nly case, sir."

The officer passed out of the dynamo room, leaving the unlucky one more
than ever angry with Darrin, whom he incorrectly charged with his
present trouble.

The recall sounding, Dave turned to Whittam, saying crisply but
pleasantly:

"Thank you for our instruction."

"He's thanking the fellow for my new scrape," growled Pennington
inwardly.

Dave marched his section back to deck and dismissed it. Dan Dalzell, as
section leader in steam instruction, immediately re-formed it.

"You will report in the engine-room, Mr. Dalzell, to
Lieutenant-Commander Forman, who is chief engineer of this ship. He
will assign you to an instructor."

"Aye, aye, sir," Dan replied, saluting. "Section, right wheel--march!"

Dan already knew where, down in the bowels of the great battleship, to
find the engine room.

Reaching that department, Dan halted his section.

"Section all present, sir," reported Dan, saluting a strange officer,
who, however, wore the insignia of a lieutenant-commander.

"Your name, sir?" inquired the officer.

"Dalzell, sir."

"Let your section break ranks. Then you may all follow me, and keep your
eyes open, for you will go through one or two dark places."

"Aye, aye, sir. Section break ranks."

Lieutenant-Commander Forman led the way, with all the members of the
section wondering what was to be the nature of their first day's work in
the engineer department.

Descending lower into the ship, the chief engineer led the young middies
over a grating, and paused at the head of an iron ladder.

"Pass down in orderly fashion, single file," directed the chief
engineer, halting. "When at the foot of this ladder, cross a grating to
port side, and then descend a second ladder, which you will find."

All the midshipmen went down the first ladder in silence. Dan, who had
preceded the others, crossed the grating and found the second ladder.

Once more these youngsters descended. Pennington, as though by mere
accident, succeeded in following Dave Darrin down the ladder.

Just as they were near the bottom Dave felt a foot descend upon his
shoulder, almost with a kick, and then rest there with a crushing
pressure.

It hurt keenly until Darrin was able to dodge out from under and
hurriedly reach the bottom.

"Pardon, whoever you are," came a gruff voice.

Dave, with his shoulder crippled a good deal, and paining keenly, halted
as soon as his foot had touched bottom. It was dark down there, t