CHAPTER II.
AN IMPORTANT DUTY.
“Well, orderly, what is it?”
Captain Dunham, commander of the Manhattan, looked up from his desk in his handsomely furnished quarters. A smart-looking orderly had just been bidden to enter the cabin.
“The master-at-arms states that eight men are ashore, sir. Overstayed their leave, sir,” responded the orderly, saluting.
The captain thought a minute. Then he gave a sharp order.
“Send Gunner’s Mate Strong to me.”
The orderly saluted, clicked his heels and vanished on his errand. Five minutes later Ned Strong stood before his captain. As we know, Captain Dunham had a strong feeling of regard for Ned and Herc, and had watched their careers with interest. He raised his eyebrows as he saw Ned’s bruised face. Although the boy had shipped a new uniform, rating badge and all, the dark marks of his encounter of the previous day with the park runaway still showed.
“What is the matter with your face, Strong?” asked the captain. His voice was rather stern. Perhaps he thought his favorite among the crew had been mixed up in some brawl ashore.
“Why, I,—that is, we—sir, I mean Herc—Coxswain Hercules Taylor and myself stopped a runaway horse in Golden Gate Park yesterday afternoon, and I guess I got a little battered up.”