“That’s it. How do you like the Reserve service—er—by the way, what’s your name?”
“Troy, sir. I like it very well, only—I’d rather be on the other side.”
“I see. Yes, of course. Well, I dare say you’ll get there in time. How long have you been serving?”
“Only about five months. I joined in November. I was at Newport until a month ago. Do you think, sir——”
“Well?” asked the man, encouragingly, as Nelson hesitated.
“Do you think I’d have stood a better chance to get across soon if I’d joined the Navy instead of the Reserves, sir?”
“I don’t think that would have made much difference, Troy. You youngsters have to wait your turns, you know. We try to select men for the other side who have seen service, but we can’t be too particular now, for there’s a ship asking a complement every day or two and you new men are getting your chances fast. Navy enlistment has been slower than we hoped for so far, but I think it will pick up. Meanwhile you must console yourself with the knowledge that what you are doing along the coast is just as important as what our lads are doing in British waters. It’s very necessary work, even if it isn’t spectacular.”
“Yes, sir, I suppose it is, only I want to learn gunnery, and there isn’t much chance on our boat. I’m hoping that if I don’t get across pretty soon I’ll get transferred to the Atlantic Fleet.”
“Gunnery, eh?” mused the other. “I see.” He was silent a minute. Then: “Just write your name on the back of that card, will you?” he asked. “Here’s a pencil. That’s it, thanks. I’ll tuck this away and perhaps I can do something for you before long. Now tell me,” he went on as he slipped the card into a leather wallet, “about that little adventure you had a couple of weeks ago, for I take it that it was the Wanderer that brought in that German spy, Lieutenant—Haegel, isn’t it?—and his cronies.”
So Nelson told of the incident, and afterwards, led on by his sympathetic audience, told about everything else he knew! It was a veritable orgy of talk for Nelson, and later on, no longer under the spell of the other’s personality, he wondered how he had ever come to do it! They parted at a junction soon after Nelson had completed an account of the attack on the Jonas Clinton, and his new acquaintance shook hands and said he hoped they would meet again and got off without further reference to that half promise. But Nelson rejoined the Wanderer in quite a hopeful frame of mind and in much better spirits than when he had left New Bedford. Of course, he reflected, it might be that nothing would come of that encounter, but there had been something about the Navy official suggesting that he had a good memory, and that his half promise was as good as another man’s written agreement.