"I should say it had!" exclaimed the amazed officer. "Let me see the
rifle."
He examined the weapon critically, Sam standing at attention, expecting
every moment to be severely rebuked.
"When did this happen?"
"About an hour ago, sir."
"You were hurt?"
"I don't know. I was laid out. I guess I would have drowned if I hadn't
come to when I did," answered the lad, forgetting to add the "sir." The
lieutenant commander appeared not to observe the slip.
"You regained consciousness, and have been on your extra duty tour ever
since?"
"Yes, sir."
"Come with me."
Sam wonderingly followed his superior officer to barracks A. The officer
led the way right into the mess hall. Looks of surprise greeted the
appearance of the couple, which soon gave place to broad grins, for Sam
Hickey at that moment was the most disreputable figure possible to
imagine.
"Attention!" called the petty officer in charge of the mess when he saw
the lieutenant commander entering.
Dan saw at once that something had happened, yet he could not understand
it at all, unless Sam had been in a fight. That was the first thing that
occurred to Davis.
All hands had risen to their feet, and had come to attention at command.
"Mr. Coda," said the lieutenant commander sharply, "you assigned this
man to extra duty, did you not?"
"Yes, sir," answered the quartermaster. "Acting on your command, as
delivered to me by the man himself."
"Exactly. How long did he tell you he was to remain on duty?"
"Two hours, sir. I was to give him his orders when the tour of extra
duty was ended, sir."
"Do you know how long he has been on duty?"
"About four hours, I think, sir."
"Exactly," answered the line officer dryly.
"The storm came on and I lost sight of this man. There were three other
extra duty squads out in different parts of the grounds. These I rounded
up, but I will confess that I entirely forgot the man Hickey, sir,"
continued the quartermaster, saluting as he spoke.
"After mess, report to my office. I have something to say to these men
now."
"Are they to carry on, sir?"
"By no means until I direct them to do so. What I have to say should be
heard standing."
"Very good, sir."
"Men," began the lieutenant commander, running his eyes over the brown
faces of the apprentices, "I am very glad to be able to give you an
object lesson. I hope every man of you will keep it in mind for the rest
of his career in the Navy."
The officer paused, glancing at the attentive faces before him.
"It is in reference to this young man, Hickey. He was assigned to extra
duty for a slight offense. The offense, I am now satisfied, was without
intent to violate any rule of discipline, and the punishment was
intended more to point a moral than otherwise. Hickey was told to patrol
his tour until relieved by the quartermaster. Those were your orders,
Mr. Quartermaster, were they not?"
"Yes, sir."
"Hickey walked his tour over his time. A severe storm came up, but still
he walked. He was obeying orders. Thunder and lightning even could not
swerve him from doing that. Then Hickey was struck down by a bolt of
lightning. You see his rifle, or what is left of it."
The lieutenant commander took Sam's gun from him, and, stepping over
toward the others, held it out for their inspection. The boys looked at
the twisted weapon, then at Sam Hickey. Amazement was written on their
faces.
"Hickey was struck as well, as that mark on the left cheek will prove to
you. He fell in a puddle of water, where he lay half-drowned, until
finally he regained consciousness. I wonder how many of you here would
not have started for cover as fast as he could run? I hope none of you
would have done so. Hickey did not run, either. Instead, he straightened
out his broken, ruined weapon as best he could, came to a right shoulder
arms and began his tour of duty once again. I have not the least doubt
that he would have continued all night had he not been relieved. He was
obeying orders. As I have said before, not even lightning could swerve
him from that. Young men, that is the kind of man the United States Navy
wants--men who will obey orders, who will carry them out, no matter what
may happen; who will do their full duty as long as there is a breath
left in them. Quartermaster, are there any marks against this boy?"
The petty officer consulted the records.
"No, sir. He has been here a very short time, sir, hardly long enough to
get any."
"Very good. You will see to it that his name is placed on record and
read out in General Orders. Hickey, you will be appointed apprentice
gunner's mate, your promotion to take effect immediately. It will not,
however, continue after you go aboard a ship on a regular detail. The
appointment is for the Training Station alone. It carries with it a
slight increase in pay. You have made a good beginning, and I shall look
for you to continue. Do so, and your rise in the United States Navy will
be rapid. You are relieved from duty for the rest of the day. Carry on,
men!"
Mess being over, the quartermaster, as directed, repaired to the office
of the lieutenant commander to receive the reprimand that he supposed
was in store for him. He was right. The lieutenant commander was very
severe upon the quartermaster for the latter's failure to relieve Hickey
at the proper time. The quartermaster, in his turn, had nothing but
words of regret and apology, and was dismissed with a word of caution
for the future.