CHAPTER VIII--JOINING THE NAVY

This time it was Frank's turn to stare at his brother as Ned had stared at him when Frank announced that they had been robbed. And as Ned had done, so did Frank, for the moment saying nothing. Then, finally, as Ned continued to stare at him with a smile on his face, Frank repeated:

"Enlist?"

"That's what I said," replied his brother. "Look on that picture--and then on, this!" and by a gesture he indicated himself and Frank. "Here we are," he went on, "almost penniless in New York. By a strange trick of fate we've lost everything that we formerly had. We've either got to beg, or go to hunting work to keep from starving. On the other hand--look at those fellows! If they haven't just had the very finest kind of a meal I don't know what I'm talking about!"

Ned pointed to the bright and cheerful picture of the blue-jackets.

"Say, you're getting quite dramatic," commented Frank, as he drew nearer to the poster, which was one of two put on a V-shaped board standing in front of a hall entrance, in which was a placard announcing

NAVY RECRUITING STATION

"Dramatic!" echoed Ned. "I guess you'd get dramatic, too, if you saw starvation staring you in the face."

"Worse and more of it," murmured his brother.

"Well, what do you think of it?" asked Ned, as Frank continued to stare at the poster. "We've got to do something, so why not do this? You know we've both been keen on getting on a battleship, and this is our chance. Maybe we wouldn't have come to it if it hadn't been for our misfortune. I'm sure we can pass the examination," he went on. He and his brother were in excellent physical trim, for they were active lads, always in training.

"Well, since you've brought up the matter," said Frank, speaking slowly, "I don't mind telling you, Ned, that I had something like this in mind all along."

"You did?"

"Sure. After the crash, and when Uncle Phil had to go away, I knew there'd be a shortage of money. Now, though we have pretty good educations, we haven't been trained for any work yet. So I looked into this navy business, knowing you were as crazy about battleships as I was, and I found out that not only does Uncle Sam train young fellows to be good sailors, marines and soldiers, but by enlisting in the navy you can acquire a trade at which you can earn your living if you want to quit after your term of enlistment is up."

"Is that so?" asked Ned.

"It sure is. Why we can learn to become machinists, bakers, firemen, shipwrights, plumbers and fitters, boiler makers, cooks or musicians."

"Really?" cried Ned.

"Well, I should say so! I read it all up. But your proposition sort of took me--er--"

"Call it amidships, if we are to enlist," suggested Ned, with a laugh.

"All right--it sort of took me amidships," agreed Frank. "I was figuring on looking about New York a bit, trying to get work, perhaps, and then enlisting."

"And you never told me. Though you did speak something about a chance to get near Atlanta, where Uncle Phil is imprisoned."

"Yes, that was part of the game. You know when a fellow used to enlist in the navy he was sent to a training ship. Well, that's all done away with, and now the government has a number of naval training stations on shore, near the water, of course. There's one at Norfolk, Virginia, and we might ask to be sent there. If we were, we could get leave and go to Atlanta, perhaps."

"Say, you have it all thought out, haven't you?" exclaimed Ned, admiringly.

"Not all," Frank admitted. "And perhaps we couldn't get to Atlanta after all. But it's worth trying. So now I'm with you, old man, and we'll enlist--or try to. Maybe they won't take us."

"Oh, I think they will," Ned said, confidently.

A recruiting officer, in a natty uniform, looked at them closely as they entered the hallway.

"Looking for the recruiting office?" he asked, with a smile.

"Why--er--yes," admitted Frank, a bit bashfully.

"One flight up--turn to your right," he directed them.

Ned and Frank went into a barely-furnished room, where two or three men were sitting about. One had a sergeant's chevrons on his sleeve, and to him Frank spoke.

"We'd like to enlist," began the lad.

"That's fine," was the hearty response. "We're looking for good lads, and you two seem to size up pretty well," he added, drawing a pad of paper toward him. "Not running away from home, or anything like that, are you?" he asked, pleasantly enough.

"No; home sort of ran away from us," answered Ned, with a laugh.

The sergeant looked at him closely for a moment, and then smiled himself.

"What's the story?" he asked. "That is if you don't mind telling me. Perhaps it might save trouble in the end," he suggested.

"We'll tell you," replied Frank, and at a nod from the sergeant the other seamen in the room arose, saluted and went out.

"No use telling everyone your troubles," went on the government's representative. "Now I'll listen to as much as you want tell, so go ahead."

Frank acted as spokesman, and related all that was necessary concerning their change in fortunes. He related the facts of his uncle's arrest on a political charge, and, to his relief, the sergeant seemed to think lightly of it.

"Well, you certainly are up against it," he remarked, when the story of the pocket-picking had been told. "As for that charge against your uncle, it doesn't amount to a hill of beans in my estimation--I mean as far as any disgrace is concerned.

"Some of those little South American republics are crazy places anyhow, and they'll do anything to an American who they think has money. I don't see any reason, in what you've told me, why you shouldn't join the navy if you can pass the physical tests, and you look fit," he added.

"Oh, I guess we're all right," Frank said.

"And we're pretty well at home on the water, and in and about boats," added Ned.

"I should think you might be, having lived on Great South Bay so long. That will be a help, too. Some of the recruits get terribly seasick, and though it doesn't last forever, still it's just as well to escape it if you can. Now I've got to ask you a lot of questions, and you'll have to answer. First, I suppose both of you are over eighteen years old. Otherwise you'll have to get your uncle's consent."

"I'm past nineteen and Ned is over eighteen," said Frank.

"Then you'll come in all right. Now for the rest of it."

The two boys who hoped soon to be doing duty on a battleship, answered many questions over which I will not go into details here. They had to tell of their past history, give their birthplace, the date, and many other details.

"It's a little late for the doctor to-day," went on the sergeant, when he had written down the replies of Frank and Ned. "You'll have to be pretty thoroughly looked over by him. Can you come back to-morrow?" he asked.

"Sure," replied Frank.

"And now--er--I don't want to butt in, but how are you fixed for money? You said you were robbed, and--"

"Well, we have a little left," said Frank.

"Now, I'll tell you what I'll do," broke in the sergeant. "I'll just send you to my boarding place, and be responsible for you. There is a vacant room there you can bunk in. If you are accepted you can easily pay the small charge from your wages. If you are turned down--well, I guess it won't break me to stake you to one night's lodging."

"Oh, perhaps we have enough," said Frank, quickly.

"Save what money you have, friend!" interrupted the officer, with a smile and a wave of his hand. "You may need it before you begin drawing any cash from Uncle Sam. Now you can sit here until my trick is up, which will be in about two hours, or you can go out and see the town. Come back about five-thirty, and I'll take you to my place."

"I guess we've seen about all of the town we care to," said Ned, significantly, patting the empty pocket where the watch had rested.

"We could go up and get our valises," suggested Frank.

"Good idea," the sergeant told him. "Go ahead, and come back here, where I'll meet you."

As Frank and Ned went down to the street again the younger lad remarked:

"Well, we've joined the navy. Now we're going to be the two boys of the battleship."

"We've joined all right," agreed Frank, "but we haven't actually been accepted. The doctor has yet to see us."

"Oh, we'll pass all right," asserted Ned, confidently.