You can get that and hold it. A marine officer doesn't
have to know anything but the manual of arms and a few other little
simple things."
"But a marine officer isn't a real sailor, Danny. He lives and
works on a warship, to be sure, but he's more of a soldier. Now,
as it happens, my whole heart and soul are wrapped up in being
a Naval officer---a real Naval officer."
"With that longing, and an Annapolis diploma," teased Dalzell,
"there is just one thing to do."
"What?"
"Beat your way to the realization of your dream. You've got a
thundering good start."
Midshipman Dave Darrin was not the kind to communicate his occasional
doubts to anyone except his roommate. Had Darrin talked on the
subject with other members of his class he would have found that
many of his classmates were tortured by the same doubts that assailed
him. With midshipmen who were destined to get their diplomas
such doubts were to be charged only to modesty, and were therefore
to their credit. Yet, every spring dozens of Annapolis first
classmen are miserable, instead of feeling the joyous appeal of
the budding season. They are assailed by just such fears as had
reached Dave Darrin.
Dalzell, on the other hand, was tortured by no such dreads. He
went hammering away with marvelous industry, and felt sure, in
his own mind, that he would be retired, in his sixties, an honored
rear admiral.
Had there been only book studies some of the first classmen would
have broken down under the nervous strain.
Pages:
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137