On Friday of this week the senior or first classmen were to be
graduated, and each of the lower classes was to be promoted one class.
Up to this time Ralph’s classmates were derisively called fifth
classmen and functions. Though the upper classmen, from the midshipmen
point of view, esteemed fourth classmen, or plebes, to be the lowest
things in the Navy, having no privileges and but few rights, yet the
new midshipmen had not even yet arrived to that low estate.
These young gentlemen looked upon every upper classman as a possible
enemy from whom brutal hazing might be expected. But the actual hazing
proved to be very different from what had been anticipated. Ralph
Osborn found himself standing on his head several times and sang
several songs, but these acts, though certain to cause the dismissal
of the perpetrators if detected, were always done in a spirit of fun,
and were as much enjoyed by Ralph as by the hazers. Naturally Bollup
received more hazing, or running, as it is called at the Naval Academy,
than any of his classmates. Bollup deliberately determined to have as
much fun out of the hazing as he could, and his zeal in always doing
more than the hazer demanded, and his antics and absurd answers created
much merriment and gave him a reputation as being “a fresh plebe.” He
frequently intentionally forgot to add the word “sir” in replying to
questions. This was always insisted upon as expressive of a proper
respect toward his seniors.
“You must never forget to say sir, Mr. Bollup,” gravely ordered Mr.
Smith, who was well known as “Gruff” Smith by all midshipmen.
“Must I even think it, sir?” demanded Bollup, innocently.
“Yes, you must always think it, even to yourself; the first training a
midshipman receives is to respect his seniors.”
“All right, sir; you’ll find I’m always the most respectful midshipman
at the Academy.”
“Put on a sir at the end of your sentence, Mr. Bollup.”
Bollup did so, and before the end of the week he used the word sir in
every possible way when speaking to an upper classman.
In this week preceding graduation day, Ralph Osborn’s classmates were
exercised in the mornings, first at infantry, in which they were
drilled as recruits, and after that in the gymnasium. Each afternoon
they were sent out in cutters for rowing exercise. By night all of
these midshipmen were thoroughly tired. The purpose of this was to
harden them physically in preparation for the approaching summer
cruise and to initiate them in naval beginnings. It was after supper,
while strolling about the grounds, that the cases of hazing occurred.
Friday was graduation day; the next day the midshipmen were to embark
aboard the practice ships for the summer cruise. The _Chesapeake_ and
_Monongahela_, both sailing ships, were to be used this summer. Half of
Ralph’s class were to go on each ship, and Ralph found he was billeted
for the _Chesapeake_.
At breakfast formation, Friday, an order was read out that there would
be no drill that day for the new fourth class; that all were to mark
the jumpers of their working suits with their names in indelible ink;
the name in each case was to be in black letters an inch high. After
the return from breakfast to the _Santee_ the new fourth classmen
distributed themselves on the gun-deck with their working jumpers and
with pen and ink and started to mark their jumpers.
“Hello, Himski,” called out Bollup as he was passing the former. “Why
don’t you get busy? What are you so blue about?”
Himskihumskonski looked hopelessly at the six jumpers about him.
“I wish you’d tell me how to mark my name,” he replied; “part of it
will be on the front and part on the back of my coat, and I’ll be
forever turning around so that these third classmen can read it. I can
just imagine myself spinning around all day long. Can’t you help me
out, Bollup?”
“Surely I can,” returned that youth, cheerily. “Here, give me a piece
of paper; thank you.” Bollup wrote rapidly. “Now, just fix up your
jumpers that way and you’ll be all right.”
“Thank you,” replied the other, smiling. “It’s worth trying.”
The new fourth class took no part in the beautiful graduation
ceremonies nor in the grand ball of Friday night. The next morning
they were conveyed with members of the first and third classes to the
practice ships, and the summer cruise commenced. The second classmen
were to remain at Annapolis during the summer for practical work in the
shops.
