Dan Dalzell

“ See me burning any blue lights?
"Perhaps, Dave, you don't take the whole business as much to heart as I do," continued Dan Dalzell almost tremulously. "Why, Great Scott, if they drop me at the Naval Academy, I'll be the bluest fellow you ever saw! But maybe you won't care, Dave, whether you are dropped or not."
"Won't I?" grumbled Darrin. "The Navy is the only thing in life that I care about!" ”

“ Dan Dalzell favored his callers with a nod, but remained seated, both hands thrust deep in his pockets.
"Get up on your feet, mister!" ordered one of the midshipmen, so sternly that Dan obeyed like a shot.
"Excuse me," he began hastily. "I didn't know you came here in an official capacity. I thought—"
"Silence, mister!" commanded another of the visitors. Dan subsided.
"What's your name, mister?" demanded the last speaker, as he favored
Dave with his next glance.
"Why, my name is Dave Darrin," replied that plebe pleasantly.
"Say 'sir,' mister, when you address an upper class man. ”

“ Tall, willowy, with a perfect air, her wonderful eyes, in which there was a touch of Moorish fire, were calculated to set a young man's heart to beating responses to her mood. Attired in the latest mode of Paris, and wearing only enough jewels to enhance her great beauty, the Countess chose to be most gracious to the young ensigns. Dave thought her a charming young woman; Dan Dalzell nearly lost his head.
From a distance Emil Gortchky looked on, a quiet smile gleaming in his eyes.
"Dandelli is a fool, who will do any pretty woman's bidding," mused the spy. "Madame Ripoli can play with him. ”

“ CHAPTER XVII DAVE'S GUESS AT THE BIG PLOT
"Friends tell me that in being in the Navy I have such a grand chance to see the world," grumbled Dan Dalzell, as the launch headed for the anchorage of the American warships. "I went to Paris and had two short taxicab rides through the city. That was all I saw of Paris. Then a long railway journey, and I reached Genoa. I spent twenty-eight minutes in Genoa, and boarded this launch. Oh, I'm seeing the world at a great rate! ”

“ It had been a hot day, yet out on the water, busy with their sport, and acquiring a deep coating of sunburn, the boys had not noticed the heat especially. Now they mopped their faces as they strolled almost listlessly along the street.
"I want to go to Lake Pleasant," grumbled Danny Grin.
"Going to-night, or to-morrow morning?" teased Greg.
"If I had an automobile I'd start after supper," Dalzell informed them.
"But not having a car you'll wait till you're grown up and have begun to earn money of your own," laughed Harry Hazelton.
"What do you say, Dick?" asked Dan Dalzell anxiously. ”

“ Dave wanted to know. "No girls; no tender promenades!" grumbled Midshipman Dalzell.
"Poor old chap," muttered Dave sympathetically.
"Oh, that's all right for you," grunted Dan. "You have one of the 'only' girls, and so you're safe."
"There are more 'only' girls than you've any idea of, Dan Dalzell," Dave retorted with spirit. "The average American girl is a mighty fine, sweet, wholesome proposition."
"I'll grant that," nodded Dan, with a knowing air. "But I've made an important discovery concerning the really fine girls."
"Produce the discovery," begged Darrin. ”

“ Dan Dalzell, who had been thunderstruck, and who was now full of questions, was being urged out of the room by Dave.
"So Darry converted you, did he?" laughed Joyce. "Bully for Darry. Why, that great and good fellow dared the class to send him to Coventry after it got through with you. He accused the class of kicking a man without giving that man a chance to get up on his feet."
"It's a good deal like Darrin," remarked Jetson, his eyes a trifle misty, "though it took me a thundering long time to realize that Darrin was really of that kind." ”

“ These two midshipmen went to see Dan Dalzell.
"Wait until I send for Mr. Farley," proposed Dalzell. He soon had that midshipman, who was wholly willing to serve Darrin in any capacity.
"We're ready to have the fight this evening," proposed Midshipman Decker.
"We're not," retorted Dan, with vigor.
"Why not?"
"This forenoon Pennington deliberately stepped on Darrin's shoulder, with such force as to lame it a good deal," replied Dan. "Our man insists that he has a right to rest his shoulder, and to wait until to-morrow." ”

