But how would it be if strict, unthinking, unhesitating obedience were not exacted from every man and officer in the service to the commands of his superior officers? Why, on the day of battle the army or navy would be a mere squabbling mob, worse even than the British Parliament.
I may mention here that it was his cheerful obedience to orders, his good-natured smiling alacrity—minus officiousness, mind you—his unselfishness and his bravery, that gained for Jack Mackenzie the proud position he now held.
Young men who mean to enter the service should read that last sentence of mine over again, ay, even get it by heart.
I digress, you say? So I do.
Well, I was saying that the Tonneraire was a happy ship. All the officers, both junior and senior, agreed. The chief lights of the senior mess were Tom Fairlie, always good-humoured and cheerful; honest MʻHearty, rough and genial; young Murray, the boy marine officer, merry and innocent; and Simmons the master, who would have his growl, who was all thunder without the lightning, but a very excellent old fellow, when young Murray didn’t tease him too much. Between MʻHearty, Fairlie, Murray, and Jack himself a strange sort of a compact was made. It was Murray who proposed it one lovely moonlight night, when the four were together on the poop. Young Murray had cheek enough for anything. He was the second son of a noble lord, and would himself be a lord one day—probably. Not that his rank in life made him any the cheekier, but I suppose it was born in the boy. He cared little or nothing for the etiquette or punctilios of the service when it suited him not to. For example, he one day actually linked his arm through that of an admiral on the quarter-deck. Everybody was aghast; but the good old admiral merely smiled. He knew boys and liked them.
But that night on the quarter-deck Murray said openly and innocently to Jack: “I like you, sir—fact, I wish you were my brother; and you too, Fairlie, though you’re a fool sometimes; and you, MʻHearty, though you’re often absurdly rough. I wish we could be together for years and years and years, in the same ship, you know, and all that sort of thing.”
“Well, why not?” said MʻHearty. “Let us try; eh, captain?”
“I’m agreeable,” said Jack.
“And I,” said Fairlie.
“Hurrah!” cried Murray. So the compact was made.