Frank Gee Patchin

“ There followed a pause, during which Sam walked over to the rail, gazed off across the waters, apparently without being conscious of having seen them at all, then slowly returning to the gig, leaned up against it, gently smoothing the gunwale with his hand.
"It is considered a great honor to be a member of a racing crew, especially a winning crew, boys."
"Yes, sir; I should think it would be," agreed Dan.
"How would you lads like to try out for the crew?"
"We join the racing crew?" questioned Dan, his eyes opening wide in amazement. ”

“ Lads, if you do as well when we get in an actual race as you have done to-day, barring Hickey's crab-fishing, you may not get the flag, but you will be well up toward the head of the line, and that's no joke. When in a race you should row just as if you were out for practice. Never get excited. Never mind what the other fellow is doing. The coxswain is supposed to attend to that. If he wants you to know he will tell you. Put every other thought out of your mind except your rowing. At every stroke keep your eyes on your stroke oar. We will now take a sprint, when I shall give you no commands. ”

“ The question was hurled up at Sam with almost explosive force.
"The star shot right up from the sea, sir."
Now, the watch officer on the bridge of the battleship knew full well that shooting stars shoot downward, not upward. He knew also that with a sky overcast as was this one, with the clouds hanging low, no shooting star could be made out, even granting that one had fallen.
"Boatswain's mate!" roared the officer.
"Aye, aye, sir," answered a hoarse voice somewhere from the depths below.
"Turn out the top watches. Man the tops on the jump!" ”

“ All the 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 four o'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 front of him.
The officers ran their eyes over the twelve muscular young men. The glances of all finally dwelt on Dan Davis and Sam Hickey and murmurs of surprise ran over the assemblage. Sam's arms were knotted with muscles, as were his back and legs. ”

“ The Battleship Boy's slender figure, hunched down in the stern of the "Long Island's" gig, brought a smile to the face of many men that bright afternoon. It seemed a joke that a boy—a mere apprentice—should be given so important a post as that. Dan understood; he knew that the other crews were laughing at him.
"Lads," he said, as they were paddling around for the scratch, "they think we are some kind of joke. Let us show them that we can give, as well as take. Keep steady. There's credit enough to go all around. If we win, no one of us will have won. ”

“ At least, that will be better than waiting for the ship to do so of her own accord."
He drew the sail taut, after a long, comprehensive glance over the deck, at the same time crowding the wheel over to port. Then followed a minute of anxious suspense. The sail slowly filled, the shattered bow gradually swung about. With a "splash, splash, splash!" the battered hulk of the wrecked, shot-riddled "Oriole" began to move.
"Hip, hip, hurrah!" shouted Dan Davis. "Right side up with care! Now, if we don't get any worse weather, we'll land somewhere, even if it's on the rocks." ”

“ Observing Coxswain Davis' remarkable act, the sailors once more set up a yell, and such a yell as it was!
A boat was quickly manned and a crew of jackies pulled to the place where the red-haired Sam was clinging lazily to the life ring that Dan had cast to him.
"He threw me overboard," complained Sam.
"That is the greatest piece of quick wit that I ever saw in my life," laughed the captain excitedly. "That boy deserves to win, but he can never do it with one man short in the boat." ”

“ Do you want to make a finish?"
"Yes, sir; it will do us all good."
"Go ahead."
From eighteen strokes to the minute Dan worked it up to thirty, but so gradually that the men did not realize how fast they were going. They were drawing near the ship.
"Now, every man of you look alive to his work," warned the coxswain. "We do not want to make an exhibition of ourselves when we get near the ship. The whole ship's crew would have the laugh on us. Row as if you were in a race. Watch your stroke oar. That's it. Settle right down and saw wood."
The boat leaped ahead. ”

“ What do you say?"
"What do I say?" answered Dan with glowing countenance. "I say that, if I could get on the racing crew, I should be the happiest boy in Uncle Sam's Navy."
"That's me," nodded Sam in approval of his companion's sentiments. "I knew you were up here for something. The colored gentleman is out of the woodpile."
"Say, Dan," remarked Sam as the boatswain's mate walked away, "speaking of Black and White, I've got an idea. I'll bet that fellow Black threw that seven-inch tompion overboard. I'll bet also that he's the black scoundrel who plugged your ear with a marline spike." ”

