He is going to "pass"; he knows that,
and nothing else matters.
Eight o'clock every morning, during this week, finds the midshipman
in one recitation room or another, undergoing his final. As it
is not the purpose of the examiners to wear any man out, the afternoon
is given over to pleasures. There are no afternoon examinations,
and no work of any sort that can be avoided. Indeed, the "savvy"
man has a week of most delightful afternoons, with teas, lawn
parties, strolls both within and without the walls of the Academy
grounds, and many boating parties. It is in examination week
that the young ladies flock to Annapolis in greater numbers than
ever.
Sometimes the "wooden" midshipman, knowing there is no further hope
for him, rushes madly into the pleasures of this week, determined to
carry back into civil life with him the memories of as many
Annapolis pleasures as possible.
A strong smattering there is of midshipmen who, by no means "savvy,"
are yet not so "wooden" but that they hope, by hard study at the
last to pull through on a saving margin in marks.
These desperate ones do not take part in the afternoon pleasures,
for these midshipmen, with furrowed brows, straining eyes, feverish
skin and dogged determination, spend their afternoons and evenings
in one final assault on their text-books in the hope of pulling
through.
Dave Darrin was not one of the honor men of his class, but he
was "savvy" just the same.
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