Two Boys of the Battleship Part 17

"Oh, it wasn't anything," protested Frank, blushing. His blushes could be seen now, for this was some time later, and he and the others had washed. Hank, who had received a bad cut on his head by the fall, was sent to the hospital, though he had regained consciousness, and was not badly hurt.

"It was a plucky act," went on the officer. "But it only goes to show of what stuff Uncle Sam's jackies are made of."

The effects of the explosion were soon cleared away, and an investigation started to ascertain how it had happened. But it was one of those unaccountable things that frequently occur on even the most perfectly-manned battleships. Fortunately, no serious damage had been done, and no one hurt except Hank, and his injury was due to a slip and fall that might have occurred even when he was swabbing down the deck.

The affair had one good and lasting effect, however. Of course Hank did not fail to learn who had picked him up and carried him from the turret when the explosion was about to occur. And, harmless as the explosion turned out, there is no doubt that had any one been in the turret at the time, instead of at the entrance, he would have been killed, or at least badly injured. So Hank learned that, in effect, Frank had saved his life at the risk of his own.

And when the bully had recovered and reported back for duty he went up to Frank before the whole mess at hammock-slinging time one evening, and held out his hand.

"Will you shake, Arden?" was asked.

"Why certainly, Dell," was the quick answer.

Their palms met in a warm clasp.

"I want to apologize," went on Hank. "I've acted pretty mean toward you and your brother, and I'm sorry. But I'm done now. If ever you want a friend on this ship, count on me!"

"Thank you," said Frank, "I don't hold any grudge."

"I'm glad of it," responded Hank. "I know I've been rotten, but I'm through. It was fine of you to take me out. I shan't forget it!"

"Three cheers for Frank Arden!" called some one.

They were given with a will that brought an officer on the run to see what was happening. But when he saw what it was he smiled and turned away.

"And three cheers for Hank Dell!" proposed Ned.

It would have puzzled any one to tell which cheers were the heartiest.

And from then on, though occasionally he was up to some trick, the bully was a changed youth. He gave no more trouble, and Frank and Ned had no firmer friend. From being rather careless and neglectful of his progress, he became studious, and in this he was encouraged, for the officers are eager to have their men promoted.

"So that explosion was a good thing after all," remarked Ned, some time later.

"Yes, though it looked mighty ticklish at the start," responded Frank, with a smile.

There were other rifle practices as the weeks pa.s.sed, sometimes with big guns, and more often with the small arms and quick firers. Ned and Frank went in for gunnery work, for which they seemed to have a peculiar apt.i.tude, and in this they were encouraged by their superiors.

Quite often they wrote to their uncle, and also heard from him. Friends had reopened his case, but it was dragging slowly along, and there was no immediate prospect of his release.

"I wish we could help him," said Frank, with a sigh.

"So do I," chimed in Ned. "But how can we?"

There did not seem to be any way in which the boys could a.s.sist.

Drill and instruction went on unceasingly aboard the _Georgetown_. There are nine princ.i.p.al drills aboard a battleship. These are great gun drill; infantry and light artillery; boats, under oars or sails; signals; collisions and abandon ship; fire-quarters; general quarters; clear ship for action; and coaling ship.

Some days only one or two drills may be ordered, and on others none. Nor are they followed in the order given, for above everything else the government does not want life aboard ship to become monotonous. Often the drills were broken into by short, instructive talks by the officers.

In the succeeding chapters will be briefly told of what each drill consists.

It was one day following boat drill, when the small craft had come racing back in response to the recall signal, that Frank and Ned, whose boat had won an impromptu race, observed signs of unusual activity aboard.

"What's up?" Frank asked a petty officer.

"Just got wireless orders," was the answer. "We're ordered South!"

"Ordered South?" echoed Ned. "Where?"

"Down to a small South American republic. Uridio it's called. I never heard of it, but there's some sort of a revolution there, and we're ordered down to protect American interests. I didn't know Uridio was on the map."

"Well, we did," said Frank in a low voice to his brother. "Oh, Ned!

That's where Uncle Phil's property is. Maybe now we'll get a chance to help him!"

CHAPTER XVI-HEAVY SEAS

Such eager hope shone on the faces of Frank and Ned Arden on hearing the news that the battleship was ordered to South America, that the sailor who had given them the information remarked:

"Say, you fellows must be glad of it!"

"We are!" declared Frank. "Why, aren't you?"

"I should say not!" was the emphatic reply.

"You don't mind because we may be mixed up in some fighting, do you?"

asked Ned, in some surprise.

"Of course not! It's the climate I object to. It'll be hot down there-as hot as blazes, and if we have to go into action, and use the big guns, why being inside of the turrets will be worse than being in a teakettle."

"Oh, I guess we can stand it," returned Frank.

"Huh! Wait until you try it once," went on the blue-jacket. "I was down in the tropics once when we had some evolutions, and say! I haven't got rid of all the blisters yet. That's what makes me wonder when I see you fellows showing all sorts of signs of joy!"

"Well, some of our money is invested down in that little republic, and we want a chance to see what it looks like," Frank explained.

"Come off! What sort of talk are you giving me?" demanded the sailor.

"Money invested, and you working for Uncle Sam? Tell me something easier to believe," and he laughed in a good-natured way.

Frank and Ned exchanged meaning looks, and tacitly agreed that perhaps it would be better not to go into any explanation of the matter. It would be hard to convince the ordinary blue-jacket that the two battleship boys once possessed a considerable fortune that was now tied up because of political troubles in Uridio. It sounded more like a tale from a book, than the real thing, as Frank admitted to his brother later.

"So we'd just better keep still about it, I think," he said. "Of course if we get a chance to do a good turn for Uncle Phil, and, incidentally ourselves, we will. We can speak to the captain or some of the officers about it, and we have papers that prove what we say is true. Only there is no use in going into all this to any of the sailors."

"I guess you're right," admitted Ned. The two lads did have certain doc.u.ments that would establish the truth of what they had said, namely, that their fortune, as well as that of their uncle, was tied up in investments in the "banana republic," as the small countries of Central and South America are often called.

Matters regarding Mr. Arden's affairs had not changed of late, according to the last advices received by the boys. They had not, as they had hoped, been able to visit him at Atlanta.