Class V ^54*? Book K j]^ GopyrigM - COPYRIGHT DEPOSm Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/midsummerscruiseOOdrai » ) s : > Ernttt •-'■;>i A ittt&aumttter (ftrutar * Jopyrighted January, 1922 Nicholas A. Draim ADVERTISER. ANNAPOLIS, M D. A^ ©CI.4659081 MAR 10 1922 Avfl J 4 INTRODUCTION. The days have long since passed by when Blackbeards and Cap- tain Kidds haunted the high seas, bringing terror into the hearts of peaceful merchants and travelers. The time is no more when seafaring men told wierd tales of phantom ships, with red sails and ghostly crews, looming up out of the darkness. But the old ocean still holds a part of its romance, and steel ships have not yet driven from its bosom the adventurer and the tighter. It is in an endeavor to preserve a little of the true romance of the sea that this book, based on actual experience during the prac- tice cruise to Europe, is written. The reader who opens these pages expecting to find a carefully worked-out plot with a hero and a villain and thrilling struggles between the two. will be disappoint- ed. Daily life rarely contains a dominating scheme, but is made up of a succession of events upon which we react with sorrow, pleasure, anger, or whatever mood our natures dictate. He who likes to view a cross section of real life and is interested in what his neighbor does and says, will not find this book uninteresting. The real ad- venturer and the real fighter are often concealed behind a common exterior, as the reader will see in the course of this story. The places are exactly as described — the men who were shipmates with the author will recognize them. Those on the outside may settle themselves in their easy chairs, become young again in spirit, and sail away with the fleet to Europe. The author wishes to acknowledge the use of valuable material from the various ship's papers, such as the "Klassy K," "The South C Breeze," "The Wolverine," and "The North Star," and particularly the kindness of the photographic staff of the Lucky Bag of 1922 in permitting the use of their pictures for the illustra- tions. The characters are fictitious, but the actions ascribed to them actually occurred. "Red Dugan" is a name of frequent occurrence and since there are three or four in the Academy, the author is re- lieved of the responsibility of designating any particular one. Difficulties have been encountered in the publication of this book, but, thanks to those who recognized its true purpose, they have been overcome. That you will enjoy reading this little story is the sincere wish of The Author A HJt&Hummrr'B (Cruis? CHAPTER I. The Embarkation. "Say. what d'you think I am — a pack-horse? Here we are, on the fourth deck, after I have carried three laundry bags, two sea bags, two suitcases, a couple of cameras, and a hammock down to the dock, and you have the colossal nerve to ask me to take charge of your luggage. If I camouflage my face with a shroud of mat- tress covers, how do you expect my girl to recognize me and wave that farewell kiss? Not on your life. You'll do your own carry- ing." "'All right, Red. I'll get a friend to help me out. The next time you try to borrow a Fat., you'll get it from me — not. You're the bird that had the Duty Officer looking for a plebe marked down for an incomplete outfit for the cruise only to find that he had lost two white shoestrings. You're the bug that dived into the swim- ming tank when it was empty. And to cap it all, you refuse to aid your room-mate when he has just five minutes to fall in on the dock. Why, you — It was the morning of the embarkation at Annapolis of the midshipmen on the five ships of the practice squadron, bound for Europe. Two midshipmen were standing in a deserted corridor, littered with scraps of paper, old rags, an occasional shoe, worn- out brooms, and cast-off clothing. Their voices were raised in seeming anger. But. although they were berating each other with all the ardor of professional political opponents, they were in reality the best of friends. "Red" Dugan was a small, wiry ath- lete, with a thatch of brick-red hair under which, gleamed a pair of clear bine eyes. He had entered the U. S. Naval Academy three years before by way of competitive examinations. He was well acquainted with outside conditions, therefore, qualified to appreci- ate the enlisted men, their abilities, and their splendid service. Unfortunately, he spent too much time mastering tin 1 Academy slang, so that he struggled along with barely a satisfactory mark in his studies. Red's companion was a quiet chap, except when he got i'.ito an argument with his room-mate, and altogether justi- fied the old saying that opposites go well together. Frank Morris acted as a check on the over-impulsive Red and pulled him out of many a ticklish scrape. They settled the argument at last. Red hauled the mattress and bucket into an elevator and descended to the ground deck. It was a long walk to the Santee Wharf, where the tug that was to take them out to the U. S. S. South Carolina was moored, the cruise gear was heavy, and the sun was sending down its hottest rays. ' ' Look, here, Frank, we 'd be foolish to lug this gear all the way to the dock. What's the use of making your legs work for you, when you can employ your gonk. Maybe Lady Luck will play Wow ! Do you