Upton Sinclair

“ When it was rowed away from the frigate on this dark night it contained that number in its crew.
The officer in charge was a lieutenant, and he had under his command five seamen, a coxswain and thirteen cadets.
Among the latter were Clif, Trolley and Joy.
“I say, Trolley, isn’t this nice work for Christians to be laboring at?” asked Joy. “Didn’t I tell you that war causes all the trouble in this world? Here we are out in the bosom of the mighty deep, working away like a lot of slaves when we might be comfortable starving at home. I tell you peace is the thing.” ”

“ Clif, who was standing a few feet away, between the master-at-arms and the ship’s corporal, heard the commander reply, incredulously:
“Nonsense, sir. It’s simply a spirit of deviltry. He thinks he can do as he pleases. He must be taught a lesson.”
Clif glanced aloft, where, indeed, all eyes were turned, and saw that the four cadets had almost reached the top.
Suddenly Nanny’s face, strained and eager, appeared over the edge of the wide top. He gave the pursuing cadets one rapid glance, then he scrambled into the rigging leading above and started to ascend. ”

“ In the meantime a scene unusual at that hour was being enacted on the forward part of the berth deck.
Over in one corner a cadet was cleaning his face of red paint and oakum whiskers. He was in a rage, and shook his fist at Clif and his crowd.
“Oh, but this is funny,” cried Clif. “It’s worth a year’s pay to see Crane do the circus act. Isn’t he a beauty in his war paint?”
“Him what you call one chromo,” giggled the Japanese youth. “I glad I woke all the fellows to see the sport. Hurray!” ”

“ The launch’s crew understood the peril as well as he. One old sailor exclaimed to his mates:
“It’s the ship in five minutes or Davy Jones’ locker forever, boys. There’ll be a living gale down on us in a jiffy. If ye love life break your backs.”
A fresh spurt—made against an increasing sea—followed this admonition. One of the oars cracked ominously and it was speedily cast aside. There were spare ones, and the progress of the boat suffered little.
Clif, Joy and Trolley labored like heroes. ”

“ The drum banged, the violins squeaked, and Grat Wallace’s rich tenor voice rang out in the refrain of “The Cumberland’s Crew.”
While the music was echoing Clif quietly leaned over and whispered to Joy:
“There’s a spy peeping in the port. I think it is Judson Greene. He must not be allowed to get away. See if you can’t nip him.”
Joy gave an extra blast on his bass horn, then sprang to his feet and began to caper around as if it were part of a grotesque dance.
“Good boy!” applauded Clif. “That’s right. That will catch the audience. Now give us the long slide and that will wind it up.” ”

“ A little later a group composed of the majority of the plebes and a sprinkling of upper class cadets was gathered around Clif as he leaned against the pivot gun on the Monongahela’s forecastle.
The faces of all save the central figure were expressive of the liveliest interest and excitement.
“And they got you against the stone rampart in the park, you say?” eagerly questioned Grat Wallace.
“Yes,” replied Clif. “There were two of them, the driver of the carriage and that scoundrelly little diver, Pedro. I thought my end had come. In fact, to use a common expression, I saw my finish. ”

“ A few moments later the oppressive stillness of the night gave way with startling abruptness to a most prodigious clatter.
R-r-rat-a-tat! R-r-rat-a-tat!
The sharp roll of the drum awoke the echoes of the old frigate, sending an infernal din of noise through decks and rigging and hull. It was caught up and hurled about from sail to sail; it burst upon the ears of the watch below, sending men from their hammocks in alarm. And it changed the scene from one of peaceful quiet into a pandemonium of hurrying figures and excited voices. ”

“ The Englishman, monocle screwed tightly in his eye, was making a profound bow to Juanita.
“Haw! delighted, Miss Windom. Delighted to see you on board, don’t ye know. Beautiful—aw!—day; lovely weather, lovely girls, and you—aw!—the fairest of them all.”
“Haw!”
The exclamation did not come from the Briton, and he looked at Clif, finding that youth apparently engaged in the innocent occupation of arranging the strap of his cap.
Juanita and her friend repressed their laughter with difficulty.
“Haw! it must have been an echo, don’t ye know. Fawncy hearing one’s own voice when you didn’t speak. ”

