Chapter 3, "Midshipman Keith" Summary

Willie completes his physical with Captain Grimm, a gray, tired-looking Navy doctor, who tells Willie to go into a dressing room before he realizes he is due in surgery. Willie, fully dressed and awaiting instructions, goes to sleep on the examining table. When he comes out eight hours later, the doctor apologizes and passes him. When Willie returns to his room, he finds a big, battered rifle on his cot. His two roommates are fussing with their own rifles. They must learn to disassemble and reassemble their rifles by morning. Keefer, the Southerner, knows guns and shows them the trick - forcing the tough mainspring back into the bolt on reassembly. Keefer tells Willie to jam the butt of the bolt in his stomach and press the spring down with both hands. Willie does. The spring soars...