"Well, out with it! What's your real proposition ?" "Are you with me ?" asked Midshipman Henkel warily.
"How can we tell," demanded Farley impatiently, "until you come down out of the thunder clouds, and tell us just what you mean ?" "Pshaw, fellows," remarked Mr.Henkel, in exasperation, "I hate to think it, but I am beginning to wonder if you two have the amount of spirit with which I had always credited you." "Cut out the part about the doubts," urged Farley, "and tell us, in plain English, just what you are driving at." "Fellows, I believe, then," explained Midshipman Henkel, "that we owe it to ourselves, to the Naval Academy and to the Navy, to work Dave Darrin out of here as soon as we can." "How ?" challenged Farley flatly.
"Why, can't we put up some scheme that will pile up the 'dems.' against that industrious greaser?
Can't we spring a game that will wipe all his grease-marks off the efficiency slate ?" asked Midshipman Henkel mysteriously.
"Do you mean by putting up a job on Darrin ?" inquired Page.
"That's just it!" nodded Henkel, with emphasis.
"Putting up a job on a man usually calls for trickery, doesn't it ?" questioned Farley.
"Why, yes--that is--er--ingenuity," admitted Henkel.
"Trickery isn't the practice of a gentleman, is it ?" insisted Farley.
"It has to be, sometimes, when we are fighting a rascal," retorted Midshipman Henkel.
"I'm afraid I don't see that," rejoined Page, shaking his head.
"Dirty work is never excusable.

I'd sooner let a fellow seem to win over me, for the time being, than to resort to trickery or anything like underhanded methods for getting even with him." "Good for you, Page!" nodded Farley "That's the whole game for a gentleman--and that's what either a midshipman or a Naval officer is required to be.

Henkel, old fellow, you are a little too hot under your blouse collar tonight.

Wait until you've cooled off, and you'll sign in with us on our position." "Then you fellows are going to play the meek waiting game with Darrin, are you ?" sneered Henkel.
"We're going to play the only kind of game that a gentleman may play," put in Page incisively, "and we are not going to dally with any game about which a gentleman need feel the least doubt." "You've spoken for me, Page, old chap," added Farley.
Midshipman Henkel took his leg off the desk, stood there for a moment, eyeing his two comrades half sneeringly, then turned on his heel and left the room.

Just before he closed the door after him Henkel called back: "Good night, fellows." "Well, what do you think of that ?" demanded Farley, a moment later.
"I think," replied Midshipman Page, "just as you do, that Darrin, in his desire to bone grease somewhere, played a dirty trick on us.