TONY BAITS THE HOOK
Up to this time Darrin had dropped in at Tony's but once, and
Dan not at all.
The Saturday after Christmas was an anxious one for nearly all
of the midshipmen. Only a few availed themselves of any privilege
of going into Annapolis this Saturday afternoon. Most of the
young men remained in their rooms at Bancroft Hall, anxiously
going over the work in which they were soon to take their semi-annual
examinations.
Especially was this true of the fourth class men in the "wooden"
or lowest sections. Most of these men knew that, if they succeeded
in staying on at all, it would be by a very small margin indeed.
Even the men in the "savvy sections," with the highest marks
of their class, were eager to come out as well as possible in
the dreaded semi-ans.
Dave and Dan both had secured permission to go into Annapolis.
"We'll want to clear out the cobwebs by a brisk walk, anyway,"
declared Darrin.
They did not intend to go townward, however, until rather late
in the afternoon.
Dan, when he could stand the grind no longer picked up his cap.
Dave wanted to put in least fifteen minutes more over his book.
"I've got to get out in the air," Dalzell muttered.
"Going to town?" Dave asked.
"Yes. Coming along?"
"I've got a little more in logarithms to clean up," murmured Darrin,
looking wistfully at two pages in one of his text-books on mathematics.
"Will it do as well, Danny boy, if I follow in fifteen or twenty
minutes?"
"Yes; you'll probably find me on Main Street, though you can look
in at Wiegard's on the way."
Wiegard's is the famous confectionery shop where cadets go for
candy, for ices or soda fountain drinks. If upper class men and
young ladies are plentiful in Wiegard's, however, prudent fourth
class men keep right on without stopping.
Dan left Bancroft Hall quite certain that his chum would not be
along for at least an hour.
At the gate Dan made his report of liberty, then kept on up Maryland
Avenue.
As he turned into State Circle he slowed up a trifle, glancing
in through the door at Wiegard's.
"Too many upper class men in there for me," decided Dan, so turning
he made his was way through the State Capitol grounds, and on into
Main Street.
Here he strolled more slowly, passing, here and there, a member
of his class, though none with whom he was particularly intimate.
"I'm thirsty," decided Dalzell. "I don't believe I want any of
the hot drinks. There's Tony's. I'll drop in and get a bottle
of soda lemonade."
Tony saw the fourth classman coming, and a peculiar smile crossed
his lips. On the occasion on which Brimmer had pointed out the
chums to the Greek the latter had understood that it was Dan who
was to be the principal victim.
"Good afternoon, Tony!" was Dan's greeting, as he stepped into
the shop. "Merry Christmas."
"Thank you, sare, good frien'," was Tony's reply. Then the Greek
turned briefly, to hide a grin.
"Crowd seems to have left you, Tony," said Dan sympathetically.
"Save their money to buy present for girls," guessed the Greek.
"Tony, have you a small bottle of lemon soda that's good and cold?"
"Oh, yes, sare."
"Then I want it."
Tony fumbled among bottles clinking in ice under the counter.
At last he found what he wanted and held the bottle up to the
capping machine. Then the Greek did something unusual. Instead
of emptying the bottle into a glass on the counter he performed
that service underneath the counter. Next he held the glass up
full of bright, cold liquid filled with bubble and sparkle.
"It makes me thirstier to look at this," muttered Dan, picking
up the glass. "I'll get it down as soon as I can."
He sipped the last out of the glass, put do a coin to pay for
it, and stood, for a moment, chatting with Tony.
"Excuse me, sare," broke in the Greek, suddenly. "I hear ma wife
call me."
Opening a door behind him Tony stepped into a hallway.
The short December afternoon was drawing to a close. Standing
in the shop Dan saw that the light in the street was growing less.
"I'll walk a little further down the street," thought Dan. "Then
I'll turn back, and keep on toward State Circle, and look for Dave."
As he took the first step away from the store Dalzell noticed
a slight feeling of dizziness.
After a moment this passed off, but soon it came on again, heavier
than before.
"What ails me?" wondered the astonished midshipman. "It can't
be that I'm turning sick, for I've been feeling fine all along."
He tried the effect of will power, holding himself as erect as
he could and trying to walk slowly in a straight line.
Then, though he did not realize it, three or four passers-by turned
to look at the unsteady young man in a midshipman's uniform.
Two men passing in an auto runabout glanced quickly at Dan.
"Look at that fool midshipman, throwing away a great future for
a few glasses of strong drink," he remarked to his companion.
Then the auto sped on.
As for Dan Dalzell, he no longer understood clearly what was happening.
