Chapter I.

WANTED—-A DOUGHFACE!

"Now, then, Danny boy, we——-"

First Classman Dave Darrin, midshipman at the United States Naval

Academy, did not finish what he was about to say.

While speaking he had closed the door behind him and had stepped into the quarters occupied jointly by himself and by Midshipman Daniel Dalzell, also of the first or upper class.

"Danny boy isn't here. Visiting, probably,"mused Dave Darrin, after having glanced into the alcove bedroom at his right hand.

It was a Saturday night, early in October. The new academic year at the Naval Academy was but a week old. The re being no"hop"that night the members of the brigade had their time to spend as they pleased. Some of the young men would need the time sadly to put in at their new studies. Dave, fortunately, did not feel under any necessity to spend his leisure in grinding over text-books.

Dave glanced at his study desk, though he barely saw the pile of text-books neatly piled up there.

"No letters to write tonight,"he thought"I was going to loan Danny boy one of my two new novels. No matter; if he'd rather visit let him do so."

In the short interval of recreation that had followed the evening meal Dave had missed his home chum and roommate, but had thought nothing of it. Nor was Dave now really disappointed over the present prospect of having an hour or two by himself. He went to a one-shelf book rack high overhead and pulled down one of his two recent novels.

"If I want Danny boy at any time I fancy I have only to step as far as Page's room,"mused Dave, as he seated himself by his desk.

An hour slipped by without interruption. An occasional burst of laughter floated down the corridor. At some distance away, on the same deck of barracks in Bancroft Hall, a midshipman was industriously twanging away on a banjo. Darrin, however, absorbed in his novel, paid no heed to any of the signs of Saturday-night jollity. He was a third of the way through an exciting tale when there came a knock on the door—-a moment later a head was thrust in.

Midshipman Farley's head was thrust inside.

"All alone, Darry?"called Mr. Farley.

"Yes,"Dave answered, laying his novel aside after having thrust an envelope between pages to hold the place."Come in, Farl."

"Where's Dalzell?"inquired Farley, after having closed the door behind him.

"Until this moment I thought that he was in your room."

"I haven't seen him all evening,"Farley responded."Page and I have been yawning ourselves to death."

"Danny boy is visiting some other crowd, then,"guessed Darrin."He will probably be along soon. Did you want to see him about anything in particular?"

"Oh, no. I came here to escape being bored to death by Page, and poor old Pagey has just fled to Wilson's room to escape being bored by me. What are these Saturday evenings for, anyway, when there's no way of spending them agreeably?"

"For a good many of the men, who want to get through,"smiled Dave,"Saturday evening is a heaven-sent chance to do a little more studying against a blue next week. As for Danny boy, I imagine he must have carried his grin up to Wilson's room. Or, maybe, to Jetson's. Danny has plenty of harbors where he's welcome to cast his anchor."

"May I sit down?"queried Mr. Farley.

"Surely, Furl, and with my heartiest apologies for having been too dull to push a chair toward you."

"I can easily help myself,"laughed the other midshipman,"since there's only one other chair in the room."

"What have you and Page been talking about tonight?"asked Dave.

"Why do you want to know?"

"So that I won't run the risk of boring you by talking oh the same subject."

"We ll,"confessed Midshipman Farley,"we've been talking about this season's football."

"Oh, dear!"sighed Darrin."That's the only topic really worth talking about."

"Speaking of football,"resumed Farley,"don't you believe that we have a stronger eleven than we had last year!"

"If we haven't we ought to walk the plank,"retorted Dave."You remember how the Army walloped us last year?"

"That was because the Army team had Prescott and Holmes on it,"rejoined Farley quickly.

"We ll, they'll have'em this year, too, won't they?

"So Prescott and Holmes are to be out for the Army this year!"

"I haven't heard anything definite on that head,"Dave answered."But I take it as a matter of course that Prescott and Holmes will play once more with the Army. They're We st Point men, and they know their duty."

"What wonders that pair are!"murmured Farley with reluctant admiration for the star players of the United States Military Academy."Yet, after all, Darry, I can't for the life of me see where Prescott and Holmes are in any way superior to yourself and Dan Dalzell."

"Except,"smiled Dave,"that Prescott and Holmes, last year, got by us a good deal oftener than we got by them—-and so the Army lugged off the score from Franklin Field."

"But you won't let'em do it this year, Darry!"

"Dan and I will do all we can to stop our oldtime chums, now of the Army,"agreed Dave."But they're a hard pair to beat. Any one who saw Prescott and Holmes play last year will agree that they're a hard pair of nuts for the Navy to crack."

"We've got to beat the Army this year,"Farley protested plaintively.

"I certainly hope we shall do so."

"Darry, what is your candid opinion of Wolgast?"