see that ! ' ' A negro, pushing an empty cart, was coming down the walk. With a shout of glee,, Red dashed up, and before the negro was ■aware of what had happened, Red was in charge of the cart. Soon *the boys were again in motion. Frank, as usual, was doing the work. Red, enthroned on a pile of luggage, was acting as passen- ger, at the same time keeping a bright lookout for his sweetheart, who was coming to see him off. The yard was a gay sight. The prettiest girls in the country had come down to the Naval Ball the night before, and many had, -remained to bid good-bye to their friends. Their gayly colored dresses, yellow, red, blue, orange — all the colors of the rainbow, •with all possible permutations and combinations — presented a fpleasing contrast to the cool green of the shady trees and smooth *sward. The girls were walking about with their friends, who, in- stead of putting on their military-looking blue uniforms, had idonned "white works,' an outfit consisting of a white sailor hat with a blue rim, a loose, open-necked middy blouse with black silk neckerchief tied with the traditional square knot, and of wide-bot- tomed white trousers. These trousers look very cool and informal, but they are not made to be interesting only. In fact, the trousers legs are made wide so as to roll them up easily in the morning when getting ready to swab down the decks — but please pardon the (digression. [ Page Eight ] When Red, the cart, and perspiring Frank arrived at the duck. a group of girls detached themselves from the crowd and stopped further progress. "Oh, Red, is that your new command? Girls, salute the skipper. I see you have your running lights on; your hair, you know. Red to port; isn't it? "You bet, Betty, Red to port — but not as long as we stay in the States; that's reserved for Lisbon. What do you think of Frank as navigator?" But. there was no answer. An officer stopped and broke up the party. "You boys had better hurry along. You've only a few minutes left to embark on Tug No. 1." "Aye. aye. sir." said Frank. "Good-bye, girls." said Dugan. Four or five waved their hands at Red and sent a laughing fare- well after him. There was one who said nothing, but her blue eyes spoke more than any words to Frank and he, in his turn, was satis- fied with the farewell message. Once embarked on the tug, it was a matter of only about a half hour before going alongside the South Carolina. The squadron was composed of five ships, in command of Rear Admiral C. F. Hughes, on the flagship Connecticut. The commanding officers of the ships were as follows : Connecticut Captain Earle. Kansas Captain Brumby. South Carolina Captain Craven. Minnesota Captain Stone. Michigan Captain Butler. Naval Academy officers were detailed to go on the cruise in order to give special instruction in Engineering. Navigation and Electricity, and one of them on each ship became the assistant ex- ecutive officer in charge of midshipmen. As soon as the suitcases, hammocks and sea bags were carried aboard and sorted in piles, each division officer made a speech to the men. Red Dugan was in Squad 2, Division 2, under Lieut. [ Page Nine ] Mullin. Mr. Mullin was a heavy-set, red-faced man, rough in speech, perhaps, but kind in manner. "Now the first thing that you fellows want to find out is where you eat. Remember your number, Mess 3, on starboard side of the main deck. Stow your belongings, and at 4 o'clock fall in on the quarterdeck. ' ' At four o'clock sharp, the midshipmen were assembled on the quarterdeck, that part of the ship sacred to officers. The bugler sounded attention. The captain appeared. He gave a common- sense talk in which he included quite a bit of sound advice. "Now, men, I am no public speaker, and, after hearing men like the President and Mr. Denby last week, you may think my words sound rather flat. But consider what I have to say, not as a sample of oratory, but as a piece of sound advice, and we shall get along fine together. First, we must be alert at all times ; a taut ship is a happy ship. Remember that and, to make this cruise enjoyable, to keep yourselves in the best of spirits, and to excel the other ships of the squadron,, you must pay due regard to personal cleanliness. A great deal of the sickness aboard ship is caused by failure to observe the rules of cleanliness. Water, of course, is scarce and must be conserved, but make the best of what you get. Don't fail to get up on decks and fill your lungs with this invigorating sea air ; it has a slap to it, a refreshing tang, and you will feel better for it. If you will work with us and come across handsomely, we'll all have a good ship and enjoy a happy cruise." [Page Ten'] CHAPTER 2. Life On Board Ship. It must not be thought that a sailor's life is free of care, in which the wanderlust is the motive and chance is the guide. On the contrary, every man is submitted to a system of discipline that resembles clockwork in its regularity. A modern battleship is at once a home and a workshop. It is an instrument embodying both the arts of peace and the science of war. It combines the nicety and delicacy of a chemist's balance with the roughness and strength of a huge steel girder. On board ship is found an epitome of the knowledge of man in the sciences of navigation, ordnance and gun- nery, electrical