e slowly, as he laid comb and brush away and drew on
his uniform blouse.

"I know men have gotten through the Naval Academy in years gone by,"
Dalzell agreed. "But, the first chance that I have, I'm going to look
the matter up and see whether the middies of old had any such fearful
grind as we have our noses held to."

"Oh, we'll do it," declared Darrin confidently. "I shall, anyway--for
I've got to!"

As he spoke he was thinking of Belle Meade, and of her prospects in life
as well as his own.

As the days went by, however, Dave and Dan became more and more dull of
spirits. The grind was a fearful one. A few very bright youngsters went
along all right, but to most of the third classmen graduation began to
look a thousand years away.

The football squad was out now and training in deadly earnest. There
were many big games to be played, but most of all the middies longed to
tow West Point's Army eleven into the port of defeat.

In their first year Dave and Dan had looked forward longingly to joining
the gridiron squad. They had even practised somewhat. But now they
realized that playing football in the second year at Annapolis must be,
for them, merely a foolish dream.

"I'm thankful enough if I can study day and night and keep myself up to
2.5," confessed Darrin, as he and Dan chatted over their gridiron
longings.

Two-and-five tenths is the lowest marking, on a scale of four, that will
suffice to keep a midshipman in the Naval Academy.

"I'm not going to reach 2.5 in some studies this month," groaned Dan. "I
know that much by way of advance information. The fates be thanked that
we're allowed until the semi-ans to pick up. But the question is, are we
ever going to pick up? As I look through my books it seems to me that
every succeeding lesson is twice as hard as the one before it."

"Other men have gone through, every year."

"And still other men have been dropped every year," Dalzell dolefully
reminded him.

"We're among those who are going to stay," Dave contended stubbornly.

"Then I'm afraid we'll be among those who are dropped after Christmas
and come back, next year, as bilgers," Dalzell groaned.

"Now, drop that!" commanded Darrin, almost roughly. "Remember one thing,
Daniel little lion slayer! My congressman and your senator won't appoint
us again, if we fail now. No talk of that kind, remember. We've got to
make our standing secure within the next few weeks."

Before the month was over the fo