mark in grease." "Grease" is high standing
on the efficiency report. As a rule the man who stands well in
"grease" stands somewhat lower in general popularity.

Midshipman Bender, second class, was, at this time, regarded as
one of the worst "greasers" of all.

"What's on?" inquired Midshipman Hayes, one of the newcomers in
the room. "Tub race?"

"No, sir; fast spurt in single-pair shells," replied Midshipman
Trotter impressively.

"Whew! You've caught some real athletes, have you?"

"That's what we want to find out," responded Mr. Trotter. "Now,
then, misters, we warn you against approaching this noble sport
in any spirit of levity! You are not to think that this work
is for your own amusement, or for anyone else's. You must try
yourselves out fairly and squarely. Our purpose is to find out
which is the better oarsman, and also which rows with the more
finish. Take your seats in your craft."

Dave and Dan seated themselves, with all possible gravity, in their
respective wash basins.

"Up oars!" commanded Mr. Trotter.

As neither plebe knew just what was meant by this command they
had to be shown how to sit holding their "oars" straight up in
the air.

"Let fall!"

This time the two new men guessed fairly well. They went through
the motions of allowing their toothpick oars to fall into row-locks.

"Now, at the outset, take your strokes from my count," directed
Mr. Trotter. "One, two three, four, five, six, seven--"

And so on. It was all ludicrously absurd, to see Dave and Dan
bending to their tasks as seriously as though they were rowing
real craft with actual oars.

One of the visiting plebes was stupid enough to giggle.

"Go over and stand by the window in arrest, mister," ordered Midshipman
Hayes. "You shall be tried later!"

Then the "boat race" continued. It soon proved to be more than
absurd; it was decidedly fatiguing. Both Dave and Dan found that
their strained positions, and the motions required of them, made
backs and shoulders ache. Their legs, too, began to suffer from
cramp.

It was not until both showed signs of decided weariness that the
race was brought to an end.

Then the cadet who had giggled was called forward, ordered to
half fill one of the washbowls and to stand on his head in it.

While this was going on there was not a smile from anyone. From
the serious faces of all this might have been one of the most
important bits of drill in the whole course at t