Ralph was ready in fifteen; the bruise on his head was not serious and he felt much refreshed by the bath he took. But he was worried and ill at ease as he approached the captain’s cabin, and his appetite momentarily abandoned him. He was in great awe of Captain Waddell and the idea of breakfasting with him made Ralph uncomfortable in mind. But this did not last, for as soon as he entered the cabin the captain immediately put him at ease.
“You ought to be hungry, Mr. Osborn; a midshipman can always be depended upon at all hours to be hungry, but you’ve been up since three this morning and have had an exciting time. So I’ll expect you to enjoy your breakfast. Now try that melon; it looks like a good one. And there’ll be coffee and bacon and toast and eggs after the melon—a regular navy breakfast. Now tell me about your father, my old friend; I haven’t heard of him for years.”
“Father is dead, sir,” replied Ralph soberly; “he was killed in a street-car accident just a little more than a year ago.”
“Indeed! I hadn’t heard of it. I’m awfully sorry. What a pity!”
Captain Waddell asked many questions and went into Ralph’s life at the Academy. He was much interested in the watch episode and in the anonymous letter the superintendent had received. “It’s evident that there’s some one there determined to injure you. This means, Mr. Osborn, that you must be doubly particular in everything that you do. If you are the young man I take you to be you will have no occasion to worry over this unknown foe. And being forewarned gives you an additional chance to protect yourself. As the superintendent and commandant know of this state of affairs, your unknown foe, should he continue in his efforts against you, will really have a hard time to injure you. It shouldn’t be possible for him to do so provided you live a good life and are mindful of the regulations. And one thing more, Mr. Osborn; should a serious trouble come to you where you will need a friend, I want you to write me frankly; it would be a great pleasure to me if at any time I could be of service to the son of my old friend.”
Many months later, when charged with a most serious offense which he could not deny because he was guilty and for which he was court-martialed and dismissed from the naval service, Ralph Osborn remembered these words of Captain Waddell.
CHAPTER XVI
A Boiler Explosion
“Hello, Collins; glad to see you back,” greeted Lieutenant-Commander Graham, as Collins came aboard the Puritan a week later. “How is your wife?”
“She’s all right, sir; she’s recovering. The doctors say all danger is passed and there’s nothing now to fear.”