remonstrated Mr. Hallam mildly.

"His best lights--bah!" snarled Pennington. "I'll take this all out of
him before I'm through with him!"

Pennington reported to the battleship's commander. After some ten
minutes a marine orderly found Hallam and directed him to go to Captain
Scott's office. Here Hallam repeated as much as was asked of him
concerning the doings of the afternoon. Incidentally, the fact of
Midshipman Darrin's report to the police was brought out.

"Mr. Pennington, I shall send you at once, in a launch, over to the
commandant of cadets to report this matter in person to him," said
Captain Scott gravely. "Mr. Hallam, you will go with Mr. Pennington."

Then, after the two had departed, an apprentice messenger went through
the ship calling Dave's name. That young man was summoned to Captain
Scott's office.

"I am in possession of all the facts relating to the unfortunate affair
of Midshipman Pennington, Mr. Darrin," began Captain Scott, after the
interchange of salutes. "Will you tell me why you reported the affair to
the police?"

"I went to the police, sir," Dave replied, "because I was aware that
many members of the new fourth class are away from home for the first
time in their lives. I was afraid, sir, that possibly some of the new
midshipmen might, during one of their town-leaves, be tempted to try for
a new experience."