“You stupid, stop that!” barked Stubby. “Do you want to bury us alive, or have some one come to see why the coal started rolling?”
“No, of course not, but I am so glad to be on the last lap of our journey home that I had to express myself in action or blow up.”
“I should think you had had enough blow-ups for one while. And you are likely to have another before we reach New York harbor, for which port I hear this ship is bound,” said Billy.
“New York, did you say?” asked Stubby. “Oh, I am so glad we are sailing for New York instead of for Philadelphia, Baltimore or some other port. I always like to return to America by way of New York and have the Goddess of Liberty welcome me home with extended arms.”
The trip across the Atlantic was a fast and pleasant one and the Chums made friends of all on board, just as they always did wherever they were.
They waited until the second day at sea before they showed themselves, and when they came slowly walking up on deck and stood before the Captain as much as to say, “Here we are! You may do with us what you will,” he nearly fell over with surprise and then took pity on them, for they were a sorry, hungry looking trio after having been shut in the coal bunker for a day and a night. He ordered them scrubbed and fed, and when he saw them again he did not recognize them at once, for he thought they were all three black. Now the dust was washed off them, he found only one was black, while one was yellow and the other white.
As he stood looking at them, the sailor who had been ordered to wash them came up and after saluting the Captain said,
“Captain, will you kindly read what is on the medals around their necks? They each have one, but they do not show unless you look for them as they are concealed by their hair. When we went to work on them we found each wore a medal around his neck.”
While the Captain was reading the medal Billy wore, he had a good look at the Captain and was surprised that he had not noticed before that this Captain was the very same one with whom he had crossed when he sailed for France with his regiment. At the same time the Captain recognized Billy.
“Well, well, Billy, old boy, how are you? But no need to ask, for you are looking fine. And the only thing different I see about you is that you have lost the end of your tail. Blown off by a bomb, I bet! But where did you pick up your two friends? Wait; I will read what their medals say and perhaps that will throw some light on who they are. Lieutenant, come here!” called the Captain to a second lieutenant who was passing. “Just read these medals and see whom we have with us.”