"Why—why, this is a magnificent stateroom," he found himself saying.
"It is the room that the commander of this vessel has always occupied," was the smiling rejoinder.
Lieutenant Ned Strong gave one of his winning laughs in return.
"Upon my word, Mr. Summerville," said he, "I can hardly wake up to the fact that I am to command this fine little craft."
"Well, you certainly are, for the purposes of this war game, anyhow. They've got a notion that I'm rather a dab at strategic navigation, so they've passed me on to the Washington cruiser. Let me congratulate you on the command of a fine little craft."
"Thank you, you are very good," replied Ned; "but I hate to dispossess you."
"Pray don't mention it. You see I have often heard of you and your shipmate, and I am as glad as anyone of your deserved promotion. I only hope that it may be permanent."
An inspection of Herc's cabin next door followed. It was smaller and very much plainer than Ned's and contained no desk and only two chairs. But had it been Aladdin's palace, it could not have gratified Herc's delighted eyes any more than it did.
"But I'm forgetting something," said the Ensign suddenly. "Let us go back to your cabin, Mr. Strong. Your orders are on your desk. You will also find a secret code book, to which you, only, will possess the key with one of your junior officers, and signed copies of your commissions."
As Ned already knew that the orders under which he sailed were sealed, he did not glance over them just then. Instead, he let his eyes feast on the engrossed copies of their commissions and a document which stated that Lieutenant Edward Strong was to take charge of the gunboat Seneca till "further orders from this department," and that Ensign Hercules Taylor was to be his second in command and assume such duties as were assigned to him on board.