CHAPTER V
THE LOSS OF THE TOMPION
That night being Saturday the crew gave a banquet in honor of theBattleship Boy, following it with an entertainment. There were songs,buck and wing dancing, a little playlet and a lively boxing bout.
Dan was dragged to the stage amid loud demands for a speech.
"Tell us how you did it," shouted the jackies. "Tell us all about it."
The Battleship Boy blushed furiously.
"Mates, I can't do it. I--I----" then Dan fled. They found him, anhour later, hiding in the twelve-inch gun turret.
The officers, however, felt a keen professional interest in the lad'saccomplishment, and especially in the effect on the schooner of the biggun-fire. Hardly a man of all that crew of eight hundred men andofficers ever had stood on the deck of a ship that was being bombardedby heavy projectiles.
Dan was summoned to the captain's quarters. There, in the presence ofthe senior officers, he related in a clear, comprehensive manner allthat had occurred, describing in detail the shock when the projectileshit the schooner; giving as nearly as possible the degree of list thathad followed and the number of hits. His technical knowledge was asurprise to the ship's officers. Such knowledge was unusual in aseaman, showing, as it did, that the lad had used his eyes and hisbrain to good purpose since he had been on shipboard. As a matter offact, Dan had been studying ever since his enlistment. He had spentall his leisure moments in studying the technical works with which theship's library was equipped, asking questions of the petty officers,until he had informed himself far beyond his grade.
Both lads had by this time risen to the grade of full seamen, whichcarried with it a substantial increase in pay.
"What, in your opinion, prevented our fire from sinking the schooner?"questioned the captain.
"Why, the fact that the boat was loaded with lumber was all that kepther afloat, sir. Then, again, her hull lay so low in the water thatthe projectiles had no opportunity to do effective work. If you hadelevated the seven-inch and dropped a projectile or so on the deck ofthe schooner, I might not have been here to tell you about whathappened," added Dan with a suggestive smile.
The captain smiled at his executive officer.
"That is most excellent logic, Mr. Coates."
"Yes, sir."
"I think we shall have to make a full report of this to the NavyDepartment. Prepare a statement from what Seaman Davis has told us,together with any further technical information he may be able to giveyou. At the same time full credit should be given to Seaman Davis forhis splendid work. Young man, I congratulate you. You are not unknownto me. I well recall other fine deeds on your part performed some timesince. I trust you suffered no injury during your trying experience."
"No, sir."
"You are interested in guns?"
"Very deeply interested."
"But you have not been stationed at one of the guns?"
"No, sir."
"Would you like to be? Would you prefer to be a member of a gun crew?"
"It has been my ambition to join a gun crew, sir. I feel that I shoulddo well in that position."
"Then you shall. Coates, will you be good enough to tell the ship'swriter to enter Seaman Davis as a member of the starboard seven-inchcrew?"
"Yes, sir."
"Thank you, sir," answered the Battleship Boy, his eyes gleaming withpleasure. "I shall try not to be a discredit to the seven-inch, sir."
"You will not. That goes without saying."
"May I ask a favor, sir?"
"Certainly. What is it?"
"Will it be possible for my friend, Seaman Hickey, to have a place inthat gun squad?"
"I think that can be arranged," answered the captain with an indulgentsmile. "Has your friend also a desire to learn to shoot?"
"Yes, sir."
"His desire shall be gratified. And, as for you, Davis, continue inthe way you have started and there is little doubt as to where you willeventually bring up. I shall watch your career with deep interest. Ialways take an interest in the young men who are striving to workthemselves up. If I can be of assistance to you, at any time,communicate in the proper manner, and I shall be glad to do all I canfor you."
Dan rose, for they had invited him to be seated when he first enteredthe cabin. He came to stiff attention, saluted and, when thecommanding officer waved his hand, the Battleship Boy executed a smartright-about-face and marched from the room.
On the following morning Dan and Sam were marched to the quarter-deckwith the seven-inch starboard gun crew at muster. They were proudboys, too, and, after quarters, they proceeded directly to theirstation, where they spent the forenoon receiving instruction under thecaptain of the gun's crew.
Dan fondled the great gun almost affectionately. It already had becomea thing of life to him, for had not this same gun been thundering awayat him, hurling projectiles at him in a determined effort to sink theship under him, only a few hours before?
"Rather be at this end than the other, wouldn't you?" questioned SamHickey, with a grin.
