On Friday of this week the senior or first classmen were to be graduated, and each of the lower classes was to be promoted one class. Up to this time Ralph’s classmates were derisively called fifth classmen and functions. Though the upper classmen, from the midshipmen point of view, esteemed fourth classmen, or plebes, to be the lowest things in the Navy, having no privileges and but few rights, yet the new midshipmen had not even yet arrived to that low estate.

These young gentlemen looked upon every upper classman as a possible enemy from whom brutal hazing might be expected. But the actual hazing proved to be very different from what had been anticipated. Ralph Osborn found himself standing on his head several times and sang several songs, but these acts, though certain to cause the dismissal of the perpetrators if detected, were always done in a spirit of fun, and were as much enjoyed by Ralph as by the hazers. Naturally Bollup received more hazing, or running, as it is called at the Naval Academy, than any of his classmates. Bollup deliberately determined to have as much fun out of the hazing as he could, and his zeal in always doing more than the hazer demanded, and his antics and absurd answers created much merriment and gave him a reputation as being “a fresh plebe.” He frequently intentionally forgot to add the word “sir” in replying to questions. This was always insisted upon as expressive of a proper respect toward his seniors.

“You must never forget to say sir, Mr. Bollup,” gravely ordered Mr. Smith, who was well known as “Gruff” Smith by all midshipmen.

“Must I even think it, sir?” demanded Bollup, innocently.

“Yes, you must always think it, even to yourself; the first training a midshipman receives is to respect his seniors.”

“All right, sir; you’ll find I’m always the most respectful midshipman at the Academy.”

“Put on a sir at the end of your sentence, Mr. Bollup.”

Bollup did so, and before the end of the week he used the word sir in every possible way when speaking to an upper classman.

In this week preceding graduation day, Ralph Osborn’s classmates were exercised in the mornings, first at infantry, in which they were drilled as recruits, and after that in the gymnasium. Each afternoon they were sent out in cutters for rowing exercise. By night all of these midshipmen were thoroughly tired. The purpose of this was to harden them physically in preparation for the approaching summer cruise and to initiate them in naval beginnings. It was after supper, while strolling about the grounds, that the cases of hazing occurred.

Friday was graduation day; the next day the midshipmen were to embark aboard the practice ships for the summer cruise. The Chesapeake and Monongahela, both sailing ships, were to be used this summer. Half of Ralph’s class were to go on each ship, and Ralph found he was billeted for the Chesapeake.

At breakfast formation, Friday, an order was read out that there would be no drill that day for the new fourth class; that all were to mark the jumpers of their working suits with their names in indelible ink; the name in each case was to be in black letters an inch high. After the return from breakfast to the Santee the new fourth classmen distributed themselves on the gun-deck with their working jumpers and with pen and ink and started to mark their jumpers.

“Hello, Himski,” called out Bollup as he was passing the former. “Why don’t you get busy? What are you so blue about?”

Himskihumskonski looked hopelessly at the six jumpers about him.

“I wish you’d tell me how to mark my name,” he replied; “part of it will be on the front and part on the back of my coat, and I’ll be forever turning around so that these third classmen can read it. I can just imagine myself spinning around all day long. Can’t you help me out, Bollup?”

“Surely I can,” returned that youth, cheerily. “Here, give me a piece of paper; thank you.” Bollup wrote rapidly. “Now, just fix up your jumpers that way and you’ll be all right.”

“Thank you,” replied the other, smiling. “It’s worth trying.”

The new fourth class took no part in the beautiful graduation ceremonies nor in the grand ball of Friday night. The next morning they were conveyed with members of the first and third classes to the practice ships, and the summer cruise commenced. The second classmen were to remain at Annapolis during the summer for practical work in the shops.