As soon as Ralph was aboard the _Chesapeake_ he was directed to stand
in line in front of a small office. Here he gave his name, and then
received a small piece of paper which gave him information where he
was to eat, where to sleep, at what gun he was to drill, and what part
of the ship he was to work in. He then was told to shift into working
clothes immediately and to stow his locker. This latter proved very
difficult, for Ralph had an enormous lot of clothes and the locker
was very small. When he had finished, his locker was jammed so full
that its door could be closed only with difficulty. This finally done,
Ralph went up on deck and there in the port gangway was Bollup and
Himskihumskonski surrounded by many upper classmen, all of whom were
laughing heartily. On the front of Bollup’s jumper was printed, in
great block letters,
“_Bollup, sir_,”
and on his companion’s jumper was printed,
“_Himski, etc._”
This amused Ralph. “It’s just like Bollup,” he remarked to his
classmate, Taylor.
On Monday morning the _Chesapeake_ weighed anchor and got under way for
New London. The first and third classmen fell into their places easily.
Ralph and his classmates at first were much bewildered with the strange
things about them, the multiplicity of ropes and the jargon of strange
sounds that constantly were dinned into their ears. The lieutenant in
charge of the deck would shout some unintelligible order in loud, harsh
tones. Then piercing, shrill whistles would be blown, followed by the
screaming of the boatswain’s mates; and then everybody would jump up
from whatever he was doing and rush to one end or other of the ship.
Here Ralph would always find some men leading out a rope, and some
first classman would gruffly say: “Fist onto that rope, mister, and put
your weight on it.” Ralph would always join in the rush, and before
long he commenced to understand the orders that were shouted and soon
the meaning of them.
The _Chesapeake_ anchored each of the six nights she was in Chesapeake
Bay, and a little mild fun was indulged in by the upper classmen.
“Bring me something to read, Mr. Bollupsir,” said First Classman
Baldwin, one evening soon after the _Chesapeake_ had left Annapolis, to
Bollup.
After some minutes the latter returned and said: “I’ve hunted
everywhere, sir, but can find nothing, sir; I’m sorry, sir; I did the
best I could, sir.”
“Well, Mr. Bollupsir,” returned Baldwin in menacing tones, “you’ll
bring me something to read within the next few minutes or you’ll stand
on your head every night for a week. Get me something; I don’t care
what it is.”
“Say, Os,” said Bollup soon afterward, “for heaven’s sake give me a
book or a paper, anything will do; I’ve got to get Baldwin something to
read or stand on my head for a week.”
“I’m sorry, old fellow!” replied Ralph. “I wish I could but I haven’t a
thing.”
“Yes, you have; I see a book and a paper in your locker; let me have
them, quick.”
“Help yourself,” said Ralph, smiling, “but I’m afraid what you see is
not what Baldwin wants.”
“Anything will do,” shouted Bollup, snatching the book and paper from
Ralph’s locker and running aft without looking at them, fearing he
would receive condign punishment for being so long on his errand.
“Here, sir,” cried Bollup a moment later to Baldwin, “I’ve hunted the
whole ship over and this is all I can find,” and he quickly handed
Baldwin the book and paper.
Baldwin looked at them and then at the plebe in front of him. “I think
these will be very interesting to you, Mr. Bollupsir,” he remarked
quietly. “This paper is _The Sunday-School Herald_; it has a number of
things in it, some articles and some poems. I’m quite fond of poetry.
Suppose you learn all of these poems by heart, commencing with this
one, entitled: ‘Our Beautiful Sunday-School;’ there are only twenty-two
verses to it. And this is a very valuable book you have brought me; I
know it well; it helped me get into the Academy three years ago. It is
‘Robinson’s Practical Arithmetic.’ Now when you are tired of learning
poetry you may work out some problems, there are hundreds of them, and
commence at the first. And every night you’ll please report to me at
seven o’clock.”
Bollup was aghast. But Baldwin was determined and directed Bollup
to commence immediately. And for the rest of the summer cruise
for part of each day Bollup was to be seen on the berth deck by
Baldwin’s side industriously working problems or committing some
part of the _Sunday-School Herald_ to memory. This created lots of
fun for everybody except poor Bollup. His own classmates plagued him
unmercifully and he was in constant demand by the third classmen to
recite “Our Beautiful Sunday-School.” In this recitation, performed
hundreds of times, Bollup became impassioned and created uproarious
laughter.