"Yes; now that I have had time to think the matter over, I believe Iprefer this end," laughed Dan. "It was not so bad, though. You see, Inever had been under fire before, and I was interested. It was a newexperience."
"One that few of us have had," spoke up the gun captain.
"I know I should have run away if I had been there," decided Sam, witha thoughtful shake of the head.
"Where would you have run to?" demanded Dan, at which there was a laughall around.
Sam was sitting on the deck of the turret, industriously at workpolishing the brass tompion with which the end of the gun is plugged tokeep out the sea water.
Finishing his task, he turned up the tompion and sat down on it, aswith chin in hands he listened to the conversation.
"Makes a good seat, eh?" he grinned, as he saw the eyes of the guncaptain upon him.
"You will not think so if you damage the tompion. Get off from it. Doyou know what those things are worth?"
"'Bout a dollar and a half," answered Sam rather contemptuously. "Icould buy enough to fit the ship with on a month's pay."
"You could, eh?"
"Yes."
"You will have a chance to buy one if you are not careful. Thosetompions cost twenty-five dollars apiece, and I ought to know, for Idropped one overboard once and it was checked up against me."
Sam uttered a low whistle of surprise, then very gingerly carried thebrass plug outside and inserted it in the muzzle of the big gun. As hedid so Sam half turned his head, finding himself looking into the eyesof a dark-faced fellow, who was lounging against the rail.
"Hello, Blackie," greeted the red-haired boy.
The dark-faced boy scowled. He was one of two Hawaiians who had joinedthe ship about the same time that the Battleship Boys had come aboard.One of the Hawaiians was very dark and the other almost white, so thejackies named them Black and White, these names being easier ofpronunciation than were the real names of the men.
As it chanced, both Black and White had been shifted from theseven-inch gun crew to make room for Dan and Sam, while the PacificIslanders were set to scrubbing decks and doing general work about theship.
The men did not dare rebel, but they had been ugly ever since thechange had been made, and Sam's grin did not tend to make Black any theless ugly.
"I said 'hello,'" repeated Sam.
Still the Hawaiian made no reply. He simply scowled--scowled until hisface was ridged with sharp wrinkles.
"Don't you know how to salute, my man?" urged Sam, with the superiorair that he had seen some officers employ.
"Me know."
"Then salute your superior."
"No salute you. You nothing but red-head."
"Oh, that's it, is it? Because I'm a red-head you won't salute me?Well, let me tell you, I had a sight rather have a red head than someother colors that I know about."
Sam turned on his heel and strode
into the gun turret without anotherword. He did not realize that he had made an enemy of the dark-skinnedHawaiian, an enemy who would never forget to do him an injury. PerhapsSam would not have cared had he known.
A few moments later the gun captain emerged from the turret and stoodleaning over the rail of the ship, looking into the water, one handresting lightly on the muzzle of the seven-inch gun. Suddenly his handslipped and went right into the muzzle.
The gun captain withdrew the hand with a surprised look on his face.
"What's this?" he muttered. "What did that red-head do with thetompion, I wonder!"
He glanced about the deck, and, failing to discover the brass gun plug,hurriedly entered the turret where Sam was now engaged in polishing thebright work on the gun butt.
"Hickey!"
"Yes, sir."
"What did you do with that tompion after you polished it?"
"The plug, you mean?"
"Yes."
"Why, I put it back where it belongs."
"Where, I asked you?"
"I stuck it in the gun."
"Come out here."
The gun captain led Sam to the outer deck, and, taking hold of theboy's arm, pointed to the muzzle of the seven-inch.
"Do you see any tompion in that gun?" he demanded.
"N-n-n-no," answered Sam hesitatingly.
"Now, tell me where you put it."
"I told you once. I put it in the muzzle. Where did you think I putit!"
"I did not think. But it is now my opinion that you dropped itoverboard."
"I did nothing of the sort," protested Hickey indignantly.
"You were the last man to handle the plug, were you not?"
"Y-e-s."
"Where is it?"
"I--I don't know."
"That will cost you twenty-five, young man. You will no doubt be puton the list for a reprimand, if not worse. That's all I've got to sayto you."
Sam stood with both hands thrust in his trousers' pockets, gazingabsently off to sea.
"Almost a whole month's pay gone to grass," he muttered. "Shoot thewhole business!"