CHAPTER XIV--CALLED BEFORE THE MAST
"Steady, boys! Don't maul him up," warned one of the cooler heads, asthe men started to take the punishment of the bully into their ownhands.
Kester was a man who was very much disliked by his associates andshipmates. He was in his second enlistment. He had once been dismissedfrom the service, but, by means known to none of his shipmates, hadmanaged to get back again.
"Throw him overboard! It's all the cur deserves."
"No; leave him for the kid to take care of."
"Yes, leave him to me," interrupted Sam, raising himself on one elbow."I'll take care of him when my head gets plumb on my shoulders again.Did he hit me with a brick?"
Before replying, the jackies conducted Kester to the forward bulkheaddoor. Through this they thrust him, half a dozen heavy shoes landing onhim in swift kicks as he disappeared through the door.
"What did you let him go for?" demanded Hickey getting his feet, leaningagainst the butt of a big gun for support. He was weak and trembling,but not for an instant did his natural grit desert him.
"That's all right, shipmate. You ain't in no condition to mix it up withBill. You wait till some other time and you'll get your chance and it'llbe a fair and square knock-down fight, no under the belt foul tacticseither. You're the right kind, and we're with you, even if you have gota combustible head of hair on you, and that stands all the time."
Sam took his way forward thoughtfully. He was still suffering from hisillness and, besides, was weak from the effects of the blow he hadreceived from Bill Kester.
In the meantime, Kester, holding a handkerchief to his face, was makinghis way toward the surgeon's quarters. His face was in sad need ofrepair, but he sought to hide that fact from his associates.
"Hello, Bill, what's the matter? Have an argument with somebody?"greeted a shipmate, with a quizzical squint at the bully's face.
"I ran into a stanchion," explained Kester lamely, proceeding on hisway, avoiding the curiosity of the men as much as possible.
The surgeon, the instant he had taken a look at the man's face, however,saw that something more than a stanchion had hit Bill on the nose. Allhis questions, however, were avoided. On his report to the captain,which the surgeon made every night, was the notation: "Bill Kester,seaman, badly battered face, broken nose, with a deep gash in it,evidently made by some sharp instrument. This man has been undoubtedlyin a bloody fight."
That was all, but it was quite sufficient to start the wheels ofdiscipline moving. That evening Kester was called upon by themaster-at-arms.
"Kester, I have come to ask you with whom you were in a fight to-day?"
"How'd you know I was in a fight?" demanded the seaman in a surly tone.
"Your face answers that question. Who was it?"
"Hickey."
"The recruit?"
"Yes."
There was a quizzical look in the eyes of the master-at-arms. That abully of Kester's reputation should have been used up in this manner bya raw recruit was somewhat of a surprise to him.
"What did he hit you with?"
Bill hesitated.
"What did he hit you with?"
"A deck swab."
"And you nagged him to it?"
"No, I didn't. I didn't do anything till I got it."
"Very well. Do you wish to make a charge against the man?"
"Yes."
There was no further investigation that night. The master-at-arms'report was made to the captain. But that night Sam recounted to hiscompanion, Dan Davis, all that had occurred. Dan listened attentively,asking a question now and then.
"I do not see how you could have acted differently unless you had runaway, and I shouldn't want to think you had done such a thing. I wouldmuch rather see you punished than to know you had acted the part of acoward."
"Don't use that word," begged Sam. "Kester did. That was what clinchedthe whole business. If he hadn't done that, I might not have hit him,even though he slapped me."
A dull flush suffused the cheeks of the Battleship Boy at the memory ofwhat had occurred, but his voice was calm and without the slightestemotion.
"Do you think there will be a row about it?" he asked.
"I hope not. If there is, take your medicine like a man," advised Dan.
"I will. I'm feeling better now. I guess I needed a good shaking up tojar the seasickness out of me. I haven't that 'went-away' feeling now."
"I guess you must mean a 'gone' feeling, do you not?" smiled Dan.
"Yes; I was gone, all right."
"Well, don't worry about it. Nothing may happen as the result of yourfight."
"Fight? Do you call that a fight? It wasn't a fight. If I had beenfeeling right there might have been a fight. There may be yet. I have anidea I have not heard the last of Kester. If he gives me half a chanceI'm going to pay him back for that cowardly blow."
"Be sure you are in the right, Sam," cautioned Dan. "Keep your head.Defend yourself, if you have to, but see to it that you do not stir upany trouble."
Dan's advice always was good, and Sam gave more heed to it than heappeared to. As a matter of fact, he set much store by the advice andcounsel of his cool-headed friend, Dan Davis.
That evening passed uneventfully and the lads enjoyed a refreshingnight, with the cool breezes from the sea blowing over their swayinghammocks.
On the following morning after breakfast the master-at-arms tapped Samon the shoulder.
"You will report at mast on the quarter-deck at one o'clock, sharp," hesaid.
"Mast?" wondered Sam.
"Yes."
"What for?"
"A charge has been laid against you."
"What sort of charge?"
"Assaulting a shipmate and beating him."
Sam uttered a short, nervous laugh.
"Is that all?"
"You will find it is quite enough. At a quarter to one you will reportforward of the after twelve-inch-gun turret and there await me. I shallbring other prisoners there for trial. We will join you there."
"Very well," answered Sam. He did not yet realize the seriousness of thecourteously executed order. However, he looked up Dan as soon thereafteras possible, relating to him what had occurred.
"Why, Sam, you are under arrest!" exclaimed Dan.
"Under arrest?"
"Of course you are."
"But I thought they locked people up after they arrested them."
"It isn't always necessary on shipboard. You couldn't get away if youwanted to."