As soon as Ralph was aboard the Chesapeake he was directed to stand in line in front of a small office. Here he gave his name, and then received a small piece of paper which gave him information where he was to eat, where to sleep, at what gun he was to drill, and what part of the ship he was to work in. He then was told to shift into working clothes immediately and to stow his locker. This latter proved very difficult, for Ralph had an enormous lot of clothes and the locker was very small. When he had finished, his locker was jammed so full that its door could be closed only with difficulty. This finally done, Ralph went up on deck and there in the port gangway was Bollup and Himskihumskonski surrounded by many upper classmen, all of whom were laughing heartily. On the front of Bollup’s jumper was printed, in great block letters,

“Bollup, sir,”

and on his companion’s jumper was printed,

“Himski, etc.”

This amused Ralph. “It’s just like Bollup,” he remarked to his classmate, Taylor.

On Monday morning the Chesapeake weighed anchor and got under way for New London. The first and third classmen fell into their places easily. Ralph and his classmates at first were much bewildered with the strange things about them, the multiplicity of ropes and the jargon of strange sounds that constantly were dinned into their ears. The lieutenant in charge of the deck would shout some unintelligible order in loud, harsh tones. Then piercing, shrill whistles would be blown, followed by the screaming of the boatswain’s mates; and then everybody would jump up from whatever he was doing and rush to one end or other of the ship. Here Ralph would always find some men leading out a rope, and some first classman would gruffly say: “Fist onto that rope, mister, and put your weight on it.” Ralph would always join in the rush, and before long he commenced to understand the orders that were shouted and soon the meaning of them.

The Chesapeake anchored each of the six nights she was in Chesapeake Bay, and a little mild fun was indulged in by the upper classmen.

“Bring me something to read, Mr. Bollupsir,” said First Classman Baldwin, one evening soon after the Chesapeake had left Annapolis, to Bollup.

After some minutes the latter returned and said: “I’ve hunted everywhere, sir, but can find nothing, sir; I’m sorry, sir; I did the best I could, sir.”

“Well, Mr. Bollupsir,” returned Baldwin in menacing tones, “you’ll bring me something to read within the next few minutes or you’ll stand on your head every night for a week. Get me something; I don’t care what it is.”

“Say, Os,” said Bollup soon afterward, “for heaven’s sake give me a book or a paper, anything will do; I’ve got to get Baldwin something to read or stand on my head for a week.”

“I’m sorry, old fellow!” replied Ralph. “I wish I could but I haven’t a thing.”

“Yes, you have; I see a book and a paper in your locker; let me have them, quick.”

“Help yourself,” said Ralph, smiling, “but I’m afraid what you see is not what Baldwin wants.”

“Anything will do,” shouted Bollup, snatching the book and paper from Ralph’s locker and running aft without looking at them, fearing he would receive condign punishment for being so long on his errand.

“Here, sir,” cried Bollup a moment later to Baldwin, “I’ve hunted the whole ship over and this is all I can find,” and he quickly handed Baldwin the book and paper.

Baldwin looked at them and then at the plebe in front of him. “I think these will be very interesting to you, Mr. Bollupsir,” he remarked quietly. “This paper is The Sunday-School Herald; it has a number of things in it, some articles and some poems. I’m quite fond of poetry. Suppose you learn all of these poems by heart, commencing with this one, entitled: ‘Our Beautiful Sunday-School;’ there are only twenty-two verses to it. And this is a very valuable book you have brought me; I know it well; it helped me get into the Academy three years ago. It is ‘Robinson’s Practical Arithmetic.’ Now when you are tired of learning poetry you may work out some problems, there are hundreds of them, and commence at the first. And every night you’ll please report to me at seven o’clock.”

Bollup was aghast. But Baldwin was determined and directed Bollup to commence immediately. And for the rest of the summer cruise for part of each day Bollup was to be seen on the berth deck by Baldwin’s side industriously working problems or committing some part of the Sunday-School Herald to memory. This created lots of fun for everybody except poor Bollup. His own classmates plagued him unmercifully and he was in constant demand by the third classmen to recite “Our Beautiful Sunday-School.” In this recitation, performed hundreds of times, Bollup became impassioned and created uproarious laughter.

On the afternoon of the day of Bollup’s misadventure, Baldwin passed Ralph who was standing by his locker and said: “Here you, take this rubber coat and keep it in your locker for me, and whenever it rains bring me my coat on the run. Do you understand? And what’s your name?”