engineering, chemistry, mathematics, steam engi- neering, and so on through a long list down to such common occu- pations as baking and cooking. In order to send these vessels down to sea to ride the long ocean swells, to brave the elements, and emerge the victor there can be no slipshod or haphazard life. There must be, and there is, a system. There are two main divisions of the men: the deck force and the engineer force. The former carries out a routine for cleaning their section of the ship and receives instruction in drills. The latter carries on the important work of keeping up the speed of the ship. Red Dugan was stationed in the deck division, given a mess number for meals, a billet in which to swing his hammock at night, a locker in which to stow his clothes, a ship's number, 2403, a fire station, and general quarters. But let Mr. Mullin tell you in his own lan- guage. "I want you men to know where you belong when we have a drill. Don't be a blockhead and tell the captain, if he asks you, that you forgot where you ought to go, or that the division officer never told .you. If we have a tire drill this afternoon, there are six fire plugs for you to man. The one who carries the hand grenades will find out where the fire is, and not run around the decks like a scared rat. asking the location of the blaze. In case of a collision, which [ Page Eleven ] isn't likely, seeing as we have the whole ocean to maneuver in, hustle up to the collision mat, that enclosed roll of thrummed can- vas aft of turret No. 2. And last, remember that if we have to abandon ship, this whole squad falls in on the foc'sle near Motor Sailing Launch No. 1, but you don't go off till the second trip — the hard-tack and tinned beef go ashore first, and after the crew lands that on some island fifteen hundred miles away, the}'' might come back and take you off, provided the ship hasn't submerged. Mr. Dugan, don't you go near the powder magazines with that fiery hair of yours, or you'll blow us all up. Squad, attention! Leave your quarters ! ' ' Red was tired that night, and was glad when, at nine o'clock, it was time to turn in. But the strangeness of his surroundings and the excitement of the first day kept him from sleeping. At ten o'clock, when the lights were out and the only noise was the boom- ing of the waves against the bows, he was still awake. Later he heard the hoarse voice of the bos'un's mate calling out, as from a far distance : ' ' Re-elieve the wheel and lookout ! ' ' Finally, the swinging of his hammock rocked him to sleep, a heavy dreamless slumber. About three o'clock the next morning he was awakened by a noise like a dull roar of thunder. An extra large wave had struck the bows, and was rushing aft. Some unfortunate fellow was sleeping in a cot underneath an open port near Red. The sea water didn 't splash in — no, it squirted in that port in a solid stream. The man below was nearly washed out of his cot. The suddenness of the occurrence might be considered as an excuse for the way in which he expressed his thoughts, meanwhile awakening all his neighbors. Red tried to fall asleep once more, but just as he was beginning to drift away someone who was running through the compartment rapped his shins on a mess^ench. Howls of pain filled the air, followed by loud complaints against the carelessness displayed in leaving objects in a place where one would be sure to fall over them. This time Red remained awake till reveille, at five o 'clock in the morning. He lashed his hammock, and thirty minutes later, went up on the foc'sle to turn to. The sea was very rough, and at times a wave would wash up and break on the deck. Never- [ Page Twelve ] theless, the boys turned to, wet down with the hose and scrubbed down with long-handled scrubbers. The bos'un's mate had them dry the deck with squilgees ' ' not t ' git th ' foe 'sle dry, but to clean it oft'.'' The work gave Red a monstrous appetite, so that when the mess attendants brought on the oatmeal, the fried pork sausage and gravy, the boiled "spuds," the bread, butter and coffee, be was prepared to do it justice. After chow he shifted into the uniform of the day. and prepared to work that day's navigation. Each day, at noon, the number that came within three miles of the standard latitude and longitude was posted on the bulletin board. Mr. Wil- son remarked, ' ' I don 't want to see any of you boys correcting your sextant with a hammer. That is like trying to regulate a Swiss- movement watch with a crowbar. In this navy, we do not navigate the way I saw a captain in the merchant marine do it. He used to head straight out of Chesapeake Bay until he came to the correct meridian then turn and run due south till he caught sight of Cuba. Well, he ought to stumble on an island of that size." The Kansas had the prize navigator. Here's what the Klassy K had to say : "Break out the band for how Bright. He works his Nav. without a sight; But give the goboon to Felix Poole — ■ He navigates by the seven-tenths rule. ' ' Frank went on duty from 8 June to 13 June as assistant officer of the deck. It had been pretty rough before, but on the second night it began to blow a gale. At sunset, a bank of leaden-colored clouds drifted slowly from the west, shortening the twilight and cutting off the lights of the stars. The