Dick gave a grunt as he bent over the periscope table. His face was hidden by the periscope hood, so the disgusted expression which he wore could not be seen.
Dick Ferral did not easily forgive a slight. From the first, Glennie had struck him “on the wrong side,” and it would take time before Dick got over his dislike.
Carl, in this respect, was like Dick. Neither of the boys could ever forget the lordly air assumed by the ensign when he hove to alongside the submarine in the launch. The “mister” which Glennie had imposed upon them still rankled in their bosoms.
Up to that moment off Port of Spain there had been no “misters” on the Grampus. The formality demanded by Glennie had been a strain on the friendly relations of the crew—and perhaps on the crew’s temper as well.
Glennie heard Dick’s grunt, even though he could not see the disgusted expression on his face, and he whirled and stared sharply at Dick’s back.
“Discipline iss going to der dogs on dis ship,” mourned Carl, in mock dejection. “If ve don’d haf more discipline dere is going to be drouple, ain’d it? First t’ing you know, I vill haf to be calling my olt pard Misder Bob, und my odder olt pard Misder Dick, und den if somepody ton’t call me misder, I bet you I preak his head.”
“That will do, Carl,” said Bob, noting the flush that crossed Glennie’s face.
“That’s all right, Mr. Steele,” spoke up the ensign. “I started that, and they’re within their rights, I suppose, when they rub it in. All I can say is that I didn’t understand your method of running this boat. Now, in the navy, we have to have discipline; we have to have our gun crews, our watches, and all that; and we have to insist on a certain amount of respect from subordinates. The admirals require it from the captains, the captains from the commanders, the commanders from the lieutenants, and so on down through the various ranks of commissioned officers. Even a passed midshipman,” and he smiled a bit grimly, “has the pattern always before him, and he is taught to exact his due from all the noncoms. But, as I say, I didn’t understand how matters were when I boarded the Grampus. I—I am sorry I took the stand I did.”
Just how much it cost Glennie to make that apology probably none of the boys, not even Bob, could realize. But he made it right manfully, and Bob stepped toward him and put out his hand.
“Say no more, old fellow,” he cried heartily. “We all of us get out of our course a little, now and then. Before we get through with this cruise we all are going to understand each other a whole lot better. Carl and——”