CHAPTER XIX
JACK'S CALLER AT THE UNITED SERVICE CLUB
"Ho-ho! Haw-haw! Woof!"
Eph found himself started again, the very instant the boys foundthemselves in the lower corridor of the building.
"Let him alone," uttered Jack, scornfully. "The poor fellow had betterwork it all out of his system."
"But, Hal, your face--when the policeman took you, on Millard'scomplaint!" sputtered Somers, next going off into another burst oflaughter.
"It didn't seem funny, at the time," returned Hal Hastings, quietly.
"Ho-ho! Haw! Of course, not. Say, Hal, can you do me a tremendousfavor? Can you look, just for a moment, the way you did when thatblue-coat pinched you?"
Hal began to laugh, despite the fact that his loss of Millard stillrankled under his quiet outside.
"Now, hush up," warned Benson, suddenly. "Here comes Lieutenant Ulwin,who has undertaken to present us at the United Service Club. Idiots arebarred from the club, you know, Eph."
By a great exercise of will power Eph managed to straighten his faceby the time that the lieutenant overtook them. They entered a cab. Bythis time the young naval officers were beginning to understand that itis the usual custom to go about Washington in a carriage.
"Have you ever been at a Service Club before?" inquired their guide.
"We breakfasted at the club at Norfolk this morning?" Jack answered.
"Your acquaintance with our Service clubs is not very large, then?"
"We have also been at the club at Fort Craven."
"Oh!" smiled Lieutenant Ulwin. "I guess you gentlemen have been abouta little more in the two branches of the service, than I had suspected.You have seen the officers of both the Army and the Navy at play?"
"Mostly at table, I should say," laughed Benson.
"The club is the only place where we can go and get away from shop-talk,"continued Ulwin. "As a rule the Army and Navy men at our club do nottalk much shop. It may be different to-day, however."
"Why to-day?" asked Jack.
"Because--well, you see, I am introducing three rather famous strangersto-day."
"Meaning--" began Hal, quietly.
"You young gentlemen, of course. The whole nation has heard much aboutthe submarine boys. Yet it is in the Army and the Navy, after all, thatthe deepest, most abiding interest in you exists."
"This red spot on my cheek isn't a blush," explained Ensign Eph,suddenly. "It's where a mosquito bit me."
"I am not joking," replied Ulwin, with a friendly smile. "All theofficers of the Navy know about you by this time."
"They'll be greatly disappointed, when they see us, then, won't they?"laughed Hal Hastings.
"Now, see here," protested Eph, earnestly, "I can stand a good deal.But, if they see us walking around the club, and ask who left the lidoff the can of shrimps--I'll fight!"
Ulwin laughed heartily.
"I shall have to pass the word to our worst jokers," he smiled, "thatit won't be safe for the fellow who starts in to tease you young men."
"Why, if anyone does start, we've got to keep our tongues behind ourteeth," returned Hal. "We're only boys--kids--and we can't sayanything smart to men who have been a good many years in the service."
"You can answer back, if anyone starts to have any fun with you,"replied Lieutenant Ulwin. "Remember, a club is where all men stand onan equal footing. If an admiral gets after you, you will do well toswallow any witticism he may try on you. But with any officer below anadmiral you don't have to be so careful."
Eph Somers immediately began to look thoughtful. Now, Eph did know howto say caustic things when occasion seemed to demand.
"Here we are," announced Lieutenant Ulwin, suddenly, as the cab stoppedbefore the club building.
Hal went in at Ulwin's side. Jack gripped Eph by the elbow, pulling theauburn-haired one back a few paces.
"Now, see here, Eph, remember that we don't want any funny answersinside."
"But Ulwin says--"
"You listen to what I'm saying, Eph. I've known you longer than Mr.Ulwin has. Just remember that we're boys--b-o-y-s--boys. Not one ofus is quite eighteen yet. If we've gained a little fame for fiveminutes, we mustn't begin to imagine that we're eight feet high and ona par with men forty years old. So be careful, Eph. If anyone startsto have any fun with you, come back at him a different way."
"How?" whispered Eph.
"Look stupid."
"What?"
"Look stupid."
"I don't see much in that."
"Why, it's the funniest answer possible; and, besides, it isn't fresh orforward."
"How do you make that out?" Eph inquired.
"Why, Eph, boy, if you're half as famous as you may think you are, thenfolks will know you can't be stupid. So, if you pretend to be, you'llhave everyone guessing what you mean by looking that way. On the otherhand, if you look stupid, and no one is surprised, then you'lldiscover that that's just the way the crowd had you sized up inadvance."
"I see," nodded Eph, but it was plain that Jack's almost direct commandwas not wholly pleasing to Somers.
The two comrades now caught up with Ulwin and Hal at the elevator.
