THE COMMANDANT OF MIDSHIPMEN
Drake and Stonewell reached Washington the next morning, and the
following morning took a train bound for Annapolis. They were ahead of
the yearly rush of midshipmen returning from September leave; members of
the Naval Academy football team are expected to sacrifice part of their
precious vacation in order to commence football practice early. Hardly
were they aboard their train when a tall, fine-looking young man, of
perhaps twenty-one or twenty-two years, approached them. In his hurried
glance at Robert and Stonewell one might have seen an expression of
pleasure combined with uncertainty, the pleasure when looking at
Stonewell, the uncertainty when his gaze rested momentarily upon Robert.
"How do you do, Stonewell?" he said, in a rather precise way, extending
his hand to him. "I'm glad to see you and Drake; have you seen any
others of the football squad?"
"Hello, Farnum, how are you, old chap? I'm real glad to see you," said
Stonewell, heartily. "No, I haven't seen any midshipmen but you yet."
"How are you, Drake?" continued Farnum, rather pointedly, and stood with
hand outstretched toward Drake. Apparently the latter did not see
Farnum's hand; he made no effort to take it, but with his own right hand
he touched his hat and said: "Hello, Farnum." Farnum's hand dropped to
his side, and he said impulsively, "Why won't you shake hands with me,
Drake? I would like to be friendly with you, and I don't know why we
shouldn't be friends. Perhaps you are thinking of the time when most of
us misjudged you, a matter that no one has more regretted than I have."
"Farnum," said Robert, "you remember our second class summer, don't you,
when I was reported for deliberate neglect of duty?"
"Surely," answered Farnum.
"And you remember why I neglected my duty? I was on as 'midshipman in
charge of floor' when you and Stone and Pete and some others were
Frenching, and I left my post so as not to have to report you all."
"I remember that very well indeed," rejoined Farnum; "what of it?"
"Stone and the rest of them, except you, reported themselves for the
purpose of helping me out, as much as they could, of the trouble I was
in. Stone was broken as acting senior cadet officer, and you, guilty of
the same offense, were given his place. I hope you enjoyed it." Robert
spoke warmly.
"Look here, Drake, suppose you let me ask you a few questions. When you
left your post that night was it to avoid reporting me? Would you have
deliberately neglected your duty for me, or was it to benefit your own
particular chums, Stone, Pete and Glass?"
"I'd do more for them than for anybody else at the Academy."
"Of course you would; I'd blame you if you wouldn't. But you wouldn't
have done it for me alone, would you?"
"I don't know--I'd got sick of reporting classmates. I hope I won't have
to face that question again."
"Drake, I wouldn't either have asked or expected you to do that for me.
I didn't report myself because you didn't do it for me; I took my chance
and was not reported. It was all right for Stone to report himself if he
wanted to. As for being shoved into his position as acting senior cadet
officer, that didn't amount to a hill of beans, and you know it. It was
a very temporary matter, and it didn't make any difference to Stone or
me or you or anybody else. At the same time I don't mind saying that I
was sorry at the time I supplanted Stone. I'm also sorry you have seen
fit to brood over this matter. I suppose I can get along without your
friendship, though I was perfectly sincere in offering you mine."
"Do you know who's going to have five stripes?" asked Robert sharply.
"Why Stone, of course--I haven't seen the stripe list yet, but I don't
imagine anybody else will be considered for that job."
Without saying anything more, Robert took a newspaper clipping from his
pocket and handed it to Farnum. Stonewell, who had been silent during
the talk between his two classmates, now said, offering his hand to the
latter, "I congratulate you, Farnum; I'm sure you'll have a good
brigade; you may depend on my helping you to the best of my ability."
Though Farnum was ordinarily a very self-contained young man, his eyes
bulged when he saw himself gazetted as cadet commander. He hesitated for
a moment, seemingly lost in perturbed thought; then turning to
Stonewell, he took his hand and said, "Stone, this is very kind of you,"
and without another word passed out of the car.
