AIR "THE ROGUE'S MARCH"
"It is already, sir," spoke Lieutenant Nettleson, "a matter of
knowledge with you that Mr. Darrin denied his responsibility in
each case of disorder among his personal belongings. It is also
a matter within your knowledge, sir, that Mr. Darrin, finally,
in his desperation, informed you that he believed that some enemy
in the brigade of midshipmen was responsible for all the bad appearances
against him.
"The reply of this department, sir, to Mr. Darrin, was to the effect
that, while there was a possibility of his claim being correct, yet
it was nearly inconceivable. Mr. Darrin was given permission to
bring forward any evidence he could secure in support of his view.
As time passed, and he confessed himself unable to secure any such
evidence, one set of demerits after another accumulated against
Mr. Darrin.
"Yesterday, sir, so I am informed, Mr. Farley and Mr. Page approached
you, stating that they believed they had good reason for suspecting
a member of the brigade of seeking to injure Mr. Darrin. Midshipmen
Farley and Page also stated to you that they believed the offender
to be a member of the half of the fourth class which does not
recite in mathematics the same time as does the half of the class
to which Mr. Darrin and his roommate belong.
"As Midshipmen Farley and Page belong to the half of the class
that recites during the same periods as do Mr. Darrin and Dalzell,
Midshipmen Farley and Page requested permission to remain in their
room during the time when they would otherwise be reciting in
mathematics. They were thus to remain for two mornings, and other
members of the fourth class were then willing to stay on watch
for two mornings more, and so on, until the offender against Mr.
Darrin, if there was one, could be caught in the act."
What a baleful glare Midshipman Henkel shot at Farley and Page!
Then Henkel saw the eye of the commandant of midshipmen fixed
curiously on him, and glanced down at the floor.
"This very unusual permission, sir, you finally agreed to seek
from the head of the Department of Mathematics. So, this morning,
Mr. Farley and Mr. Page did not march off to recitation in mathematics,
but remained in their room. Presently Mr. Page reported to me,
in great haste, that a midshipman other than Mr. Darrin, or Mr.
Dalzell had just entered their room. I thereupon went down to
that room, knocked, waited a moment, and then entered, accompanied
by the cadet officer of the day. The condition of things that
I found in the room you already, sir, know from my written report.
While in the room I detected a pair of feet showing under the
bottom of Mr. Darrin's uniform equipment hanging in his cupboard.
I pretended, however not to see the feet, and turned to leave
the room when Mr. Farley, as prearranged, stepped forward and
informed me that he had seen some one enter the room a while before.
I then turned and compelled the prowler to step forth. That
prowler was Mr. Henkel."
"You questioned Mr. Henkel as to his reason for being in the room?"
asked Commander Jephson.
"I did, sir."
"Did he deny guilty intention in being there?"
"He did, sir, other than admitting that he had broken the regulations
by entering another midshipman's room in that midshipman's absence."
Tapping his right temple with the eye-glasses that he held in
his hand, the commandant of midshipmen turned to look more directly
at the startled culprit.
"Mr. Henkel, did you arrange any or all of the disorder which
Lieutenant Nettleson reported having found in Mr. Darrin's room?"
"I did not, sir."
Henkel's voice was clear, firm--almost convincing.
"Have you, at any time, committed any offense in Mr. Darrin's room,
by tampering with his equipment or belongings, or with the furniture
of the room?"
"Never, sir," declared Midshipman Henkel positively.
"You are aware that Mr. Darrin has been punished by the imposition
of a great many demerits for untidiness in the care of his equipment?"
"Yes, sir."
"But you were not responsible for any of these seeming delinquencies
on Mr. Darrin's part?"
"Never, sir."
"You did not turn down, disarrange and soil his bed this forenoon,
or create the appearance of untidiness in connection with Mr.
Darrin washbowl?"
"No, sir."
"You make these denials on your word of honor, as a midshipman
and gentleman?" persisted Commander Jephson.
"I do, sir, and most earnestly and solemnly, sir," replied Midshipman
Henkel.
"One word, more, Mr. Henkel," went on the commandant of midshipmen.
"When you improperly entered Mr. Darrin's room this morning,
did you then observe the signs of disorder which Lieutenant Nettleson
subsequently discovered and reported?"
"I did, sir, as to the bed. The washbowl I did not notice."
