“No, but it makes me mad to hear kids that don’t know a half hitch from a square knot talking about getting in the gunners’ class!”
He glared rather vindictively at our two friends, though they did not know of anything they had done to merit his displeasure. His name was Henry Dell, but he called himself “Hank.”
“That’s the sort of lad who is looking for trouble. Steer clear of him,” counseled the sergeant in a low tone to Frank and Ned, as he led them toward the mess hall where they would have their meals.
CHAPTER XI—“ALL ABOARD!”
“Say, Frank, when do you think we’ll really go on board a battleship?”
Ned asked this question of his brother, who was busy writing to his uncle, in the federal prison, telling the unfortunate man something of their new life.
“On the battleship?” repeated Frank, as he sealed the missive. “Well, I shouldn’t be surprised if it were very soon now.”
“Really?” cried Ned in incredulous delight. “How do you know?”
“Oh, well, rumors have been going around that some of the more advanced of us would be given our chance soon.”
“And do they count us advanced?”