Transcriber’s Notes:
Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_) and ^{} encloses
superscripted material.
Additional Transcriber’s Notes are at the end.
* * * * *
Ralph Osborn--Midshipman at Annapolis
* * * * *
[Illustration: “You did well, sir”]
Ralph Osborn--Midshipman at Annapolis
_A STORY OF LIFE AT THE
U. S. NAVAL ACADEMY_
By LIEUT. COMMANDER
EDWARD L. BEACH, U. S. NAVY
_Author of “An Annapolis Youngster,” etc._
ILLUSTRATED BY
FRANK T. MERRILL
[Illustration]
W. A. WILDE COMPANY
BOSTON CHICAGO
* * * * *
_Copyrighted, 1909_ BY W. A. WILDE COMPANY
_All rights reserved_
RALPH OSBORN--MIDSHIPMAN AT ANNAPOLIS
PREFACE
The purpose of this story is to bring before the American youth who
read it a correct portrayal of midshipman life at Annapolis, to bring
out in story form the routine of drills, studies and customs of our
Naval Academy, the discipline there undergone by American midshipmen
and the environment in which they live and which controls them from the
time they enter.
“The Osborn Demonstration” of the Pythagorean problem may not be
new. It hardly seems reasonable that such a simple solving of this
ancient problem should be discovered at this late date. However, it
is certainly shorter and more graphic than any given in present day
geometry text-books. Some search has been made, but up to the present
no evidence has been found showing previous knowledge of this method of
demonstration.
Should this story create any interest in Ralph Osborn and his friends
it may here be stated that they have all lived. They were not the first
nor will they be the last to have trials and triumphs at Annapolis.
EDWARD LATIMER BEACH,
_Lieutenant-Commander,
United States Navy_.
_United States Ship Montana._
CONTENTS
I. A COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION FOR THE NAVAL ACADEMY 11
II. MR. THOMAS G. SHORT AND HIS MAN 21
III. SHORT’S METHOD OF PASSING AN EXAMINATION 33
IV. SHORT’S NAVAL CAREER IS SHORT 44
V. HIMSKIHUMSKONSKI 55
VI. THE SUMMER PRACTICE CRUISE BEGINS 65
VII. MAN OVERBOARD 76
VIII. BOLLUP’S WATCH IN A QUEER PLACE 88
IX. “INDIGNANT FOURTH CLASSMAN” 101
X. “THE OSBORN DEMONSTRATION” 113
XI. THIRD CLASSMAN OSBORN 122
XII. CHIEF WATER TENDER HESTER 132
XIII. OILER COLLINS JUMPS SHIP 145
XIV. RALPH IS KIDNAPPED 156
XV. RALPH BREAKFASTS WITH HIS CAPTAIN 164
XVI. A BOILER EXPLOSION 173
XVII. THIRD CLASSMEN ELECT CLASS OFFICERS 187
XVIII. “PROFESSOR MOEHLER IS A LIAR AND A FOOL” 198
XIX. “OSBORN NEVER WROTE IT, SIR” 209
XX. HIMSKI SAVES RALPH 219
XXI. “CREELTON, I BELIEVE YOU ARE THE MAN” 230
XXII. RALPH AT BOLLUP’S HOME 241
XXIII. RALPH SAVES BOLLUP FROM DISMISSAL 252
XXIV. RALPH HAS A JOKE PLAYED ON HIM BY A CANDIDATE 262
XXV. RALPH COURT-MARTIALED FOR HAZING 275
XXVI. RALPH IS DISMISSED BY SENTENCE OF GENERAL COURT MARTIAL 289
XXVII. HIMSKI AND COMPANY ARE JOYFULLY ASTONISHED 300
XXVIII. FIRST CLASS LEAVE AT HAMPDEN GROVE 309
XXIX. “TURN OUT ON THIS FLOOR. TURN OUT, TURN OUT” 320
XXX. THE THIEF UNMASKED 333
XXXI. RALPH’S LOST WATCH IS FOUND 346
XXXII. RALPH FINDS HIS UNCLE AT LAST 359
ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
“You did well, sir” _Frontispiece_ 80
“They are not my papers” 43
He saw the man just ahead and on the port bow
swimming frantically 146
“You may be the man” 235
Ralph threw himself on Bollup and caught him
around the waist 330
* * * * *
Ralph Osborn--Midshipman at Annapolis
CHAPTER I A COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION FOR THE NAVAL ACADEMY
“Father,” said Ralph Osborn, looking up from the book he had been
reading, “I want to go to the Naval Academy.”
“Why, Ralph, how did you happen to think of that?” asked his father
putting down his paper and giving to the earnest youth at his side his
sympathetic attention; “what has attracted you to the naval life?”
“Father, you’ve always talked about my going to college and studying
to be a lawyer. I’d much rather be a naval officer than a lawyer,
and besides I don’t see how you can afford to send me to college.