On the afternoon of the day of Bollup’s misadventure, Baldwin passed
Ralph who was standing by his locker and said: “Here you, take this
rubber coat and keep it in your locker for me, and whenever it rains
bring me my coat on the run. Do you understand? And what’s your name?”
“Yes, sir, I understand and my name is Osborn; but my locker is now so
jammed I can’t get all of my own things in it, sir; I’m afraid I can’t
do it, sir.”
“Never say ‘can’t’ when your senior gives you an order, Mr. Osborn,”
said Baldwin severely, throwing his rubber coat to Ralph and walking on.
Ralph was in despair. He tried his best but simply was unable to stuff
Baldwin’s coat in the already overfilled locker. So finally he took his
own rubber coat out and laid it on top of his locker, and then managed
to stow Baldwin’s. The next morning Ralph’s coat was missing; this
was a hardship for it started to rain heavily. Ralph rushed to Baldwin
with the latter’s coat, and then went up on deck to haul on some ropes.
He was soon drenched, and to add to his misfortunes he received five
demerits for being out of uniform, and later three more for having a
rubber coat in the “Lucky Bag.” He received his coat back and stood
ruefully before his locker wondering what he could do, when Baldwin
came up; the latter spoke kindly. “I’m sorry about those demerits I
caused you to get, Mr. Osborn,” he said. “Your classmate, Bollup, has
just told me about your having received them. If I’d known it in time
I could have fixed the matter up. I could do it now by going to the
captain and stating the circumstances; he would take off your demerits
but would report me for hazing you; even such a little thing as that
would be considered hazing and would cause my dismissal. I don’t
suppose you would want me to do that?”
“Oh, no, sir,” replied Ralph, “indeed I wouldn’t; your coat is now
back in my locker and I’ve just received mine from the ‘Lucky Bag’ and
am wondering what I had best do. If I leave it on top of my locker it
will be taken up again and I will get more demerits, and really I can’t
possibly get it in my locker.”
“I should say not,” remarked Baldwin, looking into Ralph’s locker.
“Here, Mr. Osborn, give me my coat, and come along with me. Bring your
own coat with you.”
Ralph did so, wondering what was going to happen. They walked aft for
some distance, and then Baldwin said, “Here are my lockers, Mr. Osborn;
I am quite fortunate; I have two lockers and I’m going to give you a
big shelf in one of them. You can stow your rubber coat here and some
other things. And if at any time I can do anything for you, come right
up. I have those demerits of yours on my conscience and I want to
square up the account. I want to be your friend. You needn’t run to me
with my coat any more, and shove your own coat in there.”
Ralph was overjoyed. This was the first upper classman who had
expressed an interest in him. For those who had spoken to him he had
stood on his head and had performed various other antics as ordered.
And besides, with this additional stowage room, he would be quite
comfortable. “Oh, thank you ever so much,” he said effusively, “and
don’t think of my eight demerits; I’d have traded them and more, too,
for this nice shelf.”
Baldwin smiled. Then turning to Bollup, who was seated close by, he
asked: “Have you come across any hard problems this morning?”
“Yes, sir,” replied Bollup, “a very hard one, but I didn’t find it in
my book here. Somebody last night annexed a twenty-dollar bill I had
in my locker and the problem is to discover how I’m going to have
a good time in New London without any money, sir. I won’t be able
to buy myself even so much as a bag of peanuts,” and Bollup grunted
disgustedly.
“Go to the executive officer right away and report the circumstances
to him,” directed Baldwin. Bollup did so, but nothing came of the
investigation. All that was proved was that several servants had been
near Bollup’s locker during meal-times, but no incriminating evidence
was developed against any of them. That the thief might have been other
than a servant was a matter not considered.
The _Chesapeake_ took six days to sail from Annapolis to the mouth of
the bay. The ship was tacked innumerable times, constantly from eight
in the morning till six in the afternoon. First classmen took turns in
handling the ship. The rest rushed to and fro, hauling on this rope
and then on that. All day long the cries: “Ready about, stations for
stays,” and, “Haul taut, mainsail haul,” and, “Haul well taut, let
go and haul,” and, “Reeve and haul the bowlines,” rang incessantly
in Ralph’s ears. But during these days he came to know the names of
different ropes and where they were to be found, and the particular
purpose of each rope; also how the sails were managed.