“ Though Dan Dalzell did not now have much hope of sight-seeing in Paris, he was able, after dozing until daylight, to gaze interestedly out upon the country through which he was traveling.
Able Seaman Runkle was another absorbed window-gazer. As for Ensign Dave Darrin, while he caught many interesting glimpses of the scenery, his mind was mainly on the question of how the international plotters were planning to break the [157] friendship between the two strongest nations on earth. ”

“ Anstey was one of the few at West Point who knew anything about the friendship between Prescott, Holmes, Darrin and Dalzell.
Dan Dalzell had also made the Annapolis eleven, playing right tackle. That was bound to bring him into hard grip with Greg.
"Anstey, I hope there's time for you to make the acquaintance of Dave and Dan," Dick said earnestly while the Virginian was visiting Greg and himself. "Dave and Dan are two of the real fellows, if there are any left in the world. ”

“ Dan Dalzell was off like a shot.
Chow tried to edge around toward the door.
"Here, you get back there," cried Dave, seizing the Chinaman and slamming him back against the wall. "Don't you move again, until we tell you that you may—or it will be the worse for you."
Ten minutes passed ere Dan returned with Dr. Lawrence.
"You see the job that's cut out for you," said Darrin, pointing to the unconscious figure in the bunk. "Can you do it, Doctor?" ”

“ Dave Darrin and Dan Dalzell were nominated as midshipmen to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, and all that befell them there is set forth in the "Annapolis Series." The great things that happened to Tom Reade and Harry Hazelton are told in the volumes of the "Young Engineers Series." Dick Prescott's and Greg Holmes' adventures in the Army, after graduation from West Point, are set forth in the volumes of the "Boys of the Army Series." ”

“ Arithmetic is the hardest part. One funny chap on the Civil Service Commission nearly got me by asking me how much two and two are, but Darrin saved me, just in the nick of time, by holding up five fingers; so I knew the answer right off."
Some of the candidates were already surveying Dan with a good deal of amusement. They had heard much of the severe way upper classmen at the Naval Academy have of taking all the freshness out of a new man, and, like Dave, these other candidates scented plenty of trouble ahead for cheerful, grinning Dan Dalzell. ”

“ Having just wronged all girls in his own estimation of them, Dan was now proceeding to do his own closest chum an injustice. For Dave Darrin was too thorough a gentleman to laugh over any unfortunate's discomfiture.
"What a lucky escape I had from getting better acquainted with that girl!" was Dalzell's next thought. "Why, with one as wholly deceitful as she is there can be no telling where it would all have ended. ”

“ I've had only two dances this evening. It's too tame. I'm going back to Bancroft Hall and stand ready to turn in at the first signal. What's the use of hanging around at a hop when there's only one girl to every five fellows?"
"You have suffered the just fate of the free lance," remarked Dan Dalzell virtuously. "As for me, I never think of attending a hop unless I squire some femme thither."
"There used to be girls enough last year," complained Joyce. "Well, I'm off for home and bed."
"We'll stroll along up with you," proposed Darrin. ”

“ With that the broad-backed policeman started off with two savage prisoners in tow.
"Say, if we're to have any dinner and get back to school on time, we'll have to be moving fast," declared Dan Dalzell.
"I thought we were surely going to get into a lot of trouble," muttered Hazelton, as the youngsters moved along rapidly. "But Whalen knew his business."
"I hope the judge can send that Dexter fellow [34] up for a good, long time," muttered Dick. "He's been annoying that poor woman all the time lately."
"Just because she has her grandfather's money at last," grumbled Dave Darrin. ”

“ In the meantime, Dan Dalzell had ranged up alongside, followed by Sutton of His Majesty's Navy. Both of these young officers went aboard the submarine and below deck for a look.
Rocket signals had informed those on anxious watch in Grand Harbor of the capture of the submarine. Congratulations had been signaled back.
Just as the dawn broke, watchers in the waters near Valetta saw Dave Darrin's launch enter the harbor, the submarine limping along in tow. ”

“ Both young men, and probably a lot of others in the same squad throbbed with a swift flash of thought.
As soon as the ranks were broken Dalzell seized his chum's hand, and began wringing it strenuously.
"David, little giant," murmured Dan ecstatically, "we are no longer fourth class men. From the instant that the tail-ender of the old first class received his diploma we became transformed into third class men."
"Yes," smiled Dave. "We're youngsters. That's going some."
"Poor fourth class men!" sighed Dan. "I'm alluding to those who will have to look up to and reverence me as a youngster!" ”

