“Put ve ton’t vos do dot right avay,” came from Carl Stummer. “Ve got to vait for besser veather. Dis vos den-dimes vorse nor dot rainy season in Luzon, ven we sleep in vater a foot teep. Maype you remember dot, hey?”
“Yes, I remember,” said Gilbert, with a short laugh. “But we had some pretty interesting times, for all that, didn’t we?”
“Oxactly so.”
“I’m wishin’ fer thim same times this minit,” put in Dan Casey. “Sure an’ ye must enlist, leftenant. Say the wurrd, an’ I’ll do all in me power to git ye a commission.”
“No, I can’t do that—at least, not now;” and then Gilbert told the pair about his business affairs, and how anxious he was regarding the Columbia and those on board.
“So Ben Russell and his brother Larry are on board,” cried Dan Casey. “That’s as interestin’ as it is to mate you, so it is! Sure an’ I’d like to see ’em.”
“Maype da vos into dis fight, too,” said Carl Stummer. “Pen Russell vos a porn fighter, remember dot.”
“An’ Larry could go into the navy,” said Casey. “A fellow that fought wid Dewey could enlist on any Japanese warship.”
Unfortunately the sharpshooters had to move on, so Gilbert could not question the pair of old comrades in arms farther. But he made an appointment for that evening, and the three spent several hours together, talking over old times and speculating over the future. Both Casey and Stummer urged Gilbert to enlist, and at last the ex-lieutenant promised to think the matter over.
“An’ if ye do, be sure to git wid us,” said Dan Casey.