The Project Gutenberg EBook of Dave Darrin's Third Year at Annapolis by H. Irving Hancock

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Title: Dave Darrin's Third Year at Annapolis Leaders of the Second Class Midshipmen

Author: H. Irving Hancock

Release Date: November 27, 2003 [EBook #10319]

Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DAVE DARRIN ***

Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team

DAVE DARRIN'S THIRD YEAR AT ANNAPOLIS

or

Leaders of the Second Class Midshipmen

By H. IRVING HANCOCK

1911

Illustrated

[Illustration: "There She Goes!"]

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I. WHY THE MIDSHIPMEN BALKED.

II. PROVING THEIR TRAINING.

III. THE TROUBLE-MAKING FOP.

IV. IN THE VIEW OF THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.

V. NAVY FOOTBALL IN THE AIR.

VI. THE HATE OF A RIVAL.

VII. "DID JETSON DO IT?".

VIII. DAN TRIES HARD TO KEEP COOL.

IX. A NARROW SQUEAK WITH THE O. C.

X. THE GRIDIRON START.

XI. THE BAND COULDN'T MAKE ITSELF HEARD.

XII. JOYCE IS BITTEN WITH THE TROUBLE BUG.

XIII. HEPSON IS "SOME WILD".

XIV. TWO SIDES OF A STORY.

XV. THE NAVY GOAT WEEPS.

XVI. THE MAN WITH A SCOWL ON TAP.

XVII. AN AFFAIR OF SULKS.

XVIII. THE CLASS MEETING SITS AS JURY.

XIX. DAVE STANDS ON PRINCIPLE.

XX. "DON'T BE A FOOL, DARRY!"

XXI. MIDSHIPMAN JETSON HAS THE FLOOR.

XXII. THE BIRTH OF A GENTLEMAN.

XXIII. "RAGGED" AND NO MISTAKE.

XXIV. CONCLUSION.

Dave Darrin's Third Year at Annapolis

CHAPTER I

WHY THE MIDSHIPMEN BALKED

"So Tom Reade and Harry Hazelton have been here?" demanded Midshipman
Dave Darrin.

That handsome young member of the brigade of midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis was now in mufti, or cits,—meaning, in other words, that he was out of his Naval uniform and attired in the conventional clothing of a young American when calling on his sweetheart.

It will make the situation even clearer to the reader to explain that Dave was back in the home town, on his September leave, after just having completed his second summer practice cruise with the three upper classes from Annapolis.

Dave was now a fine looking and "husky" second classman. He was just a shade more than half way through his course of instruction at Annapolis.

Being back in the home town, where would Midshipman Darrin be more naturally found than in the parlor at the home of his sweetheart, Miss Belle Meade?

The first greetings had been exchanged fifteen minutes before.

Since that time the young people, being sweethearts as they were, had naturally talked about themselves.

And Dave, who, in the Naval service, was fast learning to become a good listener, had been content to have Belle do most of the talking, while he sat back watching the motions of her pretty lips and catching glimpses of two rows of pearly teeth.

But now Belle had just mentioned two of Dave's former High School chums.

"So Tom and Harry were really here?" he repeated.

"Yes; they came up from Arizona on leave."

"I wonder why they couldn't have remained here longer?" mused Dave.

"They both told me that they were very young in their profession as civil engineers, and that they had to spend nearly all of their time 'on the job,' as Tom phrased it," replied Belle.

"How did they look?" asked Dave.

"A shade older, of course, than when they were in the High School."

"Are they much taller?" asked Darrin.

"Somewhat; but they have not shot up in height, the way you and Dan, and
Dick Prescott and Greg Holmes have done," Belle continued.

"Brown as berries, I suppose, after working down in the alkali deserts?" asked Dave, who felt that he could not hear enough of those dear old chums.

"Meaning Tom and Harry?" smiled Belle. "Or Dick and Greg?"

"Tom and Harry, that time, of course," laughed Dave. "But I'm waiting to hear a whole lot about Dick and Greg as well."

"No; I wouldn't call Tom and Harry exactly as brown as berries," went on Belle, laughing, "for I am not acquainted with many kinds of brown berries."

"Coffee berries?" hinted Darrin.

"I would call Tom and Harry fully as bronzed as Indians," Belle ventured.

"Have you ever seen any Indians?" asked Midshipman Darrin, looking at his sweetheart rather quizzically.

"Oh, haven't I?" laughed Belle Meade, her eyes sparkling. "We had Indians here the early part of this summer. There was a medicine show here, with Indians and cowboys, and that sort of thing. One day the Indians and cowboys got intoxicated and they went through Main Street like a tornado. They were yelling and shooting, and had people all along the street running for cover. Even the chief of police, though he wasn't a coward, ran into safety.

"In the midst of it all Dick Prescott, Greg Holmes, Tom Reade and Harry Hazelton came out of an ice cream parlor. Tom and Harry got a glimpse of the very Wild West looking company of yellers and shooters. Tom and Harry have seen enough Indians and cowboys to know the real thing—and that these were only poor imitations. All of a sudden Tom and Harry and Dick and Greg charged into that howling, shooting crowd and knocked them right and left. Your four old-time chums simply disarmed the 'bad' ones and turned the weapons over to the chief of police."

Belle went on, describing the famous incident, while Dave leaned back, laughing heartily.

"How I wish I had been on hand! I'd like to have helped, too," he added.

"Those four youngsters didn't need any help," laughed Belle.

"Which was the most surprised crowd—the 'bad' Western outfit or the police department?" chuckled Dave.

Readers of our "WEST POINT SERIES" will find the "Wild West" scene fully narrated in "DICK PRESCOTT'S THIRD YEAR AT WEST POINT."

"Isn't it outrageous," demanded Dave, "that the West Point and the Annapolis leave of absence should be so arranged that midshipmen and cadets who are old, old friends never get a chance to meet each other on