CHAPTER III JACK--CHIEF BOATSWAIN’S MATE

The next evening Jack cleared the table for his mother after supper and got the dining room all snug and shipshape. His own room was very small and at the top of the house; and, as his mother had offered to bring in some refreshments for the boys later in the evening, Jack asked permission to hold his meeting in the dining room.

His father had gone out to his Lodge, and Mrs. Perkins was very much interested in Jack’s interview with the younger boys. Her father had been a sea captain, and there was a picture of one of his ships hanging over the mantelpiece in this very room. Some beautiful large shells which he had brought home from one of his voyages stood over the fireplace, under the picture of his vessel, the _Sally Smart_--an old-fashioned clipper ship--famous in her time for her speed and style. The whole room had a somewhat nautical flavor; and in one corner was a low long lounge with a broad shelf partially overhanging it, which gave the general appearance of a ship’s bunk.

When Jack had won the cup for the broad jump, representing the Northbridge High School, Mrs. Perkins, in her motherly pride, had put the pewter cup alongside of her father’s shells on the mantelpiece.

It was a warm, spring evening. The scent of the lilacs was wafted in through the open door, and Jack could hear the boys’ footsteps as they came through the dooryard up to the porch. He met them at the door and led them into the dining room.

“You come right in here, kiddies, and make yourselves at home. You might as well get into the bunk there in the corner, all of you, and be as comfortable as you can before I begin with you, for I hope to get you good and tired by the time I get through!”

The small chaps could not help feeling at ease under the influence of Jack’s cordiality. He was really glad to see them, and they knew it, and so they took him at his word, and all three--Dick, Tom, and Chippie--snuggled into the bunk together, half sprawling and half sitting, like a litter of young pups.

“Fire away now,” cried Dick, “we don’t care whether school keeps or not; and, whatever you’ve got to say, I guess we can stand it!”

“Well,” replied Jack, “joking apart, I’m feeling pretty well this evening myself, for I have just had news from Mr. Miller that I am appointed Chief Boatswain’s Mate of the _Bright Wing_ for the first cruise. Now, you lazy lubbers, take notice that the Chief Boatswain’s Mate is the father of the crew, and you’ve got to mind what I tell you, or you will have to stand on the seam, or walk the plank, or do anything else that Dad says.”

All this was said so good-naturedly that even Chippie, the youngest, was encouraged to answer back; so he called up with his small voice out of the recesses of the bunk:

“Gee, boys, he talks as if he were the Captain and Mate and the Admiral of the fleet all at once; but I guess he means well enough!”

“Good luck to you, Boatswain’s Mate,” called out Tom, “it’s a good thing to get some of your ideas ahead of time, and then we’ll know what to expect.”

“Say,” said Dick, “aren’t there any officers above you, or are you and the crew the whole show?”

Jack sat listening to these flying remarks with quiet satisfaction. “No matter what _I am_,--you’ll find that out soon enough; but I’ve been thinking myself that there is nothing like ‘being prepared’ when you have a good job ahead of you. I shall have to see that you lubbers are licked into shape the first or second day on board, and I might as well begin now, and so have more time for the others later on!--See?

“But, before we begin, I’d like to find out whether you know what ‘standing at attention’ means; for if you get that right from the start, it will save you and your officers a lot of bother.”

The boys began getting up out of the bunk; and, before they had all stood up, Jack gave the command “Attention!”

All three were on their feet in an instant, and then Jack formed them in line and made his inspection.

Dick, in his eagerness, was stiff and leaning over backwards; Tom stood fairly erect with chest up, but his fists were clenched; and Chippie stood with one foot about six inches ahead of the other. None of them looked straight ahead with quiet eyes.

Jack corrected all these mistakes very carefully, impressing upon each one the necessity of practising by himself until he could stand with heels together, chest up, back erect, little fingers on the side seam of trousers, and eyes looking straight ahead, without thinking of the details, but, as it were, automatically. Then he gave the command “At Ease!” and explained that they could take any position they chose, provided that one foot remained in the same place.

“Now tumble into your bunk again, for we’ve lots more to talk about. When you get home, look up the subject of ‘Etiquette’ in the pamphlet, ‘The Organization of Sea Scouts’, and there you can find out when you are supposed to stand at attention, and how to salute, with a few other necessary things.” Jack then drew himself up with an air of great authority: “Ladies and Gentlemen, I will now proceed with my instructions to this pirate crew. The subject will be divided into three parts: The first, Officers and Petty Officers; second, the Plan of the Deck; third, Etiquette and ‘A Sailors’ Cheer.’

