"Darrin is my name, sir," replied Dave quietly.

"So, Mr. Darrin, I give you my word that I won't even start my
investigations before this evening. And I'll keep all quiet about the
midshipman end of it."

"Thank you very much, sir," said Dave gratefully.

As the two midshipmen strolled slowly back in the direction of Chow
Hop's, Dave murmured:

"Now, you see why I took this step?"

"I'm afraid not very clearly," replied Midshipman Hallam.

"That scoundrelly Chow made his boast that other midshipmen patronized
his place. I don't believe it. Such a vice wouldn't appeal to you, and
it doesn't to me. But there are more than two hundred new plebes coming
in just now, and many of these boys have never been away from home
before. Some of them might foolishly seek the lure of a new vice, and
might find the habit fastened on them before they were aware of it.
Chow's vile den might spoil some good material for the quarter-deck,
and, as a matter of midshipman honor, we're bound to see that the place
is cleaned out right away."

"I guess, Darry, you come pretty near being right," assented Hallam,
after thinking for a few moments.

By the time they reached Chow Hop's again they found that Dr. Lawrence