CHAPTER IX--BETRAYED BY A STREAK OF RED
Dan got his promotion on the following day, with an increase of pay, sothat the two boys now had the same rating in the school.
Flink, however, had grown very surly. As the days wore on he became moreand more ugly so far as the boys were concerned, but the latter gavelittle heed to him.
In the meantime, Sam and Dan had been progressing rapidly. They hadlearned many things. First, they had perfected themselves in signaling,splicing, knot-tying and seamanship, so far as was possible in thelimited time at their disposal. The Battleship Boys by theirapplication, hard work and keen minds, had won the respect of theirofficers as well as of their own associates. The frequent cruises aboutthe bay and down Long Island Sound of the "Boxer" had given thempractical experience and agility; for by this time Sam and Dan were ableto cling to a yard arm in a rolling sea with out being in the leastdisturbed. They were as agile aloft as if they had been at sea insailing ships for years.
And now they were just completing their course. A week remained for themto put the finishing touches to it. Already they were looking forwardwith keen anticipation to the day when they should receive their summonsto join a ship. This might not come for some time, but on account oftheir high standing they were reasonably certain that they would bechosen with the first detail of their class that went out.
During all this time, however, the Battleship Boys had been subjected topetty annoyances that both troubled and mystified them. Perhaps they mayhave had some slight suspicion as to the cause of their troubles, but ifso, there was no definite clue on which to base their suspicions.
First, something was found wrong with the mechanism of Hickey's rifle.Then next, Dan's Krag rifle was discovered at inspection to be in a sadstate of neglect. The inspection officer said it was quite evident thatthe gun had not been cleaned in weeks.
For both these offenses the lads were disciplined, not seriously, butenough so that the lesson might be impressed upon their minds.
Dan and Sam held many quiet talks over these incidents. Sam was forgoing to one of their superior officers and voicing their suspicions,but of this Dan would not hear.
"We have got to prove ourselves men, no matter if we do get some badconduct marks by so doing. And, besides, these things that have happenedto us may be the result of a mistake. For instance, you remember thatrifle on account of which I was ordered to do extra duty?"
"Yes," nodded Hickey.
"Well, that wasn't my gun at all. It was some one else's Krag."
"Then some one else took yours?" questioned Sam, with rising color.
"Yes, but I think perhaps that was a mistake."
"It wasn't any mistake at all," snapped Sam, "and I'm going to keep myeyes open. I'll get even with the fellow who is trying to get us intotrouble--I'll get even with him before we leave the station, if I lose myjob doing it."
That afternoon there was to be a battalion drill, and, after themorning's work, all hands hurried to quarters to get into their bright,clean white uniforms. It was the one time in the week when theapprentices were given an opportunity to show themselves at their best.Many people came out from town for this regular Thursday afternoondrill, when every apprentice at the station appeared on parade, withflags waving, bands playing, the sunlight glistening on polishedweapons.
"This will be our last drill here, I hope," glowed Dan, as allpreparations having been made, the lads hurried out and falling in,started for the drill ground, marching by fours.
All went well until the company in which the two boys were marching hadswung into line. Then there came a sudden command:
"Halt!"
The petty officers in command ran their eyes over the line in somesurprise. They did not understand what it meant. They knew, however,that something had gone wrong.
The executive officer was standing to the rear of the line, at somedistance, while the battalion was going through its evolutions. Hisobservant eyes had suddenly caught sight of something that filled himwith amazement and indignation.
Quickly striding down to the line, the men facing away from him, hecalled the chief quartermaster to him.
"Take those men out of line."
"Which ones, sir?"
The executive officer, pointed, and then the petty officer saw thatwhich also amazed him. A moment more and he had tapped both Dan and Samon the shoulder.
"Fall out!" he commanded.
They obeyed promptly, but wonderingly.
"Report to your quarters, and remain there in detention."
The boys saluted and moved away.
"Now, will you tell me what this means?" demanded Dan.
"That's what I was trying to find out. We haven't done anything."
They had reached their quarters when, all at once, Dan uttered anexclamation.
"What is it?" demanded Sam.
