Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at Annapolis

H. Irving (Harrie Irving) Hancock

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• Publié par: nethung
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 34
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg eBook, Dave Darrin's
Fourth Year at Annapolis, by H. Irving Hancock
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Title: Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at Annapolis
Author: H. Irving Hancock
Release Date: June 29, 2004 [eBook #12775]
Language: English
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG
EBOOK DAVE DARRIN'S FOURTH YEAR AT
ANNAPOLIS***
E-text prepared by Jim Ludwig
DAVE DARRIN'S FOURTH YEAR AT
ANNAPOLISHeaded for Graduation and the Big Cruise
H. IRVING HANCOCK
CONTENTS
CHAPTERS
I. Wanted—-A Doughface!
II. Some One Pushes the Tungsten
III. Bad News from West Point
IV. Dave's Work Goes Stale
V. Dan Hands Himself Bad Money
VI. The "Forgot" Path to Trouble
VII. Dan's Eyes Jolt His Wits
VIII. The Prize Trip on the "Dodger"
IX. The Treachery of Morton
X. "We Belong to the Navy, Too!"
XI. A Quarter's Worth of Hope
XII. Ready to Trim West Point
XIII. When "Brace Up, Army!" was the Word
XIV. The Navy Goat Grins XV. Dan Feels as "Sold" as He Looks
XVI. The Day of Many Doubts
XVII. Mr. Clairy Deals in Outrages
XVIII. The Whole Class Takes a Hand
XIX. Midshipman Darrin Has the Floor
XX. Dan Steers on the Rocks Again
XXI. In the Thick of Disaster
XXII. The Search at the Bottom of the Bay
XXIII. Graduation Day—-At Last
XXIV. ConclusionCHAPTER I
WANTED—-A DOUGHFACE!
"Now, then, Danny boy, we——-"
First Classman Dave Darrin, midshipman at the
United States Naval
Academy, did not finish what he was about to say.
While speaking he had closed the door behind him
and had stepped into the quarters occupied jointly
by himself and by Midshipman Daniel Dalzell, also
of the first or upper class.
"Danny boy isn't here. Visiting, probably," mused
Dave Darrin, after having glanced into the alcove
bedroom at his right hand.
It was a Saturday night, early in October. The new
academic year at the Naval Academy was but a
week old. There being no "hop" that night the
members of the brigade had their time to spend as
they pleased. Some of the young men would need
the time sadly to put in at their new studies. Dave,
fortunately, did not feel under any necessity to
spend his leisure in grinding over text-books.
Dave glanced at his study desk, though he barely
saw the pile of text-books neatly piled up there.
"No letters to write tonight," he thought "I wasgoing to loan Danny boy one of my two new
novels. No matter; if he'd rather visit let him do so."
In the short interval of recreation that had followed
the evening meal Dave had missed his home chum
and roommate, but had thought nothing of it. Nor
was Dave now really disappointed over the present
prospect of having an hour or two by himself. He
went to a one-shelf book rack high overhead and
pulled down one of his two recent novels.
"If I want Danny boy at any time I fancy I have only
to step as far as Page's room," mused Dave, as he
seated himself by his desk.
An hour slipped by without interruption. An
occasional burst of laughter floated down the
corridor. At some distance away, on the same
deck of barracks in Bancroft Hall, a midshipman
was industriously twanging away on a banjo.
Darrin, however, absorbed in his novel, paid no
heed to any of the signs of Saturday-night jollity.
He was a third of the way through an exciting tale
when there came a knock on the door—-a moment
later a head was thrust in.
Midshipman Farley's head was thrust inside.
"All alone, Darry?" called Mr. Farley.
"Yes," Dave answered, laying his novel aside after
having thrust an envelope between pages to hold
the place. "Come in, Farl."
"Where's Dalzell?" inquired Farley, after havingclosed the door behind him.
"Until this moment I thought that he was in your
room."
"I haven't seen him all evening," Farley responded.
"Page and I have been yawning ourselves to
death."
"Danny boy is visiting some other crowd, then,"
guessed Darrin. "He will probably be along soon.
Did you want to see him about anything in
particular?"
"Oh, no. I came here to escape being bored to
death by Page, and poor old Pagey has just fled to
Wilson's room to escape being bored by me. What
are these Saturday evenings for, anyway, when
there's no way of spending them agreeably?"
"For a good many of the men, who want to get
through," smiled Dave, "Saturday evening is a
heaven-sent chance to do a little more studying
against a blue next week. As for Danny boy, I
imagine he must have carried his grin up to
Wilson's room. Or, maybe, to Jetson's. Danny has
plenty of harbors where he's welcome to cast his
anchor."
"May I sit down?" queried Mr. Farley.
"Surely, Furl, and with my heartiest apologies for
having been too dull to push a chair toward you."
"I can easily help myself," laughed the othermidshipman, "since there's only one other chair in
the room."
"What have you and Page been talking about
tonight?" asked Dave.
"Why do you want to know?"
"So that I won't run the risk of boring you by talking
oh the same subject."
"Well," confessed Midshipman Farley, "we've been
talking about this season's football."
"Oh, dear!" sighed Darrin. "That's the only topic
really worth talking about."
"Speaking of football," resumed Farley, "don't you
believe that we have a stronger eleven than we
had last year!"
"If we haven't we ought to walk the plank," retorted
Dave. "You remember how the Army walloped us
last year?"
"That was because the Army team had Prescott
and Holmes on it," rejoined Farley quickly.
"Well, they'll have 'em this year, too, won't they?
"So Prescott and Holmes are to be out for the
Army this year!"
"I haven't heard anything definite on that head,"
Dave answered. "But I take it as a matter of coursethat Prescott and Holmes will play once more with
the Army. They're West Point men, and they know
their duty."
"What wonders that pair are!" murmured Farley
with reluctant admiration for the star players of the
United States Military Academy. "Yet, after all,
Darry, I can't for the life of me see where Prescott
and Holmes are in any way superior to yourself
and Dan Dalzell."
"Except," smiled Dave, "that Prescott and Holmes,
last year, got by us a good deal oftener than we
got by them—-and so the Army lugged off the
score from Franklin Field."
"But you won't let 'em do it this year, Darry!"
"Dan and I will do all we can to stop our oldtime
chums, now of the Army," agreed Dave. "But
they're a hard pair to beat. Any one who saw
Prescott and Holmes play last year will agree that
they're a hard pair of nuts for the Navy to crack."
"We've got to beat the Army this year," Farley
protested plaintively.
"I certainly hope we shall do so."
"Darry, what is your candid opinion of Wolgast?"
"As a man?"
"You know better!""As a midshipman?"
"Darry, stop your nonsense! You know well enough
that I'm asking your opinion of Wolgast as captain
of the Navy eleven."
"He seems inclined to be fair and just to every
member of the squad, so what more can you ask
of him."
"But do you think he's any real good, Darry, as
captain for the
Navy?"
"I do."
"We ought to have had you for captain of the team,
Darry," insisted
Farley.
"So two or three other fellows thought," admitted
Dave. "But I refused to take that post, as you
know, and I'm glad I did."
"Oh, come, now!
"Yes; I'm glad I refused. A captain should be in
mid-field. Now, if Dalzell and I are any good at all
on the gridiron——-"
"Oh, Mr. Modesty!"
"If we're of any use at all," pursued Darrin, "it's only
on the flank. Now, where would the Navy be with a
captain directing from the right or left flank."