CHAPTER III.
UNCLE SAM GETS TWO RAW RECRUITS.
Old Zack's daze was not dispelled the next morning when, having donetheir work as usual, the boys set off to trudge the six miles intoLambs' Corners.
"Will you be back to dinner?" the old man croaked, in such a quaveringvoice that even Herc felt sorry for him.
"We'll be back before then, and make up the time we've lost beforenight," Ned assured him, as the two cousins swung off to take what theyboth felt was the final step of their resolve.
They had lain awake most of the night in the room they shared,discussing the future, and had decided to abide by the decision theyhad so hastily arrived at, whatever might happen.
"Things have come to the cross roads of opportunity," was the way Nedput it, "we've got to strike out now and sink or swim."
During the course of their conversation it had occurred to Ned that inreading over the printed matter beneath the picture which had attractedtheir attention in the post office the day before, he had come acrossinstructions to ask the postmaster for a post card, which was free onapplication. This card, when mailed to the Navy Department, so theposter said, would bring the applicant additional information regardingthe navy, in the form of booklets and pamphlets.
As soon as the boys arrived in the postoffice they perceived that theywere the objects of very general scrutiny by the usual group assembled'round the re-erected stove. They paid no attention to the comments ofthe knot of spectators, however, but marched straight up to the littlepigeon hole, behind which Paul Stevens attended to the weighty mattersof the U. S. mail, and demanded two of the post cards the postermentioned. With a lifting of his eyebrows the postmaster handed themout.
"Seems like everyone in the place is goin' ter enlist, or whatever youcall it," he remarked. "Hank Harkins was in here early to-day and gotone of them cards. I reckon he's thinking of getting a chore boy's jobin the navy, too."
This was news to the boys and not particularly welcome news, either.They had no desire to come into further contact with the lumberingHank, but inasmuch as they had no control over his movements, theyaccepted the situation with the best grace they could.
A few days later the literature arrived from Washington and the boysput their heads together over it during their leisure time, examiningthe prospects held out from every aspect. The result was, as might havebeen expected, that their resolution became more firmly set than everand a week after they received the booklets and other information theybade good-bye to old Zack, who had by this time acquired resignationand a hired man, and started for the village whence they were to takethe stage to Granville, the railroad town.
As may be imagined, the boys felt little regret on leaving the farmand old Zack, and were not hypocrites enough to pretend to any greataffection for their surroundings of so many monotonous years. Old Zackwrung his hands and lamented, to be sure, but as the boys knew thathis grief was caused more by the loss of two husky helpers than by anypersonal regret, they did not pay much attention to his protestations.
As they strode through the old farm gates there did come over them amomentary twinge of feeling at the idea that the portals that they hadso often opened and shut as they went about their work, were closingbehind them for perhaps the last time. It was only a momentary emotion,however, and was speedily dispelled by a shout of "Hey!" from old Zack,who came running after them from the barn where he had spent the timesince, he had said good-by, in scolding the new hired man.
The two lads halted and set down their brand new suit-cases in thedusty track.
"Say!" panted old Zack, clumsily loping up to them, and holding outsomething in his withered fingers, "here's something you boys may need.Take it, anyhow; I'll give it yer."
In his digits he extended to them the Canadian dime, rejected by thepostmaster on the afternoon of the disaster to the stove.
Hardly able to restrain their laughter, the boys accepted the gift withbecoming gravity, and once more said farewell to the old man.
"It'll do as a luck-piece, anyhow," laughed Ned, as they trudged on anda turn in the road blotted out from their eyes the old farm-house, itsweather-beaten out-buildings and fertile fields. It was to be many aday before they saw it again and many adventures, of which they littledreamed at the moment, were to be experienced by them before they oncemore encountered it.
In due time the stage reached the Granville ferry and five hours laterthe railroad brought the two lads down the east bank of the Hudsonto New York. They stood dazed and confused outside the Grand Centralstation looking with amazed eyes on the roar and confusion of trafficthat swirled by them. It was mid afternoon and they had yet to reportat the recruiting station, of which they had the address in theirpockets.
Ned stepped up to a policeman who stood at the crossing directing theflow of traffic by blasts on a whistle.
He extended the piece of paper which bore the address: "U. S. NavyRecruiting Station, No. 394 Bowery," on it.
