The heads of the Battleship Boys were in a whirl of expectancy for the rest of the day. The afternoon hours dragged slowly along, but at last the evening mess was over, and they quickly gathered their dunnage, starting for the New York boat with light and happy hearts.
Each boy had nearly fifty dollars in his pockets as the result of his three months’ service at the Training Station. This money, however, they had decided to deposit with the paymaster of the ‘Long Island’ as soon as possible after arriving on board.
The next morning Dan and Sam were up just as the Fall River Line boat was about to pass under the Brooklyn bridge.
“Look!” cried Dan. “Do you recognize that yellow building over there?”
“Can’t say that I do. What building is it?”
“It is the recruiting station where you and I joined the service three months ago. And now, just think of it, we are jackies. Everybody knows we are jackies as soon as they look at our handsome uniforms.”
“Yes,” breathed Sam, “and there’s the very Flag under which we enlisted.”
Instinctively the Battleship Boys removed their caps and came to attention, in which position they stood until the towering Sound steamer had swept on and began rounding the Battery.
CHAPTER XI—ON BOARD A BATTLESHIP
“Small boat with two enlisted men approaching, sir,” called out the deck watch of the big battleship “Long Island.”