“Do you remember Lieutenant-Commander Hesler?” he exclaimed happily. “Well, I tried to imitate the sound of his orders and I don’t know what I said. I think most of it was Japanese, but I was not so frightened that I forgot when the orders should be given.”
“Did you see anything of the war?” Phil asked the question suddenly.
“I was in the big battle with Admiral Kamikura; on his staff,” Takishima answered proudly.
The two midshipmen gazed with envious eyes at their classmate. They now regarded him in a different light. He was no longer the unassuming little midshipman they had known at the naval academy; inoffensive, good natured, ever willing to play a practical joke and never hurt when one was played upon him. This diminutive youngster, probably a year younger than they, had taken part in, seen with his own eyes, the greatest modern naval engagement of the century. He had seen great battle-ships in action, had experienced the horror of high explosive shells bursting near him. He had seen many men killed and battle-ships sink beneath the seas, carrying their doomed crews with them.
“There was one point on which you were touchy, Taki, and I could never understand why,” Sydney said, and immediately looked as if he would have liked to withdraw the question, for he saw a cloud of annoyance pass over Takishima’s face.
“At being called a ‘Jap’?” Takishima asked. His face was quite sober as he made his inquiry, and received Sydney’s nod.
“Would you like me to call you a Yankee?” The question was asked almost fiercely. “Well, that’s why I didn’t like being called a Jap. I don’t know why, and neither do you, but you see we both object to the words being used to us by people of another race.”
“I’ll try to remember, Taki,” Sydney agreed in conciliation, “but we Americans are so prone to abbreviate everything. We don’t mean to belittle you when we speak of your people as ‘Japs.’”
Mr. Impey, although silent, had not missed a word. He was carefully studying the characters of this little scene. How might he use them in the plans that he had been carefully formulating in his scheming brain? Trained to diplomacy, he quickly perceived the relationship existing between these naval men. Their training had been along parallel lines, but one had gone back to his own people and had been entrusted with duties high above the grasp of his classmates in naval school days. The Americans impressed Impey as irresponsible boys, while the young Japanese seemed deeper, more thoughtful and calculating. Impey could see that each in time of peril would not shirk danger; but the Americans would be rash, while the Japanese lieutenant would be cautious and calculating.
“And you,” Takishima asked quickly, to change the subject; “you have seen service?”