The North Pacific
resting was the "fire drill." A succession of loud, hurried strokes on the ship's bell brought the men hurrying up from below. Some ran to the hose, uncoiled it and coupled it to the
th the wonderful precision that characterises every naval movement. If the emergency should really arise, in the midst of a storm or under the enemy's fir
west between Martha's Vineyard and the mainland. Nobska Head and, three hours later, Gay Head, were sig
ordered Ensign Liddon,
round to that point. At about twelve knots an hour, or fifty-five revolutions of the screw to a minute, the ship crept ste
as cast. "After all, it's a good peacemaker," said Lieutenant Staples, as he made his inspection tour, accompanied by Dr. Cutler. "There's thirty-six hundred pounds of peace,"
outh of the Potomac, she brought up for the night, a light fog rendering navigation difficult in those crowded waters. Early the next morning the gunboat weigh
signal was answered by the battleship, and the executive reported to Rexdale, "Permission to proceed, sir." When tw
lifted their white pillars; past the little cove where Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln, landed after crossing the Potomac in his mad flight; on toward Washingt
m the ship's forward deck. The ensign was half-masted, every man on board faced the shore and stood at
he gunboat, and towed her to the navy-yard wharf, w
ace which were destined to exert an important inf
g his Academy course; full of fun, and a great joker. While the original ward-room mess were at first disposed to regret, if not to res
then docked and out of commission; Fred Larkin, who happened to be in Washington; and two young girls, nieces of a Government official of high standing, Ethelwyn and Edith Black, aged respectively sixteen and nineteen. These fair young A
had fallen from her sunny hair to the floor, "we've never been on a war-ship
er hostess. "You've just about shaken me to bits. Yes, Lieut. Commander Rexdale is ni
l your m
ould we accept, if she wer
emarked Wynnie demurely. "You'll see how nic
right paw, c
pretty
. "I've seen you 'behave nicely' before now!
officers?" asked Ed
about quarantine regulations and the Red Cross; and Mr. Ross, the paymaster, I suppose. Oh, and I believe there
y bashful, I know. I shall consider it my
vilian reporter, navy-yard gossip with Mrs. Commandant, international complications with her husband, and nonsense, flavoured with dry wit, with Edith. Dobson told the story of his rescue from the hazing party
boat-wreck on the lonely Desertas, near Madeira, w
r of cannon, the cries of the fierce combatants, in its dainty appointments. It fell about, however, that, as was natur
ther Powers-in point of naval s
d returned to his office on the Yard. Oddly enough, it was the civilian
carry out our present rather indefinite plans we shall be, by 1908, the
proximate number of large ships i
y I do not," rep
thoughts and statistics. "England has two hundred and one, n
his ship small?" crie
ide," laughed Liddon. "Well, I was about to add that France has ninety-six big ships,
cantly. Just behind his shoulder a pair of dar
ould have a poor show at sea
with you," said Dr. Cutler lightly, no
o the little Japanese,
d Rexdale. "What do you think about the ch
English was not quite as perfect as
and a round of hearty applause followed the di
ested Starr. "It's getti
where chairs had been placed for them. The gentlemen lit their cigars, "not (Starr gravely
Liddon with Edith, and Dobson with Mary-is of no consequence. It is probable that the two sisters explained to their respective escorts that in the early fall they expected to travel to India, China, and Japan, going via San Francisco, and returning through Euro
renewed the conversation which had been b
s any of them in naval rank, we must hurry up our ship-builders. Germany expects her battleship in commission in three ye
ost?" asked the older lady, who
le. "And a right lively war costs the countr
, thrown away," added the doctor. "It is not like e
eep the peace, so that there'll be no war," put
actually fought a battle with a second-year man,"
One good upper-cut on that fellow's jaw won peace for the whole crowd. If Dewey hadn
think?" asked Larkin. "If they do, t
eady they have one hand on Vladivostock and the other on Port Arthur. Japan, crowded in its little group of islands just ou
r. Cutler. "She has an army, they say, of four and a ha
we can call Korea and the coast of Manchuria, by six thousand miles, with only a single-track railroad bet
, who had paused a moment in his walk,
-humoured laugh. Then, resuming: "As to the Russian navy, matters would be just a
rly mounted the steps to the quarter-deck and with the usual stiff
He had no sooner read the few lines i
rty to an end, but my orders leave me no choice. Mr. Staples, I must see you and the rest of t
them to retire so early and brought that new ring to the commander's tones. They bade good-night to the youn
ed the girlish voices from the wharf, while their late comp
for you. We are ordered to coal and take on stores and ammunition for sea without delay, sailing one week from to-day, if poss
nd laughing gaily as they performed their pleasant social duties and joked with their merry guests; they were officers in the United States Navy, ready for the duty at hand; willi
ow myself," added Rexdale. "There are new complications in the far East-that is al
rs, the pantry door, which, though no one noticed it, had been slightly ajar, closed noiselessly. Behind it were two
red. "Teikoku banzai!