"I don't know," Dave laughingly admitted.
"Darrin, are you hard up?" asked Lieutenant Holton, five minutes later.
"I have a few dollars left," Dave smiled.
"If you can get me shifted to your detail for to-night I'll reward you with a month of my pay," promised the lieutenant.
"Thank you," Dave smiled, gravely. "Even if the change could be easily arranged, I'm afraid I wouldn't give up my chance for six months' pay."
"No chance for me, then," sighed Holton. "I can't remember that
I ever had six months' of my pay together at one time."
"Darrin," exclaimed Lieutenant Commander Denton, still a little later, "I never realized that you had so much impudence! The idea of a mere ensign leading such an expedition ashore to-night! I wanted that myself."
"I am not at all sure that my performance will be one of glory," smiled Darrin.
"It won't, if Cantor can manage to queer you in any way," murmured
Denton to himself, as he moved on.
In the ward-room that evening the "impertinence" of two new ensigns in capturing such prized details was commented upon with a great deal of chaffing. Even Lieutenant Cantor was declared to be much too young to be entrusted with such important work.