stern and range lights on the Connecti- cut seemed like spots of fire against a curtain of dead black. Large waves, capped with white foam, came curling out of the night and struck the ship gigantic blows. Occasionally, the overhanging bows would reel downwards and fall upon an on-coming wave, smashing it and casting a veritable geyser of snow-white spray high into the air. Sometimes the nose of the ship buried itself in a huge wave and when the bows staggered up again a Niagara of seething water poured off the decks into the sea. A strong wind came from two* [ Pat/r Thirl ceil ] points forward of the port bow. There was no rain, no lightning, no sound save the dull boom of the waves. Frank had no real responsibility, yet he could sympathize with the officer of the deck, who walked nervously back and forth, feeling keenly the greatness of the trust given into his care. Frank thought of the folks back home and felt a touch of pride in the thought that while they were safely sleeping, he along with many others, was keeping watch over them. At length the watch was over, and Frank was glad to hear eight bells. "Sir, I have been properly relieved." ' ' Very well ; you may go below. ' ' During the voyage to the Azores, the most remarkable incident occurred on Tuesday, 7 June. Red Dugan had just finished taking a sight on the sun with his sextant, when he glanced at the Con- necticut, the first ship in column. ' ' Jimmie Doak ! Jimmie Doak ! ' ' "What's trouble now, Red?" "The Connie's out of line and we're stopping. They are haul- ing down the speed cone. Listen ! Do you hear that gun? There's a man overboard from one of our ships. And see, out there on the starboard hand, there's a life buoy. What does it mean? Is it a drill, or is there really a man overboard?" Both ran up to the boat deck to get a better view. They could perceive no one swimming near the life buoy. At the end of fifteen minutes word was received that it was a false alarm ; the ships resumed formation and proceeded on the course. That night there was more excitement. Just as Red had settled himself for a good night's rest, and had lashed himself in his ham- mock to play safety first, the fire gong sounded. ' ' Go to your fire stations ! Fire forward ! ' ' Red disentangled himself from his hammock and ran toAvards the scene of the blaze, clad in pajamas — thanks to H. The fire had started in the paint locker, which was filled with smoke. Cap- tain Craven was one of the first on the spot, calmly directing the men in their work. Several men descended to the paint locker, were overcome by the fumes, and were pulled out by lines attached [ Page Fourteen ] about their waists. As for Red. he "sacheted" madly about Like a chieken with its head cut off. •"Save the laundry! Ain't there a way to reseue our clothes? Mr. Henry, don't let 'em play the hose on our clean laundry. Can't I go and drag it out?" ' ' Yes, yes. Please yourself. ' ' Red coolly selected the Second Squad laundry, for which he was later given a vote of thanks by the members of his squad; and censured by the others. E. J. Odell, Ptr. 3c, A. Alison, ptr., 3c. and P. J. Doughty, stkr. lc, distinguished themselves in the fire fighting and they, along with others, were especially mentioned by the captain in his report. On Tuesday afternoon, 2 p. m., 14 June, Flores, the first island of the Azores was sighted. Land, when first seen at sea, resembles a cloud, a faint, blue shadow beyond the horizon, that deepens in color as the distance grows less until one can distinguish the out- lines. Red was on the boat deck when Flores hove in sight. He called out : "Come over here, wife, and tell me something about these mid- Atlantic rocks. I'll suffer cheerfully." Frank was not averse to enlightening Red on this subject, so he settled himself comfortably on a gun base and began : "The Azores are of volcanic origin. Years ago they were thrown up above the surface of the ocean by some great convulsions of the earth. Sea birds and perhaps the wind, carried seeds from the mainland, and plants began to cover the islands. By and by the Phoenicians sent out ships that passed the lost Atlantis and sailed on to the Azores; at least it is said that strange pottery and Oriental coins have been discovered there. But the ocean swallowed up all knowledge of their existence and they were forgotten as completely as though the waters of the Atlantic had covered them once more. Prince Henry, the Navigator, was responsible for the redis- covery of these islands. He collected all old charts and books re- lating to them and in 1431, he sent out Cabral, who discovered the Formiga group and St. Mary. On May 8, 1444, Cabral found St. [ Page Fifteen ] Michaels, and on account of the multitude of hawks on that island, the group was called : ' The Azores. ' The celebrated action of the Revenge took place in 1591 at Flores. 