"As a man?"

"You know better!"

"As a midshipman?"

"Darry, stop your nonsense! You know well enough that I'm asking your opinion of Wolgast as captain of the Navy eleven."

"He seems inclined to be fair and just to every member of the squad, so what more can you ask of him."

"But do you think he's any real good, Darry, as captain for the

Navy?"

"I do."

"We ought to have had you for captain of the team, Darry,"insisted

Farley.

"So two or three other fellows thought,"admitted Dave."But I refused to take that post, as you know, and I'm glad I did."

"Oh, come, now!

"Yes; I'm glad I refused. A captain should be in mid-field. Now, if Dalzell and I are any good at all on the gridiron——-"

"Oh, Mr. Modesty!"

"If we're of any use at all,"pursued Darrin,"it's only on the flank. Now, where would the Navy be with a captain directing from the right or left flank."

"Darry, you funker, you could play center as well as Wolgast does."

"Farl, you're letting your prejudices spoil your eyesight."

"Oh, I've no prejudice at all against Wolgast,"Farley hastened to rejoin."Only I don't consider him our strongest man for captain. Now, Wolgast——-"

"Here!"called a laughing voice. The door had opened, after a knock that Darrin had not noticed.

"Talking about me?"inquired Midshipman Wolgast pleasantly, as he stopped in the middle of the room.

Midshipman Farley was nothing at all on the order of the backbiter. Service in the Brigade of Midshipmen for three years had taught him the virtue of direct truth.

"Yes, Wolly,"admitted Farley without embarrassment."I was criticizing your selection as captain of the eleven."

"Nothing worse than that?"laughed First Classman Wolgast.

"I was saying—-no offense, Wolly—-that I didn't consider you the right man to head the Navy eleven."

Midshipman Wolgast stepped over to Farley, holding out his right hand.

"Shake, Farl! I'm glad to find a man of brains on the eleven. I know well enough that I'm not the right captain. But we couldn't make Darry accept the post."

Midshipman Wolgast appeared anything but hurt by the direct candor with which he had been treated. He now threw one leg over the corner of the study table, though he inquired:

"Am I interrupting anything private?"

"Not in the least,"Dave assured him.

"Am I intruding in any way?"

"Not a bit of it,"Darrin answered heartily"We're glad to have you here with us."

"Surely,"nodded Farley.

"Now, then, as to my well known unfitness to command the Navy football team,"continued First Classman Wolgast,"do either of you see any faults in me that can be remedied?"

"I can't,"Dave answered."I believe, Wolly, that you can lead the team as well as any other man in the squad. On the whole, I believe you can lead a little better than any other man could do."

"No help from your quarter, then, Darry,"sighed Midshipman Wolgast.

"Farl, help me out. Tell me some way in which I can improve

my fitness for the post of honor that has been thrust upon me.

I assure you I didn't seek it."

"Wolgast, my objection to you has nothing personal in it,"Farley went on."With me it is a case simply of believing that Darry could lead us on the gridiron much better than you're likely to."

"That I know,"retorted Wolgast, with emphasis."But what on earth are we going to do with a fellow like Darrin? He simply won't allow himself to be made captain. I'd resign this minute, if we could have Darry for our captain."

"You're going to do all right, Wolgast. I know you are,"Dave rejoined.

"Then what's the trouble? Why don't I suit all hands?"demanded the Navy's football captain.

Darrin was silent for a few moments. The midshipmen visitors waited patiently, knowing that, from this comrade, they could be sure of a wholly candid reply.

"Have you found the answer, Darry?"pressed Wolgast at last.

"Yes,"said Dave slowly;"I think I have. The reason, as I see it, is that there are no decidedly star players on this year's probable eleven. The men are all pretty nearly equal, which doesn't give you a chance to tower head and shoulders above the other players. Usually, in the years that I know anything of, it has been the other way. The re have been only two or three star players in the squad, and the captain was usually one of the very best. You're plenty good enough football man, Wolgast, but there are so many other pretty good ones that you don't outshine the others as much as captains of poorer teams have done in other years."

"By Jupiter! Darry has hit it!"cried Farley, leaping from his seat."Wolly, you have the luck to command an eleven in which most of the men are nearly, if not quite, as good as the captain. You're not head and shoulders over the rest, and you don't tower—-that's all. Wolly, I apologize for my criticisms. Darry has shown me the truth."

"Then you look for a big slaughter list for us this year, Darry?"

Wolgast asked.

"Yes; unless the other elevens that we're to play improve as much as the Navy is going to do."

At this moment Page and Jetson rapped and then entered. Ten minutes later there were fully twenty midshipmen in the room, all talking animatedly on the one subject at the United States Naval Academy in October—-football.

