d thought. "Mr. Hawkins, of course you understand
that what you know of this matter you know officially, and that
you are not to mention or discuss it until such time as official
action shall have been taken. As for you other midshipmen, I
see no harm, gentlemen, in your discussing it among yourselves,
but you will see to it that information does not, for the present,
spread through the brigade. You may go, gentlemen."

Once outside Farley and Page walked so rapidly that Dave and Dan
did not attempt to overtake them in the corridors. But they found
Farley and Page waiting outside Dave's room door.

"May we come in?" asked Farley.

"If anyone on earth may," replied Dave heartily, throwing open the
door, then stepping back to allow the others to enter.

"I'm afraid we've cooked a goose for some one," cried Farley,
with grim satisfaction.

"Great Scott, yes," breathed Dan Dalzell, in devout thankfulness.

"Is it fair, Farley, for me to ask you whether you suspected Henkel
before you caught him?" queried Dave Darrin.

"Yes; and the commandant knows that. Henkel came here one night,
weeks ago, and mysteriously tried to interest us in putting up
a job to get you dropped from the Navy rolls. When Page and I
really tumbled that an enemy working against you, it didn't take
us two minutes to guess who that enemy was. Then we started on
the warpath."

"I wonder," asked Dave Darrin huskily, "whether it is really necessary
for me to assure you of the tremendous burden of obligation that
you've put upon me?"

"It isn't necessary, any way that you can look at the question,"
retorted Farley promptly. "What we did for you, Darrin, is no
more than we'd stand ready to do for any man in the brigade who
was being ground down and out by a mean trickster."

"Wouldn't I like to take peep in on Henkel, now, while the commandant
is grilling him in that gentle way the commandant has?" mocked
Midshipman Page.

"David, little giant, the matter is cleared and as good as squared,"
cried Dalzell. "And now I know this is the first time in my life
that I've ever been really and unutterably happy!"

During the nest two days it was known through the brigade at large
that Midshipman Henkel was in close arrest. The brigade did not
at once learn the cause. Yet, in such appearances as Henkel was
permitted to make, it was noted that he bore himself cheerfully
and confidently.

Then, one day, just before the dinner formation, Darrin