Battleship Boys' First Step Upward; Or, Winning Their Grades as Petty Officers

by Frank Gee Patchin

  CHAPTER X

  HIS NARROW ESCAPE

  Leaving Sam in the throes of composition, Dan walked out on deck. Afew moments later he uttered a sharp exclamation and clapped a hand tohis left ear, through which he felt a sudden, sharp pain. As hebrought the hand away, the fingers felt wet.

  Dan stepped up under a port light that opened out to the deck, and,holding up the fingers, peered at them.

  "Blood, eh! Well, that's funny. Something must have hit me."

  He glanced about him. He was almost alone; there were not a half dozensailors on deck, and these lay stretched out, sleeping soundly in thecool evening air.

  "That is strange," wondered the lad, trying to stanch the flow of bloodwith his handkerchief. He had been about to turn back and rejoin Samwhen the incident occurred.

  Dan paused to think over just what had happened.

  "Oh, I remember, now. I heard something strike the deck. That musthave been after it hit me. I'll see if I can find out what it was."

  Stepping carefully along over the deck, feeling with his toes, the boyalmost tripped over some object which he knew did not belong there.

  With an exclamation Dan stooped over. His hand came in contact with apiece of cold steel. The instant his fingers touched it he knew whathe had found.

  "A marline spike," breathed Dan. "No wonder it hurt."

  The missile that had hit him is used for twisting the strands of ropeapart. It is of steel, about eight inches long, and tapers to a needlepoint. It makes a most dangerous weapon.

  Dan carried this to the light, examining it carefully. Its point wasstill moist where it had caught him.

  "Somebody must have tried to kill me," he muttered. "An inch further,and I certainly should have been a dead one. Who could have done sucha dastardly thing? I can't understand it at all."

  The lad hurried back to where he had left his companion. Sam startedto speak, but he saw something in the face of Dan Davis that suddenlychecked his levity.

  "Why, what's the matter?" he cried.

  "Nothing, except that some one tried to kill me just now."

  "Tried to kill you?"

  "Yes; look here."

  Dan removed the handkerchief, and Sam, with gentle fingers, made acareful examination of the wound.

  "Punched a hole right through the lobe of your ear. Who did that?" hedemanded in a low, tense voice.

  "I wish I knew."

  "How did they do it? It looks as if you had been shot."

  "They did it with this, Sam," answered Dan, exhibiting the marlinespike.

  Sam uttered a low growl, as he took the pointed spike, holding it inhis hand reflectively.

  "You must have that dressed, right away. Come along. We'll go to seePills. There is time, if we hurry."

  "Yes; I guess it had better be attended to. I shall have such a bigear to-morrow that they will not have me on deck."

  "Worse cauliflower ear than you gave Bill Kester," laughed Sam. "We'lllook into this business in the morning. We shan't have time to-night,I'm sorry to say."

  On their way to the sick bay, where they were hurrying to have thewound dressed, the boys were obliged to pass the quarters of themaster-at-arms, the minor official who is responsible for the behaviorof all hands on shipboard.

  Ere Dan could protest, Sam had rapped on the door casing, and aninstant later was dragging his companion in through the curtaineddoorway.

  "Now what do you think of that, sir?" exclaimed the red-headed boy.

  "Seaman Davis got hurt, eh?" questioned the petty officer, noting theblood on Dan's cheek.

  "Yes, sir. I am on my way to see the surgeon. If I have to be a fewmoments late in reporting for hammocks, will you excuse me?"

  "Certainly. I will give you a half hour's leeway. How did you getthat wound?"

  "Somebody handed him a marline spike, sir," interrupted Hickey.

  "A marline spike?"

  "Yes, they did."

  The master-at-arms turned inquiringly on Dan.

  "Is this true?"

  Dad nodded half reluctantly.

  "Tell me how it occurred."

  The boy did so briefly.

  "You have no idea who threw the spike?"

  "Not the slightest, sir."

  "Where were you, Hickey?"

  "Below, writing a letter. I knew nothing about it, until my chum camebelow and I saw the blood on his face."

  "Have you any enemies on board?"

  "Not that I know of, sir."

  "Was anyone except yourself on deck at the time?"

  "Yes; a few of the men were asleep further forward. I saw no onemoving about."

  "Come with me."

  The master-at-arms conducted Dan to the surgeon, where a quickexamination was made of the wound, after which the surgeon dressed itand put in several stitches. Dan did not even wince, though the painwas severe. Sam's face was pale, and the perspiration stood out on hisforehead as he watched the stitching of the ragged ear-lobe.

