CHAPTER XXII
MART TURNS UP
After that Tip and Nelson managed to be together a good deal, for although visiting the officers’ quarters was something Nelson didn’t attempt again, there was nothing to keep Tip from seeking out Nelson. Consequently, when the latter was off watch Tip was always on hand to share his idleness. In the few days that he remained aboard the Gyandotte the young midshipman became a favorite with officers and men alike. He was such a sunny, smiling, happy-go-lucky youth that it would have been impossible not to like him. Nelson suspected that the ship’s officers would gladly have kept Tip in the wardroom on many occasions when that youth was down on the lower deck with Nelson or, eagerly curious, following Garey around Number Four gun and listening to the plugman’s explanations.
There was just one exciting half-hour on the eastward run, and that came at dusk of the day that brought them in sight of the French coast. A U-boat appeared quite brazenly a mile northward and it fell to the lot of the Gyandotte’s gunners to fire the first shot. Tip stood by on that occasion while Number Four gun crew got into action and while Nelson, now pointer, landed two five-inch shells on the patch of water that a moment before had held a sinking conning tower. That the shells did any damage is doubtful, nor were the three destroyers that raced to the spot any more successful with depth bombs. But the submarine didn’t discharge any torpedoes, or, if she did, they went wild, and while the escort combed the sea the eighteen big transports, filled with Canadian troops, fled zig-zagging to safety.
The next morning the transports were safe within the nets and the convoys scattered to their bases, the Gyandotte following four of the destroyers up the coast by Penmarch Point, across the Channel entrance and past the Scilly Islands and so home to the green-rimmed waters of Queenstown.
Nelson found promotion awaiting him, as did four others, as a result of the Gyandotte’s North Sea engagement. It was no longer Seaman Gunner Troy, but Third Class Gunner’s Mate Troy, and he was soon wearing his single chevron and the crossed cannons on his sleeve and trying to avoid looking down at them when anyone was around. In honor of the advancement, Tip took him to dinner on shore and they made a very splendid occasion of it. Tip was still in the dark as to what was to happen to him, and spoke scathingly of the Admiralty because of its indifference to his future. Meanwhile, however, he seemed to be getting along very comfortably, spending a good deal of time at the Officers’ Club or aboard ships in harbor, hobnobbing with his friends. The second day after the Gyandotte’s return two events of interest occurred.
The first was the arrival in port of four new United States destroyers. They came gliding in soon after sun-up, the Stars-and-Stripes fluttering bravely, to a welcoming shriek of whistles from anchored craft. Big, able ships they were, long and low-cut abaft the forecastle, but with staunch, stiff bows. Triple torpedo tubes instead of twins: five-inch guns in the main battery instead of fours: “all the modern improvements,” as Garey phrased it, and a reputed speed of thirty-four! Cheering and cheered, the newcomers swept to anchorage, and officers debarked and hurried shoreward to report to headquarters on the Hill. Those fine, new sea-terrors chirked everyone up immensely, and there was a marked increase in patriotic fervor, or, at least, in the expression of it. It was generally conceded now that the Kaiser’s day was about over! Even Ferris, although critical of several features about the new craft, was heard to remark that he guessed “the Limies couldn’t show anything better.” Nelson got ashore in the afternoon and met Tip and was secretly very proud when Tip went into raptures over the new destroyers and sighed for the command of one of them.
The second event arrived some twenty minutes later and left Nelson momentarily breathless. He and Tip were on the way to Police Headquarters for a chat with the sergeant, who had become quite a crony when, turning a corner, they ran plump into a broad-shouldered American Jackie, who emitted a blood-curdling yell and rushed upon them. Tip squared off, resolved to sell his life dearly, but Nelson, after a moment’s stupefaction, began to yell too, and the bystanders were treated to the sight of two hitherto apparently sane young sailors locked in each other’s arms and doing a sort of bear dance about the pavement.
Tip retired to a position of safety and grinned sympathetically and counted “One, two, three! One, two, three! Swing!” until, laughing breathlessly, the two broke apart and became coherent.
“Nep, you old horse-thief!”