"Your words are offensive, sir," cried Harry, getting angry immediately; "I'm not aware of any Naval Academy regulation that permits the cadet commander to insult a third classman." "I don't wish to insult you, Blunt, and I admit my words require explanation. The point is just this: Bob Drake, your company commander, is entirely upset about something. He will not talk about it to me, and has no idea of my seeing you about the matter. He was out at your father's house last night, and I've a notion you were Frenching out there and he saw you. You probably know he has very strict notions of duty. My idea is that he feels he should report you or else go back on every principle he ever had. And for a particular reason he cannot report you." "Oh," replied Harry disdainfully, "if the reason is that he is currying favor with Helen most people would say Drake is the cad." "It isn't your sister, Blunt. It's your father, whom he owes a debt of gratitude to." "Why should Drake be grateful to my father?" exclaimed Harry in evident surprise. "For personal reasons. I don't feel at liberty to talk about them, except to say that a couple of weeks ago a kind action on your father's part saved Drake from resigning. You see Drake cannot report your father's son; and come now, wouldn't a man be a cad to force a man like Drake to go back on his principles?" "Good old dad," cried Harry impulsively; "I was a cad, but I'm glad you said unintentionally so. I'd have had no use for Drake if it had been on Helen's account. But really I didn't know Drake saw me last night. Are you sure he did?" "I have just imagined so; you ought to know whether he did or not. He was at your house last night; at half-past eight he went out in the pantry to get something and all of a sudden bolted out of the house. He won't speak of the matter even to me, but he has been miserable ever since." "By Jove!" ejaculated Harry. "Perhaps he saw me in the cit's clothes; that would be a bilging spot,[2] wouldn't it?" [Footnote 2: A report involving dismissal.] "I shouldn't wonder," remarked Stonewell, drily. "Stonewell, I'm obliged to you, and I'll tell you right now I won't give Drake another chance to report me for Frenching; I'm awfully sorry the thing happened. I'll tell him I'll do the square thing hereafter." In the meantime Robert and Peters had gone aboard the "Nevada"; Lenn saw them coming. "Come up above," he said to them; "I've something to show you." When Robert saw what this something was he was delighted. Lenn had fitted up the forward starboard six-pounder gun with the gun sights they had talked about. "I've bore sighted the gun, Mr. Drake. Just train the gun on that white stone on the shore over there; look through your peep-sight and get the gun exactly on it. All right. Now shift your eye to the bore; the bore sights are in the gun. Now what do you say?" "It's wonderful," cried Robert; "are these bore sights in the exact centre of the gun?"