.

"Up oars!" commanded Mr. Hayes dryly.

From one of the visiting plebes came an incautious giggle. Mr.
Hayes turned and marked his man with a significant stare that
made the unfortunate giggler turn red and white in turn with alarm.

At the order, "up oars," Dave Darrin sent his feet aloft. By
rare good luck he succeeded the first time trying.

There he remained, his head in the bowl of water, his feet resting
against the wall.

Just at this moment, though, the sound of trouble was in the air,
even if it reached interested ears but faintly.

A step was heard in the corridor outside. There was a faint knock.

The upper class midshipmen knew on the instant what the knock
meant--and so indeed did Dave Darrin.

CHAPTER IV

THE "YOUNGSTERS" WHO BECAME "SPOONS ON"

It was a most critical moment in the life histories of several
young men who had grown to consider themselves as future officers
in the United States Navy!

Such a man as Midshipman Bender was certain to report any form
of hazing he detected.

Now, the usual punishment meted out to hazers at either Annapolis or
West Point is dismissal from the service!

True, this was not brutal hazing, but merely the light form of
the sport known as "running" the new man.

Nevertheless, "all hazing looks alike" to the public, when posted
by the newspapers, and the Naval Academy authorities deal severely
with even "running."

So, for all of the "youngsters," or third class men, who had been
conducting the evening's festivities, all the elements of trouble,
and perhaps of dismissal, were at hand.

But Dave Darrin had been the first to hear the soft approach of
footsteps, and somehow, he had guessed at the meaning of it all.

Just in the fraction of a second before the knock had sounded
at the door Dave had made a fine handspring that brought him from
his topsy-turvy attitude to a position of standing on his feet.
And, at the same time, he held the washbowl in his hand without
having spilled a drop of the water. Like a flash Dave few across
the room, depositing the bowl where it belonged. With a towel
he wiped his hair, then swiftly mopped his face dry. Hair brush
and comb in hand, he turned, saving:

"Why, I suppose, gentlemen, Dalzell and myself were very fair
athletes in the High School sense of the word. But it's a long
jump from that to aspiring to the Navy football team. Of course
we'll turn out for practice, if you wish, but--"

At