TWO SIDES OF A STORY One circumstance puzzled all of the midshipmen who first heard of the affair.

The fourth, and unknown, midshipman, who had waited outside of the house and assaulted the first civilian, must have known the latter or it was not likely that he would have committed the assault.

That being the case, it was just likely that the civilian knew and had recognized the unknown midshipman who had knocked him down.

Such an attack must have followed some prior dispute.
Then, since the civilians had undoubtedly made complaint to the Naval Academy authorities, how had they been able to get out of supplying the name of the midshipman unknown to Dave and his friends?
Right after breakfast the next morning Dave Darrin and his friends of the evening before were summoned before the commandant of midshipmen.

By that officer they were questioned very rigidly, but they had nothing to add to their statement of the night before.