he Academy.

Dave, however, made the best impression upon the youngsters.
All the other new men came sooner or later, to the ordeal of standing
on their heads in the wet bowl, but Dave seemed destined to escape.

The rowing was carried on until all of the youngsters had tired
of this sport.

"Fall in, in platoon front," directed Midshipman Trotter.

The six plebes, solemn as owls, stood up in line, "dressing" their
line carefully.

"Now, attend me carefully," cautioned Mr. Trotter, sweeping a
stern glance down the line of plebes. "I am about to tell you
a bit of the day's news from over in Sleepy Hollow, which place
is known to Maryland geographers as the village of Annapolis.
You must attend me with extreme care, for, after I have narrated
the news, I shall question you concerning it. Do you follow me,
misters?"

"Yes, sir," came in a chorus.

"You need not answer quite as loudly," warned Midshipman Trotter,
sending a backward look over his shoulder at the door. "Now,
then, the police over in Sleepy Hol--Annapolis--today learned
the details of a yellow tragedy. Some weeks ago three Chinamen
came to town and opened a clean--I mean, a new--laundry. During
the last week, however, the public noted that the door leading
from the office to the rear room was always closed. You follow
me?"

"Yes, sir," came in an almost whispered chorus.

"Finally," continued Mr. Trotter, "one customer, more curious
than the others, reported his observations to the police. Today
the Johnny Tinplates made a raid on the place. A most curious
state of affairs came to light. So--but is this tangled tale
clear to you all as far as I have gone?"

"Yes, sir," came the whispered chorus.

"What the police learned," went on Mr. Trotter, in a voice that
now sounded slightly awestruck, "was this: a week ago the three
Chinese partners had a serious row. They quarreled, then fought.
Two of the yellow partners killed the third! And now, a serious
problem confronted the two survivors of that misunderstanding.
What was to be done with the remains of the unsuccessful disputant?"

Midshipman Trotter looked at each of the wondering plebes in turn.
It looked as though he were asking the question of them.

"I don't know, sir," admitted Dan Dalzell, at the left of the line.

"I don't know, sir," admitted the man next to Dan. So it went
down the line, until Dave Darrin, at the further end, had admitted
himself to be as much in the dark