Elsie Yachting with the Raymonds

by Martha Finley

  CHAPTER VII.

  The squadron steamed out to sea, the "Dolphin" keeping most of the timewithin sight of the naval vessels, its passengers being anxious to seemore of the evolutions of the men-of-war, and their commanding officervery willing to indulge their wish. They were out simply for pleasure,and were free to turn in any desired direction.

  The weather was all that could possibly be wished; and in the eveningeverybody was on deck except the very little ones, who were already intheir nests. The vessels of the squadron were in sight, and all eyesturned frequently in their direction.

  "Do you think they'll do anything to-night, Papa?" asked Grace, takingpossession of her father's knee, for at the moment he was sitting amongthe others.

  "Who, daughter?" he asked, smoothing her hair with caressing hand.

  "Oh, the Admiral and the rest of them on those war-ships. What do theydo at such times when they seem to be sailing around just for pleasure?"

  "I rather think it is for profit too," he said. "'In time of peaceprepare for war.'"

  "But how do they prepare for war, Papa?"

  "By having sham fights: going through the motions in a way to do harmto no one; firing what we call blank cartridges,--powder but no balls;getting the men so familiar with their guns that they can handle themrapidly and without making mistakes even in the dark. Ah, see! thereit comes!" as at that instant a signal-light from the flag-ship shotup several hundred feet into the air, speedily followed by another andanother, till the whole sky seemed bright with them; while CaptainRaymond, the only one on the yacht who understood the messages, readthem off to the others and called their attention to the movements ofthe ships in prompt obedience to the orders.

  "What is that they're doing, Papa?" asked Grace, presently.

  "Arranging themselves in different orders of battle," he replied, andproceeded to explain each movement as it was made.

  "It's ever so nice to see them," she said, "though I do hope they won'tever have to do any real fighting."

  "I hope not, indeed," her father said; "but in this wicked, quarrelsomeworld the only way to secure peace is to show that we are ready forself-defence in case of attack."

  "How beautifully and promptly every signal is obeyed!" remarked GrandmaElsie. "It is a sight worth coming a long distance to see."

  "Yes, Mamma," said Violet; "and I'm proud of our navy, even though itis so inferior in size to that of England."

  "Inferior in size, but in nothing else, I believe, Mamma Vi," said Max,speaking with some excitement. "You know we've whipped the Britishtwice on the sea in spite of their navy being so very much larger thanours."

  "Yes, Maxie, I believe I'm as proud of that fact as even you can be,"laughed Violet, while his father gave him a look of mingled amusementand pride.

  "I think," remarked Edward Travilla, "that from the beginning of ournational life our navy has been one to be proud of."

  "In which I entirely agree with you," said the Captain. "But theexhibition seems to be over for to-night, and the hour is a late one tofind our young people out of bed."

  "Must we go now, Papa?" Lulu asked in a coaxing tone which seemed toadd, "I hope you will let us stay at least a little longer."

  "Yes," he said; "my little girls may say good-night now and go at once."

  They obeyed promptly and cheerfully, and before long the othersfollowed their example, till Mr. Keith and the Captain had the deck tothemselves.

  They lingered there for quite a long while, seeming to have fallenupon some very interesting topic of conversation; but it was suddenlybroken in upon by the sound of the flag-ship's drum, instantly followedby those of all the other vessels of the squadron.

  "Ah, what is the meaning of that, Raymond?" asked Keith, gazing towardthe war-ships with keen interest and excitement. "It sounds to me likea call to battle."

  "So it is," replied the Captain,--"a night exercise at the great guns,training the men so that they may be ready for all the surprises of atime of war."

  Even as he spoke his passengers came hurrying from the cabin, theladies and young girls wrapped in dressing-gowns and shawls, hastilythrown on to conceal their night-dresses, one and another askingexcitedly what was going to be done now. But even as the words lefttheir lips the thunder of cannon burst upon their ears, drowning theCaptain's voice when he would have replied.

  "Oh, is it war, brother Levis, _really_ war?" queried little Walter, ingreat excitement.

  "No, my boy; only a playing at war, I am thankful to be able to say.You may look and listen without fear that any one is to be killed, oreven wounded, unless through carelessness."

  But the cannon were thundering again, ship after ship firing off wholebroadsides at some imaginary foe. At length, however, it was all over,and the passengers of the "Dolphin" returned to their berths to staythere for the remainder of the night.

  "Why, we are anchored, are we not, Levis?" Violet asked of her husbandon awakening the next morning.

  "Yes, my dear," he answered; "we are riding at anchor in Gardiner'sBay. I suspected that would prove the destination of the squadron, itbeing about the best place for naval exercises in our Northern waters;and it seems I was right. The squadron is at anchor now at no greatdistance from us."

  "And what do you suppose they will do here?"

  "Probably fight some sham battles on sea and land. Do you care towitness such?"

  "Oh, very much! I should greatly prefer witnessing a sham battle to areal one. But they won't be likely to begin it immediately, I suppose?"

  "No; I presume we shall have time for a hearty breakfast first,"replied her husband, with a slight look of amusement. "Don't allow theprospect of witnessing a battle to spoil your appetite for your morningmeal, little wife."

  "Oh, no," she answered, with a pleasant laugh. "I really am not now somuch of a child as all that would come to."

  It was not long before she and nearly every other passenger had soughtthe deck to take a look at their surroundings.

