In it are the midshipmen's mess, the midshipmen's barracks for a thousand young men, numerous offices and a huge recreation hall.
"That's a swell hotel where they're going to put us up for four years, isn't it ?" demanded Dan.
"I fancy that we'll find it something more--or less--than a hotel, before we're through it," was Dave's prophetic reply.
As, at this time in the morning, all of the enrolled midshipmen were away at one form or another of drill or instruction, the central grounds were so empty of human life that the onlooker could form no idea of the immense, throbbing activity that was going on here among the hundreds of midshipmen on duty.
"Here's some of our kind," spoke Dan, at last, as he espied more than a dozen young men, in citizen's dress, strolling along under the trees.
"I guess they're candidates, fast enough," nodded Darrin, after briefly looking at the approaching group.
"Cheap-looking lot, most of them, aren't they ?" asked Dalzell cheerfully.
"Probably they're saying the same thing about us," chuckled Dave dryly.
"Let 'em, then.

Who cares ?" muttered Dalzell.
"Dan, my boy, I reckon you'll need to put the soft pedal on your critical tendencies," warned Dave.

"And, if you want my friendly opinion, I've a big idea that you're going to talk your way into a lot of trouble here." "Trouble ?" grinned Dalzell.

"Well, I'm used to it." In truth Dan had been victor in many a hard-fought schoolboy disagreement, as readers of the High School Boys Series are aware.
As the young men in question drew nearer they eyed Darrin and Dalzell with a disapproval that was not wholly concealed.

The truth was that Dave and Dan were recognized as not being boys who had studied at one of the Naval prep.