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

by Frank Gee Patchin

  CHAPTER XX

  DAN BEFORE THE BOARD

  The reports that the commanding officer received in his cabin were veryencouraging. No water was found in the hold forward, and there was noindication that any damage had been done to the ship.

  After finishing his lunch, the captain ordered the divers over to makean examination of the ship's bottom from the outside. They reportedthat the bottom was not even scratched by contact with the sand of thebay.

  "We will discontinue torpedo practice for the day, Coates. It will betoo late to do anything more. To-morrow we will go on with the workwhere we left off. I shall be busy the rest of the afternoon making areport to the Navy Department of the accident."

  In his report the commanding officer told the full story, including thewarning that Seaman Daniel Davis had wig-wagged to the ship from farout on the torpedo range.

  In the early evening Dan was hunted out by the captain's orderly, whotold the lad that the captain wished to see him in the former'squarters.

  Dan was not sure whether he was in for a reprimand or not. But hehastened below as fast as he could.

  "Good evening, lad," greeted the captain in a kindly tone.

  "Good evening, sir," answered Dan.

  "You discovered the shoal spot on your way out to the range to-day, didyou not?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "How did you come to do that!"

  "I try to observe everything, sir. The water there did not look likethe rest of the water of the bay, so I looked over and saw the bottom."

  "Exactly. Why did you not notify the ship? You had reasons for notdoing so, eh?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "What were they?"

  "In the first place, sir, it would have been presumptuous of me to havedone so. In the second place, I thought that, of course, the navigatorknew every inch of the bottom hereabouts."

  "So did I," nodded the captain. "Your suppositions were wise. Knowingof the shoal place, you kept watch of us?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "How did you discover our danger from where you were?"

  "I took shore sights as I went out, so that I might be able to locatethe shoal if needed."

  The eyes of the commanding officer gleamed with appreciation.

  "You saw us heading on to it!"

  "Yes, sir, I was watching you through the glass. When I saw that youwere going to strike it, if you kept your course, I took the greatliberty of warning you."

  "Thank you, my lad. A board of inquiry will sit and pass upon theaccident. That will, no doubt, be done within the next twenty-fourhours. Other ships of the fleet will be in this afternoon, and thecourt will probably sit early to-morrow morning."

  "And now, my lad," continued the captain, "I wish to express my deepappreciation for what you have done."

  "I have done nothing, sir, except my duty, and I am not sure but that Ihave exceeded the limits of good discipline in that."

  "By no means. Had you not done as you did the 'Long Island' would havedriven full speed on the sand bar. She would be there still; she mighthave been there for many days to come; in fact, it might have meant theloss of the battleship. The Navy Department and the commanding officerof this ship owe you a heavy debt of gratitude, Seaman Davis. I canshow my appreciation only by recommending you to the Department at thepresent moment. They possibly may show theirs in another way, and thenI shall be able to do more for you."

  "Thank you, sir. I am not looking for rewards. I am trying to do myduty, to serve my country and my Flag to the best of my ability."

  "Davis, you are a splendid fellow," said the captain, rising andgrasping the Battleship Boy by the hand impulsively. "Go on as youhave been going, and there is little doubt as to what the outcome willbe. Rest assured that I shall leave nothing undone that I can do,consistently with good discipline, to further your interests. I hearyou have been chosen for the racing crew," added the commanding officerwith a twinkle in his eyes.

  "Yes, sir; that is, I am to be tried out, myself, and also my chum, SamHickey."

  "I have no doubt that you will do well. It will be a splendid thingfor you, giving you a new viewpoint from which to look upon the life ofthe sailor in Uncle Sam's Navy. I may have something further to say toyou later on. That will be all for the present."

  Dan saluted and left the captain's quarters.

  The boy said nothing of what had been discussed in the captain's cabin.Not even to his own chum did he repeat a word of it.

  On the following morning a board of inquiry which had been ordered atonce by the Navy Department convened on board the "Long Island" in fulldress. The court consisted of the captains and commanders of otherships of the fleet.

  The ship's company were in their best clothes for the occasion. As theofficers came over the side, sailors manned the gangway, two on eachside, as befitted the rank of the officers visiting the ship.

  With this inquiry no one except the captain and his executive officerhad anything to do. The board of inquiry assembled in the receptionroom at the stern of the ship below, where they went into executivesession, taking the evidence of the captain, the executive officer, andlater the testimony of the navigator, who, by his charts, proved thatthe shoal had been indicated on none of them.

  Dan was summoned to the court after the evidence had been taken. Hewas a little excited, because he feared that his evidence would countagainst the captain; but he entered the room with confident, easybearing and stood awaiting the command of the president of the court.

  Dan gave his name and rating in the service. The officers were struckwith the clean-cut face, the intelligent eye and the steady nerve ofthe young seaman. There was approval of his type in every face there,but no one was more proud of the Battleship Boy than was the captain.

