NAVY OFFICERS FOR AN HOUR OR A DAY
"So you're really the three famous submarine boys?" inquired Secretary
Sanders, rising from his chair and extending his hand.
"We're submarine boys; that's all I ever heard about it, Mr. Secretary,"
replied Captain Jack, as he introduced his friends.
"Now, be seated, young gentlemen, and tell me all you know about this
matter that has brought you over to Washington."
Jack Benson acted as spokesman, telling the whole tale clearly, yet
using up no more time in talk than was absolutely necessary. It was a
good, concise, business statement.
"Now, of course," pursued Mr. Sanders, "you wonder what the Navy
Department wants you to do. Well, in the first place, we've been
asking, by wireless, through the night and early morning, to have all
craft on the lookout for a schooner answering to the description of the
'Juanita'."
Secretary Sanders paused, but none of the three boys asked any questions.
"You will wonder, of course, what success we've had so far, and I may
say that our success has been ample," resumed the Secretary of the Navy,
with an amused smile. "In other words, we've been able to pick up news
of three schooners, all of which answer to the general description of
the 'Juanita'--but it happens that that isn't the name of any one of
the three."
Jack Benson nodded, but did not speak.
"Of course," pursued the Secretary, "it may be that the skipper of the
'Juanita' has tried an old trick, through the night. He may have set
a man to painting another name at the schooner's stern."
Again Skipper Jack nodded.
"The schooner that we think most likely to be the 'Juanita' is about
fifty miles out at sea, now, according to a report received twenty
minutes ago. Evidently she is headed for one of the British West
Indies. Now, if the wind continues the same, and the suspected vessel
keeps to her present course, she will, at five this afternoon, be off
the Norfolk Navy Yard, and some sixty-two miles out at sea. Now,
unless we are otherwise advised, we want a gunboat, the 'Sudbury,' now
at Norfolk, to overhaul the suspected schooner and ascertain whether she
is really the 'Juanita,' and whether the man, Gray, and his bundle of
documents are still on board. The suspected vessel is to be searched,
and Gray and the documents, if found, are to be seized, and the schooner
then released. Do you understand?"
"Perfectly, sir." Jack answered quietly.
"One of you young men will know Gray at a glance. The other two are
familiar with the whole case. Otherwise, it would not have been
necessary to have called you into this matter. Yet, to overhaul a
vessel, or to make an arrest or a seizure, you require authority. Such
authority can be vested only in naval officers. Hence, for the present,
it will be necessary to give all three of you appointments as officers
in the United States Navy."
At this announcement Jack Benson lost, for the moment, some of his
cool composure.
"Officers of the Navy, sir!" he gasped, but his eyes glowed at the mere
thought.
"You will be officers only temporarily," returned the Secretary. "You
are not of age, any of you, I take it."
"We are all just about the same age, sir--seventeen, nearly eighteen,"
Jack replied.
"Just so. Now, none of you could legally bold officers' commissions,
except by a special act of Congress. However, with the approval of the
President, it is legal for me to give you special, temporary appointments
under which you have the title, rank, pay and command of officers. These
appointments I am going to give and, for a brief while, though you will
not have commissions, you will nevertheless be as actually officers of
the Navy as are any admirals on the list."
This astonishing statement almost took away the breath of the submarine
boys.
"You are familiar with navigation, Benson, and are a capable enough
sea-pilot along this coast. I learned that much, early this morning,
through Mr. Farnum's answer to my telegram."
"Then Mr. Farnum knows what we are going to do?" asked Jack, quickly.
"He doesn't," replied Secretary Sanders, with a shake of his head.
"Mr. Farnum knows, only, that you have a chance to be of some service
to the Navy. He seemed to be much pleased by our inquiry."
The Secretary had just touched an electric button on his desk. Now a
clerk entered the room.
"Telephone the secretary of the President," directed Mr. Sanders, "and
ask him whether the President has examined and approved the special
appointments that I sent over a while ago."
The clerk was quickly back, to say:
"The special appointments, Mr. Secretary, are duly approved, and are
now on their way over from the White House."
Two minutes later, a messenger entered, handing a sealed envelope to
the Secretary of the Navy.
Breaking the seal, Mr. Sanders drew forth three heavy, folded sheets
of parchment.
"Here you are, Mr. Benson," resumed the Secretary, handing over one of
the parchments. "This document confers upon you, for the time being,
the rank, pay and command of a lieutenant, junior grade, in the
United States Navy. You, Mr. Hastings, and you, Mr. Somers, will rank
as ensigns under your special appointments."