I’ll finish high school in a few months and then must look for some
position; you can’t hope to be able to send me to college next year.”
“I’m afraid not, Ralph,” returned his father; “but you might go into a
lawyer’s office; many of our best lawyers have never been to college.”
“That was the old way, father, but nowadays practically all lawyers
are college graduates. A lawyer of to-day who has not had college
training is tremendously handicapped and must be a genius to be really
successful. And besides, father, I have never felt I wanted to be a
lawyer; my tastes are more mathematical.”
“Well, what has mathematics got to do with being a naval officer?”
queried the father, Ralph Osborn senior.
“Why, father, Jack Farrer says, and he ought to know, that engineering,
and electricity, and ship-building, are founded upon mathematics, and
the naval officer has everything to do with these sciences. And if I
could go to the Naval Academy I’d get a splendid education without its
costing you anything. And after I was graduated if I didn’t want to
be an officer I’d have a splendid profession. Now, father, won’t you
please help me?”
Mr. Osborn sighed. “I wish I could, Ralph,” he said, “but I don’t know
how I could. It’s a difficult thing to get into the Naval Academy; you
must get the congressman of your district to appoint you, and we don’t
even know our congressman. Such an appointment is generally given by a
congressman to the son of some close friend, and----”
“Yes,” interrupted Ralph, eagerly, “but sometimes the congressman
orders a competitive examination. Now Jack Farrer finally graduates
from the Naval Academy next June; you know it is a six years’ course,
four at the Academy and then two years at sea aboard a cruising ship,
and his graduation will make a vacancy at Annapolis for the Toledo
district. Now, father, won’t you get some friend of yours who knows
Congressman Evans to write to him and ask the appointment for me? And
if Mr. Evans won’t do that, ask that the appointment be thrown open to
competitive examination? Please do, father.”
Ralph’s brown eyes more than his words imploringly begged his father.
The latter was silent for a few moments, then said: “Ralph, I’ll ask
my employer, Mr. Spencer, to write to Mr. Evans to-morrow, but don’t
be too hopeful. There will undoubtedly be many others who have greater
claims upon Mr. Evans.”
“Oh, thank you, father,” cried the now delighted Ralph. “If Mr. Evans
won’t give me the appointment but opens it to a competitive examination
I’m sure I’ll have a good chance of winning it.”
“Well, I’ll see Mr. Spencer to-morrow. By the way, Ralph, to-day I
received a letter and a present from your Uncle George.”
“From my Uncle George!” exclaimed the young man, in great surprise.
“Why, I’d forgotten I had an Uncle George; I’ve never seen him, and
you haven’t spoken of him for years. What did he say in his letter, and
where is he? Tell me something about him.”
“Here is his letter. I hadn’t heard from or of him for ten years. His
letter is absolutely brief. He says he is well and is doing well. He
enclosed a check for two hundred dollars as a remembrance. He says that
for the next week only his address will be the general delivery of the
New York City post-office.”
“Two hundred dollars!” repeated Ralph, enthusiastically. “Why, father,
if I am admitted to the Naval Academy that is just the amount I will
have to deposit for my outfit. But why have you never told me anything
about my Uncle George?”
“It’s a sad story,” replied Mr. Osborn, “and there isn’t much to tell.
He was one of the most attractive young men in the city of Toledo,
twenty years ago. Your grandfather was strict with him, and at times
harsh, too harsh, I now think. However, one day about twenty years
ago, your grandfather sent your Uncle George with two thousand dollars
to deposit in a bank. Well, George turned up two hours later and said
he had been robbed. Your grandfather became very angry and said that
George had been drinking and gambling. Your uncle indignantly denied
this, and your grandfather in a passion struck him. It was an awful
time. George left the house, said he would never return. I’ll never
forget his white face. He asked me if I believed he had gambled that
money away. I assured him I did not. He said: ‘I thank God for your
belief in me, Ralph.’ Those were the last words he ever spoke to me.
“We never knew where he went or what became of him. At long intervals
letters would come from him, each one enclosing a draft. In each letter
he stated the amount he sent was to be applied to what he termed his
financial indebtedness to his father, but he always maintained the
money had been stolen from him. In about ten years the entire amount,
with interest, was repaid to your grandfather. Until this letter came
to-day I had not heard from him for ten years.”
“But, father, were not his letters enclosing the drafts acknowledged;
did you not write to him?”
“Of course, but each letter was returned to us.”
“Where were these letters from?”
“From different places; your Uncle George has evidently been a great
traveler. During those ten years several of his letters came from New
York; two, I think, from Norfolk, Virginia. I remember one came from
San Francisco, one from London, and one from Yokohama, Japan.”
“Now isn’t that interesting?” remarked Ralph. “Why, it almost seems
like a mystery. Perhaps he’s a millionaire and some time will come to
Toledo in his private car. But, father, what is your idea of it all?”
