CHAPTER III.
MIDSHIPMAN PENNINGTON GOES TOO FAR At eight o'clock the following morning the various sections were formed and marched to the deck.
Dave reported: "All present, sir." The chief electrician was now summoned, and to him the section was turned over.

This young man, Whittam, by name, was an enlisted man, but a bright young sample of what the Navy can do for the boy who enlists as an apprentice.
"You will take your orders from Mr.Whittam as though he were an officer," directed the officer, his words intended for all members of the section, though he looked only at Darrin.
Dave saluted, then, as Chief Electrician Whittam turned to lead the way, Dave called quietly: "Section, left wheel--march!" They followed Whittam down into the dynamo room, an interesting spot for a machinist.
"It's fine," muttered Dan, as he stared about him at the bright metal work, the switch-board and the revolving machines.

"But I'm afraid I couldn't learn the use and sense of all this in five years." "Silence in the section," commanded Dave, turning around upon his chum.
Whittam now began a short, preliminary talk upon the subjects in which the midshipmen would be required to qualify.
"One of the first and most important requests I have to make," said Whittam presently, "is that none of you touch the switches, except by direction.

None of you can guess the harm that might follow the careless and ignorant handling of a switch." "It's pretty cheeky for an enlisted man to talk to midshipmen about ignorance," whispered Pennington to Farley.
"Oh, I don't know--" Farley started to reply, but Darrin's quiet voice broke in with authority: "Cease talking in section." Farley knew this to be a merited rebuke, and accepted it as such, but Pennington's face went violently red.
"Confound that grease-spot-chaser," growled Pen.

"He'll be bound to take it out of me as long as the cruise lasts.