It had been a storekeeper, with a shop across the street, who had called the attention of Dave and his four comrades to the probable fate of another of their class. "Chow Hop runs a laundry, but I have heard evil stories about a lot of young fools who flock to his back room and get a chance to 'hit' the opium pipe," the storekeeper had stated to Dave. "One of your men, or at least, one in a midshipman's uniform, went in there at eleven o'clock this forenoon, and he hasn't been out since. It is now nearly two o'clock and, I've been looking for some midshipmen to inform." Such had been the storekeeper's careful statement. The merchants of Annapolis always have a kindly feeling toward these fine young midshipmen. The storekeeper's purpose was to enable them to help their comrade out. So the five had entered the laundry. The proprietor, Chow Hop, had attempted to bar their way to the rear room. But Dave had seized the yellow man and had flung him aside. The reader already knows what they discovered, and how it affected these young men. "Bring that copper-colored chink in here, if you'll be so good," directed Dave. Dan and Hallam departed on the quest. "You're wanted in there," proclaimed Dalzell, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "Me no sabby," replied Chow Hop, looking up briefly from his ironing board. "Get in there--do you hear?" commanded Hallam, gripping the other's arm with all his force. "You lemme go chop-chop (quickly), or you get alle samee hurt--you sabby?" scowled Chow Hop, using his free hand to raise a heavy flat-iron menacingly. But Dan Dalzell jumped in, giving the Chinaman's wrist a wrench that caused him to drop the iron. Then, without a bit of ceremony, Dan grasped the Oriental by the shoulders, wheeled him about, while he protested in guttural tones, and bluntly kicked the yellow-faced one through the door into the inner room. At this summary proceeding both the Chinese helpers gripped their flat-irons firmly; and leaped forward to fight. In an ugly temper the Chinaman is a bad man to oppose. But now this pair were faced by a pair of quietly smiling midshipmen who were also dangerous when angry. "You two, get back," ordered Dalzell, advancing fearlessly upon the pair. "If you don't, we'll drag you out into the street and turn you over to the policemen. You 'sabby' that? You heathen are pretty likely to get into prison for this day's work!" Scowling for a moment, then muttering savagely, the two helpers slunk back to their ironing boards. Yet, while Dan turned to go into the rear room, Hallam stood just where he was, to keep an eye on two possible sources of swift trouble. "Chow Hop," began Dave Damn sternly, as the proprietor made his flying appearance, "You've done a pretty mean piece of work here"--pointing to the unconscious midshipman in the berth. "Do you understand that you're pretty likely to go to prison for this?"