"Can you please tell us how to get there?" he asked, somewhattremblingly. It was the first real live policeman he had everaddressed, and the country boy felt somewhat awed.
"I'm a traffic cop. Ask the man on post," snapped the policeman. Witha sharp blast on his whistle he started the cross-town traffic, whichhad halted, to moving again, paying no further attention to the tallsun-burned lad with the shining new suit-case.
Somewhat taken aback at this reception, the lad looked at his companionwith a puzzled expression.
"I guess he regulates the traffic," suggested Herc, in response to thesilent query, "see that horse's head in a wheel embroidered on his arm?Let's look for a policeman without that and I guess he'll be the rightman to inquire from."
Following Herc's suggestion Ned's eyes soon lighted on a stout bluecoatwho stood talking to a number of taxi-cab drivers and seemed to havenothing to do with the regulation of traffic; or, in fact, anythingelse. This time he got a quick answer to his question.
"394 Bowery," repeated the patrolman, "shure any one knows where thatis," and he looked at Ned and Herc pityingly as if they were somestrange sort of creatures and much to be sympathized with.
"Yes, officer, but we are strangers in the city, and----"
"Sure, any one could tell you were Rubes from the cut of your jibs,"grinned the patrolman, while the taxi-cabbies set up a laugh. "Goin'ter enlist in the navy, eh?" he went on, scrutinizing Ned's bit ofpaper, "well, Heaven help ye. They'll feed ye on skilly, and milk froma tin-cow, and put yer ter bed in a haythanish hammock of nights."
"We are going to become sailors in Uncle Sam's navy," proudly rejoinedNed, "and we think it's a service which any man should be proud to beprivileged to join."
His face flushed indignantly, and he felt a flash of anger at thecontemptuous tone of the fat policeman.
"Oh well, be aisy," rejoined the bluecoat, "I meant no harm; but mywife's sister's cousin Mary had a son as went for sailor and theybrought him home in a coffin, that's all. He was blowed to bits by anexplosion of one of the big guns. The police force is good enough forme and by the same token I should think two likely looking lads likeyou would like to jine the force."
"Our time is limited," broke in the still indignant Ned, "will youplease direct us to the address I showed you?"
"Shure I will, me bye," amiably replied the unruffled patrolman, "walkto your left two blocks and take a Third Avenue car down town. When shegets onto the Bowery watch the numbers and you can't miss it."
With a brief word of thanks the boys hastened off in the directionindicated. As they walked away they heard the policeman remark to hisfriends, the chauffeurs:
"Waal, there goes more food for powder."
"I'm glad we're not staying in New York. I don't believe I should caremuch for it," said Herc, as the boys walked toward Third Avenue, theirears stunned by the din all about them.
"Nor I," responded Ned. "However, if we pass our tests and areaccepted, we shall not have to stop here longer than overnight. That'sone comfort."
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"That's so," assented Herc. "I used to think there was an ear-splittingracket about the place on hog-killing day, but it was nothing to this."
Thus conversing they boarded a Third Avenue car and rode for half anhour or more.
"Here you are, boys--here's Number 394."
The conductor of the car poked his head in through the doors and gavehis bell one jerk, which brought it to a stop.
The boys hastened from the car, and found themselves opposite a notparticularly prepossessing looking building, the lower floor of whichwas occupied by an old book store. But above an open door leading tothe upper stories, which had been newly painted and presented a neatappearance, floated a flag that made both their hearts beat quicker.If all went well, they would soon be enlisted under it. Old Glory hungbravely above the dingy portal, amid the hurry and squalidness of thesurroundings.
"Well, here's the place, Herc."
But to Ned's surprise, Herc stopped short and was standing irresolutelybehind him.
"Um-ah! I guess we'd better walk around the block a couple of timesfirst, Ned," stammered the red-headed youth.
"What's the trouble?" laughed Ned. "You look as awkward as a hired mangoing courting. You don't mean to say that you are nervous?"
"No," protested Herc, "not nervous, Ned; but--but---- Well, the factis, I'd have liked a little preparation first, as the fellow said whenhe fell into the well on Luke Bates' place up home."
"You're going to come in with me right now," said Ned grimly, seizingHerc's arm in a grip there was no resisting.
