CHAPTER VIII
"THE MAN WORE A SLOUCH HAT"
"Bang," went the reveille gun at six in the morning, rattling everywindow in Bancroft Hall; and out of bed jumped Robert Drake in a hurry.He first took his customary cold shower-bath, and then quickly threw onhis clothes. "Turn out, Stone," he called to his roommate, who was inhis own sleeping room across the study. A suite for two midshipmenconsists of two sleeping rooms separated by a longer room used in commonby both, a large clothes closet, and a shower-bath.
Hardly had the reverberating roar of the morning gun died away thanBancroft Hall was filled with the harsh, sleep-blasting notes ofdiscordant bugles.
"Turn out on this floor, turn out, turn out," called out Robert in thecorridor just outside of his own room.
Then he entered the room next to his own, in which Peters and Glassfellroomed.
"All right, Bob," came from each sleeping room which opened into thestudy room where Robert had entered, and Robert left and rushed into thenext room. It must be confessed that Robert was hardly out of the roomwhen Glassfell was once more sound asleep. And further it is admittedthat Robert did not give the same stern inspection to first classmen'srooms that he gave to those of the lower classes. He was satisfied withthe report from his own classmates of "all right," but saw with his owneyes that all others were actually turned out. On this particularmorning Mr. Harry Blunt, midshipman third class, was strangely verytired after what should have been eight hours of sleep, so tired, infact, that neither gun-firing nor bugle detonation awakened him.
"Turn out, Blunt, turn out," called out Robert, standing over him. "Getup; you're on the report for not being turned out at reveilleinspection."
Harry slowly turned out, and Robert rushed away to continue hisinspection.
Breakfast formation came half an hour later. Most midshipmen were inranks before roll call, but at the last note of the bugle swarms ofmidshipmen rushed madly from Bancroft Hall; midshipmen who had taken afew winks after reveille inspection, hoping to get to the formationwithout being marked late. This was Glassfell's habit, and he haddeveloped remarkable skill in dressing himself while running at fullspeed. He would leave his room half dressed and at the end of a dead runhe would appear in ranks ready for inspection.
"By George, Stone," said Robert later, "can you imagine there is anybodyin the world who does more mad rushing than midshipmen do? We are jumpedout of our sleep by a cannon going off right under us, and we run aboutin a feverish hurry all day long, always having to be present at someformation or other, always fearful of punishment if we are late atanything. And one day is just like another; we were jumped about all daylong when we were plebes, and we are still at it."
Every minute of Robert's life was interesting and never had it been sofull of zest as in this, his last year at Annapolis. He enjoyed his rankwith its duties and authority as cadet lieutenant, also his studies anddrills were engrossing. These days, though so crowded with detail, weremuch the same; several hours daily were spent in preparing lessons;recitations followed, and then at four o'clock came the afternoondrills. The practical drills supplemented the theoretical work in classrooms, and all was based upon what was to be required of the midshipmenafter graduation. And as an important duty of graduated midshipmen is toteach and train enlisted men, Robert, in common with the rest of hisclassmates, was drilled at many different things. He commanded his owncompany at infantry and artillery manoeuvres and felt proud andimportant in this position, but at other times he was to be found at aforge, dirty with grime and sweat, or taking the place of a fireman at aboiler. He could now turn out a fair piece of work at the lathe, shaper,or drill-press; and he was quite at home in sailing a boat, running anengine or manipulating a twelve-inch gun turret. For at Annapolis drillsare many and varied, and the mind, eye and hand are all trainedtogether.
December passed and with it football was forgotten. In the last ofJanuary came the semi-annual examinations; of the first class there nowremained but one-half of those who had originally entered.
In February occurred an incident of much interest to Robert. At aSaturday night dance he saw his first commander, Captain Blunt, and withthe latter was Miss Helen, his daughter, and Harry Blunt's sister. Itwould be hard to decide who was most pleased at this meeting. CaptainBlunt evinced real pleasure in meeting Robert again, and Helen's welcomewas a genuinely glad one.
"Come and see us, Mr. Drake," said Captain Blunt to Robert; "I've givenup my command and am on leave; I've brought Mrs. Blunt and Helen toAnnapolis. We've opened our house here, as I'm going to be here forseveral months and then go to the Light House Board. Come and see us,and bring Mr. Stonewell with you."