"That will do, for the present, Mr. Henkel. Mr. Farley, will you
now state just what you saw, while watching this forenoon?"
Midshipmen Farley told, simply, how he and Page had commenced
their watch.
"In the first place, sir," declared Farley, "as soon as Mr. Darrin
and Mr. Dalzell had left their room, and the corridor was empty,
Mr. Page and I, acting by permission and direction of this office,
went at once to Mr. Darrin's room. We made an inspection. At
that time there were no such signs of disorder as those which
Lieutenant Nettleson subsequently found. Then, sir, Mr. Page
and I went back to our room. I held our door very slightly ajar,
and stood in such a position that I could glance down the corridor
and keep Mr. Darrin's room door constantly within my range of
vision."
"As a matter of vital fact, Mr. Farley," interrupted the commandant
of midshipmen, "did you at any time relax such vigilance, even for a
few seconds?"
"Not even for a few seconds, sir."
"After the inspection that Mr. Page and yourself made, who was the
first person that you saw enter Mr. Darrin's room?"
"Mr. Henkel!
"Was he Alone?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did you then immediately send Mr Page to the officer in charge?"
"I did, sir."
"And yourself?"
"Without allowing my glance to turn from Mr. Darrin's door, sir, I
stepped out into the corridor, walked close to Mr. Darrin's room
door, and then stood there until Lieutenant Nettleson and Mr.
Hawkins arrived."
"Then, Mr. Farley, you are certain that there was no disorder in
Mr. Darrin's room at the time when he and Mr. Dalzell left to
recite in mathematics?
"I am absolutely positive, sir."
"And you are also certain that none but Mr. Henkel entered that room
up to the time when the disorder was discovered by Lieutenant
Nettleson?"
"I am certain, sir."
Midshipman Page was then questioned. He bore out the testimony
just given by Farley in every particular.
The manner of the commandant of midshipmen was still gentle when he
turned again to Henkel.
"Mr. Henkel, do you wish to modify your previous statements in
any way?"
"No, sir," replied Henkel. "In all my answers I have told the
whole and exact truth, as I know it. I am eager, sir, to answer
any further questions that you may wish to put to me on the subject."
"Gentlemen, you may all withdraw, save Lieutenant Nettleson and
Mr. Henkel," announced the commandant, after a few moments of
seemingly mild thought. "Mr. Hawkins, of course you understand
that what you know of this matter you know officially, and that
you are not to mention or discuss it until such time as official
action shall have been taken. As for you other midshipmen, I
see no harm, gentlemen, in your discussing it among yourselves,
but you will see to it that information does not, for the present,
spread through the brigade. You may go, gentlemen."
Once outside Farley and Page walked so rapidly that Dave and Dan
did not attempt to overtake them in the corridors. But they found
Farley and Page waiting outside Dave's room door.
"May we come in?" asked Farley.
"If anyone on earth may," replied Dave heartily, throwing open the
door, then stepping back to allow the others to enter.
"I'm afraid we've cooked a goose for some one," cried Farley,
with grim satisfaction.
"Great Scott, yes," breathed Dan Dalzell, in devout thankfulness.
"Is it fair, Farley, for me to ask you whether you suspected Henkel
before you caught him?" queried Dave Darrin.
"Yes; and the commandant knows that. Henkel came here one night,
weeks ago, and mysteriously tried to interest us in putting up
a job to get you dropped from the Navy rolls. When Page and I
really tumbled that an enemy working against you, it didn't take
us two minutes to guess who that enemy was. Then we started on
the warpath."
"I wonder," asked Dave Darrin huskily, "whether it is really necessary
for me to assure you of the tremendous burden of obligation that
you've put upon me?"
"It isn't necessary, any way that you can look at the question,"
retorted Farley promptly. "What we did for you, Darrin, is no
more than we'd stand ready to do for any man in the brigade who
was being ground down and out by a mean trickster."
"Wouldn't I like to take peep in on Henkel, now, while the commandant
is grilling him in that gentle way the commandant has?" mocked
Midshipman Page.
"David, little giant, the matter is cleared and as good as squared,"
cried Dalzell. "And now I know this is the first time in my life
that I've ever been really and unutterably happy!"