Together the two lads passed through the door and up a flight ofstairs. At the head of the flight they found a well-furnished officeconfronting them. A rather brusque-looking man, with a pair offormidable mustaches, sat at a table facing them.
"Well?" he demanded somewhat truculently.
"Well," the irrepressible Herc was beginning in the same aggressivetone, when Ned checked him.
"We wish to enlist in the navy. Have we come to the right place, sir?"he asked civilly.
"You have, my boys," was the response in heartier tone; "and if youmean business, I think I can promise, from looking you over casually,that you'll pass with flying colors. Fill out these blanks, and I'llsee what you're made of. We have so many fakes we have to be careful."
He pushed toward the boys two large sheets of paper. On them wereprinted numerous questions about themselves, their parents, theirprevious condition of life, and so forth.
"Gee! this is like passing an examination at school," whispered Herc,as the boys sat down with pen and ink at a corner table and preparedto fill out the blank spaces left for answers.
"Hush!" cautioned Ned.
"Or the papers you fill out when you enter a prize heifer at the countyfair," continued the incorrigible red-headed youth.
Despite Herc's frequent remarks, breathed in a cautious undertone, thequestions were all answered in due time and the papers handed over tothe bristly mustached man, who eyed them approvingly.
"Good!" he snapped. "Neat and satisfactory. Now," he continued, "gointo that room and undergo a physical examination."
He indicated a door, which the boys opened with somewhat of a feelingof awe, and found themselves in the presence of a surgeon, who orderedthem to disrobe and conducted a thorough examination of them.
"Just as if we were a pair of fat porkers," commented Herc afterward.
"They are magnificent physical specimens," reported the surgeon to thebristly mustached man, who, though the boys did not then know it, was aquartermaster detailed to recruiting duty.
"Good!" snapped the quartermaster once more. "They have already givenme the written consent of their guardian, so nothing remains to be donebut to administer the oath."
The solemn oath of allegiance to duty and country was then administeredto the boys, who stood bolt upright, with round eyes, while theimpressive little ceremony was gone through. Even the volatile Hercseemed impressed by the seriousness of what they were undertaking.
"And now we are blue jackets," said Ned, as they concluded andsubscribed their names to the oath.
"Not yet," laughed the quartermaster. "You will now have to go to theNaval Training School at Newport as apprentice seamen."
"Only apprentices," sighed Herc. "I thought we were out of that class."
"As apprentice seamen," went on the officer, not noticing theinterruption, "you will receive pay during your four months ofinstruction, and will be furnished uniforms and equipment free, as wellas board."
He reached into a drawer.
"Here is your transportation to Newport. The boat leaves to-night atsix o'clock," he went on, handing the boys some tickets. "I hope youboys, who look to be the stuff of which real seamen are made, willwork hard and succeed."
"Thank you, sir. We will if effort counts for anything," promised Ned.
With light hearts the two boys made their way to the street a fewminutes later. As they passed under the flag once more, Ned drewhimself up stiffly and saluted.
"Why do you do that?" asked Herc curiously, as he watched hiscompanion's action.
"Because we are now sailors under that flag in the United States navy,"replied Ned proudly. "You should do the same, Herc. We're DreadnoughtBoys from now on."
"All right. I will salute next time," easily responded Herc. "And now,as we have some few hours before the boat goes, let's saunter round abit and see the sights."
As the boys, having inquired the way, started toward Broadway, theyalmost collided with a tall figure that was hastening into the door ofthe recruiting office.
"Out of my way, can't you?" the newcomer exclaimed querulously, shovingroughly by. "What are you barricading the door of the naval recruitingoffice for? I'll report you."
"We're here because we are now apprentice seamen in the navy, HankHarkins," rejoined Ned, who had recognized the bully before the otherhad realized with whom he had almost collided.
Hank glanced angrily at the two lads, but refrained from speaking.Instead, he hurried up the stairs leading to the recruiting office,paying no attention to his country's flag.
"There goes a fine addition to the navy," sneered Herc, as the boysstarted off for Broadway.
"Don't say that, Herc. The navy may make a man of him," remarked Ned.
"Then it's got a fine big job on its hands, that's all I've got tosay!" was the red-headed lad's rejoinder.