Meanwhile Midshipman Henry Bligh lived a very quiet life. After thefootball game the reason for his dismissal from the squad became noisedabout, and Bligh felt he was ignored by upper classmen and shunned byhis own class. He probably thought more of this than did anybody elseand his thoughts were not happy. Besides, he was low in his studies andin danger of "bilging." He was barely satisfactory at the semi-annualexaminations.
One night early in February, after taps inspection, and after themidshipmen in charge of floors had been sent to their rooms, the door ofBligh's room opened and that young man's head cautiously appeared.Looking up and down the corridor, and seeing the midshipmen in chargewere not at their desks, Bligh left his room and walked to the end ofthe corridor for a glass of water. This act was inoffensive in itself,except that midshipmen are required to attend to such matters before teno'clock or wait until after eleven; it was not yet eleven and naturallyBligh did not wish to be seen.
While drinking the water Bligh heard some steps on the stairway leadingto the next upper floor, and fearing it might be the officer-in-chargehe quickly slipped into a dark corner at the side of the stairway,hoping he would not be noticed; in a moment a figure passed a few feetfrom him, and to his surprise he saw it was Third Classman Blunt.
"Now, what's that fellow up to?" reflected Bligh, his mind full of theinjuries he imagined he had received from Harry Blunt. Bligh peeredaround the corner and in the dim light he saw Harry quickly and quietlywalk down the corridor and then stop for a moment in front of the doorof the room that Bligh knew was the office of Lieutenant-CommanderBrooks, one of the discipline officers. The next instant Harry hadopened the door of this room and entered it. Bligh was astounded. Hewalked softly to the room, paused an instant, and then gently, withoutmaking any noise, turned the knob of the door.
The door was locked. Bligh was filled with wonder. It was evident thatBlunt had a key to the door, had entered the room, and was now inside.
Bligh could not imagine why any midshipman should want to enter adiscipline officer's room; it was certain no midshipman had a right tobe in that office except to see Lieutenant-Commander Brooks on duty.Blunt was committing a serious offense in being in the room. This didnot worry Bligh at all, but he was completely puzzled.
"What can Blunt be doing in there?" he asked himself again and again. Helistened intently and heard Blunt moving about; and then he heard anoise as if a chair were being moved and had knocked against something.Looking up through the transom he saw it was all dark within; Blunt hadnot turned on any light.
Bligh now entered his own room, which was next to the one that Blunt hadentered, and where Bligh now lived alone without a roommate. With apuzzled mind he drew a chair to his window, and thought and wondered.His imagination could not help him. He had been in the office next doorand knew it contained nothing but a desk, a table, two chairs and amidshipman wardrobe where Lieutenant-Commander Brooks could hang a coatif he were so disposed.
Bligh sat by his window, his mind full of Harry Blunt. The softmoonlight streamed into his room. And then Bligh was startled by hearinga noise in the room next door, as if a window were being raised.Straining his eyes he looked out from his window, and in the nextinstant he saw the dark figure of a man creep out on the passagewayleading from the window of the office to the terrace.
The man turne
d to his left, and with the bright moonlight full on hisface Bligh got a good look at him, but did not recognize him. The manwore a slouch hat, sack coat, and had a moustache and full beard.
The dark figure stole over to the terrace and soon disappeared.
"Now I understand," cried Bligh to himself. "Blunt had an appointmentwith some 'cit' and they met in the room next door. He's up tosomething, and I'll see that he gets reported for this, and I hope itwill bilge him."
Bligh now opened the door of his room and looked out, expecting everymoment to see Harry Blunt emerge from the office. Bligh was thoughtfulfor a while, then he took a spool of black linen thread from a drawer inhis wardrobe. He tied one end of the thread to the door-knob of theoffice and carried the thread overhead through the open transom of hisroom. He then sat in the chair by the window holding the thread hauledtaut; and Bligh sat there for the next two hours, thread in hand.
At one o'clock his watchfulness was rewarded. He saw the figure of a mansteal up over the terrace and across the passageway. And in themoonlight he recognized the same hat, moustache, beard and sack coat.
Bligh sat perfectly still, and it was not long before the thread in hishand suddenly pulled and snapped. Bligh quickly stepped to the doorwayof his room and looked out, and there going down the corridor was HarryBlunt in his service uniform.
Then Mr. Henry Bligh, midshipman, fourth class, gave a pleased laugh andwent to bed.