The liberty party from the old Monongahela was composed of one-half of the port watch, and the forty odd cadets composing it glanced back in gleeful triumph at their less fortunate mates, who were watching their progress with lugubrious faces from the forward deck.
Conspicuous among the latter were Grat Wallace and Trolley, neither of whom were member of that half of the port watch.
They were doubly sorry that their names had not been included. They regretted that they were not going ashore and also that Clif, whom they liked and admired more than words could tell, would not be able to go with them on the morrow.
For Clif was in one of the boats speeding ashore, and naval cadets on a practice cruise are not permitted liberty two days in succession.
With Clif in the leading cutter were Joy and Nanny. And in the whaleboat following were Judson Greene and Chris Spendly.
Judson was very thoughtful on the way to the beach. He replied only in monosyllables to the chatter of his crony. He was evolving in his mind a scheme by which the boy Pedro’s newly developed hatred of Clif could be worked to the latter’s undoing.
And he was also going over in his mind the reasons why he, himself, hated Clif so bitterly. The thoughts carried him back to Annapolis and beyond.
There was a long list of little plots and conflicts and rather shady schemes Judson had originated, but he always had been worsted in all these conflicts.
This enmity started in Hartford, Conn., from which city both had entered the academy, and it had continued until the present moment.
When the cadets landed at the main dock they found a crowd of idlers gathered there, possibly attracted by the rumor that a number of American naval cadets would pay a visit ashore.