thousand years out of date. What we want on the
Navy line is real human flesh and blood."

"There'll be blood on the doorstep of the moon if the Army carries things
away from us this year," predicted Page mournfully.

"Well, all we can do is our best," declared Dave. "We'll do that, too,
and do it mightily. Wow! What's that?"

Ta-ra-ra-ta-ra-ta! sounded musically in the corridors.

"Supper formation, by Jove!" gasped Dan.

Farley and Page fled without a word. Soon the "decks" of Bancroft Hall
swarmed with young life. Then, outside, to seaward, the brigade fell in
by companies.

Military commands rang out briskly, roll was called, reports made and the
brigade marched in to supper.

What a joyous, noisy affair it was. Some license in the way of
boisterousness was allowed this evening, and most of the young men took
full advantage of the fact.

Swat! A slice of bread, soaked in a glass of water and kneaded into a
soppy ball, struck Dalzell full in the back of the neck, plastering his
collar and sending a sticky mess down his spine.

"I'll fight the man who did that," promised Midshipman Dan, wheeling
around. Then added cautiously:

"If he's a graduate."

There being, naturally, no graduates present except the officer at the
furthest corner of the mess hall, Dan's challenge provoked laughter.

Many other pranks were played, but there is not room to record them here.
The meal over and the brigade dismissed, some of the midshipmen--there
were nearly eight hundred of them--went to their own quarters, or visited
the rooms of cronies. Hundreds took the air in the grounds.

Almost the sole topic was football. Hepson speedily had most of the
members of the big squad gathered about him. Others, who could not hope
to "make" in football, gathered near-by, as though afraid of losing some
of the talk.

"Remember, gentlemen, until the Army game is over, it's to be nothing
this year but work, work, work!" warned Midshipman Hepson, with intense
earnestness.

With nothing but football in the air, Dan soon caught the infection even
more deeply than his chum.

"Hang it, I'm a dub," groaned Dan. "Lots of the fellows gave up their
leave in order to be here and practise. Why in the mischief didn't I?"

"For the same reason that perhaps I didn't sacrifice leave," replied
Dave. "I wasn't asked to. And you weren't, either, were you?"

"No; but I wish I had flung myself at Hepson's head, and made him take
me, instead of going