"Look at yourself."
"What's wrong with me?" growled the freckle-faced boy.
"Take off your jacket and you'll see."
"You had better take off your own while you are about it," replied Sam,opening his eyes wide as he gazed at his companion.
With one accord they stripped off their jackets, uttering exclamationsof anger as they did so.
The backs of the jackets were streaked with bright red until theyresembled the bars of the American Flag, which they no doubt had beenintended by the perpetrator of the outrage to represent.
Sam examined his jacket critically; then, glancing up, he met the eyesof his companion.
"Red ink," nodded Sam. "I'll bet the eagle will scream now."
"Who could have done it?"
"The question is not who could have done it, but who did do it."
"We shall be held responsible, in any event. I see ourselves losing ourratings and perhaps missing our detail to a ship. Come, let's get intosome decent clothes before one of the officers gets here."
They quickly changed their uniforms, laying out the ruined ones, backsupward ready for the inspection that they felt sure would soon follow.
In this surmise they were right. The drill over, the quartermaster,accompanied by the executive officer, Lieutenant Commander Devall,appeared at the boys' quarters.
Dan and Sam came to attention as the officers entered.
The latter fixed their eyes upon the garments laid out on the floor ofthe quarters. Lieutenant Commander Devall picked up one of the jackets,examining it closely.
"How did this happen?" he demanded, eyeing Sam sternly.
"I do not know, sir."
"The garment has plainly been inked. How does it happen that you did notnotice this when you put on your uniform?"
"We dressed in a great hurry, sir," spoke up Dan. "As you will observe,it is quite dark in here. It seems as if we ought to have noticed thatsomething was wrong, but we did not."
Lieutenant Commander Devall pondered for a moment.
"You have no idea who could have done this thing, men?"
They did not answer.
"Search the quarters, quartermaster."
The lads stood looking on with troubled faces as the petty officer beganhis search. The Battleship Boys did not know what the lieutenantcommander expected to find, and as a matter of fact he probably had nodefinite idea himself.
Sam moved over to where his bag stood, having observed that it was open.As he drew the cord down tightly he chanced to glance at the bagstanding beside it. Hickey uttered a smothered exclamation. What he hadseen was a smear of red at the mouth of the canvas bag.
"May I open this bag, sir?" he asked, saluting.
"For what?"
Sam pointed to the streak of red.
"Open it!"
One by one the lad drew out the neatly folded garments from the sea bag,the officers scrutinizing these keenly as they were withdrawn and placedon the floor.
At the very bottom of the bag Sam came upon an object which he quicklydrew out, holding it to the light, with a triumphant grin on his face.He nodded to Dan as he did s
o.
The object was a towel. It was streaked with red, as if some one hadwiped his hands upon it. In fact, finger marks were plainly visible allover it.
The executive officer snatched the cloth from the boy's hands.
"Whose bag is this?" he demanded sharply.
"I'll look up the number, sir," answered the quartermaster.
At that moment a figure darkened the doorway. It was Flink. The instanthe saw the officers in the quarters his hand mechanically came up insalute.
A ray of sunlight slanted across the hand as he stood there. Sam caughthis breath sharply, then an eager look overspread his face. He hesitateda moment; then, springing over to where Flink was standing, Sam grabbedthe hand, jerking it sharply down, examining it briefly in the fewseconds that elapsed ere Flink could resist.
"Attention!" commanded Lieutenant Commander Devall. "What does thismean?"
"If you will examine this man's hand, I think you will understand, sir,"answered Sam, saluting.
The lieutenant commander stepped over to Flink.
"Let me see your hands. Palms up!"
The palms were smeared with red.
"Is that your sea bag yonder?"
Flink nodded.
"So, you are the man who is responsible for this, are you? What have youto say for yourself?"
The apprentice hung his head, making no reply.
"You are released from quarters, Davis and Hickey. I begin to understanda few of the things that have happened here. Quartermaster, place thisman under arrest. Turn him over to the master-at-arms with instructionsto lock him in the brig."
Battleship Boys at Sea; Or, Two Apprentices in Uncle Sam's Navy Page 9