Jack's head swam a bit as he thanked Mr. Sanders; then he started to
glance over this marvelous document.
But the Secretary of the Navy now cut in, briskly:
"That is all, gentlemen. You know your instructions, in general,
Lieutenant Benson. You will now go to my chief clerk, who will swear
you into the service. He will also give you an order on a local tailor
for the uniforms of your ranks. In one hour and twenty minutes your
train starts south. On arrival at Norfolk you will report without an
instant's delay at the Navy Yard. Aboard the 'Sudbury' you will
receive all further instructions, wired from this Department. Good
morning, gentlemen."
Then, indeed, things moved fast. At the desk of the chief clerk of
the Navy Department the three budding naval officers stood with their
right hands raised while the official at the other side of the desk
administered to them the oath binding them to loyalty to the government
and to obedience to all lawful orders of their superiors.
"And now, gentlemen," continued the chief clerk, "I will send for
Ensign McGrath, who is on duty here, and present you to him. He will
go with you to the tailor's, and will see that you are properly rushed
to the train that you are to take. Remember, you are not to pay for
your uniforms or equipment. The bill will be sent here."
Ensign McGrath looked sleepy, but proved to be a hustler. One of the
Department's autos was out in the grounds, and into this McGrath
bundled the three submarine boys. Five minutes later they were in the
tailoring establishment, where a good many ready-made uniforms were
kept for sale.
What a whirl it was. Yet, in twenty minutes, each submarine boy found
himself in the duty uniform of a United States junior naval officer,
each uniform adorned with the insignia of the wearer's rank. In the
meantime, dress-suit cases had been procured from a store near by.
"All right and proper," nodded Ensign McGrath. "And--I'm not throwing
bouquets, gentlemen, but you really look as though you had been born
for the uniforms. Now, only one thing is missing--the swords."
"Are we to wear swords?" asked Jack, his face flushing with pleasure.
"Under certain conditions, on duty, naval officers wear swords. You
will need them as parts of your equipments."
The dealer brought these side-arms at once. The naval sword is a
handsome one, vastly more natty than the infantry side-arm of a junior
officer.
What a thrill each submarine boy felt as he was shown how to adjust his
sword to the belt!
"They're really nonsensical jewelry in these civilized days," declared
Ensign McGrath, dryly. "But the regulations call for swords at some
times. Now, gentlemen, you will need to get your uniforms off as
quickly as you can, and the tailor's helpers will pack them in your suit
cases. You travel in citizen's clothes, and don your uniforms as soon
as you get aboard the gunboat."
Ten minutes later each proud submarine boy picked up his suit case and
sword, the latter, in each instance, being inside of a chamois-skin
carrying case.
In single file they made their way to the street.
"Now, for the last leg of the race in Washington," announced Ensign
McGrath, as they entered the automobile once more.
"I wonder if it will happen on the way, or at the station?" laughed Jack,
as the government gas-wagon whirled them down Pennsylvania Avenue.
"Will what happen?" inquired McGrath.
"Why," laughed Benson again, "I know we've got to wake up out of this
trance, but I can't figure when it's going to happen."
"I suppose all of you do feel excited," nodded Ensign McGrath,
understandingly.
"Not excited," declared Jack. "I'm just simply unprepared to believe
that any part of this has really happened."
At the railway station they were met by a messenger from the chief
clerk's office, who handed each of the submarine boys a small parcel.
"Copy of the Regulations, sir" stated the messenger. "It is required
that each officer of the Navy possess a copy."
"You'll want to scan the book good and hard most of the way down to
Norfolk," advised Ensign McGrath. "You'll find much between the covers
that you'll need to know right at the first jump-off. And now, for the
tickets."
These McGrath bought, including parlor car seats. The ensign then saw
them safely to their seats.
"Now, you've got enough to do, reading your new books," laughed the
ensign, "So I'm not going to waste your time by staying here to talk
to you. It's ten minutes, yet, to the time of your departure. Good-bye,
gentlemen--_and good luck!_"
When McGrath had gone Jack leaned across the aisle to whisper:
"Eph, can you get at your sword handily--to draw it, I mean?"
"What's up?" said Eph, suspiciously.
"I want you to stick about a sixteenth of an inch of the point of your
sword into me, so I can judge how long I've been dreaming."
"What's the matter with using your own sword?" demanded Eph, a trifle
gruffly.
"That's just the trouble," smiled Benson, plaintively. "I'm afraid I'll
wake up and find I haven't any."
Hal was leaning back in his parlor car chair, his eyes closed. He was
dreaming delicious daydreams.