ersuade him to report himself
for what he has done!"

"But that would ruin him!" protested Hallam, aghast. "He wouldn't even
be allowed to start on the cruise. He'd be railroaded home without loss
of a moment."

"Yet you've just said that an opium-user isn't fit to go on in the
brigade," retorted Darrin.

"Hang it, it's hard to know what to do," rejoined Hallam, wrinkling his
forehead. "Of course we want to be just to Pen."

"It doesn't strike me as being just exactly a question of justice to
Pennington," Darrin went on earnestly. "If this is anything it's a
question of midshipman honor. We fellows are bound to see that all the
unworthy ones are dropped from the service. Now, a fellow who has
fastened the opium habit on himself isn't fit to go on, is he?"

"Oh, say, but this is a hard one to settle!" groaned Hallam.

"Then I'll take all the responsibility upon myself," said Dave promptly.
"I don't want to make any mistake, and I don't believe I'm going to.
Wait just a moment."

Going to the rear room, Dave faced his three comrades there with the
question:

"You three are enough to take care of everything here for a few minutes,
aren't you?"

"Yes," nodded Dan. "What's up?"

"Hallam and I are going for a brief walk."

Then, stepping back into the front room, Darrin nodded to his classmate,
who followed him outside.

"Just come along, and say nothing about the matter on the street,"
requested Dave. "It might be overheard."

"Where are you going?" questioned Hallam wonderingly.

"Wait and see, please."

From Chow Hop's wretched establishment it was not far to the other
building that Dave had in mind as a destination.

But when they arrived, and stood at the foot of the steps, Hallam
clutched Darrin's arm, holding him back.

"Why, see here, this is the police station!"

"I know it," Dave replied calmly.

"But see here, you're not--"

"I'm not going to drag you into anything that you'd object to," Darrin
continued. "Come along; all I want you for is as a witness to what I am
going to say."

"Don't do it, old fel--"

"I've thought that over, and I feel that I must," replied Dave firmly.
"Come along. Don't attract attention by standing here arguing."

In another instant the two midshipmen were going swiftly up the steps.

The chief of police received his two callers courteously. Dave told the
official how their attention had been called to the fact that one of
their number was in an opium joint