“You’ll do nothing of the kind, Bollup,” indignantly exclaimed Ralph; “you’re not aware of what you’re saying. You must have a contemptible opinion of me if you think I’d allow such a thing as that. I’m in tough luck but I want no friend of mine to think I’m low down.”
“I’m all broken up, Os,” said Bollup huskily; “I feel I’d do anything to serve you, even to telling an untruth.”
“You’d lie to save me, old man,” replied Ralph, much affected, pressing Bollup’s hand, “but you’d die before you’d lie to save yourself. No, there’s no use; I’m up against it. But I’d like to know what part Creelton had in this, and who the midshipman was that put Mr. Chappell up to this job. It was Short, of course, who planned it. But who was the man with whiskers, and who was the midshipman? By George, Bollup, we passed them ourselves.”
“Yes, what a pity we didn’t notice who the midshipman was.”
“I pointed out Creelton to Mr. Chappell this afternoon, and Chappell is positive it wasn’t Creelton.”
And so they talked, Bollup commiserating with Ralph, and going over the same ground over and over again.
The court met at one o’clock the next day. Five lieutenant-commanders and four lieutenants, all officers on duty at Annapolis, impressive in their brass buttoned frock coats and swords, with stern demeanor gathered around a long table. A few minutes after they had assembled Ralph was brought in before them. His heart sank as he glanced at the faces about him; he knew no other verdict than that of guilty would be forthcoming.
“Do you desire counsel?” he was asked by Lieutenant Colton, who was the judge-advocate of the court and as such the prosecuting officer.
“Yes, sir; I would ask for Midshipman Himskihumskonski.”