"We'll go up to the reading room, first," proposed Lieutenant Ulwin."That's where the afternoon crowd is usually found."
Anyone who had been looking for "color" or pomp would have beendisappointed. The only uniforms in sight were those worn by two bellboys. The officers of the Army and Navy present were all in citizendress. They looked like a lot of cheerful, prosperous business men.
"Hullo, Ulwin, what are you doing with my friends from Dunhaven?"eagerly called one young man, rising hastily and coming forward. "Benson,I'm glad to see you. And you, Hastings. And you, Somers."
"Didn't know you knew the young gentlemen, McCrea," broke in Ulwin.
"Don't know them? When they made me the laughing-stock of everymess-room crowd in the Navy for months!" retorted McCrea.
Jack, Hal and Eph were shaking hands with the speaker with a good dealof pleasure.
It was Lieutenant McCrea, one-time watch officer on the battleship"Luzon." At one time McCrea had doubted that submarine boats were,in all respects, as wonderful craft as was claimed. The submarineboys had paid him back in most laughable fashion. Lieutenant McCrea,at one time, had felt himself much aggrieved over the wholesome teasingof his brother officers in consequence; but he had long since learnedto accept the whole incident as a good and deserved joke.
Now, McCrea stood wringing the hands of the boys as though he had foundlong-lost friends.
"What are you doing these days?" McCrea wanted to know. "Anythingbesides testing new boats at Dunhaven?"
"You must greet them as comrades, McCrea," continued Lieutenant Ulwin.
"What? Cadets at Annapolis?"
In this case McCrea wondered at their being there, for cadets would beconsidered forward who visited an officers' club.
"Benson is a lieutenant, his friends ensigns," replied Ulwin.
"Come, come!" laughed McCrea. "I'm easy--these boys know that. Butdon't tell me--"
"Fact, though," replied Ulwin. "They hold special appointments, forsome special duty or other. I'm here, at the direction of the NavyDepartment, to introduce these young brother officers of ours, and toprocure ten-day cards for them."
By this time the news had spread. A score of officers, young ormiddle-aged, were crowding about. Ulwin had his hands full introducingthe submarine boys. Yet they stood the ordeal well. The habit ofcommand, based on discipline, had given these boys plenty of poise andself-possession. Nor were any attempts made, at that time, to have anygood-humored fun with them. Half a dozen officers representing foreignnavies were present. These, too, came in for introductions. Theforeigners were, mainly, military or naval officers attached to foreignembassies at Washington.
"By Jove, Benson, I've had it in mind, for some time, that I wanted tomeet you and grasp your hand," murmured Lieutenan
t Abercrombie, of theBritish Navy, as he drew Lieutenant Jack to one side. "By Jove, oldfellow, I want to meet you soon and have a good old talk all byourselves."
"That will be most agreeable to me," nodded Jack, pleasantly.
"And your comrades, too," added Abercrombie. "You know, you're alreadyknown on the other side. Fact, I assure you. Only the other day Ipicked up a London magazine and read quite an account of the doings ofyou three. I was especially interested in an account of how you threediscovered a way of leaving a submarine at the bottom and swimming tothe surface; then diving and re-entering the craft while she's still onthe bottom. But your method is a secret, I suppose?"
"Yes," smiled Jack. "At least, the American Navy alone shares thesecret with us."
"Oh, I'm not asking it, you know, old fellow," Lieutenant Abercrombieassured him.
"Is Mr. Benson here?" called a bell-boy, from the doorway.
"Very much so," replied Lieutenant Ulwin, dryly.
"May I give you a message, sir?" asked the bell-boy, coming closer.
After excusing himself, Benson stepped aside with the boy. Yet thelatter spoke loudly enough for several to overhear.
"There's a lady, downstairs at the door, would like to see you, sir.She says it is very, very important, sir."
"Did she give any name?" inquired astonished Jack.
"No, sir; she begged you would overlook that, sir, and just step downto the door for a few moments."
"All right; I'll go," nodded Benson. "But it looks queer."
Excusing himself to his host, Ulwin, and to some of the officers withwhom he had been chatting, the leader of the submarine boys went quicklyto the coat-room for his hat, then descended in the elevator.
"Vairee strange place, zis, for a lady to follow a zhentleman--to heesclub," drawled a French captain.
One or two of the others laughed, imagining that this was some flirtationin which the submarine boy had been engaged. But Eph flared up a bit,looking very red, as he muttered:
"It's only fair to tell you, gentlemen, that we submarine boys don'tappreciate jokes at the expense of the finest fellow who ever lived--Mr.Jack Benson!"
"Good boy" murmured Teal.
Yet, when an hour had slipped by, and Benson had not returned, even hisloyal comrades began to wonder a good deal. From that frame of mindthey passed on, at the end of another hour, to worry.