During the nest two days it was known through the brigade at large
that Midshipman Henkel was in close arrest. The brigade did not
at once learn the cause. Yet, in such appearances as Henkel was
permitted to make, it was noted that he bore himself cheerfully
and confidently.
Then, one day, just before the dinner formation, Darrin was ordered
to report at the commandant's office.
"Mr. Darrin," announced Commander Jephson, when the midshipman
had reported and saluted, "I am glad to be able to announce that
we have been able to pile up so much evidence against Mr Henkel
that young man finally confessed that it was he, and he alone,
who created all the disorders with your equipment, and in your
room for which so many demerits have been inflicted upon you.
At the dinner formation. Therefore, when the orders of the day
are published by the brigade adjutant, you will again hear that
your demerits, given for the offenses unjustly charged against
you, have been remitted by order of the superintendent. You will
also learn that you have been restored to the first conduct grade,
with all the privileges belonging to the midshipmen of that grade."
It was with a light heart that Dave Darrin left the commandant's
office, though the young man had been expecting that very decision.
Yet, despite the fact that he knew it was coming, Dave's heart
thrilled with exultation and gratitude as he heard the order read
out in the brigade adjutant's quick, monotonous tones.
Then, immediately following, came another order.
Midshipman Henkel, for dishonorable conduct, was dropped from
the rolls!
"Fours right, march!"
By companies the brigade wheeled and marched into the mess hall--the
air resounding with the quick, martial tread of eight hundred or
more of the pick of young American manhood!
As the command "march" was given one man fell out of the ranks.
Henkel, from the moment of the publications of the order, was no
longer a midshipman!
He had fallen deservedly, as one not fit to associate with gentlemen,
or to figure among the future defenders of his country of honorable
men.
As the brigade marched indifferently off, and left him there,
Henkel gazed, for a few moments at the solid ranks of blue and
gold, and a great sob welled up within him. In this supreme moment
he realized all that he had lost--his place among honest men!
Then, crushing down any feeling of weakness, he turned on his heel,
a sneer darkening his face.
Then, recalling himself, Henkel sprang up the steps and hastened to
the room that had been partly his. Here he discarded his uniform
substituting for it the citizen's clothes which had been brought to
him from the midshipmen's store. His own few belongings that he
cared about taking with him he packed hastily in a dress-suit case.
Yet the task required time. His roommate, Brimmer, was back before
Henkel was ready to depart.
"You'd better wait, now, until the coast is clear," whispered
Brimmer. "Hosts of the fellows are hanging about outside."
"They won't see me," jeered Henkel harshly. "I'll wait until
they're off at afternoon duties. But see here, Brimmer, don't
you dare forget that I might have said much about you, and that
I didn't. Don't dare forget that I leave to you the task of humbling
that fellow, Darrin. If you fail me, Brimmer, it won't be too
late for me to do some talking."
"Oh, I'll get Darrin out of here," grimaced Brimmer. "But I won't
try to do it the way you did. You went in for enmity. I'm going
to undo Darrin by being his friend."
"Well, I'm through and ready to leave," muttered Henkel. "But
I'm not going until the coast is clear."
Seating himself by the window, he stared moodily out, thinking
of the life which had strongly appealed to him, and from which
he had exiled himself. While he was so occupied knock sounded
at the door; then the cadet officer of the day stepped in:
"I see you are ready to go, Mr. Henkel," announced the cadet officer.
"The published order was to the effect that you leave the Naval
Academy immediately. The officer in charge has sent me to see that
you comply with the order at once."
"Oh, well," muttered Henkel bitterly. He turned, holding out his
hand to his late roommate.
"Goodby, Brimmer; good luck!"
"The same to you," replied Brimmer, as their hands met. That
was all that was said with the cadet officer of the day looking
on, but both of the late roommates understood the compact of dishonor
that lay between them concerning Dave Darrin's coming fate.
With his derby hat pulled low over his eyes and gripping his suit
case, Henkel slunk through the corridors of Bancroft Hall. Now
he faced the hardest ordeal of all in going out through the entrance
of the great white building, beyond which stood many groups of
midshipmen.
Now these young men of the Navy caught sight of Henkel. No goodbyes
were called out to him. Instead, as his feet struck the flagging
of the walk scores of lips were puckered. The midshipmen gave
the departing one a whistled tune and furnished the drum part with
their hands. That tune was--
"The Rogue's March."