"You're lucky, then," replied Grigsby. "Our crowd all have to
take the academic exams."

"Cheer up," begged Dan. "Any baby can go past the academic exams.
Arithmetic is the hardest part. One funny chap on the Civil
Service Commission nearly got me by asking me how much two and
two are, but Darrin saved me, just in the nick of time, by holding
up five fingers; so I knew the answer right off."

Some of the candidates were already surveying Dan with a good
deal of amusement. They had heard much of the severe way upper
classmen at the Naval Academy have of taking all the freshness
out of a new man, and, like Dave, these other candidates scented
plenty of trouble ahead for cheerful, grinning Dan Dalzell.

"Gentlemen," broke in Dave quietly, "do you see the time on the
clock over on the academic building? It's nine-fourteen. What
do you say if we step promptly over to the administration building
and plunge into what's ahead of us?"

"Good enough," nodded one of the new acquaintances. "Suppose
you lead the way?"

So, with Dan by his side, Dave piloted the others over to the
administration building, just beyond the chapel.

As they stepped inside, and found themselves in a hallway, a marine
orderly confronted them.

"Candidates, gentlemen? Walk right upstairs. An orderly there will