  "Anybody would think you were being operated upon by the looks of you,"laughed Dan.

  "I feel as if I were," answered Sam rather weakly.

  The wound attended to, the petty officer directed the boys to followhim, which they did, going directly to the forward deck.

  "Show me where and how you were standing at the time of the accident,Davis."

  Dan took the place, as nearly as he could, where he had been standingwhen the marline spike struck him.

  "Which way were you facing?"

  "Forward, sir."

  "The spike was thrown from behind you then?"

  "Yes, sir, it must have been."

  "Here is where it hit the deck, sir," called Sam.

  "Do you recall how it appeared when you took hold of it?"

  "I think the head of the spike was leaning aft. I should say it hadabout a forty-degree lean."

  The master-at-arms nodded.

  "It is quite clear that the spike was thrown at you from thesuperstructure. By the way, where's the spike?"

  "I have it," said Sam, extending the spike to the petty officer.

  "I will take care of this. Say nothing about what has occurred, butkeep your eyes open. If you have reason to suspect any one, let meknow at once. I can hardly believe that we have a man on board the'Long Island' desperate enough to attempt a crime like this. If everthere was an attempted murder this is one. Go to your quarters now."

  In the excitement following the attempt on his life, Dan had forgottenall about the letter he had written to his mother. It did not occur tohim until the boys were at gun practice with the seven-inch piece thefollowing morning. He turned to Sam at the first opportunity.

  "What did you do with my letter?" he demanded.

  "I put it in my ditty box last night. I was too excited to rememberthat it belonged to you. I'll give it to you when we are piped downfor mess."

  "All right; I want to add something to it."

  "Say, Dynamite," said a companion, "where did you get the game ear?"

  "It was hurt," answered Dan evasively.

  "It looks as if a bulldog had been chewing at it. You never did thatof your own accord, did you?"

  "That is a foolish question. It isn't likely that I would tear half myear off, just for the fun of the thing, is it?"

  Further conversation was interrupted by an order from the gun captainto resume dotter practice. For the next hour the attention of the boyswas wholly taken up by this fascinating work.

  After mess Dan asked for his letter. Sam got out his ditty box andhanded the letter back rather sheepishly; after which he busied himselfwith pawing over the articles in his box.

  "Am I to read what you have written?" questioned Dan with a smile.

  "You may read it, if you want to," answered Sam, growing very red. "Ididn't figure on your doing so, though."

  "Well, you insisted on knowing what I had written to mother, so I guessyou will have to take the same medicine," retorted Dan with a lau
gh, ashe opened the sheet on which his companion had written his message toMrs. Davis.

  Dan's face sobered as he read, but he made no comment until he had gonethrough the letter. He glanced up with swimming eyes. Sam was notlooking at him. The red-headed boy was deeply absorbed in his dittybox at that moment.

  "Sam Hickey, look at me," commanded Dan.

  "I'm looking at you."

  "Do you mean that you want to give your two hundred dollars to mother?"

  "Yes, that's what I mean," answered Sam, defiantly. "I haven't anymother. Why shouldn't I give your mother my money? I haven't any usefor it, except what I need for clothes, and I reckon I've got clothesenough to last me to the end of the cruise. By that time I'll haveanother wad. Don't you say a word. I've made up my mind. Maybe yourmother would fix up a place in the garret where I could sleep when I goback home again."

  "In the garret? Well, I should think not. The best bedroom in thehouse will be none too good for you, Sam Hickey, and that without yourcontributing to the house fund either. I can't have it. I----"

  "Then I'll sling my hammock in the back yard and roost with the hens.That will be as good as some places I have had to sleep in since Ijoined the Navy."

  "I can't have it, Sam," answered Dan firmly. "No, I cannot accept yourgift. Remember, old fellow," added Dan, grasping his companion by thehand, "you owe so much to yourself that you have no business to begenerous."

  "There's the captain's orderly," interrupted Sam. "I guess he islooking for us. I hope nothing is wrong."

  "Are you Seaman Davis?" asked the orderly, who on this occasion was oneof the marines.

  "Yes."

  "The captain wishes to see you in his office before you are piped up towork again."

  "I will be there at once. Sam, we'll talk this matter over later.But, remember, I shall not listen to your doing what you have planned,but I'll send your letter to mother so she may know what a greatbig-hearted fellow you are. I must go now."

  Sam had his way, however, and the money went with the letter.