The North Pacific

resting was the "fire drill." A succession of loud, hurried strokes on the ship's bell brought the men hurrying up from below. Some ran to the hose, uncoiled it and coupled it to the

th the wonderful precision that characterises every naval movement. If the emergency should really arise, in the midst of a storm or under the enemy's fir

west between Martha's Vineyard and the mainland. Nobska Head and, three hours later, Gay Head, were sig

ordered Ensign Liddon,

round to that point. At about twelve knots an hour, or fifty-five revolutions of the screw to a minute, the ship crept ste

as cast. "After all, it's a good peacemaker," said Lieutenant Staples, as he made his inspection tour, accompanied by Dr. Cutler. "There's thirty-six hundred pounds of peace,"

outh of the Potomac, she brought up for the night, a light fog rendering navigation difficult in those crowded waters. Early the next morning the gunboat weigh

signal was answered by the battleship, and the executive reported to Rexdale, "Permission to proceed, sir." When tw

lifted their white pillars; past the little cove where Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln, landed after crossing the Potomac in his mad flight; on toward Washingt

m the ship's forward deck. The ensign was half-masted, every man on board faced the shore and stood at

he gunboat, and towed her to the navy-yard wharf, w

ace which were destined to exert an important inf

g his Academy course; full of fun, and a great joker. While the original ward-room mess were at first disposed to regret, if not to res

then docked and out of commission; Fred Larkin, who happened to be in Washington; and two young girls, nieces of a Government official of high standing, Ethelwyn and Edith Black, aged respectively sixteen and nineteen. These fair young A

had fallen from her sunny hair to the floor, "we've never been on a war-ship

er hostess. "You've just about shaken me to bits. Yes, Lieut. Commander Rexdale is ni

l your m

ould we accept, if she wer

emarked Wynnie demurely. "You'll see how nic

right paw, c

pretty

. "I've seen you 'behave nicely' before now!

officers?" asked Ed

about quarantine regulations and the Red Cross; and Mr. Ross, the paymaster, I suppose. Oh, and I believe there

y bashful, I know. I shall consider it my

vilian reporter, navy-yard gossip with Mrs. Commandant, international complications with her husband, and nonsense, flavoured with dry wit, with Edith. Dobson told the story of his rescue from the hazing party

boat-wreck on the lonely Desertas, near Madeira, w

r of cannon, the cries of the fierce combatants, in its dainty appointments. It fell about, however, that, as was natur

ther Powers-in point of naval s

d returned to his office on the Yard. Oddly enough, it was the civilian

carry out our present rather indefinite plans we shall be, by 1908, the

proximate number of large ships i

y I do not," rep

thoughts and statistics. "England has two hundred and one, n

his ship small?" crie

ide," laughed Liddon. "Well, I was about to add that France has ninety-six big ships,

cantly. Just behind his shoulder a pair of dar

ould have a poor show at sea

with you," said Dr. Cutler lightly, no

o the little Japanese,

d Rexdale. "What do you think about the ch

English was not quite as perfect as

and a round of hearty applause followed the di

ested Starr. "It's getti

where chairs had been placed for them. The gentlemen lit their cigars, "not (Starr gravely

Liddon with Edith, and Dobson with Mary-is of no consequence. It is probable that the two sisters explained to their respective escorts that in the early fall they expected to travel to India, China, and Japan, going via San Francisco, and returning through Euro

renewed the conversation which had been b

s any of them in naval rank, we must hurry up our ship-builders. Germany expects her battleship in commission in three ye

ost?" asked the older lady, who

le. "And a right lively war costs the countr

, thrown away," added the doctor. "It is not like e

eep the peace, so that there'll be no war," put

actually fought a battle with a second-year man,"

One good upper-cut on that fellow's jaw won peace for the whole crowd. If Dewey hadn

think?" asked Larkin. "If they do, t

eady they have one hand on Vladivostock and the other on Port Arthur. Japan, crowded in its little group of islands just ou

r. Cutler. "She has an army, they say, of four and a ha

we can call Korea and the coast of Manchuria, by six thousand miles, with only a single-track railroad bet

, who had paused a moment in his walk,

-humoured laugh. Then, resuming: "As to the Russian navy, matters would be just a

rly mounted the steps to the quarter-deck and with the usual stiff

He had no sooner read the few lines i

rty to an end, but my orders leave me no choice. Mr. Staples, I must see you and the rest of t

them to retire so early and brought that new ring to the commander's tones. They bade good-night to the youn

ed the girlish voices from the wharf, while their late comp

for you. We are ordered to coal and take on stores and ammunition for sea without delay, sailing one week from to-day, if poss

nd laughing gaily as they performed their pleasant social duties and joked with their merry guests; they were officers in the United States Navy, ready for the duty at hand; willi

ow myself," added Rexdale. "There are new complications in the far East-that is al

rs, the pantry door, which, though no one noticed it, had been slightly ajar, closed noiselessly. Behind it were two

red. "Teikoku banzai!