“Yes, sir, I understand and my name is Osborn; but my locker is now so jammed I can’t get all of my own things in it, sir; I’m afraid I can’t do it, sir.”

“Never say ‘can’t’ when your senior gives you an order, Mr. Osborn,” said Baldwin severely, throwing his rubber coat to Ralph and walking on.

Ralph was in despair. He tried his best but simply was unable to stuff Baldwin’s coat in the already overfilled locker. So finally he took his own rubber coat out and laid it on top of his locker, and then managed to stow Baldwin’s. The next morning Ralph’s coat was missing; this was a hardship for it started to rain heavily. Ralph rushed to Baldwin with the latter’s coat, and then went up on deck to haul on some ropes. He was soon drenched, and to add to his misfortunes he received five demerits for being out of uniform, and later three more for having a rubber coat in the “Lucky Bag.” He received his coat back and stood ruefully before his locker wondering what he could do, when Baldwin came up; the latter spoke kindly. “I’m sorry about those demerits I caused you to get, Mr. Osborn,” he said. “Your classmate, Bollup, has just told me about your having received them. If I’d known it in time I could have fixed the matter up. I could do it now by going to the captain and stating the circumstances; he would take off your demerits but would report me for hazing you; even such a little thing as that would be considered hazing and would cause my dismissal. I don’t suppose you would want me to do that?”

“Oh, no, sir,” replied Ralph, “indeed I wouldn’t; your coat is now back in my locker and I’ve just received mine from the ‘Lucky Bag’ and am wondering what I had best do. If I leave it on top of my locker it will be taken up again and I will get more demerits, and really I can’t possibly get it in my locker.”

“I should say not,” remarked Baldwin, looking into Ralph’s locker. “Here, Mr. Osborn, give me my coat, and come along with me. Bring your own coat with you.”

Ralph did so, wondering what was going to happen. They walked aft for some distance, and then Baldwin said, “Here are my lockers, Mr. Osborn; I am quite fortunate; I have two lockers and I’m going to give you a big shelf in one of them. You can stow your rubber coat here and some other things. And if at any time I can do anything for you, come right up. I have those demerits of yours on my conscience and I want to square up the account. I want to be your friend. You needn’t run to me with my coat any more, and shove your own coat in there.”

Ralph was overjoyed. This was the first upper classman who had expressed an interest in him. For those who had spoken to him he had stood on his head and had performed various other antics as ordered. And besides, with this additional stowage room, he would be quite comfortable. “Oh, thank you ever so much,” he said effusively, “and don’t think of my eight demerits; I’d have traded them and more, too, for this nice shelf.”

Baldwin smiled. Then turning to Bollup, who was seated close by, he asked: “Have you come across any hard problems this morning?”

“Yes, sir,” replied Bollup, “a very hard one, but I didn’t find it in my book here. Somebody last night annexed a twenty-dollar bill I had in my locker and the problem is to discover how I’m going to have a good time in New London without any money, sir. I won’t be able to buy myself even so much as a bag of peanuts,” and Bollup grunted disgustedly.

“Go to the executive officer right away and report the circumstances to him,” directed Baldwin. Bollup did so, but nothing came of the investigation. All that was proved was that several servants had been near Bollup’s locker during meal-times, but no incriminating evidence was developed against any of them. That the thief might have been other than a servant was a matter not considered.

The Chesapeake took six days to sail from Annapolis to the mouth of the bay. The ship was tacked innumerable times, constantly from eight in the morning till six in the afternoon. First classmen took turns in handling the ship. The rest rushed to and fro, hauling on this rope and then on that. All day long the cries: “Ready about, stations for stays,” and, “Haul taut, mainsail haul,” and, “Haul well taut, let go and haul,” and, “Reeve and haul the bowlines,” rang incessantly in Ralph’s ears. But during these days he came to know the names of different ropes and where they were to be found, and the particular purpose of each rope; also how the sails were managed.