"That will be all, Davis. You may retire."
The court of inquiry closed soon after that, and the board took the evidence into consideration, excluding all persons from the cabin, including the captain.
The whole ship's company seemed to feel a sense of depression. They did not believe their commanding officer had been at fault, but they knew that Seaman Davis had saved the ship. Envious eyes were cast at the lad during the rest of the day. Dan, however, appeared not to observe this. He was more worried than any of his fellows, feeling that perhaps had he acted upon his first impulse, and notified the ship's officers of his discovery, all this might have been avoided.
After the inquiry the board lunched with the captain. Then they took their departure from the ship with the same formality that they had boarded it. It was noticed, after they had left, that the commanding officer appeared much relieved. His face brightened considerably, and the lines of worry that had appeared there after the accident seemed to have disappeared.
"I guess the Old Man feels better," whispered Sam to his chum. "He must have got a hunch."
They did not know it, but the board had held him blameless, subject to the approval of the Navy Department.
"Don't use slang. And, besides, I do not like to hear you refer to our captain as the 'Old Man.' It is not respectful."
"Everybody calls him that."
"Well, you are not everybody. Be different, for a change."
"Everybody in the Navy calls the captain the 'Old Man.'"