Battleship Boys at Sea; Or, Two Apprentices in Uncle Sam's Navy

by Frank Gee Patchin

  Produced by Roger Frank and the Online DistributedProofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

  The Battleship Boys at Sea

  OR

  Two Apprentices in Uncle Sam's Navy

  By

  FRANK GEE PATCHIN

  Author of The Battleship Boys' First Step Upward, The Pony Rider Boys Series, Etc.

  Illustrated

  PHILADELPHIA HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE I. The Lure of the Battleship 7 II. In Uncle Sam's Navy 27 III. Who Threw the Pie? 35 IV. Piping up Hammocks 43 V. Trying Out Their Grit 50 VI. In the Midst of the Battle 60 VII. The Red-Headed Boy's Surprise 69 VIII. On the Rifle Range 74 IX. Betrayed by a Streak of Red 86 X. Their First Detail 94 XI. On Board a Battleship 102 XII. In the Deck Division 118 XIII. Resenting an Insult 125 XIV. Called Before the Mast 132 XV. A Badly Banged-up Bully 144 XVI. Receiving a Challenge 154 XVII. Proving His Courage 165 XVIII. The Orderly Takes a Header 180 XIX. The Work of an Enemy 193 XX. Out on the Mine Field 200 XXI. Breaking the Record 208 XXII. Buried Three Fathoms Deep 217 XXIII. Heroes to the Rescue 224 XXIV. Conclusion 236

  THE BATTLESHIP BOYS AT SEA

  CHAPTER I--THE LURE OF THE BATTLESHIP

  "That must be the place over there, Sam."

  "Where?"

  "Just across the street on the next block. I see something in front ofthe building that looks like the picture we saw in the post office athome."

  Dan Davis turned to a passing policeman and, respectfully touching hishat, asked:

  "Will you tell us, sir, where we may find the United States Navyrecruiting station?"

  The policeman pointed to the building in front of which Dan's eyes hadcaught sight of a highly colored lithograph.

  "Thank you, sir. Come on, Sam; I was right. That is the place we arelooking for. See that flag up there in the third story window? That'sthe flag you and I are going to serve under if we are lucky enough to beaccepted."

  Sam Hickey nodded and started after his companion across the street. Amoment later the lads stood before the picture that had attracted theirattention. In the foreground of the picture stood a sailor clad in theuniform of a seaman in Uncle Sam's Navy, while on beyond him, in thedistant background, lay a white battleship, the Stars and Stripesfloating from her after staff, a line of signal flags fluttering fromthe signal halyard just aft of the battleship's navigating bridge. Palmtrees and similar foliage showed it to be a tropical scene.

  For several moments the lads stood gazing on the picture with fascinatedinterest. Each seemed unable to withdraw his gaze from it. At last, witha deep sigh, Dan turned his shining eyes upon his young companion.

  "Isn't it beautiful, Sam?" he breathed.

  "What, the sailor?"

  "I was not thinking of the sailor; I was thinking of the ship--thebattleship--and that Flag floating there, the most beautiful Flag in theworld. At least I guess it must be. I've never seen any of the otherflags, except in pictures, but that one is handsome enough for me. Shallwe go upstairs to the recruiting office now?"

  "Don't be in a hurry," objected Sam. "I want to look at the picture somemore."

  "We can do that afterwards. The first thing is to see whether we shallbe able to enlist. This letter that I got from the station says we haveto be examined, though I don't know just what sort of examination theywill give us."

  Sam Hickey still lingered.

  "Are you coming, Sam?"

  "No."

  "Not coming?"

  "No; I've changed my mind."

  "I don't understand," rejoined Dan, a puzzled expression in his eyes.

  "I guess I do not want to enlist. I think I shall go back home toPiedmont."

  "Look here, Sam Hickey, you will do nothing of the sort! We came downhere to enlist in the Navy and that is exactly what we are going to do,providing they will have us. You say you are going back home. How do youexpect to get there?"

  "The way we came--on a train, of course."

  Dan smiled grimly.

  "I guess not. You forget that we have no money left--that is, not morethan enough with which to buy one more meal."

  "I can walk," grumbled Sam.

  "No, you cannot. We are three hundred miles from Piedmont. Why do youwish to back out at this late hour? You were so anxious to enlist, andnow you are talking the other way. Why?"