“ Green Hat reached the street.
"Stop that thief!" roared the young man in the gray suit. "He has robbed me!"
By this time Dalzell was again on his feet and out in the aisle. He sprinted for the street, followed closely by Dave Darrin. The young man in the gray suit, his face pallid, plunged after the young naval officers.
"You're an American, aren't you?" called Dave, over his shoulder.
"Yes," answered he of the gray suit, "and in official life at Washington, too. That scoundrel has robbed me of something of value to the United States government." ”

“ To not one of the trio did it occur to let go of the life buoys and sink as a means of ending misery. In the first place, human instinct holds to hope. In the second place, suicide is the resort of cowards.
"None of you happened to hide any food in his pockets at breakfast, I take it?" asked Dan grimly, at last.
Of course they hadn't.
"Too bad," sighed Dan. "I'm growing terribly hungry."
"Catch a fish," smiled back Darrin.
"And eat it raw?" gasped Dalzell. "Darry, you know my tastes better than that."
"Then wait a few hours longer," proposed Dave, "until even raw fish will be a delicacy." ”

“ Dick insisted. "We've a right to protect ourselves, and we're going to do it. Besides, you joined us, and now [97] you've got to be one of us and tell us the whole scheme against us."
"I didn't join you!"
"Do you belong to Fred Ripley's crowd, then? If so, you'd better join that choice gang! Grab hold of him, fellows!"
Dave Darrin and Tom Reade gripped Hen, on either side, with great heartiness. Dan Dalzell ran to unbar the door, after accomplishing which he turned to view what might follow. ”

“ Dalzell answered.
"May I ask my new American friend why he should waste his time here?" laughed the Countess.
"I do not believe I have exactly wasted my time," Dan replied. "A naval officer, or any other American, may well spend some of his time here in gaining a better knowledge of human nature. Surely, there is much of human nature to be seen here, even though it be not one of the better sides."
"What is the bad trait, or the vice, that one beholds most at Monte Carlo?" the Countess asked. ”

“ Like a flash Dan dived below, found and clutched at Canty. The young man returned the grip with interest, but Midshipman Dalzell struggled to the surface with him. Ab Canty was exhausted, out of his head and altogether past reasoning. Dan hated to do it, but he had to strike the young man in the forehead. Canty gave a gasp and ceased to resist.
Dave Darrin, watching, had run the boat up close alongside as soon as the struggling pair appeared above the waves.
"You'll have to take him in, Davy," announced Midshipman Dalzell. "Canty isn't strong enough to tow behind. ”

“ Dan insisted. "Nothing short of killing us would have satisfied those bravos if they had succeeded in getting [134] us at their mercy. Yet why should our death be desired?"
"For only one reason," Dave answered, the truth coming to him in a flash. "Dalny is here in Naples, for which reason his white-haired fellow-plotter is probably here, too. We were sent ashore to find out if they are here. When Dalny shook hands with us this afternoon he perceived that I recognized him as one whose remarks I undoubtedly had overheard at Monte Carlo. ”

“ Dave and Dan soon walked over to the open doorway and stood looking out upon the street, in which, at this time, few people were passing. Hearing a step in the office, Dan quickly turned. He saw a young man coming through the office, holding himself very erect. This young man was in dark blue uniform, with visored cap, and on each side of his collar was the anchor insignia. Past the anchor were two bars, but Dalzell didn't notice that at the moment.
"There's a real midshipman," whispered Dan, plucking at Dave's sleeve. ”

“ He did not finish, just then, for he knew that Midshipman Dalzell could be very stubborn at times.
"I'll have a light in a jiffy," whispered Dan "I brought back a candle with me."
"You won't use it—-not in here," retorted Dave. "The dark is light enough for you. Hustle into your pajamas."
Perhaps Midshipman Dalzell did not make all the speed that his roommate desired, but at last Dan was safely rid of his uniform, underclothing and shoes, and stood arrayed in pajamas.
"Now, I'll hide this doughface over night," whispered Darrin, going toward Dalzell's bed. ”