These three great battleships were the "Massachusetts," the "Iowa" and the "Indiana." These three huge, turreted fighting craft had their full crews aboard. Not one of the battleship commanders would allow a "jackie" ashore, except on business, through fear that many of the "wilder" ones might find the attractions on shore too alluring, and fail to return in time.
With the young midshipmen it was different. These young men were officially and actually gentlemen, and could be trusted.
Yet here, in the back room of this laundry, was one who was apparently not dependable.
This young midshipman's name was Pennington, and the fact was that he lay in deep stupor from the effects of smoking opium!
It had been a storekeeper, with a shop across the street, who had called the attention of Dave and his four comrades to the probable fate of another of their class.
"Chow Hop runs a laundry, but I have heard evil stories about a lot of young fools who flock to his back room and get a chance to 'hit' the opium pipe," the storekeeper had stated to Dave. "One of your men, or at least, one in a midshipman's uniform, went in there at eleven o'clock this forenoon, and he hasn't been out since. It is now nearly two o'clock and, I've been looking for some midshipmen to inform."
Such had been the storekeeper's careful statement. The merchants of Annapolis always have a kindly feeling toward these fine young midshipmen. The storekeeper's purpose was to enable them to help their comrade out.
So the five had entered the laundry. The proprietor, Chow Hop, had attempted to bar their way to the rear room.
But Dave had seized the yellow man and had flung him aside.
The reader already knows what they discovered, and how it affected these young men.