Army and Navy Weekly — page 7: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ARMY AND NAVY sage. Ah! there goes the boatswain’s mate to pass a call.”? A sturdy old sailor with the insigna of a petty officer upon his sleeve rolled to the vicinity of the mainmast and gave a Jong, shrill whistle, adding in a deep, salty voice that had been trained in many a gale: ‘‘A-a-all hands-s-s, dress ship! And st-stand by to man yards. Look lively !”? Like wildfire the word went along the deck: ‘“The king is coming on board!”? I believe that is right,’’ Clif said, to Juanita. ‘*They are certainly excited enough. Well, I must leave you for a little while. Duty calls me up on one of those yards. Please do not go away until I see you again.”? , ‘‘T am afraid I must,’’ the girl replied. ‘‘T promised to lunch with father in the city. Il stay a moment to see the king, though. By the way, Mr. Faraday, father would be pleased to have you call at the house this evening if you come ashore.”? ‘‘And you?’ asked the lad softly. ‘What aquestion,’? murmured Jaunita, her-eyes falling under his ardent gaze. “Why, I—I—that is—my father’s wish is law, you know. I must coincide with what he says.”? ‘‘No, that is not enough,’’ persisted Clif. : ‘Well, if you insist,’’ laughed the girl, 6677] saya ‘“Haw! here you are, my dear Miss Windom. Ha! Ha! you quite escaped tis, Deueed=-ctuel of you, don’t ye know.’ The Englishinan sauntered up, twirl- ing his monocle in an affected manner. Turning to Clif, he added: ‘“What’s the row, dear boy? Are you going to boinbard the blooming town ?”’ ‘"No,’’ shortly replied Faraday. ‘‘The king is coming on beoard.”’ The effect of this commonplace an- nouncement upon the Englishman was reinarkable. He started as if struck; his face becaine - ashen in color, and he appeared to. breathe with difficulty. ‘What is the matter?” startled. ‘‘Are you il] ?”’ ‘‘No—no, a little attack, that’s all, don’t ye know,’’ replied Cate, recover- asked Clif, 1061, ing himself with an effort. Another mo- ment and he had regained his usual com- posure, ‘‘Haw! bah Jove, Richard is himself again,’’ he drawled, carefully adjusting his eye-glass. ‘‘So his Royal Highness is coming aboard? I'll be glad to—aw— myeet him, don’t ye know.”’ ‘And so will he be glad to meet you— not,’’ replied the cadet, the last word sotto voce. With a low bow and a smile to Juanita he hurried away to his station. The two girls strolled to the other side of the quarter-deck as if unconscious of the Englishman’s presence. Once alone, the latter’s face again took on that hunted expression noticed by Clif, He leaned against one of the broadside guns and stared absently through the port. ‘It is fate,’? he muttered, ‘‘grim fate. It is ordered and must be done. It’sa pity, too. The other chance was so good. Just think of it; strings of them, and each worth a fortune. And the girl too. If I had the opportunity and that cub of a boy was out of the way—but- what’s the use of dreaming. Duty first, then pleasure. Yes pleasure, if?’—he laughed mirthlessly—‘‘if I live to enjoy if. 2 A shrill piping of the boatswain’s whistle interrupted his soliloquy, and he turned to see a rainbow of gay bunting flaunt bravely from a line stretched over the three mast trucks. Some one near him pointed in the direction of the shore, and exclaimed that the king was putting off in the royal barge. There was a rush for the side, but J: Cheshire-Cheshire Cate remained in his former position, the expression upon his face becoming more and more _pro- nounced, In the meantime Clif had joined the other cadets in the work of preparing the ship for the royal visitor. Clif was a plebe, and his duty did not carry him above the deck, but he found plenty to do elsewhere. Shortly after he left Juanita the crew were called to quarters. Each cadet hurried to his station at one of the guns comiclbooks.con