“Number one: I have been asked whether there are officers higher in rank than myself. It might have occurred to the intelligent inquirer that--the--Captain--is--in--charge--of--the--vessel. All orders come from or through him; but, just as on board a man-of-war, the Secretary of the Navy would be higher in rank than the Captain;--so, on board a Boy Scout ship, the Chairman of the Sea Scouting Committee outranks the Captain. Under the Captain are the Mate and Sea Scout Master of equal rank, the First Mate being the Captain’s assistant in sailing the vessel, and the Sea Scout Master being in command of the crew of boys. For the rest of the organization I refer my audience to the same interesting pamphlet, ‘The Organization of Sea Scouts.’ My own responsible office, upon which I will permit no reflections, is that of the first of the four Boatswain’s Mates, or the Chief Boatswain’s Mate, as I think I have before remarked. I am in command of the first section of the first (or forward) division in particular, and of all four sections in general. I am the chief Boy Officer; but, while occupying this exalted position, I recognize the authority of my superiors and the authority of the scout law. I am immediately responsible to the Sea Scout Master and his assistants, but may also receive orders from the Boatswain, the Mate, the Captain, and the Chairman of the Committee. If I were to get a ‘swelled head’ and refuse to obey orders (which is impossible, I trust), it would be the duty of the First Mate to deal with me in the traditional manner of first mates on all self-respecting vessels.

“Number two: I have drawn up a diagram of the ship’s deck, showing the position of the quarter-deck (Number 1); the cabin companionway (Number 2); the crew’s day bunk (Number 3); the side ladders (Number 4); the berth deck companionway (Number 5); the fo’castle companionway (Number 6); and the jib netting (Number 7); the latter being an airy place suspended between sky and sea, where sleepy scouts off duty can take a nap after dinner.

“Gentlemen will please copy this diagram, so that, if necessary, they will be able to reproduce it in their sleep and find their way about the deck in the dark. There are many other things to learn about the ship, both inside and out, but this is just to give you a start. I shall be glad to answer any questions at the proper time.”

A confused mixture of voices came out of the bunk. The boys had become much interested in Jack’s lecture, and three pairs of eyes gazed out upon him from the dim light, one pair peering from under a shock of red hair belonging to Chippie Smith; one black pair that belonged to Dick; and a blue pair that shone out of the freckled face of Tom’s cropped towhead.

“Say, who’s the chairman?”

“What’s a companionway?”

“What are the side ladders for?” etc., etc., etc., _etc._, and right in the middle of the uproar, Jack rose and gave the command “_Attention!_” All sprang from the bunk and stood facing the door from the kitchen which had just swung open. Mrs. Perkins stood in the doorway with a tray in her hands, upon which were a pitcher of lemonade and some hot gingerbread, fresh from the oven.

All the boys stood as quiet as mice until she had deposited the tray on the table. When Jack had thanked his mother, he gave the command “At Ease!” and she turned to the boys, almost with anxiety, to find out whether Jack had made his talk pleasant and interesting.

She had a sailor’s blood in her veins, and she knew that a ship’s company must be a happy one if it was to do anybody any good. So she seconded Jack’s efforts with the true sailor’s cheer and the boys felt nothing but pleasure and enjoyment in connection with their little taste of drill in nautical knowledge. They all sat down to their supper, but Jack reminded the boys that he had not reached the third point of his lecture, namely that of Etiquette, and then asked his mother’s permission to round up the evening’s instruction, which he did quite simply and without any more mock heroics.

“Now the next thing I want to tell is about the quarter-deck. You see, boys,” he said, “in ancient times every ship carried a crucifix high up aft, and the National Ensign was flown just below it. These two symbols represented together the idea of God and the King, and therefore were saluted whenever a man passed over the side, either on arriving aboard or leaving the ship, and whenever a man came up from below on to the deck. We preserve the same custom now both in our Navy and on Boy Scout ships; because, although the crucifix and the King have disappeared, the ideas of God and our country always remain, and the custom of saluting the quarter-deck--whether the flag is flying at the time or not--is an expression of the first words of the scout oath: ‘_On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country._’”

It was interesting to note the change in Jack’s manner as he solemnly repeated these words. Any one could have seen that he regarded them as very important and as expressing an idea to be held in reverence. The younger boys listened attentively and, after a little pause, during which his words seemed to be sinking into their minds, they thanked Jack for giving them such a good send-off, and then thanked his mother with real gratitude for her friendliness and the good little supper which they had so much enjoyed.

All hands parted in high spirits, full of expectation of the time when they should actually tread the deck of the _Bright Wing_.

As they were going home, Tom suddenly said: “Gee, I guess I’ll get up an hour earlier to-morrow morning and work on that diagram!”

“Say,” said Chippie, “he didn’t tell us the positions of the four sections on the deck; I’d like to mark them on my drawing. I’ve half a mind to go back and ask him now!”

“Oh! come along,” said Dick, “it’s too late; my Dad says you mustn’t drive a willing horse too far.”

“All right, Dick!”

And so they separated, each one to his own home and bed, to dream of bunks, and quarter-decks, and companionways, all mixed up together.