ent floor
of Bancroft Hall, or would have been, but for the mess hall underneath.

As far as wood work went it was a handsome room. When it came
to the matter of furniture it was plain enough. There was the
main or study room. Off at either side was an alcove bedroom.
There was also a closet in which stood a shower bath. The one
window of the room looked over across the Academy grounds in the
direction of Academic Hall.

A cadet petty officer from the first class briefly, crisply instructed
them concerning the care of their room, and their duties within
its walls.

What followed that afternoon put the heads of the new midshipmen
in a whirl. Afterwards they had a confused recollection of having
been marched to the tailor at the storekeeper's, where they were
measured for uniforms, all of which are made to order. They recalled
receiving a thin, blue volume entitled "Regulations of the U.S.
Naval Academy," a book which they were advised by a first clansman
instructor to "commit to memory."

"In former days, in the old-time academy, there were something
more than six hundred regulations," dryly remarked the cadet petty
officer in charge of them. "In the new up-to-date Naval Academy
there are now more than one thousand regulations. You are all
expected to appreciate this merciful decrease in the number of
things you are required to remember."

There were also two periods of drill, that afternoon, and what-not
more.

Supper came as a merciful release. When the meal was over, while
many of the upper class men remained outside in the warm June
air, the plebes were ordered to go to their rooms and start in
making themselves familiar with the thousand-and-more regulations.

"Thank goodness they give us some time for light reading," muttered
Dan Dalzell, as he stalked into his room, hung up his uniform
cap and sank into a chair. "Whew! What a day this has been!"

"I've rather enjoyed it," murmured Dave, as he sank into the chair
on the opposite side of the study table.

"Huh! You have liberal ideas, then, about enjoyment. How many
hundred rules are you going to commit to memory tonight?

"I don't know," returned Dave. "But I do know that my head is
in a big whirl, and that I'm going to rest it for a few minutes.
By the way, Dan, there's one thing I hope you remember."

"What is that?" demanded Dalzell.

"What did they tell us this lower deck was named?"

"Dunno," grunted Dan. "But I have my own nam