"That's so. I hadn't thought of it in that light before. Under arrest? Iwonder what will happen to me next? First, I get seasick, get knockedout, then get arrested for being punched. This is a funny business. Andthe worst of it is that I can't change my mind for four years." Samgrinned a mirthless grin. "Hard luck, isn't it, Dan?"
"No; it is a good thing. All this will make a man of you--of both of us."
The lads went about their duties soon after that. At noon Sam hurriedthrough his dinner, after which he slicked himself up as best he couldand went to the after gun turret, where he awaited the master-at-arms,as he had been ordered to do. The latter arrived a moment later,bringing with him two other prisoners and Bill Kester. The latter wasaccompanied by the surgeon. Kester's face--that is his nose--was patchedup with numerous strips of adhesive plaster.
The men were conducted half way down the deck, where stood the captain,the executive officer of the ship and the captain's yeoman, the latterwith his record book in hand, eyeing them carefully.
"Sam Hickey, step forward," called the yeoman.
The lad took his place in front of the captain, who, at the moment, wasstudying the record sheet giving Sam's history.
"Where is the man who makes this charge?" demanded the captain.
Kester was thrust forward by the master-at-arms.
"State your case," commanded the captain.
"I was standing on the gun deck, facing forward, sir, when this manHickey comes along and hits
me with the deck swab."
"He hit you with the deck swab?"
"With the handle, sir."
"Where did he hit you?"
"On the gun deck, sir, aft the eight-inch gun."
"I should say by your appearance that you had been hit on the noseinstead of on the gun deck," replied the captain, without the suspicionof a smile on his face.
"Yes, sir, he hit me on the nose, sir."
"How could he do that when your back was turned toward him?" demandedthe captain sharply.
"Somebody cried, 'Look out,' and I turned, sir. Then I got it."
"What did you do?"
"I slapped his face, sir."
"And what did the prisoner do?"
Sam's lips contracted a little upon his being referred to as "theprisoner."
"He hit me on the nose with his fist, right on the sore spot, sir. Heknocked me clean off my feet, tumbling me up under the breech of theeight-inch, sir."
"Then what happened?"
"I went to the surgeon, sir, to get myself fixed up."
"You were not the aggressor in any way?"
"Sir?"
"You are quite sure you did not start the trouble?"
"How could I, when my back was turned, sir?"
"I did not ask you that; I asked you whether you were or not. Answer yesor no."
"No, sir."
"That will be all for the present. Samuel Hickey, step forward."
The Battleship Boy moved three paces to the front, looking thecommanding officer squarely but respectfully in the eyes.
"You have heard Kester's story. What have you to add to it, ifanything?"
"I hardly think the story will stand any more adding to, sir," repliedthe boy, with a faint smile. The captain appeared not to notice thesubtle fling in Sam's answer.
"You will tell me, in as few words as possible, how the row started."
"We had finished scrubbing decks, sir. I had been seasick and was goingforward on a run, carrying my deck swab. Somehow it caught this manbetween the legs and upset him, sir."
"How did he get the wound on his nose, if that is true?"
"He must have hurt himself in falling."
The explanation sounded very lame to all who heard it, though, as thereader knows, it was wholly within the facts.
"You mean to tell me you did not strike him at all?"
"Oh, yes, sir, I struck him. I hit him as hard as I could."
"Where did you hit him?"
"Plumb on the nose, sir."
"What excuse have you to offer for assaulting a man who already,according to your own admission, was injured?"
"He called me a liar, sir; then afterwards he called me a coward. Icouldn't stand that, sir."
"Is that all?"
"I think so, sir."
"Oh, why doesn't he tell the captain about Kester's having knocked himdown," groaned Dan, who had, from a prudent distance, been an interestedlistener to the examination.
"You have admitted that you struck the man; you have admitted that youinflicted the wound which, it appears, is of more than ordinaryseriousness, as it may cause his disfigurement for life."
Sam made no reply to this. None seemed to be called for under thecircumstances. Somehow he felt that he had made out a very bad case forhimself. He had told nothing but the truth, and not all of that, so faras his own vindication went, and yet he knew he had been placed in afalse light.
"I'm in wrong, but I've got no one except myself to blame for it,"thought Sam.
The captain consulted with his executive officer for a moment. Thenturning to the prisoner he said, gravely:
"Hickey, you are guilty of a very serious breach of discipline. You area new man on board ship. Were it not for that fact I should be much moresevere. I am inclined to be lenient with you under the circumstances.You will understand that punishments are wholly impersonal. They arepunishments because some rule has been violated. Discipline must bemaintained."
"Yes, sir," answered Sam meekly.
"Silence!" warned the master-at-arms.
"I hope you will not forget the lesson. Control your temper. Unless youare able to manage your own temper you will never be fit to manage othermen. You will have to conquer yourself before you can look for promotionin the service."
"Yes, sir."
"You will be placed in the brig for two days, on bread and water, withone full ration in the middle of the second day. And, Kester!"
"Yes, sir."
"Your record in the past has not been any too good. I trust I shall nothear of your getting into further trouble. You have been long enough inthe service to know how to keep out of mischief."
The captain motioned to the master-at-arms to remove the prisoner.
Sam Hickey, with head erect, saluted his superior officers, faced about,marching steadily ahead of the master-at-arms, on his way to be punishedfor an offense that he felt sure he had not committed.
"I wish I'd hit Kester harder, while I was about it," Hickey muttered.
"I'm sorry, lad, but discipline is discipline," remarked the pettyofficer as he clanged the door of the brig on Hickey.
"It's all right, Mr. Master-at-Arms. There's one consolation; I don'thave to scrub decks for the next two days, anyway. That's some relief."
Sam threw himself down on the steel floor, where he promptly went tosleep.