“ The acting coxswain good-naturedly stepped aside, Dan taking the steering wheel of the motor boat from his hands.
The lad's eyes traveled rapidly from the advancing torpedo to the steamer that was rolling on a heavy swell, her crew of more than a dozen men leaning over the side, straining their eyes to make out the torpedo.
"She's going to strike us, sir," shouted the coxswain.
"Can't help it," answered the ensign. "All hands be ready to go overboard when I give the command. Some of us will be caught. We don't know where she is going to hit us." ”

“ One swift stroke severed the line that held the dinghy to the boom.
Dan sprang to the oars; throwing them into place in the locks, he sent the little boat through the water with long, swift strokes.
"Dinghy number two, there!" shouted a voice from the deck.
"Aye, aye, sir," answered Dan.
"You all right?"
"Yes, sir."
"Better come back. The whaleboats will overhaul the other dinghy."
"The whaleboats are on the other side of the ship. By the time they get around here the men will be out of sight. ”

“ Excitement was daily growing, as the time approached for the great gig race, when boats from all the ships of the fleet would enter the contest. A valuable silver cup was to be the trophy to be raced for. It would have a place of honor on the ship of the winning crew, where it would remain for a year and perhaps longer—remain until some other ship's racing crew should win it.
Each afternoon the gig's crew was turned out for a practice spin. The men were working better and better, pulling almost as one man. ”

“ Coxswain Davis and the eleven men of his racing crew were lined up on the quarterdeck of the "Long Island." On the decks of a dozen other ships in the bay a similar spectacle might have been seen.
The great race for the silver cup was about to be run. But, now that Joe Harper was unable to guide the boat of the "Long Island," the other ships feared none save the racing crew of the "Georgia."
"Never mind if you don't win, Dynamite. You've got the pluck; you've got the sand. It won't be your fault. But make 'em hump. Make 'em work for what they get," shouted a jackie.
Dan smiled faintly. ”

“ I had forgotten about the gig. It's up on the upper deck, starboard side, isn't it?" queried Dan.
"Yes; that's the boat. She's one of the slickest boats in the service."
"Pretty heavy for racing, isn't she?" questioned Dan.
"They have to be for sea racing. You see, we frequently run into some foul weather. No paper shells for that kind of racing. It's a man's game, every inch of it," announced the boatswain's mate, Joe Harper by name.
"I should think it must be. What grand sport," breathed Dan. "How many men do you have in the boat?"
"Twelve, including the coxswain. ”

“ Even if he doesn't win, which could hardly be expected of him, he'll make some of the other fellows work for their laurels."
Dan's eyes were glowing.
"I—I am so glad to hear you say that, Mr. Harper. That is good news, indeed. Then we will have the race after all?"
"Yes; the race will be run. They shall not have an opportunity to say that the battleship 'Long Island' got cold feet at the last minute."
"They'd better not say it before me," answered Dan in a low voice.
"That's the talk!"
"May I ask who the man is who will act as coxswain of the racing gig in to-morrow's race, sir?" ”

“ Other sailors took their places by the ropes that controlled the raising and lowering of the life boats. The executive officer, now standing on the superstructure, watching the sea and his own ship, was awaiting the moment when, in his judgment, it would be most safe to launch the whaleboats. Not a man in the two boats spoke even in a whisper. They had cast aside their storm clothes, being clad only in trousers and jumpers.
"Get ready."
"Toss oars," commanded the coxswain of each boat.
Every man raised his oar upright. ”

“ The whole forecastle sat on me, and tied my foot up to a stanchion, while the head butcher performed the operation. I can hardly walk. But I forgot to tell you. Those black-faced fellows from the other side of the world sailed into me as if they wanted to eat me up. I don't like that pair a little bit, Dan."
"Imagination, Sam. Just because they are a little darker than we are, you do not like them. That is foolish."
"That's just the trouble. If it was only skin deep I wouldn't give a rap. The trouble with those fellows is that the black goes all the way through. ”

