"That seems to say we're going up in the night," said the first speaker.
"You've hit it," said another; "that's exactly what we are in for."
"Whose idea is this of painting the decks?" asked a fourth.
"Bill pretends it's his," said the boatswain's mate. "He thinks it's a great idea. But I was by when he got his orders, and I know it originated with Dewey."
"I don't care where the idea came from," said the sailmaker, "I don't admire it."
"Why not?"
"Because it's just the wrong thing. The boys on the Pensacola and the Oneida are rubbing the decks over with mud, so that the Johnnies will have a hard time to distinguish them. I think that's the true idea."
"I can't agree with you there," said the boatswain's mate. "As soon as we get fairly into it the smoke will be so thick that the Johnnies can't see through it very perfectly anyway. And that's just when we want to see everything on our own deck."
"It may be so," grumbled the sailmaker; "but if it comes to that, old Dewey'd better have the river whitewashed, so that he can see to con the ship."
This bit of sailor wit created laughter, of which the little company were in much need, for some of them were not at all hopeful of the coming contest.