At this lower end of Main Street, on which he was now moving,
there were not many people astir. One there was behind him,
however--Tony, the Greek, following stealthily on his trail.
At last, as Dalzell reached the head of a short, narrow alleyway
Tony caught up with him in the darkness that had now fallen.
A quick shove Tony gave the midshipman, and Dan, helpless, staggered
into the alleyway, tripped and fell.
Tony passed on as though he had merely accidentally jostled another.
Then, in an instant he wheeled, went back the head of the alley
and glanced in.
Dan Dalzell was lying still, in a complete stupor.
With a chuckle the Greek drew a small bottle from one of his pockets,
taking out the stopper and throwing it away. Then he began sprinkling
the contents on Dan's uniform coat with energy.
At that instant there was a quick step outside. Then Dave Darrin,
tall, handsome, and even distinguished-looking in the uniform
that he wore so well, bounded in, gripping the Greek's right arm
in a tight grasp.
"You rascal!" vibrated Dave's angry voice. "What are you doing
here?"
It being darker in the alleyway than it was outside, Tony did
not recognize his captor. Dave towered so in his wrath that the
Greek took him to be an officer of the Navy.
"Speak up, before I shake the truth out of you!" warned Darrin.
"Do you understand that this is a crime, you knave, and that
I can place you under arrest and have you sent to the penitentiary
for years?"
Tony was now sure that he was in the clutch of a Naval officer.
Moreover, Darrin's grip was one that spoke of more muscular strength
held in reserve.
"Let me go, sare!" begged the Greek, squirming. "This ees all
one joke. I do ze man no harm."
For answer, Dave used his left hand to snatch away the bottle
that Tony still held.
"Alcohol!" detected Dave, and hurled the bottle to the other end
of the alleyway. "And you have been sprinkling it on this midshipman's
uniform? You are the fellow who runs the temperance drinks place?
A nice business for you to be in--drugging midshipmen and trying
to ruin them! To prison you go, unless you limber up your tongue.
Who put you up to this miserable business? Talk quickly--or
off to a cell you go!"
This was pure bluff, as Dave, being under twenty-one, had no right
to make an arrest, even as a citizen. But he saw that he had
the Greek scared, and he resolved to push his advantage to the limit.
"Talk this instant, or to the police station you go!" warned Dave.
"Then it will be years before you are a free man again."
"Mercy, Captain!" howled the frightened Greek.
"Then out with the whole truth like lightning!" ordered Dave Darrin.
He accompanied his order with a shaking that made the Greek's
teeth rattle.
"Stop, sare, stop! I tell you!" whined Tony.
"Go ahead, then, you brute."
"You know Midsheepman Brimmer?"
"I know him," repeated Dave.
"He tell me, sare, about one joke. He geev me bottle of stuff,
and he tell me when this midsheepman, or his friend, come in my
place I am to put half of stuff in the bottle in one glass of
what the midsheepman order. Then I am to follow the midsheepman
out, and watch him until he fall. I am also to have bottle of
alcohol with me and sprinkle some on the midsheepman when he fall
and lie still. Then I am to go away and let the midsheepman be
found. It is to be one grand joke on the midsheepman."
"Give me what is left of the bottle of stuff that Midshipman Brimmer
gave you to put in the drink," commanded Dave sternly.
Tony's first impulse was to deny that he had the vial with him.
But Darrin's grip on the fellow's arm tightened so alarmingly
that the Greek thrust his left hand down into a trousers pocket,
then produced the vial, which Darrin pocketed.
"So this is Brimmer's work--and Brimmer was at one time Henkel's
roommate and crony!" flashed swiftly through Darrin's mind. "Oh,
the scoundrel!"
"Some one ees coming, sare," warned Tony. "Let me go, sare."
"Stay where you are, and don't dare make a move to get away,"
warned Darrin. "It would do you no good, anyway. I know where
to find you."
Then Darrin peeped cautiously out at the head of the alley. Some
one was coming, and that some one wore the Naval uniform. Dave's
heart began to beat faster. Then the wearer the uniform passed
the light from a store window, and his face was briefly revealed.
Darrin's heart, for a few seconds, seemed almost to stop beating.
For it was Brimmer himself!
Further up in the town that midshipman had heard a fleeting word,
uttered by some one, about a staggering midshipman having been
seen going down Main Street.
"A dollar to a doughnut it's Darrin himself! flashed exultantly
through Brimmer's mind. He hurried on, though careful to avoid
the appearance of haste.
"I wish Henkel were here at this moment!" thought Brimmer. "Oh,
it will be great to see that sneak, Darrin--"
Just at that moment Brimmer stopped short, with something like
a gasp.
For he did see Darrin, standing before him, towering in his wrath.