Ere all the guns had been fired from the flagship, the third classmen received the rising signal; the class marched out and was dismissed.

For two hours the three middies roamed through the streets, often meeting fellow classmen.

Then came a hurried skeltering, for the first, second and third classmen were entitled to leave during the month of September.

Fourth classmen, you know, are considered too young to associate with girls.

A few very bright youngsters went along all right, but to most of the third classmen graduation began to look a thousand years away.

So it was that when the grades were posted Dave scanned the D's in the list of third classmen who had passed.

"So you see, old man, we'll both be here next year as second classmen," said Dave jubilantly.

They spoke in disguised voices, though as they were upper classmen they were fairly safe from recognition; the new girls were hardly acquainted among themselves and knew few of the older students by name.

"I hope our youngsters aren't going too far," Dave remarked, "youngster" being the accepted term for the third classmen, and the same as "yearling" at West Point.

" "Let's go in, then, as grave and dignified second classmen, and warn the youngsters like daddies," proposed Dan, but his eyes were twinkling with the spirit of mischief.

"They've been most uncommonly touge all through the year, sir," replied Eaton, tacking on the "sir" in order to impress Midshipmen Flint and Austin with the tremendous dignity or all upper classmen.

"They have not yet learned the respect that is due to upper classmen, sir.

" "And especially to third classmen?" inquired Dan, now without the flicker of a smile.

"They are especially touge, sir, with third classmen.

"When Dalzell and I were fourth classmen we weren't troubled at all by the youngsters after Christmas.

The trousers of the two fourth classmen were rather liberally overlaid with dust, showing that they must have been performing some rough stunts on the floor.

Looking doubly red and uncomfortable, with these two grave-looking second classmen present, Flint bent down, attempting to stand on his head in the bowl of water, while he tried, at the same time to push his feet up the wall, thus standing on his head.

"All except the fourth classmen present will at once fall in by twos outside," commanded Lieutenant Preston, closing the notebook and slipping it away.

Fourth classmen Flint and Austin were not long in making themselves presentable.

Nor was more than a look at the two rear fourth classmen needed to enable any wondering midshipmen to guess the nature of the offense with which the remaining eleven upper classmen were to be charged.

Nor was more than a look at the two rear fourth classmen needed to enable any wondering midshipmen to guess the nature of the offense with which the remaining eleven upper classmen were to be charged.

" As soon as the upper classmen had departed, the commandant took Flint and Austin in hand, questioning them keenly and making notes of the more important answers.

" In some underground way Farley and Page heard the straight story concerning Dave and Dan; how the two upper classmen had gone to the room and Darrin had entered a mild protest against the hazing.

As these young men, now new first classmen, stood on the deck of a battleship, watching the Naval Academy fade astern, at the beginning of the summer cruise, Dave Darrin turned to his friends, remarking wistfully: "Fellows, if we get through one more year of it without falling down, we shall then be putting to sea once more, and then as graduated midshipmen, afloat in our effort to win our ensign's commissions!"

However, they stood and saw the upper classmen go past, and it seemed to poor Harry that every fellow stared at him and grinned.