  They found Gardiner's Bay a beautiful body of water bounded by islandson nearly every side, that forming its eastern shore bearing the samename. There were a large number of vessels in the bay,--several sloops,schooners, and a yacht or two beside the "Dolphin," to say nothing ofthe squadron of war-ships. But all were lying quietly at anchor, andour friends willingly responded to the call to breakfast.

  Yet no one cared to linger at the table; and when all had finishedtheir repast they quickly repaired to the deck to watch the movementsof the squadron. But for a while there seemed to be none, the vesselsall riding quietly at anchor.

  "Dear me!" Rosie at length exclaimed, "I wish they'd begin to dosomething!"

  "I think they are going to," said Max. "See, there's a boat leaving theflag-ship; I suppose to carry a message to one of the others."

  "Oh, I'll go and ask Papa about it!" exclaimed Lulu.

  "About what, daughter?" asked the Captain's voice close at her side.

  "That boat that has just left the flag-ship, sir," she answered. "Doyou know where it's going, and what for?"

  "I can only conjecture that it carries some message, probably from theAdmiral to the commander of one of the other vessels."

  "It's pulling for the 'Wanita,'" said Max; "and see, there are otherboats going about from one vessel to another."

  "Yes," his father said, "and see yonder are several boats filled withmarines, pulling for the shore of Gardiner's Island. Evidently there isto be a sham fight."

  "I'm ever so glad it won't be a real one, Papa," said Grace. "It wouldbe so dreadful to see folks killed."

  "It would indeed," he answered. "But you may enjoy the show as much asyou can, for no one will be hurt unless by accident."

  "All the ships seem to be getting boats ready packed with things,"remarked Lulu; "I wonder what they are."

  "Quite a variety," replied her father,--"great guns, baggage, arms,provisions, and boxes that doubtless contain materials and tools forrepairs, compasses, and other articles too numerous to men
tion. There!the vessels are signalling that they are ready."

  "They are getting into the boats!" exclaimed Max, clapping his hands indelight; "and the other fellows that went first to the island seem tobe waiting and all ready to fight them."

  Every one on the "Dolphin" was now watching the embarkation withinterest, the children in a good deal of excitement; it was like agrand show to them.

  "Oh, it's a beautiful sight!" said Eva. "How bright their guns andbayonets are, with the sun shining on them! And there are the beautifulstars and stripes flying from every boat. But they are all in now,--atleast I should think so; the boats look full,--and why don't theystart?"

  "They are waiting for the Admiral's inspection and order," repliedCaptain Raymond. "Ah, see, there he is on the bridge of the flag-ship,with his field-glass, looking them over. And now the signal is givenfor them to proceed."

  The boats moved off at once in the direction of the island where themarines had preceded them. Captain Raymond's explanations making alltheir movements well understood by the young people around him, whothought they had never witnessed so fine a sight as the mimic fightthat presently ensued, opened by the marines firing a volley of blankcartridges from the shore, which was immediately replied to by theapproaching boats with musketry, howitzers, and Gatling guns.

  Soon they reached the shore and landed, the marines meanwhile pouringforth an unceasing fire from behind their breastworks.

  A fierce battle followed; there were charges and counter-charges,advances and retreats, men falling as if wounded or killed, and beingcarried off the field by the stretcher-men.

  That last-mentioned sight brought the tears to Gracie's blue eyes, andshe asked in tremulous tones, "Are they really hurt or killed, Papa?"

  "No, darling," he said, pressing the small hand she had put into his,"it is all pretence, just to teach them what to do in case of actualwar."

  "Oh, I hope that won't ever come!" she exclaimed, furtively wiping awaya tear. "Do you think it will, Papa?"

  "Hardly," he said; "but it would be the height of folly not to preparefor such a contingency."

  "Hurrah!" cried Max, throwing up his cap, "our side's whipped and theother fellows are retreating!"

  "Which do you call our side? And do you mean it _is_ whipped, or _has_whipped?" asked Rosie, with a laughing glance at the boy's excited face.

  But the Captain was speaking again, and Max was too busy listening tohim to bestow any notice upon Rosie's questions.

  "Yes," the Captain said, "the marines are retreating; the battleis about over. Our side, as Max calls it, you see, is throwing outadvance-guards, rear-guards, and flankers."

  "What for, brother Levis?" asked Walter.

  "To make sure that they have taken the island."

  "And what will come next, Captain?" asked Grandma Elsie, who waswatching the movements of the troops with as much interest as thechildren.

  "Fortification, doubtless," he replied. "Ah, yes; they are alreadybeginning that work. They must fortify the island in order to be ableto hold it."

  "How, Papa?" asked Grace.

  "By throwing up breastworks, digging rifle-pits, planting guns, and soforth. If you watch closely, you will see what they do."

  The children--to say nothing of the older ones--watched closely andwith keen interest all the movements of the troops until interrupted bythe call to dinner.

  They had scarcely returned to their post of observation on the deck,having had barely time to notice the completed fortifications, thetents pitched, and the troops at their midday meal, when a tiny stripof bunting was seen fluttering at the flag-ship's main.

  Captain Raymond was the first to notice it. "Ah!" he said, "the funon the island is over,--at least for the present,--for there is theAdmiral's signal of recall."

  "I'll bet the fellows are sorry to see it!" exclaimed Max; "for Idare say they were going to have some fun there on the island they'vetaken."