  "I've changed my mind; that's all."

  Dan grasped his companion firmly by the arm.

  "You come along with me! You have changed your mind too late this time."

  Sam hesitated, then reluctantly accompanied his companion up the stairs.A few moments later, they were knocking at the door of the recruitingoffice.

  Sam Hickey felt a strong inclination to bolt, and no doubt he would havedone so had it not been for the firm grip on his arm. He ran one handnervously through his shock of red hair, shifted his weight from onefoot to the other and muttered something that was unintelligible to hiscompanion.

  But Dan's ears were keenly alert for the response to his summons, and hestraightened up ever so little as he heard footsteps approaching thedoor.

  It had been the dream of these two young American boys for many monthsto join the Navy. They had talked and talked of the day when they shouldhave arrived at the age that permitted them to make application foradmission to the service. A few weeks before reaching the legal age,which is seventeen, each had received a letter from a recruiting stationin New York City pointing out the advantages that the service offers toyoung Americans.

  Correspondence had been immediately opened with the recruiting office,with the result that the lads made their preparations to go directly toNew York City and present themselves at the recruiting station.

  Dan, who lived with his widowed mother, was a clerk in the general storein his home town; while Sam, an orphan, had been serving anapprenticeship in a small machine shop. It had been therefore no smalleffort for the boys to get together enough money for their expenses tothe metropolis; and, as already stated, they were now practically at theend of their resources. But this did not discourage them.

  "If we are rejected we shall be able to find something to do in New Yorkthat will let us earn enough money to take us back home," Dan haddeclared resolutely, his pale face lighting up, his eyes sparkling withpurpose and determination.

  "Yes; I had just as lief work in New York as in Piedmont," agreed Sam.

  "I hope, Sam, we shall have to do neither."

  The door was thrown open abruptly, and the boys found themselvesconfronted by a middle-aged man clad in a blue suit. On the right sleevehe wore three bright red chevrons enclosing a white
pilot wheel,surmounted by a white eagle, showing that he was a quartermaster in theUnited States Navy.

  "Well, what is it?" he demanded rather brusquely.

  "We wish to join the Navy, sir," answered Dan firmly.

  The quartermaster surveyed the lads keenly.

  "Come inside," he said.

  The boys entered the waiting room, where they were directed to seatthemselves at a table. A printed blank form was placed before each.

  "Fill out those applications," directed the petty officer who hadadmitted them. "If your answers to the questions are satisfactory youwill be asked some further questions; then we shall have you examined."

  Having spent three years in high school, after finishing at the grammarschool, the boys found themselves well able to fill out the applicationblanks without having to ask questions of the quartermaster. This theydid with much care, giving such facts about themselves as theapplication blank demanded.

  Sam nudged his companion.

  "See that man sitting over there to the left of you?" he asked.

  "Yes."

  "I think he must be a general or something of the sort."

  "Humph! There's only one general in the Navy, and he is in the MarineCorps," answered Dan reprovingly. "I know what that officer is."

  "What is he, then, if you know so much?"

  "He is a commander."

  "How do you know?"

  "I know by the three gold stripes on his sleeve. If he had two and ahalf stripes there he would be a lieutenant-commander. If he had four hewould be a captain."

  Sam looked incredulous.

  "How do you happen to know all about that?"

  "I read about it in a dictionary. They were all pictured out there. Iknow a lot more of them, too, only I'm too busy to tell you about themnow. Have you finished filling out your blank?"

  "Not quite."

  "Then you had better get busy. If we take too much time it _may_ countagainst us. I don't know about it for sure."

  For several minutes thereafter the lads wrote industriously. Dan was thefirst to lay down his pen, waiting in silence for his companion tofinish, which Sam did shortly afterwards.

  "What shall we do now?" questioned Sam, glancing up into the face of hisfriend.

  "I do not know. Give me your paper and I will hand both to the officerover there."

  Dan stepped to the commander's desk, handing the applications to him.

  "What's this?" demanded the commander sharply.

  "They are our applications, sir."

  "Give them to the quartermaster."

  "Yes, sir," answered Dan respectfully, turning away. As he did so, theeyes of the commander were fixed inquiringly upon him.

