idshipmen too far from the scene
to be identified with any fight party.

"It was a remarkably good and cheeky piece of work, sir," Lieutenant
Hall reported, twenty minutes later, to Commander Jephson, commandant
of midshipmen. "I had a fight party right under my hands when
that call of fire sounded. It was so natural that I bolted away
and lost my party before I discovered that it was a hoax."

"Did you recognize any of the fight party, Mr. Hall?

"No, sir; I was not close enough, and the night is dark."

"Did you recognize the voice of the man who gave the fire-call?"

"No, sir; at any rate, I believe that the voice was disguised."

"The young men have discovered a new one, and have tried it on
you, Mr. Hall."

"I realize that, sir," replied the lieutenant, in a voice of chagrin.

It was now the time of annual examinations, of daily dress parade
and the incoming of the first of the hosts of visitors who would
be on hand during graduation week.

Of the annual examinations the poor fourth class men thought they
had more than their share. Of the dress parades they had their
full share. In the graduating exercises they took no part; they
were not even present.

"What does a mere fourth class man know about the Navy, anyway?"
was the way Midshipman Trotter asked the question.

Twenty-two of the fourth class men stumbled in their annual examinations.
These went home promptly. They would not return again, unless
their Congressmen reappointed them for another try. In case that
happened to any of the young men they would return to take up
life with the new fourth class, and would henceforth be known as
"bilgers."

A man who has been dropped is a "bilger," whether he comes back
or not. A "bilger" is further described as "one who used to be
in the game, and is now only on the outside looking in."

Dave Darrin's standing for the year was two-eighty-seven. Dan's
was two-eighty-two. Farley and Page came close to that figure.

None of these young men were in the "savvy" section, but all had
passed with sufficient credit for the first year.

While the graduating exercises were going on the fourth class
men were divided between drills on land and on water.

Dave and Dan were in a squad that marched up from the steam building
just in time to catch a distant glimpse of the crowds surging
out from the graduating exercises.

Both young men, and probably a lot of others in the same squad
throbbed with a swift