So the time sped. Dave lost his chance to read his novel, but he did not mind the loss. It was Jetson who, at last, discovered the time.

"Whew, fellows!"he muttered."Only ten minutes to taps."

That sent most of the midshipmen scuttling away. Page and Farley, however, whose quarters were but a few doors away on the same deck, remained.

"Farl,"murmured Darrin,"for the first time tonight I'm feeling a bit worried."

"Over Danny?"

"The same."

"What's up?"Page wanted to know.

"Why, he hasn't been around all evening. Surely Dalzell would be coming back by this time, unless——-"

"Didn't he have leave to visit town?"demanded Midshipman Page.

"Not that I've heard of,"Dave Darrin answered quickly."Nor do I see how he could have done so. You see, We dnesday he received some demerits, and with them went the loss of privileges for October."

"Whew!"whistled Page.

"What?"demanded Dave, his alarm increasing.

"Why, not long after supper I saw Danny heading toward the wall on the town side."

"I have been afraid of that for the last two or three minutes,"exclaimed Dave Darrin, his uneasiness now showing very plainly."Dan didn't say a word to me about going anywhere, but——-"

"You think, leave being impossible, Danny has Frenched it over the wall?"demanded Farley.

"That's just what I'm afraid of,"returned Dave.

"But why——-"

"I don't know any reason."

"Then——-"

"Farl", broke in Dave hurriedly, almost fiercely,"has anyone a doughface?"

"Yes."

"Who has it?"

"I don't know."

"Find it—-on the jump!"

"But——-"

"The re's no time for'buts,'"retorted Darrin, pushing Farley toward the door."Find it!"

"And I——-"added Page, springing toward the door.

"You'll stay here,"ordered Dave.

Darrin was already headed toward his friend's alcove, where Dalzell's cot lay. Page followed.

"The dummy,"explained Darrin briefly.

Every midshipman at Annapolis, doubtless, is familiar with the dummy. Not so many, probably, are familiar with the doughface, which, at the time this is written, was a new importation.

Swiftly Dave and Page worked. First they turned down the clothing, after having hurriedly made up the cot. Now, from among the garments hanging on the wall nearby the two midshipmen took down the garments that normally lay under others. With these they rigged up a figure not unlike that of a human being. At least, it looked so after the bed clothes had been drawn up in place.

Then, glancing at the time, Dave Darrin waited—-breathless.

Farley hastened into the room without losing time by knocking. Under one arm he bore, half hidden, some roundish object, wrapped in a towel.

Without a word, but with a heart full of gratitude, Dave Darrin snatched out from its wrapping the effigy of a male human head. It was done in wax, with human hair on the head.

Dave Darrin neatly fitted this at the top of the outlines of a figure under the bed clothing.

Under the full light the doughface looked ghostly. In a dimmer light it would do very well.

"Thank you a thousand times, fellows,"trembled Dave Darrin."Now hustle to your own quarters before the first stroke of taps sounds."

The two useful visitors were gone like a flash. Ere they had quite closed the door, Dave Darrin was removing his own uniform and hanging up trousers and blouse. Next off came the underclothing and on went pajamas.

Just then taps sounded. Out went the electric light, turned off at the master switch.

Dave Darrin dived under the bed clothes on his own cot and tried to still the beating of his own heart.

Two minutes later a brisk step sounded on the corridor of the"deck."

Door after door was opened and closed. Then the door to Dave's room swung open, and a discipline officer and a midshipman looked into the room.

"All in?"the midshipman called.

A light snore from Dave Darrin's throat answered. In his left hand the discipline officer carried an electric pocket light. A pressure of a button would supply a beam of electric light that would explore the bed of either midshipman supposed to be in this room.

But the officer saw Midshipman Darrin plainly enough, thanks to beams of light from the corridor. Over in the opposite alcove the discipline officer made out, more vaguely, the lay figure and the doughface intended to represent Midshipman Dan Dalzell.

"Both in. Darrin and Dalzell never give us any trouble, at any rate,"thought the discipline officer to himself, then closed the door, and his footsteps sounded further down the corridor.

"Oh, Danny boy, I wish I had you here right at this minute!"muttered Dave Darrin vengefully."Maybe I wouldn't whang your head off for the fright that you've given me! I'll wager half of my hairs have turned gray in the last minute!"

However, Midshipman Dan Dalzell was not there, as Darrin knew to his own consternation. Dave did not go to sleep. We ll enough he knew that he was on duty indefinitely through the hours until Dan should return. If Midshipman Darrin fell into a doze this night he would be as bad as any sentry falling asleep on any other post.

So Darrin lay there and fidgeted. Twenty times he tried to solve, in his own mind, the riddle of why Dalzell should be away, and where he was. But it was a hopeless puzzle.