  "That is a likely looking lad," muttered the officer. "In fact, theyboth look like excellent material--good, clean-cut American boys--just thesort of material the United States Navy is looking for."

  In the meantime Dan had stepped to the door through which he hadobserved the petty officer who had first greeted them, and walkedtowards him.

  "Here are our papers, sir. What are we to do next?"

  "Go back and sit down. I'll tell you when we want you."

  The quartermaster seated himself at a desk, where he went over theapplications carefully. He looked them over a second time, noddedapprovingly, then glanced up quickly at the flushed, expectant faces ofthe two lads.

  "You men come with me," he said, rising.

  "He called us 'men.' Did you hear it? I guess we are, all right,"whispered Sam.

  The quartermaster conducted them into an adjoining room, where they wereturned over to the examining surgeon, who, after scanning theirapplications, began asking them pointed questions about their parentsand their life. In fact, he asked more questions than either lad knewhow to answer, for the inquiry went back more years than they had lived.

  The examination lasted fully an hour, after which the lads were directedto return to the room where they had filled out their applications.

  "He knows more about me than I ever thought there was to know," confidedSam to his companion.

  Just then the surgeon came hurrying in. He laid their applications onthe desk before the commander, engaging in earnest conversation withthat officer.

  "I think they are going to turn us out," whispered Dan.

  "I hope they do," grumbled Sam, brushing a hand across his freckledcheek. "I don't see why they have to go through all this rigmarole.Reminds me of the time they tried a fellow up in our place for stealinga yearling heifer."

  "It is well worth the rigmarole if we can get in," answered Dan,ignoring the comparison. "I do not care how much they put us through.And, besides, it proves that everybody cannot get into Uncle Sam's Navy.A fellow has got to be a real man if he wants to be a jackie thesedays," added Dan somewhat proudly. "I wonder what they are talkingabout?"

  "We'll know in a minute. There comes that quartermaster fellow,"answered Sam.

  The lads rose as he stepped up to them.

  "Have we passed?" questioned Dan, unable to repress his anxiety.

  "Your examination has been satisfactory, but the commander desires tospeak with you. That is the commander at the roll top desk yonder. Stepover, but be very respectful. Remember, he is an officer in the UnitedStates Navy, and----"

  "We are not likely to forget that we are young gentlemen, sir,"interrupted Dan, flushing slightly.

  The lads walked over to the commander's desk, where Dan, with heelstogether, made a correct military salute, raising the right hand smartlytill the tip of the forefinger touched the forehead just above the righteye, then dropping the arm smartly to his side.

  Sam did the same, but rather more clumsily.

  Instantly the commander's right hand went up in a return salute, whilethe faces of the boys flushed rosy red.

  "You have had some previous military instruction?" asked the commander,with a twinkle in his eyes.

  "Nothing very much, sir," replied Dan. "We belong to the village firecompany at home--that is all."

  The commander smiled.

  "You are a pair of very likely lads."

  "Have we passed, sir?"

  "You have."

  "Oh, I'm so glad!" breathed Dan, unable to conceal his delight.

  "Then--then we are in the Navy?" stammered Sam.

  "Not quite. You will be, very soon, providing you have fulfilled all therequirements."

  "What are we to do?"

  "Have you the consent--the written consent--of your parents?"

  "Yes, sir. That is, I have my mother's consent. My friend, Sam, here,has no parents."

  "Has he a guardian?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "And has his guardian given his written consent also?"

  "He has, sir."

  "Let me have both of them."

  The papers were handed to the commander, who perused them carefully.

  "How did you lads chance to come so well prepared?"

  "We had written to find out, so that we might not be disappointed whenwe got here. We could not afford to make the trip back home, so we didwhat we could before coming on."

  "You did well. Young men, I am proud to see lads of your type enteringthe service. I predict for you both a rapid rise. You will, of course,meet with hardships. These are a part of the life, but it is a noblecareer, and if you are the lads I believe you to be you will overcomeall these things. You have in you the making of splendid men, and theUnited States Navy will surely bring out every dormant good quality thatyou may possess."

  "Thank you, sir; we shall do our best," answered Dan.

  "I am sure of that."

  "What are we to do now, if it is proper to ask?"