"Bob," said Stonewell rather sharply, "I have a request to make of you,
and if you are the friend I take you to be you'll heed it. I want you to
drop this matter of five stripes. You'll make a nuisance of yourself and
will make me ridiculous. I want you to promise me you will not go around
and tell people Farnum shouldn't have five stripes and that I should."
"Stone, I boil over every time I think about it; I can't help it. It
just makes me mad to see Farnum smirking and grinning, and usurping the
place that belongs to you. But I don't think he'll enjoy his job,
feeling in his heart that everybody knows he's an impostor. The idea of
his saying to you 'this is very kind of you.' I'm disgusted!"
"Well, Bob, don't think about him, and as you feel so strongly try to
avoid talking about the matter. Let's talk of something else. The entire
squad should arrive by to-morrow, and we ought to get in some good
practice----"
Here Stonewell received a violent interruption. A sudden lurch of the
train threw a passing youth right on top of the two midshipmen. The
young man immediately recovered himself and then broke out into a hearty
peal of laughter. "I beg your pardon, I'd no idea I was so clumsy. You
chaps are going to Annapolis, aren't you? So am I. I'm a midshipman."
The speaker seemed to take it for granted that he was both important and
interesting. He was full of apparent good nature and friendliness and
wanted to talk; he was about nineteen years old, and was tall and
strongly built. A great shock of tawny yellow hair surmounted a rather
handsome, freckled, healthy face. He had a thick neck and his shoulders
were heavy. His appearance betokened great good nature, and there were
health, strength and quickness in every movement.
"You don't look like a midshipman," said Robert shortly.
"Oh," said the young man with a laugh, "I've only been one for twenty
days; I was sworn in September first, and then got leave, a grandmother
died and the estate had to be settled--ha, ha, ha,--any excuse would
have done--but I'm going to go back to-day for football. I know
something about the game, and expect to make the team from the start. My
name is Henry Bligh. What are yours?"
"Young man," said Stonewell, in forbidding tones, "after you've been a
midshipman for a while you will notice that other midshipmen are a bit
slow in proclaiming who they are to strangers in public places. You are
excused."
A blank expression spread itself over Mr. Bligh's face. He looked from
Stonewell to Robert. Neither took any further notice of him, and in a
hesitating way he walked to the rear of the car.
"A bit fresh, isn't he, Stone?" smiled Robert.
"Yes, Bob; like you and I were when we first came here, and like most
midshipmen are at first. He's a well-built plebe, and looks like good
football material. Well, here's old Annapolis once more--what a pleasure
it is to get back to the old town."
The train slowed down and stopped and the passengers impatiently crowded
to the door, anxious to be off.
"Hello," exclaimed Robert, "Farnum must be in a hurry; he's taken a
carriage; I'm glad I'm not in a hurry, for I'm busted, as usual."
Farnum had jumped into a carriage and gave directions to be driven to
Bancroft Hall; on his arrival there he went immediately to the
commandant.
"I'm glad to see you, Mr. Farnum," said the commandant, greeting him
warmly. "I suppose you've come back early for football practice?"
"Yes, sir." Farnum paused for a moment and then began abruptly,
"Captain, I have here a list of midshipmen which it is said you are to
recommend as cadet officers. I am slated, according to this list, to be
cadet commander. I wish permission to speak to you frankly about this."
"Go ahead, Mr. Farnum. Those are the recommendations I shall submit to
the superintendent within an hour. The list was not made public by me;
it leaked out somehow; but I guess no harm has been done. But it will
not be final until the superintendent approves it. He has just returned
from leave, and so has not acted upon it."
"Will you please tell me frankly why I am recommended to be cadet
commander, and Mr. Stonewell is not?"
"This is unusual, Mr. Farnum, but as you are recommended for the highest
cadet rank I don't mind being perfectly frank. Mr. Stonewell is number
one in your class, and in pretty nearly everything at the Academy. The
summer cruise officers and the ordnance and seamanship and discipline
officers have recommended that he be made cadet commander; and you were
recommended pretty nearly unanimously to be the senior cadet
lieutenant-commander. But last summer Mr. Stonewell committed a most
serious breach of Academy regulations. He took French leave one night."
"Is that the only reason he doesn't get five stripes, sir?"
