre was not a low place, or it would not have been permitted
to exist in Gibraltar, which, even in peace times, is under the
strictest military rule, made much more strict at the beginning of the
great war. The performance was an ordinary one and rather dull. At the
moment three Spanish women occupied the stage, going rather hopelessly
through the steps of an aimless dance, while three musicians ground
out the music for the dancers. The next number, as announced on a card
that hung at one side of the stage, was to be a pantomime.

One particularly unpleasant feature only was to be noted in the place.
Wines and liquors were served to those who chose to order them,
Spanish waiters passing up and down the aisles in search of custom.

Mr. Green Hat, to the knowledge of Ensigns Darrin and Dalzell, had
been a much too frequent customer. He was now arguing with two waiters
about an alleged mistake in the changing of the money he had handed
one of them. From angry remonstrance Mr. Green Hat was now resorting
to abusive language.

"I'd like to implant a wallop under that rowdy's chin," muttered Dan
Dalzell, as he started to rise.

"Don't try it," warned Ensign Dave, as he, too, rose.

Just then the lightning struck; the storm broke.

With an angry bellow, Mr. Green Hat leaped to his feet, knocking down
one of the waiters. Four others rushed to the spot. The five promptly
assaile