  "You will be furnished with transportation to Newport, R. I., where youwill go to-night. You will enter the apprentice training school there.After a course of three months, if qualified, you will be given anassignment on one of the ships of the fleet. You understand, you willenter the training school as apprentices. While there you will receive asalary
of seventeen dollars and sixty cents a month. Your board andlodging, of course, will be furnished by the government, as will youruniforms and equipment."

  "Thank you, sir," reiterated Dan.

  The commander then administered the oath of allegiance to the lads inslow, impressive tones, while they stood rigidly at attention, theireyes fixed upon his.

  "You will now report to the quartermaster," announced the commanderafter the lads had subscribed to the oath. "I shall expect to hear goodreports from you, my lads." He cordially extended a hand to each, muchto the amazement of the quartermaster, who never had seen his commanderdo that to an apprentice before.

  The remaining details were disposed of in a very few minutes thereafter,and the boys made their way downstairs, out into the street,light-hearted and happy.

  "Look!" cried Dan, pointing off to the East River.

  "What is it?"

  "It's a war ship. I wonder which one it is. Can you tell me, sir, whatship that is?" asked Dan of a passer-by.

  "That is the United States battleship 'Idaho,'" was the answer.

  "I wonder if we ever will be placed on a ship like that," mused Dan,gazing in fascinated interest at the slow-moving vessel as she plowedher way under the Brooklyn bridge, heading for the open sea.

  Dan Davis drew a long sigh.

  "Come," he said.

  "Where?"

  "Somewhere where we can spend our last fifty cents for a meal. That willbe the last meal we shall have until we get to Newport. Then we willlook about some. We have several hours before the boat leaves. We shallprobably get lost the first thing we do, but we have plenty of time inwhich to find ourselves," added Dan, with a short laugh.

  Naturally, the ships that lined one side of South Street, along whichthey were strolling, held the greatest interest for them. There weresailing ships from the four quarters of the globe, tramp steamers,coasters from southern ports, interspersed with ferry boats and tugboats of every size and class. There was such a confusion of craft thatthe boys could scarcely make out one from the other.

  They had reached a cross street, up which they decided to turn, havinglearned that it would lead them to Broadway, which thoroughfare theywere anxious to see, when there occurred an interruption that changedtheir plans entirely for the time being.

  Sam had paused beside a little two-wheeled cart to purchase an applefrom an old woman who had asked him to buy. He had just handed over hisnickel for the apple when a crowd of firemen from a tramp steamer camerolling up the street, the grime of the stoke hole still on their faces.

  Freed from the restraint of their floating prison, the men werehilarious and bent on mischief. But neither of the lads observed them,nor did they hear the shouts and songs of the stokers above the roar ofthe traffic in the busy street.

  The first intimation the boys had that trouble was abroad was when ahulking stoker let fly a heavily booted foot at the little apple wagon.

  His aim was true. Up shot the wagon, apples flying in all directions,showering over the heads of the lads and into the muddy gutter. Theapple wagon itself turned bottom upward, landing fairly on the head ofthe aged woman, carrying her down with it, and flattening her in thegutter amid the ruin of her precious wares.

  Sam wheeled like a flash. The freckles on his now pale face seemed tostand out like scars.

  Without an instant's hesitation he let go a fist.

  It caught the stoker fairly on the side of the jaw. The fellow droppedas if he had been shot, his face burrowing in the mud of the gutter,where he lay motionless for a few seconds.

  So astonished were his companions that for the moment they stood gaping.Then the humor of the situation seemed to strike them all at once. Allhands broke out into a roar of mirth. That a slender lad should have putout one of their number was to them a huge joke.

  Just as soon as he got over his bewilderment at having been so easilyhandled by a boy, the stoker got to his feet.

  He did not immediately follow up his intention of soundly trouncing thatforward youngster. This for the very simple reason that the stoker hadgone down on his face in the mud. Now he held more than a mouthful ofthat plastic stuff. Growling, the stoker thrust two fingers of one handinto his mouth, trying to force the sticky mess out.

  "Fine, isn't it?" jeered Sam, cocking his head on one side and leeringcomically.

  "What?" queried one of the stoker's own mates, for the one who had juststruggled to his feet could not speak.

  "Mud pies, of course," grinned Sam. "Healthful, nourishing and greatfood, for they make you think and work. But only a hog would gulp down amouthful like that."