“ They were all laughing gayly except Joy, whose funereal cast of countenance seemed to have increased.
“Hi, Clif!” cried Trolley, slapping him upon the back, “by Jim, you great hero. Hurray! you save bracelet and win beautifulist girl in Lisbon. You one dandy.”
“Slowly there, Trolley,” laughed Clif; “I don’t see where I have won a girl.”
“She likes you; I saw her blush,” put in Nanny Gote. “Just you wait, Clif Faraday. I’ll tell Tess Herndon back in Annapolis all about this affair. ”

“ The latter, in his momentary anger, made a step down as if for the purpose of rescuing Nanny, but he thought better of it.
“They can’t do much harm to the youngster,” he murmured, “and if I interfere now it’ll spoil our scheme. It’s a good chance to teach those brutes another lesson. They have had more than one from us, but it seems they need more.”
He bent over the hatch and listened again. The berth deck was as quiet as the tossing and mumbling and snoring of several hundred sleeping lads could permit, and Clif heard plainly the conversation being carried on below. ”

“ Platoons of mounted police and companies of soldiers kept the air ringing with the tread of galloping hoofs.
[Pg 267]
“It takes something like an attack on the king to stir up these people,” said Joy. He added, with a sigh: “Isn’t it enough to make a peaceful man sorrow to see so much strife and contention and—and pomp of war? Woe!—woe!”
“Oh, shut up, you fraud,” laughed Clif. “There isn’t a plebe in the academy, nor a cadet, who likes fighting more than you do. ”

“ Quick!”
“The same old Judson,” muttered Joy. “Always thinking of himself. From the looks of things, he’s not half as bad as Nanny. The poor youngster is wounded. There’s blood all over his face and head.”
“Keep up your spirits,” cheerily called out Clif. “We’ll have you with us in a jiffy. Stand by, fellows. Steady! that’s it. Now, Judson, give us a hand with Nanny.”
But Greene cast off the rope binding him to the spar—evidently a fragment of some wrecked mast—and unceremoniously scrambled over the launch’s gunwale. ”

“ When liberty is given on a man-of-war the whole crew does not go ashore, but only a watch, or part of a watch.
The liberty party from the old Monongahela was composed of one-half of the port watch, and the forty odd cadets composing it glanced back in gleeful triumph at their less fortunate mates, who were watching their progress with lugubrious faces from the forward deck. ”

“ It was Trolley. The Japanese youth had suddenly turned, and, with a shriek of fear, had plunged headlong into the sea.
The crews of the cutter, launch and whaleboat exchanged glances of undeniable terror. Several seamen began shoving the boats away from the derelict with their oars.
“Belay that!” shouted Lieutenant Watson, in a rage. “Aboard the launch! pick up that cadet, and stand by to board. Here, Brown, steady this rope. I’ll see what’s up on this confounded craft.” ”

“ We no can stay out here. Maybe ship no come.”
“What do you propose, your highness?” asked Joy, with fine sarcasm. “Shall we walk or take a cake of soap and wash ourselves ashore?”
“It’s a pity we can’t carry Le Destructeur into some port,” said Clif, musingly. “She seems to be seaworthy, and I guess the coal supply is all right.”
Trolley sat up and brought his hands together with an emphatic gesture.
“We do it; we do it,” he cried, excitedly. “I know how to run marine engine. I learn a little in Japan. Hurray! you be captain, and I be engineer. ”

“ Juanita’s friend and J. Chesire-Cheshire Cate together, then he boldly walked off with the fair beauty of Lisbon.
“There is a splendid view of the river from the other side of the deck, Miss Windom,” he said, leading the way past the mainmast. “I fancied you did not care to remain with that gentleman,” he added, frankly, when they were alone. “And, anyway, I wished to tell you all about my adventure of the day before yesterday.”
“And I am eager to hear it,” replied the girl. She continued gravely: “As for Mr. Cate, I do not like him. There is something about the man that repels me. ”

“ Faraday,” the fair young girl replied, laughingly. “I have been longing for the time when I could return your visit of—of—when was it, Elna?”
“Such a long, long time ago,” responded her companion, mischievously. “It was day before yesterday.”
“Only day before yesterday,” laughed Juanita Windom, with a shy glance at Cliff, who looked extremely self-conscious under the battery of such eyes. “Why, it seems months since you called at the house. And the dreadful adventure you had at the upper plaza when that horrid driver tried to rob you, and throw you down the cliff. ”

