“What a fine-looking enlisted man,” said Ralph Osborn to Creelton. “I’ve seen him in the fire room; he’s a chief water tender, and he was awfully good about answering my questions; but he was of course pretty dirty down there. I’d no idea he was such a splendid man in appearance.”
“He’s a good looker, no doubt about that,” agreed Creelton, “but I didn’t have as much luck as you had. I asked him lots of questions but didn’t get much out of him. He was polite, but evidently wasn’t interested in me.”
Hester was indeed a man good to look at. His face indicated strength and character; and the square jaw and determined blue eyes made one feel he would accomplish what he set out to do.
“What is it, Hester?” demanded the executive officer, coming up.
“Sir, I am on the liberty list, and I request special permission to go at one o’clock to-day instead of at five o’clock, when the liberty party goes.”
“Granted, if the chief engineer can spare you. Anything else?”
“Yes, sir; I request my liberty be extended till six o’clock to-morrow night with permission to come aboard to-night to sleep.”
“Granted, under same conditions.”
“Thank you, sir.” Hester saluted and walked forward where he was immediately joined by Collins.
Soon after the midshipmen were taken ashore to visit the ship-building works, and Ralph saw wonderful sights. The machine that most impressed him was the “shears,” as it was properly called. These shears cut great iron plates over an inch in thickness “as quickly and as easily,” Ralph thought, “as I can cut a piece of paper with a pair of scissors.” And then he saw riveting machines, and wonderful hundred-ton steam hammers at work. He returned aboard much impressed.