  "I'll--whoof--make you eat some--ugh!--of that--br-r-r!--blamed--waugh!--mudpie--gr-r-r!--o' your'n!" raged the humiliated stoker as he pawed out thelast remnants of that muddy mouthful.

  Of a sudden the stoker, crouching low, made a vengeful bolt forward. Buthe did not catch Sam Hickey unawares. That young man dodged, then landeda second and harder blow on the fellow's jaw. This time Mr. Stokerstruck the mud puddle, again face downward, with a force that made theman fairly bury his face in the ooze.

  "Last call to the dining car!" yelled Sam, dancing about. "Gone back fora second helping of mud pie! Wow, but it's good!"

  This time the stoker did not regain his feet quite so soon. He hadmeasured his full length in the gutter again, where he lay stretchedout, none of his companions making an effort to assist their fallenshipmate nor to avenge the blow that had laid him low.

  "Right hot off the bat," jeered the stokers.

  The fallen man was making desperate efforts to pull himself togetherwhen a policeman laid a heavy hand on Sam Hickey's collar.

  "That's the time I caught you in the act, young man. You come with me!"commanded the officer sternly.

  "You leggo of me! I'll do nothing of the sort," retorted the ladbelligerently, struggling to free himself, surprised at his inability tothrow off the officer's grip. It was Sam's first experience with a NewYork policeman.

  "Yes, let the kid go," shouted the crowd. "He's all right. He is awinner, even if he did hand it out to a shipmate."

  Dan edged his way around in front of the policeman. He saw that Sam'slips were set tight and knew that this meant trouble.

  "Take it easy, Sam," warned Dan in a low tone. "Officer, this boy hasdone nothing worse than to punish a ruffian. It is the other man whomyou ought to arrest, if anyone."

  "What's this you say? Don't you dare interfere with an officer, youngman, or in you go!"

  "I am not interfering, sir."

  "You are, but you'd better not."

  "I am just trying to explain. That fellow there, picking himself up fromthe ground, kicked the old apple woman's wagon into the air. See, she'sjust crawling out from under it now. I should not be surprised if shewere hurt. Pretty much all her wares are spoiled, as you can see foryourself."

  "He did----"

  "My friend Sam punched the fellow, but the man deserved it. I shouldhave done it myself if he had not, though I am sure I could not havedone so thorough a job."

  "You--you say the stoker there kicked the old woman's cart over?"questioned the policeman.

  "Yes, sir."

  "And your friend handed him one for it?"

  "_Two_ of them."

  "And who are you fellows, anyway?"

  Dan gave the officer their names and addresses.

  "What are you doing here?"

  "We are sailors in the United States Navy," answered Dan proudly. "Weare on our way to the training station at Newport. You had better notdetain us, or there may be trouble."

  The policeman grinned broadly.

  "Beat it, then," he commanded, giving Sam a sudden shove that excitedthat young man's anger somewhat. "Get out of here both of you, before Irun you in for disturbing the peace. Here, you stokers, you clear out,too, and don't you let me catch you raising any more rows on my beat oryour ship will sail without you when she goes out again. Off with you!"

  While all this had been happening, the old apple w
oman had been busilyengaged in gathering her stock in trade. The loss of a few dozen appleswould have been serious to her. But now she hobbled toward Hickey,resting a withered hand on his coat sleeve.

  "I--I don't know how to thank you, young man," she quavered.

  "I'm glad you don't, ma'am," answered Sam, uncovering as quickly asthough the little old woman had been an admiral's wife. "The thanks ofthe ladies always embarrass me, ma'am. But I'm glad I settled your billagainst that sea-going miner."

  Now the two brand-new fighting men of the Navy edged quickly away fromthe crowd that was growing every instant.

  "Come on, Sam," urged Dan. "Let's go over and take a look at Broadway,"linking his arm within that of his companion and leading him from thescene. "We have begun our fighting career rather early, it strikes me."

  "No; I've changed my mind. I don't want to go to Broadway," objectedSam, pulling back.

  "What do you wish to do?" demanded Dan suspiciously.

  "I want to hang around here and see the fun," answered Hickey.

  "Right about face! March!" commanded Dan.

  Sam eyed his companion resentfully, then, turning sharply about, fellinto a military stride, with his face turned toward Broadway.