Dalzell looked up wonderingly as Darrin marched swiftly into their room.

“Danny boy, have you heard any talk against me today?” demanded Dave.

“Do I look as though I had been fighting?” queried Dan promptly.

“I’ve just heard, from Trotter, that a good many of the fellows in our class are scorching me, and talking of sending me to coventry.  Will you ­”

“I sure will,” broke in Dan, dropping his book, rising and snatching at his cap.  “I’ll be back as soon as I’ve heard something, or have settled with the fellow who says it.”

Dan was out of the room like a flash.

Dave sat down heavily in his chair, his brow wrinkling as he tried to imagine what it all meant.

“It must all be a mistake that Trotter has made,” argued Dave with himself.  “Of course, Trotter might be stringing me, but I don’t believe he would do that.  Now, to be sure, I came near to having words with Farley last night, but that wouldn’t be the basis for any action by the fourth class.  That, if anything, would be wholly a personal matter.  Then what am I accused of doing?  It must be some fierce sort of lie when the fellows talk of taking it up as a class matter.”

For ten minutes more Dave puzzled and pondered over the problem.  Then the door flew open and Dan bolted hastily in.

“You haven’t been hitting anyone have you? asked Dave, noticing the flushed, angry face of his chum.

“No!  But one of us will have to do some hitting soon,” burst hotly from Dalzell.

“It’ll be my hit, then, I guess,” smiled Dave wearily.  “Have you found out ­”

“Dave it’s the most absurd sort of lie!  You know that Farley and his little crowd got caught last night, when they returned from their Frenching party over the wall?”

“Frenching” is taking unauthorized leave from the academic limits by going over the wall, instead of through the gate.

“Yes; I know Farley and his friends got caught,” rejoined Darrin.  “But what has that to do with me?

“Farley and his friends are sore ­”

“They ought not to be,” said Darrin quietly.  “They took the chance, and now they ought to be ready to pay up like good sportsmen.”

“Dave, they say you informed on them, and got them caught!”

“What?” shouted Darrin, leaping to his feet.  His face was deathly white and the corners of his mouth twitched.

He took two bounding steps toward the door, but Dalzell threw himself in his chum’s way.

“Not just this minute, Dave!” ordered Dan firmly.  “We don’t want any manslaughter here ­not even of the ‘justifiable’ kind!  Sit and wait until you’ve cooled off ­some.  When you go out I’m going with you ­whether it’s out into the corridor, or out of the Naval Academy for good.  Sit down, now!  Try to talk it over coolly, and get yourself into a frame of mind where you can talk with others without prejudicing your case.”

“My case?” repeated Dave bitterly, as he allowed Dan to force him back into his chair.  “I haven’t any case.  I haven’t done anything.”

“I know that, but you’ve got to get cool, and stay so, if you want to make sure that others have a chance to know it,” warned Dan.

“Does Farley say that I sneaked in information against him?”

“Farley and the others are so sore over their demerits that they believe almost anything, now, and they say almost anything.  Of course, Farley remembers the row he had with you last night.  In a fool way he puts two and two together, an decides that you helped set the trap for them.”

“If I had done a dirty thing like that, then I’d deserve to be cut by the whole brigade,” retorted Dave, his face flushing.

“But I want to tell you, right now, Dave, that some of the fellows of our class know you too well to believe any such thing against you.”

“I’m properly grateful to the few, then,” retorted Darrin, his eyes softening a trifle.  “But come along, Dan, if you will.  I mean to start in at once to sift this thing down.”

“Let me look at you,” ordered Dalzell, grappling with his chum, and looking him over.

Then, a moment later, Dan added: 

“Yes; you’re cool enough, I think.  I’ll go with you.  But remember that the easiest way to destroy yourself is to let your temper get on top.  If anybody is to get mad before the crowd, let me do it.  Then you can restrain me if I get too violent.”

Dave Darrin took his uniform cap down from the nail and put it on with great deliberation.  Next, he picked up his whisk broom, flecking off two or three imaginary specks of dust.

“Now, I guess we can go along, Danny boy,” he remarked, in a tone of ominous quietness.

“Where are you headed?” murmured Dalzell, as they reached the room door.

“To Farley’s room,” answered Dave Darrin coolly.  “Do you suppose he’s there?”

“He was, a few moments ago” Dan answered.

“Then let us hope he is now.”

Carrying himself with his most erect and military air, Darrin stepped down the corridor, Dalzell keeping exactly at his side.

The chums arrived before the door of the room in which Farley was lodged.

Dave raised his hand, sounding a light knock on the door, which he next pushed open.

Farley and a dozen other members of the fourth class were in the room.  Moreover, it was evident instantly that some of those present were discussing the burning class issue.

“But are you sure he did it?  Farley?” one midshipman inquired, as the chums entered.

“Sure?” repeated Farley.  “Of course I am!  Didn’t I tell you what a hot row we had.  Darrin ­”

“I’m here to speak for myself, Farley,” boomed in the quiet, steady voice of Dave Darrin.  “But I’ll hear you first, if you wish.”

“Oh, you’re here, are you?” cried Farley hotly, wheeling about on the visitors.

Some of the other fourth class men present turned and glanced coldly at the two last-comers.  Others looked on with eager curiosity.

“I’ve heard,” announced Darrin, “that you are saying some things about me that don’t sound well.  So I’ve come to ask you what you are saying.”

“I won’t keep you waiting,” jeered Farley.  “You know, from hearing morning orders, that six of us were given fifty demerits apiece.”

“For going over the wall to a late supper in town,” nodded Dave.

“You wouldn’t go with us,” continued Farley angrily, “and gave us a greaser’s talk-fest instead.”

“I didn’t advise you against going,” responded Dave, standing with his arms folded, utterly cool as he eyed his accuser.

“Then, after we went, some one went and wised the powers,” charged Farley.  “Now, no one but a most abandoned greaser would do that.”

To “wise the powers” is to give information to the Naval officers.

“The fellow who would wilfully tell on you would be worse than what you term a greaser,” agreed Dave.

“Careful,” warned Farley ironically.  “You know who told, or who caused the wise word to leak to the powers.”

“I don’t,” Dave denied bluntly.

“You’re the sneak, yourself!” cried Farley angrily.

“I am not,” spoke Dave, with clear denial.

“Do you mean to say I lie?” demanded Midshipman Farley threateningly, as he took a step forward.

“Do you deliberately state that I informed upon you, or caused you to be informed upon?” demanded Dave Darrin.

“Yes, I do!

“Then you lie!” returned Darrin promptly.

With a suppressed yell Farley sprang at Darrin, and the latter struck out quickly.