"I beg to report that I've come aboard, sir," Darrin uttered. "And very glad we are of it, Mr. Darrin," replied the officer. "You will go to your locker, change your clothing and then report to the captain, sir." "Aye, aye, sir." With another salute, Dave hastened below, followed by Dan Dalzell, who was intent on attending him. Ten minutes later Dave appeared at the door of the captain's cabin. Just a few minutes after that he came out on deck. A crowd gathered about him, expressing their congratulations. "Thank you all," laughed Dave, "but don't make so much over a middy getting a bath outside of the schedule." To the rear hung Pennington, waiting his chance. At last, as the crowd thinned, Pennington made his way up to Dave. "Mr. Darrin, I have to apologize for my nonsense, which was the means of pushing you overboard. It was purely accidental, on my honor. I did not even know it was you at the stern, nor did I realize that my antics would result in pushing any one overboard. I trust you will do me the honor of believing my statement." "Of course I believe it, Mr. Pennington," answered Darrin, opening his eyes. "There are some," continued Pennington, "who have intimated to me their belief that I did it on purpose. There may be others who half believe or suspect that I might, or would, do such a thing." "Nonsense!" retorted Dave promptly. "There may be differences, sometimes, between classmates, but there isn't a midshipman in the Navy who would deliberately try to drown a comrade. It's a preposterous insult against midshipman honor. If I hear any one make a charge like that, I'll call him out promptly." "Some of your friends--I won't name them--insisted, or at least let me feel the force of their suspicions." "If any of my friends hinted at such a thing, it was done in the heat of the moment," replied Dave heartily. "Why, Mr. Pennington, such an act of dishonor is impossible to a man bred at Annapolis." Darrin fully believed what he said. On the spur of the moment he held out his hand to his enemy. Pennington flushed deeply, for a moment, then put out his own hand, giving Dave's a hearty, straightforward grasp. "I was the first to imply the charge," broke in Farley quickly. "I withdraw it, and apologize to both of you." There was more handshaking. During the next few days, while Darry and Pen did not become by any means intimate, they no longer made any effort to avoid each other, but spoke frankly when they met. The remaining days of the voyage passed uneventfully enough, except for a great amount of hard work that the middies performed as usual. On the twenty-second of August they entered Chesapeake Bay. Once well inside, they came to anchor. There was considerable practice with the sub-caliber and other smaller guns. On the twenty-ninth of August the battleship fleet returned to the familiar waters around Annapolis. The day after that the young men disembarked.