“What is the transparent coating on this bottle that makes it glow soon after it reaches the water?”
“I don’t know anything about it, sir.”
“Jordan, don’t you know that, in maintaining this defiant attitude, you are only injuring your own case?” Darrin demanded, warningly.
“I can’t tell you anything else than I’m telling you, sir,” the sailor cried, angrily. “I have been telling you the truth and I won’t lie, sir.”
“I don’t ask you to lie,” Darrin observed coolly.
“But you won’t believe me, sir.”
“No,” said Dave, rising. “I don’t. Corporal, take this man back to the brig. And see to it that you don’t repeat anything that you have heard here. As you go out pass the word by messenger to the officer of the deck to have Seaman Ferguson relieved. As soon as that is done Ferguson is to report to me here.”
So swiftly are orders carried out on a destroyer in war-time that it was less than a minute later when Ferguson knocked, entered, saluted, and stood, cap in hand, before his commanding officer.
“Ferguson,” Dave began, “outside of your being stationed with him, have you seen much of Jordan?”
“About as much, sir, as I see of any shipmate who isn’t any particular friend of mine.”