“ But by that time the two plebes had received reinforcements. The lieutenant in charge of the launch appeared over the railing, and, after the first gasp of surprise, ordered his men on board.
When the latter caught sight of the giant, gorilla-like ape advancing, there was a panic, but a stern word from the officer held the seamen and cadets to their duty.
Joy let fly with a belaying pin he had picked up, and it caught the monster squarely in the face, staggering him. The advantage was followed by the lieutenant without loss of time. ”

“ The pedestrians in the streets taken by Clif and Joy little thought as they glanced carelessly at the two cadets that the sturdy youth with the intelligent, manly face was he who had saved their beloved ruler, Dom Carlos the First, from death that day. ”

“ Many anxious eyes were directed toward the gate at the end of the dock, for Clif, by his manliness and sturdy independence, won more than one friend even among the enemy.
“Time’s up! Get into the boats,” at last came from the ensign.
Joy and Nanny obeyed with evident reluctance, but Chris Spendly and Judson Greene seemed surprisingly eager to shake the dust of the city from their feet.
“I do not like to report Mr. Faraday absent,” said the young officer, as he took his place in the stern of the first cutter, “but duty is duty. Up oars! Ready! ”

“ He tried to escape, and dodged down the forward ladder for that purpose, but a number of new fourth class cadets, headed by the lanky Joy, captured him, and he was borne in triumph about the decks.
“Hurray for the Yankee who saved a king,” shrieked little Nanny. “Three cheers and—and a whole cageful of tigers.”
The cheers were given and the tigers, too, but in subdued tones. It is not considered the proper thing to make much noise on board an American war vessel.
“You make one good speech now,” insisted Trolley, grinning broadly.
“Not much,” was Clif’s flat refusal. ”

“ Dog of a Yankee, you hear from Pedro! You see.”
“Calm yourself, my friend,” drawled Clif, coolly, as he struck out for the gangway. “Don’t get excited; it is bad for the health. Ta! ta!”
Pedro swam to his little boat and crouched sullenly in the stern. His companions crowded around him and chattered like so many monkeys, but he waved them off, and watched with burning eyes the progress of the American lad toward the gangway ladder.
A loud cheer burst from the plebes on the forecastle as Clif held up the bracelet. ”

“ That is the way we settle our coffee in Japan every morning. He! he!”
“Trolley,” said Joy, eying him sadly, “it is time for you to go home. When a foreigner begins to crack bad jokes he should be given his passports. As we haven’t any such papers on board, I’ll try my best to teach you the error of your ways.”
While speaking he had edged slyly toward the Japanese youth. With the last word he made a spring for him, but Trolley slipped under his arm and dashed across the forecastle.
Standing near the railing were Judson Greene and Chris Spendly. ”

“ A rush was made for the side, and eager glances were cast down toward the river. A dozen excited sailors and cadets recklessly leaped into the water and began a search, but nothing was seen of the desperate fugitive.
The Tagus in the immediate vicinity of the practice ship was thronged with vessels of all classes, attracted to the spot by the royal visit, and it was observed at once that the assassin’s chances for escape, if he was an expert swimmer, were good.
There was commotion on board the neighboring craft, and many false alarms, but no certain sign of the Englishman’s presence. ”

“ After duly praising the really magnificent collection, some of which were almost priceless in value, Clif and Joy returned to the girls.
Three very pleasant hours were spent after tea, then the stern rules of naval discipline which had decreed that the ship must be gained before midnight, caused the two cadets to announce their departure.
Juanita and her friend were left at the house, but Mr. Windom hospitably started to see his guests to the gate.
“It is not often we have the honor of entertaining the rescuer of a ruling monarch, Mr. Faraday,” he smiled, as they walked down the tiled path. ”

“ It’s painful to a man of meek and lowly spirit to see such contention and strife. If you don’t like the way they conduct liberty on this ship, why don’t you knock the blooming head off the executive officer? Act with due humility and beat the face off the captain.”
The others laughed. They understood Joy.
“I say, Clif, look there,” suddenly spoke up Trolley. ”

“ Stern and accusing Clif faced the boy cowering at the bottom of the launch. Judson’s face was white and he showed every evidence of guilt.
“What do you mean?” he stammered. “I don’t know what the little fool is talking about.”
“You tell lie,” broke in Trolley, hotly. “You try do something to that boy. You beat him.”
“Worse than that,” added Joy, equally angry. “Look at the poor kid’s face. I’ll bet anything Greene tried to throw him off the spar to make more room for his own worthless carcass.”
Judson maintained a sullen silence. Clif fell to soothing Nanny and soon had him more composed. ”