CHAPTER XV--A BAD BANGED-UP BULLY

"Oh, why didn't he tell the captain that Kester had knocked him down," muttered Dan. "I tried to signal Sam, but he would not even look at me, so interested was he in what was going on. They never would have held him had they known the truth."

The lad went about his duties in a thoughtful mood that afternoon.

Dan, by his close attention to duty, his manly bearing, his enthusiasm, had attracted the attention of his superiors. Their eyes were frequently upon him, which was a distinct gain for Dan, in view of the fact that the battleship's crew consisted of nearly eight hundred men beside her forty officers.

Dan did not know that he was being observed, nor would it have affected his conduct in the least had he known it. He had made up his mind to be an officer some day. He felt confident that this great thing would come to pass. But the goal seemed a long way off at the moment, when, with paint brush in hand, he painted and painted from morning until night, varying his occupation late in the day by grabbing up his deck swab, and, in bare feet, joining the deck division in scrubbing down decks.

Being a sailor by instinct, the Battleship Boy did not consider any work that he had been ordered to do beneath him.

At sunset, that night, the bugle blew for "colors," meaning the formalities always observed in lowering the Flag at sunset when the ship was at anchor. This was the first time Dan had had an opportunity to see "colors" since he came aboard, for the ship had been under way constantly.

A few moments before the sunset hour the different divisions marched aft to the quarter-deck, each division in charge of a midshipman or an ensign. Coming to a halt, the divisions faced midships, banked on each side of the quarter-deck.

Grouped aft on the starboard side was the band. In the center stood the captain, with his executive officer, facing the Flag, and with the marines drawn up just back of the jackies.

A deep silence pervaded the deck.

"Attention!"

The Flag slowly fluttered toward the deck, every face being turned toward the stern, every eye fixed on the Flag as it crept slowly downward.

As the Flag reached the deck the band struck up "The Star-Spangled Banner." The heart of every jackie on the quarter-deck swelled with patriotism, the strains of the national anthem bringing a deeper color to the rows of tanned, manly faces lined up in solid ranks on the quarter-deck of the battleship "Long Island."

"Attention! First division right face. Forward, march!"

To the rhythmic tap of the drum the ship's company began marching from the deck in steady lines, one division following another, until all had disappeared save a group of officers who stood chatting on the quarter-deck.

The day's work was practically done for all except those who were on watch duty. All hands repaired to the evening mess, and for an hour there was quietness on board ship.

Dan asked permission to visit his companion in the brig that evening. The permission was abruptly refused. During the rest of the evening the lad was unusually silent, and as soon as hammocks were piped up, he hurried off to bed, but not to sleep, for his thoughts were with Hickey down in the brig. Had he but known, there was little cause for worry. Sam was not fretting, but was sound asleep on his hard bed.

On the following morning, during the hour when the smoke lamp was lighted, Dan was pacing the forward deck. His righteous indignation over the wrong that had been done his chum was welling up within him until it momentarily threatened to overmaster him, resulting in some act that would bring punishment on himself as well.

Kester had risen from where he had been lounging on deck smoking his pipe. Dan had not observed him. The lad was too fully occupied with his own thoughts to give heed to what was going on about him.

All at once he became aware that some one was speaking to him.

"How's your red-headed friend this morning?"

Dan glanced up quickly, to find himself face to face with Bill Kester.

He eyed the bully with a steady gaze.

"Don't want to speak to me, eh?"

"No. I shall be very much obliged if you will keep away from me. If you don't, I am afraid I shall forget myself."

Kester laughed long and loud.

"Forget yourself! Ho, ho, ho! That's a joke--the funniest thing I ever heard. You think you can bluff Bill Kester, do you?"

"I never bluff."

"You'd better not."

Dan clenched his fists, but started to move away. He dared trust himself no further, for his wrath was rising to the danger point, yet there was nothing in his calm manner to indicate that such was the case.

Kester stepped in front of him.

"See here, you landlubber, them high and mighty airs don't go down with me, and you'll find they don't. You've got a few things to learn on shipboard----"

"I shall have to find some one else to teach me, if I have," retorted Dan sharply.

By this time other eyes had been attracted to them.

"I reckon Bill is trying to pick a row with Davis," said one.

"Let them go. It will do the boy good to get a trimming."

Kester's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, you will, eh?"

"That is what I said. Do you wish me to repeat it? I will do so, if your hearing is not good."

"I said, how's your red-headed friend this morning?" growled the bully, his chin protruding pugnaciously.

