“Thank you, sir.”
Soon the three officers from the gunboat found themselves on the quarter-deck of the battleship “Katahdin,” flagship of the Asiatic Fleet.
Captain Tucker received them and then remarked:
“I have orders to conduct you at once to Admiral Branch.”
The Admiral gave the three visiting officers pleasant if formal greeting.
“This is my report, sir, in writing, of the affair at Nu-ping,” declared Lieutenant-Commander Tuthill, passing over a bulky official envelope.
“Quite so,” observed Admiral Branch. “I will read it at once.”
For more than five minutes the three officers remained seated, and in silence, while the Admiral slowly turned the pages of the report.
From time to time the fleet commander frowned. Dave, noting this, wondered to what features of his conduct in Nu-ping Admiral Branch most objected.
“Dave is surely going to catch it,” reflected Dan Dalzell uneasily. “I wonder if I shall come in for some of the scotching, too. But probably there’ll be no such luck. Dave was ranking officer ashore, and I acted only on his orders. I wish I could take my share in the storm.”