"Then, as we know that Midshipman Totten was your assailant," continued the superintendent, "we shall have to place that young man on trial. We shall be obliged to summon you as a witness at that trial, Mr. Crane." "But I have no intention, sir, of appearing as a witness," blustered that young man. "Mr. Crane, you can have no choice in the matter. If we summon you, you can be brought here from any part of the United States." "I--I--can't the matter be dropped, sir?" urged the young man anxiously. "Not unless you confess yourself in the wrong, and exonerate Mr. Totten. In any other event the case will have to come to trial before a court-martial, and you, Mr. Crane, since we are certain that you possess material evidence, will be forced to appear as a witness." Mr. Crane looked almost as uncomfortable as he felt. "Mr. Totten," continued the superintendent, "states that you grossly insulted his cousin, a young woman, and that he met you on purpose to avenge that insult." "There--there--was some trouble about a young woman," admitted Crane. "But I am a gentleman, sir." "I am not expected to decide the last question that you have raised," replied the superintendent dryly. "All that concerns me in the matter is whether you exonerate Mr. Totten, or whether you do not. If you do not, the midshipman must state his case fully before a court-martial, at which you will be one of the important witnesses." "I exonerate Mr. Totten," replied Crane in a very low tone. "Do you exonerate him completely?" "Ye-es, sir." "Then Mr. Totten's offense will be reduced to one or two-simple breaches of discipline," went on the superintendent. "But see here, sir," interposed one of the other young men, "are your midshipmen to be allowed to go about pounding whom they like? Are they to be swashbucklers and bullies?" "Very decidedly not, sir," replied the superintendent in a voice almost thunderous. "The midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy must conduct themselves as gentlemen at all times." "Did they do that," urged the last speaker, "when they sailed into us as they did?" "Why did your friends go to the assistance of Mr. Crane?" asked the superintendent. "Be--because," stammered the spokesman, "your midshipman had knocked Crane down and was misusing him." "Did you, the friends of Mr. Crane, consider it the act of gentlemen for several to rush in and attack one man?" That left the callers rather breathless.