The next morning Billy Brown went through “washing clothes” and
“scrubbing decks”, “colors”, “bright work”, “quarters”, and “mast” with
his eyes and ears wide open; and, all the time, he was looking out for
an opportunity to practice the exercise which his “B. M.” had given
him as medicine for his “softness.” During morning instruction he had
“knots and splices” for one period, “boxing the compass” for another,
and “ship’s tackle” with the mate for the third. He came out very well
with the first two, but was of course quite ignorant when it came to
ship’s tackle. As was always the case, however, the more ignorant
he was, the more anxious he seemed to learn, and quite a shower of
questions fell about the ears of the mate before the instruction period
was over.
While drill was going on among the boys, the Captain and the Chairman
were making a regular inspection below to prepare for the visit of the
Commandant of the Portsmouth Navy Yard, who was expected on board at
11:30 to inspect the ship and crew.
Several boys’ lockers were found in disorder and reported to their
respective “B. M.’s.” But the Chairman was delighted with the excellent
condition of the galley and the forecastle.
“Ketchy”, the cook’s assistant, also served as cabin boy on board, and
he was particularly careful that morning to see that the officers’
quarters were as well up to the mark, at least, as any other part of
the vessel.
At half-past ten Mr. Miller left in the launch to call for the
Commandant at the Navy Yard; and Dick Gray, who was one of the regular
watch, was detailed to keep a sharp lookout for the return of the
launch and report it at once to Mr. Wentworth, who was Officer of the
Day.
All the boys were in their “whites” in honor of the impending visit;
and they were just about finishing the third instruction period when
Dick noticed the launch, flying the “Jack” in her bow, turn the corner
of the fort at the entrance of Little Harbor. He immediately reported
to Mr. Wentworth, and the “B. M.” on watch blew his call and sounded
“Retreat from drill.”
“Side boys--stand by!” was the next command, and two “B. M.’s” with
their respective quartermasters took their positions at the starboard
side-ladder. Meantime the rest of the crew was ordered to its regular
stations as at “quarters”, and only the watch were left to lend a hand
as the launch drew up to the side.
The Commandant was rather a stout officer with a pleasant look. A
good-humored smile lit up his face as he stepped on deck between the
side boys standing at salute and noticed the trill of the boatswain’s
call. His hand was first raised to acknowledge the salute, and he then
shook hands with the Captain and the Chairman who were waiting to
receive him.
They introduced Mr. Jackson as their guest, and all three walked aft to
the quarter-deck and sat down under the awning.
The boys were then ordered to “stand at ease” until after the
inspection of the ship, and their visitor inspected her carefully from
stem to stern, looking into every corner, and asking to have the lid
removed from everything that was covered up.
While they were in the galley he examined carefully the back of the
range to see whether there was any danger from fire; and then, pointing
to a ring in the deck beneath their feet, “What’s that?” asked he.
“A coal bunker,” answered the Captain; and, lifting the corner, which
was a little stiff, he showed the place between the deck and the
timbers below where the range coal was kept.
The Commandant then asked questions about the storage of gasoline
for the launch and where the kerosene for the lamps was kept. It was
explained to him that the only supply of gasoline was kept in the bow
of the launch itself, and that the kerosene was lashed inside of a
crate out on deck. He examined the boatswain’s lockers with a good deal
of interest and expressed himself as satisfied with the result.
When they came back to the deck, the boys were drawn up at “Attention”
and he walked up and down the lines deliberately and carefully, taking
in all there was to be seen.
Then, turning to one of the officers, he said: “How long does it take
you to get one of the boats into the water fully manned?”
“Would you like to see them try it, sir?” asked the Chairman.
As the Commandant assented, the Captain spoke to Jack Perkins.
As usual, when lying at anchor, all the boats were in the water,
swinging from the boat booms, whereas the Commandant’s question
evidently referred to lowering a boat from its davits into the water;
so that the long boat--which was the cutter belonging to Jack Perkins’s
section--first had to be hauled up on the davits and made secure in the
position it occupied when the ship was at sea. Then Mr. Wentworth took
out his watch while Jack Perkins gave the command:
“First division, first section, attention! Stand by to lower the long
boat!”
The boys jumped to their places at the davits, while Chippie Smith,
the coxswain, climbed into the boat at once and began shipping the
rudder. Tom had hold of the painter as the boat dipped into the water
with Chippie in the stern. Five of the section then climbed over the
side, and finally Tom--the last one--took his seat in the bow with the
painter in his hand. He quickly seized the boat hook; and, in answer to
Chippie’s “shove off”, the boat swung away from the ship and the oars
dropped into their rowlocks.
“That was pretty good,” said the Commandant; “how long did it take, Mr.
Scout Master?”
“Just one minute and twelve seconds,” replied Mr. Wentworth.
“Well,” continued the Commandant, “lowering a boat properly is no
joke,--your boys have the right idea, Captain; but I should say they
needed a little practice. It’s a nice little bit of team work, and
I suppose you have a competition between your three boats’ crews
occasionally. Now, Mr. Chairman,” he went on, “may I have the pleasure
of saying a word to the boys before I leave?”
The crew was then ordered into its accustomed position at “mast”,
facing aft, while the Commandant stood on the quarter-deck with the
other officers beside him.
“I am glad to have seen you and your ship, boys, and to have had the
pleasure of talking to your officers.
“I have examined the ship as thoroughly as I could, in the short time
at my disposal, and I find her A-1 for cleanliness and order. There
is nothing so clean as a clean sailor in a clean vessel, and there is
nothing so filthy as a dirty one.
“I don’t know whether all of you boys appreciate your surroundings on
board this vessel, both as regards the ship and your officers; but, if
you knew as much as I do about the life of seamen, I am sure you would
be grateful for the opportunities you are enjoying, and I have no doubt
you are.
“But don’t make the mistake of accepting all this without feeling
the necessity for making a just return; and this you can do best
by attending to your work as thoroughly as possible, and preparing
yourselves to serve your country.
“I don’t mean only in a military way, for that is but one of many kinds
of service needed; but, if you follow the lines given in your scout
law, you cannot fail to be useful wherever you are.”
After a few more words with the Chairman, the Commandant, accompanied
by Mr. Miller, entered the launch and waved a good-by to the _Bright
Wing_ and its crew.
All stood at attention until the launch had shoved off. They were then
dismissed and went below for dinner.