As the officer strode through the group of startled young men a few more, left behind his back, made a silent disappearance.

There were left, however, as the officer looked about him, sixteen of the young men, all too plainly headed and led by Cadet Midshipman Merriam.

“Young gentlemen,” said the officer, severely, “I regret to find so many of you engaged in hazing.  It is doubly bad when your victims are men outside the corps.  And, if I mistake not, these young gentlemen are here as temporary civilian instructors in submarine work.”

Mr. Merriam and his comrades made no reply in words.  Nor did their faces express much.  They stood at attention, looking stolidly ahead of them, though their faces were turned toward the officer.  It was not the place of any of them to speak unless the officer asked questions.

Severe as the hazing had been, however, Jack and Hal, at least, had taken it all in good part.  Nor was Jack bound by any of the rules of etiquette that prevented the cadets from speaking.

“May I offer a word, sir?” asked Jack, wheeling upon the officer.

“You were one of the victims of a hazing, were you not?” demanded the officer, regarding Jack, keenly.

“Why, could you call it that, sir?” asked Jack, a look of innocent surprise settling on his face.  “We called it a demonstration—­an explanation.”

“Demonstration?  Explanation?” repeated the officer, astonished in his turn.  “What do you mean, Mr.—­er—?”

“Benson,” Jack supplied, quietly.

“I think you would better tell me a little more, Mr. Benson,” pursued the unknown naval officer.

“Why, it was like this, sir,” Jack continued.  “My two friends—­Hastings and Somers—­and myself were talking about the West Point and Annapolis hazings, of which we had heard and read.  We were talking about the subject when a cadet came along.  I suggested to Somers that we ask the cadet about hazing.  Well, sir, to make a long story short, some of the cadets undertook to show us just how hazing is—­or used to be—­done at Annapolis.”

“Oh!  Then it was all thoroughly good-natured, all in the way of a joke, to show you something you wanted to know?” asked the naval officer, slowly.

“That’s the way I took it,” replied Jack.  “So did Hastings and Somers.  We’ve enjoyed ourselves more than anyone else here has.”

This was truth surely enough, for, in the last two minutes, not one of the cadet midshipmen present could have been accused of enjoying himself.

“Then what took place here, Mr. Benson, really took place at your request?” insisted the naval officer.

“It all answered the questions that we had been asking,” Jack replied, promptly, though, it must be admitted, rather evasively.

“This is your understanding, too, Mr. Hastings?” demanded the officer.

“Surely,” murmured Hal.

“You, Mr. Somers?”