“I don’t know what to think, Ralph; your uncle was very proud as a
young man, and my notion is that he has had a hard time of it like the
rest of us; that he would come back here for a visit if he could do
so in style, but would not like to come back without the evidences of
prosperity. But I shall write to him immediately and ask him to visit
us. You know he may have a notion that people here imagine he used that
two thousand dollars gambling, whereas the fact is the matter was never
discussed outside of our family. Twenty years ago people wondered at
his departure but none ever learned the cause of it.”
“Father, if I get the appointment to Annapolis may I have the two
hundred dollars Uncle George has sent? I have been wondering where we
would get the money to deposit. And I would need about one hundred
dollars more; I must have some for traveling expenses and for board in
Annapolis, and I would like to go to the preparatory school there for a
month.”
Mr. Osborn smiled. “Indeed you may have the two hundred, Ralph,” he
replied, “and I will manage to find another hundred for you. But aren’t
you getting ahead a little fast? You appear to take it for granted that
there is no doubt of your getting that appointment.”
“Bully,” cried Ralph; “I’m going to get the appointment, I feel sure of
that. And I’m going to write to Uncle George right away and tell him
I’m going, or at least that I hope to go to the Naval Academy. And I’ll
tell him how grateful we are for the two hundred. Good-night, father.”
One evening, a week later, Mr. Osborn handed his son a letter, saying:
“Here’s something that may interest you, Ralph.” The latter read the
letter with great eagerness. It was as follows:
“MY DEAR SPENCER:--
“In reply to yours of the 9th instant would say I will have an
appointment for Annapolis next June. I will throw this open to
competitive examination, and if your young friend, Mr. Ralph Osborn,
wins, and is recommended by the board of examiners, I will appoint
him with pleasure.
“Yours very truly,
“JOHN H. EVANS.”
“Hurrah!” shouted Ralph. “Now I’m going in to win. I’ve several months
ahead and I’m going to study hard and review everything. I’m going to
leave high school to-morrow and study at home. Now, father, keep quiet
about this; don’t advertise the fact there’s going to be a competitive
examination. Everybody has the same chance I have to learn about the
vacancy to Annapolis and the coming competitive examination, but it
isn’t necessary that I should stir up people to try to beat me out.”
At this time Ralph Osborn was about eighteen years old. He was of
medium height and build; his eyes were brown; in them was a steadfast
earnestness that always attracted friendships and inspired confidence.
His salient characteristics were truthfulness and determination. Except
when his mother died no sorrow had ever been a part of Ralph’s life.
Time had dimmed that sorrow, and to him his mother was now a beautiful,
tender memory. His affection for his father was unbounded. The Osborns
were a good family; there had never been a better one in Toledo, but
Mr. Osborn had not been successful as a business man and now depended
for his support entirely upon the salary he earned as bookkeeper.
Ralph wrote to his uncle, and received the following letter in reply:
“DEAR NEPHEW RALPH:--
“I was much pleased to receive your letter, and interested to
discover I have a nephew. I know something of Annapolis, and
recommend it for you. I am leaving New York now but will write you
later, and shall look forward to meeting you.
“Your affectionate uncle,
“GEORGE H. OSBORN.”
Mr. Osborn also received a letter from his brother in which the latter
expressed the intention of visiting Toledo, but at some future time.
“Well,” said Ralph, disgustedly, “I found a nice uncle, and now I’ve
lost him, and don’t even know where to write to him.”
For the next three months Ralph devoted himself to his studies. He
imagined the competitive examination would be in arithmetic, grammar,
geography, and spelling, and these he thoroughly reviewed.
The day came when announcement was made that there would be a
competitive examination for the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and this
was held in April. Ralph found that he had twenty-two competitors. It
is doubtful if any had done such thorough reviewing as Ralph had. The
examination lasted three days and Ralph felt he had done well.
“Father, the examination is all over,” cried Ralph, when Mr. Osborn
returned home that evening. “I suppose the results will not be
published for several days. There were twenty-three of us in all, and
it will take some time to examine and mark all the papers that were
handed in. Oh, I’m so anxious to see who gets the highest marks, I can
hardly wait.”
“Do you think you have won, Ralph?”
“I’m certain I did well. I felt I knew every question that was asked,
but of course some one may have done better.”
A few days later Ralph opened the evening newspaper, and the first
thing that met his eyes was his own name in big head-lines. It was
as follows: “Ralph Osborn, Jr., wins the Competitive Examination for
Annapolis.” And then followed a description of Ralph that was most
pleasing to that young man. He was wild with joy, and could not
contain himself. Before the night was over he had read that article
hundreds of times. And Mr. Osborn, seeing his only child in such
transports of happiness, was himself filled with joy.
Ralph received congratulations from hundreds of friends, and soon
commenced to make preparations to leave for Annapolis.
As Ralph bade Mr. Osborn good-bye in the station, little did he dream
that it was the last time he was to see that dear father alive.