"Ask the master-at-arms if you wish to know. I am not obliged to answer your questions. There is no use in trying to be courteous with you. You wouldn't understand it at all."

"You take that back, or----"

"Look here, Kester," hinted Dan, a new light appearing in his eyes. "Red-head, as you call him, may be easy, but don't monkey with DYNAMITE. That's all I've got to say to you."

"You throw it at me, do you? What you need is a good licking, and that's what you're going to get. I'll run both you landlubbers out of the service. I'll trim your jib right now and make the job complete."

Dan gazed at him calmly, and as he stood there facing the big man the Battleship Boy appeared almost frail beside the other and more powerfully built man.

"What is it that you propose to do? Don't keep me waiting. I have things of more importance to attend to."

Kester took one step forward, making a sudden, vicious pass at Dan Davis's head. He followed it quickly with another blow with the left hand.

By this time several jackies had started up.

"Quit it, Bill. Can't you pick somebody of your own size to fight with? If you can't we'll do the job for you. We'll----"

The speaker paused suddenly. All at once things began to happen that caused them to pause in open-mouthed wonder.

Both the bully's blows had landed on thin air. Davis had deftly side-stepped out of harm's way. The lad paused for one brief instant, poising on his toes, then he leaped straight at the husky sailor.

The men said afterwards that they could not tell which was Bill and which was Dan Davis. The air was full of flying fists, and above the shouts of the sailors was heard the sound of heavy blows.

The jackies yelled and shouted their appreciation. Such a lively set-to they had not seen in many a day.

At at once Bill Kester sat down on the deck with a resounding bump, while Dan Davis stood with a calm smile on his face, gazing down at the astonished bully.

Then the sailors discovered that which set them wild with enthusiasm. Both of Kester's eyes were blackened and rapidly swelling, and were almost shut. His lips were puffed out to twice their natural size and on the right side of his head he wore a "beautiful" cauliflower ear.

Bill was dazed. He had been through many hard-fought battles, but never had he quite met with as sure and quick disaster as in the present instance.

"I--I'll fix you for this," he snarled, getting to his feet, groping for the companionway, which he could not see, for by this time his eyes were shut by the swelling.

"Why not do it now!" suggested Dan. "There is no time like the present, and besides we may not get another chance."

"I can't see, or I'd----"

"Let me help you."

To the amazement of the delighted jackies, Dan took the bully by the arm and courteously assisted him to the gun deck.

"Here, you men," he said. "Help Bill down to the sick bay. He's just bumped into something hard."

Dan returned to the deck, where the sailors crowded about him to congratulate him, but Dan would have none of it. He got at his work as soon thereafter as possible, but he felt sure there would be trouble--that he would be disciplined for his action.

"Anyway, I've got even for that blow he gave Sam," muttered the lad.

He was right in his surmise. Trouble did follow. Both Bill Kester and Dan Davis were called before the mast at one o'clock that afternoon.

This time there were several witnesses, all of whom had volunteered to testify in behalf of the Battleship Boy. There were three petty officers among the number, and, to Dan's surprise, two commissioned officers who had chanced to see the whole thing. Each assured the captain that Davis had acted purely in self-defense.

The captain consulted Kester's record and nodded his head.

"I sentence you to three days in the brig on bread and water, with no full rations during that time," announced the captain. "The next time I will make it thirty days."

"Davis," he continued, turning to Dan, "I am fully satisfied that you acted wholly in self-defense. No marks will be placed against you."

Secretly the captain was well pleased that the bully had gotten such a sound drubbing. The man's face was a sight. The plasters over the nose plainly located the spot where Sam Hickey's fists had landed, while the eyes, lips and "cauliflower" ear testified to the power of Dan Davis's muscular punches.

"Remember, however, Davis, that fighting is discouraged aboard ship. Fighting will be severely dealt with in all instances. Providing a man is acting in self-defense, with no fault on his own part, that fact will be considered in passing upon any disturbance that he may become involved in. You understand thoroughly, do you not!"

"Yes, sir," answered Dan, saluting.

"You are a new man. Be guided wholly by your officers. When in doubt consult them."

Kester was led away to the brig to serve his sentence. Sam heard them coming along the corridor. Stepping to the door of his cell he peered out through the grating. A grin spread over his face as he caught sight of the woebegone figure of Kester.

"Hello, Bill," he jeered. "Who have you been thumping?"

The bully made no reply, and a moment later the cell door clanged behind him.