  To all the questions put to him by the board of inquiry the lad gavequick, comprehensive answers. He volunteered no information of his ownaccord, merely answering the questions that were asked of him. He toldof having discovered the shoal water, and of measuring the depth withhis eye.

  "How did you happen to discover that the water was shoal!" questionedone of the officers.

  "From the color of it, sir."

  "How long have you been in the service, did you say?"

  "Nearly a year, sir."

  "Did you volunteer to testify before this court?"

  "I did not, sir."

  "It is at my suggestion to you that the lad has been called here,"spoke up the captain. "He was unaware that he was to testify, untilyou sent for him."

  "You saw that the ship was headed directly for the shoal?" asked one ofthe officers, addressing Davis.

  "Yes, sir."

  "And you signaled them of their danger?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Could the shoal water not be seen from the bridge of the ship, do youthink?"

  "I was not on the bridge, sir. I could not say. From the direction ofthe sun I should say the whole bay looked alike, judging from myobservation when I have been up there, sir."

  "Very good."

  The officer was seeking to draw out the Battleship Boy to serve somepurpose of his own.

  "Why did you not notify the ship at once of your discovery?"

  "I did not feel at liberty to do so, sir. I considered that it wouldbe an impertinence to do so."

  "That will be all, Davis. You may retire."

  The court of inquiry closed soon after that, and the board took theevidence into consideration, excluding all persons from the cabin,including the captain.

  The whole ship's company seemed to feel a sense of depression. Theydid not believe their commanding officer had been at fault, but theyknew that Seaman Davis had saved the ship. Envious eyes were cast atthe lad during the rest of the day. Dan, however, appeared not toobserve this. He was more worried than any of his fellows, feelingthat perhaps had he acted upon his first impulse, and notified theship's officers of his discovery, all this might have been avoided.

  After the inq
uiry the board lunched with the captain. Then they tooktheir departure from the ship with the same formality that they hadboarded it. It was noticed, after they had left, that the commandingofficer appeared much relieved. His face brightened considerably, andthe lines of worry that had appeared there after the accident seemed tohave disappeared.

  "I guess the Old Man feels better," whispered Sam to his chum. "Hemust have got a hunch."

  They did not know it, but the board had held him blameless, subject tothe approval of the Navy Department.

  "Don't use slang. And, besides, I do not like to hear you refer to ourcaptain as the 'Old Man.' It is not respectful."

  "Everybody calls him that."

  "Well, you are not everybody. Be different, for a change."

  "Everybody in the Navy calls the captain the 'Old Man.'"

  "You never heard me do so, did you?"

  "Well, no," admitted Sam; "but you're not the whole Navy."

  "I'm a very little part of it, but I have my ideas as to what is rightand wrong."

  The captain was standing on deck watching the work that was going on.The boatswain's mate was seen to come aft on the superstructure.

  "Harper," called the captain.

  "Aye, aye, sir."

  "This will be a good opportunity to get out the racing gig."

  "Now, sir?"

  "No; not now. This afternoon, after four o'clock. The tide will notbe strong then and the weather is fine. Some of these lads are anxiousto get their try-out, too," with a glance at Dan Davis and Sam Hickey,which brought a flush to the face of each of the Battleship Boys.

  There was a stir among the crew as the captain made the announcement.All their hopes were centered in the trim racing gig. To their way ofthinking there was not another boat in the fleet in the same class withthe "Long Island's" racing gig. Half a dozen men were instantly toldoff to rub the boat down under the watchful eyes of Joe Harper. Allthe rest of the afternoon they busied themselves about the gig, until,at last, the command was given, "Get ready for practice spin."

  The members of the racing crew hurried to their quarters, and, at fouro'clock sharp, appeared on deck, clad only in short trunks and shoes.Each man carried an oar, which he stood butt down on the deck in frontof him.

  The officers ran their eyes over the twelve muscular young men. Theglances of all finally dwelt on Dan Davis and Sam Hickey and murmurs ofsurprise ran over the assemblage. Sam's arms were knotted withmuscles, as were his back and legs. But it was Seaman Davis who, ofthe twelve, attracted the most attention.

  Dan's muscles were not bunched like those of his companion; they wererounded in beautiful curves, symmetrical like those of a well-groomedrace horse.

  "No wonder Dynamite put a cauliflower ear on old Kester," laughed ashipmate.

  "He's in wonderful condition," confided the captain to one of hisofficers. "That boy is a born athlete."

  The gig was swinging over the side in a sling, being lowered by a bigcrane.

  "Stand by," commanded the boatswain's mate, who was the coxswain of thegig.

  The crew of the gig lined up at the rail.

  "All over!"

  They piled down the sea ladder, taking their places in the small boat.

  "Toss!" The oars were raised upright. "Out oars!"

  The oars were placed in the rowlocks.

  "Cast off!"

  The gig was shoved clear of the ship.

  "Give way together!"

  Eleven lusty sailors put their strength into the oars and the racinggig shot away from the side of the battleship, sending up a shower ofwhite spray as it plunged into a rising swell.