"Frankly, yes."
"Then, sir, I must report I was also guilty, at the same time, of the
same offense. Mr. Stonewell and all the others of the party, except
myself, reported themselves for being absent, for the purpose of helping
Mr. Drake. I didn't at the time feel called upon to do so, though I have
since keenly wished I had. You can see, sir, it will be impossible for
me to hold five stripes with any degree of self-respect. My classmates
know all the circumstances. I would feel that I was an impostor and my
classmates would have contempt for me. I could never have the respect
nor exert the moral authority that should go with five stripes."
"Mr. Farnum, I'm entirely surprised. You should have reported yourself
last summer."
"Yes, sir, but as I didn't do so then I must now."
"Of course; however questionable your notions of last summer were your
present action is commendable. Well, Mr. Farnum, you will hardly get
five stripes, but, I assure you, you have my entire respect.
Good-morning, sir," and Farnum was bowed out.
"By George," reflected the commandant, "that young man has a sense of
duty; he's pointed right. I shouldn't wonder but what it would be a good
thing to call in the leading midshipmen of a class before cadet officers
are assigned and talk it over with them. Well, I think the best thing I
can do about this list is to recommend Stonewell for the brigade
commander and Farnum for command of the first battalion. They will
simply shift places and the other recommendations will not be
disturbed."
After making this change in the list the commandant left his office and
was soon with the superintendent, Rear-Admiral Wentworth. After a
cordial greeting and some preliminary talk the commandant, Commander
Dalton, said: "Admiral, the most pressing thing I have is to get your
approval for the assignment of the cadet officers. I have the
recommendations here; I am entirely satisfied we'll have the brigade of
midshipmen well officered this year."
"Let me have your list," said the superintendent, reaching out for it.
"I see you have recommended Mr. Stonewell for cadet commander. Hum. I
had almost decided to put another young man in that position, but I
think I'll let that stand. Farnum and Sewall are to be the cadet
lieutenant-commanders. Well, let that go. Ryerson, senior cadet
lieutenant; he'll make an ideal brigade adjutant. Pass him; but where
does my young friend come in?"
"Who is he, admiral? What's his name?" queried Commander Dalton.
The superintendent did not reply, but read the list over hurriedly, and
then said, impatiently, "Why, Dalton, his name doesn't figure here at
all, but I can fix that easily; he goes in right after Ryerson, and will
be cadet lieutenant, commanding the first company of midshipmen."
The admiral seized a pen, interpolated a name between Ryerson and Blair,
and then signed the roster of cadet officers. He handed this to the
commandant, saying, "Dalton, Mr. Drake will command the first company;
shove everybody after him on your list down a peg."
"Why, admiral," remonstrated the commandant, "Mr. Drake isn't entitled
to this; it is true he was unanimously recommended by all but the
discipline officers to be cadet lieutenant, but he most deliberately
neglected his duty when he was a second classman when on a special
detail. He is a very attractive young man, but we cannot forget such a
serious blot as that."
The superintendent smiled. "Dalton," he said, "I was here on duty
twenty-five years ago, when I was a lieutenant, in the department of
seamanship."
"Yes, sir, I well remember your being here, for I was at that time here
also, as a midshipman."
"Well, one year I was among those detailed to make the recommendation
for new cadet officers. There was one midshipman, high in his class, a
splendid fellow, that would have had high cadet office except he was
constantly kicking over the regulations. He was the leader of every mad
excursion that occurred within these walls; his exuberance of spirits
brought him continual trouble. So when we came to make our
recommendations we pursed our lips and passed over the midshipman I'm
speaking of. We made a mistake I've regretted ever since. Well, that
midshipman became an officer that the whole navy ever since has been
proud of, and when I was ordered here as superintendent I asked the Navy
Department to send him here as commandant. By the way, his name is
Dalton."
Commander Dalton became very red in the face, and then in a husky voice
much affected said, "Admiral, I'd no idea you had this opinion of me--I
can't express my feelings; you have touched them deeply. I am glad Mr.
Drake is to be cadet lieutenant. I'll have the list copied and published
this afternoon."