“We’ll make it a deep-sea combination,” he had said; “something more appropriate to the raging main than nigger minstrelsy. We’ll have Father Neptune and his suite.”
The idea captured the plebes at once, and they had lost no time in settling on a programme.
Clif, disguised as Neptune, was to occupy the center of the circle. At the ends were to be Trolley, Toggles, Joy, and another plebe named Grat Wallace. They were to take the parts of bones and tambo, but to be clad in the fantastic garb of sea wolves.
Eight other plebes, dressed in cadet uniforms, were to occupy the other chairs. They were supposed to represent eight mortals captured by Neptune and compelled to assist in entertaining him.
The plan was novel, and Clif was very anxious to conceal it from outsiders until the curtain rose on Saturday night.
His efforts had proved successful and he was doubly concerned at this last moment to keep the secret. While the company was preparing for the final rehearsal he carefully examined the curtain and saw that the plebe sentries were alert.
But he totally forgot several deadlights and two gun ports which opened from the gun deck. They overlooked the sea, and for that reason it probably never occurred to him that they could be utilized by prying eyes.
When he returned from his tour of investigation he found the “Naval Academy Plebe Minstrel Troupe” in their places in full costume.
The orchestra was rather weak. It consisted of two asthmatic fiddles, a brass horn, an old drum, and a peculiar instrument Trolley had rigged out of a dishpan and a variety of strings.