“ The man who is going to run the 'Long Island's' boat is named Daniel Davis."
"Da—Da—I—I am to be coxswain to-morrow?" gasped the boy.
"Yes, you, Dan. And you're going to do yourself and every man on this great ship proud."
Dan sat down in a chair rather suddenly. His face was pale and his eyes seemed larger than usual.
"I—I am to race the crew?"
"You are to race the crew. I have asked that you be released from duty to-day. Go off somewhere by yourself and think it over. Get your balance; then come back here and we will talk it over."
Dan walked out of the sick bay without a word. ”

“ The strains of the inspiring song floated out over the waters of the bay until one verse had been sung, the officers offering no objection to the jollification. But, ere the men could begin on the second verse, the bugle blared loudly, piping all hands back to hammocks. Ten minutes later the battleship was silent and the decks deserted. The "Long Island's" crew, almost to a man, was sound asleep. ”

“ Two sailors had stripped the canvas from the racing gig, and were preparing to go over it with sandpaper to smooth its sides down.
"Why do you do that; to make it smoother?" asked Dan.
"That is the idea exactly," answered the boatswain's mate, patting the gig affectionately. "We shall be working over this little craft for the next few weeks on every possible occasion."
"You do not have sliding seats?"
"Oh, no. It would not be advisable in this kind of a racing craft. You will observe, however, that the foot rests for the men's feet are made of old shoes. ”

“ If some of our men had as much good sense as you have, there would be fewer extra-duty squads on the quarter-deck. The effect on those men will be most excellent. Besides learning to obey orders, they will carry the memory of that countersign with them for many a day, and unless they are beyond hope of reform, you will not see them on an extra-duty tour again for a long time. I commend you, Davis. You may dismiss the squad now. They need no further lessons for to-night."
"Captain's orders, sir, to dismiss the squad," announced Dan, stepping up before the officer of the deck and saluting. ”

“ Loud words of command floated up from below and a moment later a group of sailors dashed up to the bridge, rubbing their eyes sleepily. Without awaiting a word of instruction, they began running up the iron ladders of the cage masts and were quickly lost to view.
The watch officer raised his megaphone, pointing it up into the air.
"Look sharp two points to starboard. See if you can pick up a light. Keep your eyes open. Boatswain's mate!"
"Aye, aye, sir."
"Station men all the way up the mast to pass the word down in case any lights are made out. ”

“ The "Long Island" was rolling more heavily than before, now and then giving a violent lurch, forcing every person on deck to cling to whatever support was nearest to him. Otherwise men might have been hurled overboard and lost in the tumbling sea.
By this time the schooner was fairly well outlined by the battleship's searchlight, but the lookouts were unable to make out any signs of life on board the distressed ship. They felt sure, however, that the schooner was on its last legs, and that it was a question of moments, perhaps, before she would take her final plunge. ”

“ Coates," shouted the captain in the ear of his executive officer. "Keep a sharp lookout now. We don't want to have a collision with an old water-logged hulk in this gale. We should run an excellent chance of going to the bottom ourselves."
"Yes, sir," agreed Mr. Coates, as, raising his megaphone, he warned all lookouts to be on their guard.
Sam Hickey, proud in the consciousness that he had been the first to sight the signals of distress, was scanning the troubled seas with keen eyes, from which now and then he brushed the salt brine with an impatient hand. ”

“ We shall be practically without a signal corps. Three of our fellows are merely novices, and can hardly be depended upon."
"Then I shall have to wire the admiral that we cannot spare the men. I dislike very much to do that, for we should have plenty of men on board who are experts with the wig-wag flags."
"Yes, that is so. It would be rather humiliating to have to confess our weakness. Is there no other way out of it? Perhaps we could get along without a signal corps for the present."
"Wait a minute. I have an idea," exclaimed the commanding officer, his face lighting with a smile. ”