'Her Majesty (Elizabeth) understanding of the Indian fleet's wintering in Havana, and that necessity would compel them home this year 1591, sent a fleet to the islands under the charge of the Lord Thomas Howard * * * * ' On 31st August, Howard was at anchor off Flores, watering and refreshing. The Spanish king sent Alonso de Bazan from Ferrol with 55 ships and 7,200 men, and soon was at Terceira. The Earl of Cumberland saw the fleet on the coast of Spain and sent the Moonshine, Capt. Middleton, to warn How- ard in time for him to slip his cables and all got clear except the Revenge. Tennyson says ,of that famous battle : 'And the sun went down, and the stars came out far over the summer sea, But never a moment ceased the fight of the one and fifty- three. Ship after ship, the whole night long their high-built gal- leons came, Ship after ship, the whole night long, with her battle thunder and flame ; Ship after ship, the whole night long, drew back with her dead and her shame, For some were sunk, and many were shattered, and so could fight us no more — God of battles, was ever a battle like this in the world before ? But Sir Richard cried, in his English pride We have fought such a fight for a day and a night, As may never be fought again ! "We have won great glory, my men ! And a day less or more, at sea or ashore, we die — ■ does it matter when? Sink me the ship, Master Gunner, sink her. split her in twain, Fall into the hands of God, not into the hands of Spain. ' [ Page Sixteen ] There are two good ports, Ponta Delgada, in Sao Miguel, where a costly breakwater has been erected, and Horta, on Fayal, an im- portant cable center with one of the best harbors in the Atlantic. Nearly all the cities of the islands have gas, electric lights and water supply, but in the country districts there are few of the con- veniences or comforts of modern civilization. Transportation is principally by donkey or ox-cart. The population was 258,000 in 1900. ' ' At this point, Frank ran out of ' ' dope. ' ' The next morning the squadron sailed between the islands of San Jorge and Pico Alto. It was early, and the clouds w r ere rest- ing on the tips of the mountains like great, fluffy blooms of cotton, and trailing long, white streamers of mist down the valleys. Through the telescope Frank could see the picturesque, white-wall- ed houses, the spire of the church in Villa des Valles the light- house on a cliffside, and beyond, the brown cones of extinct craters. But the ships steamed on their way. The Azores remained a strange world, as far as personal experience was concerned, as the cracked and dried surface of the moon remains a mystery to the astronomers, who can see, yet cannot attain. The battleships pass- ed on. Again they were in the ocean, with no bounds save the en- circling ring of the horizon. It began to grow colder as the latitude increased. Red Dugan told Frank that Dennis Casey, Chief Quartermaster, claimed that he saw an orange colored sea gull flying around the ship, chased by a flock of green ones. "Cheer up, Doogan," replied Frank, "that is because the coast of your fatherland, Ireland, is off to the east of us. ' ' On the afternoon of the 20th, after several cloudy days, the lookout called to the bridge: "Land ho!" It was too cold to go on deck so Red stationed himself near an open port. The island of St. Kilda was passed close on the starboard hand so that Red got ■a good look at its black silhouette looming against the sky. The only sign of life was the sea gulls, flying about the cliffs. Vertical strata, not yet worn smooth by the rain and the wind, thrust jagged pinnacles at the clouds. Walls of rock stretched down to the sur- face of the water, where flashes of white foam marked the waves [ Page Seventeen ] breaking on the shore. Altogether, it was a cold, dreary, desolate picture, and Red turned away with a feeling of satisfaction when the island receded and began to disappear. Ten o'clock of the next morning saw the squadron steaming through Pentland Firth. The western entrance is guarded by great walls of rock that seem to act as sentinels, facing the cold winds that sweep down from the north. The hatches were battened down because of the heavy currents, side bucks, and rips. The column rapidly lost formation. A sudden swirl of water caught the Minnesota and turned her half way around; she immediately signaled the flagship, asking for permission to increase her speed. This was soon done and the ship swung back into line. Frank Morris put on his reefer and came topside to catch a glimpse of the interesting places that were appearing. To the north, he could see the arms of the Firth leading to Scapa Flow. It was in this latter place that the German fleet had been sent to the bottom by its own crews. Frank experienced a peculiar emotion ; he began to see history in a new light. That which before had been a collection of words on the pages of a book became sud- denly secondary to the real events which had actually occurred at Scapa Flow. No words, however carefully selected, can give one that broader outlook on life, the world and its peoples, that comes from seeing with one's own eyes. That afternoon the Chaplain issued pamphlets describing Christiania. Red Dugan promptly secured three copies: one for his folks, one for his girl, who probably would never see Christiania, and one for himself. He discovered a paper-backed book entitled : "Easy Lessons in Norwegian," and set about to memorize a bill of fare. "Hi, Frank, let's learn to speak the lingo. When you're in Rome speak Spik. When you're in Norway, do the same. What say?" "Bah! It's a waste of time. It's much simpler to speak in English. You'll find waiters in all the large restaurants who can talk our language as well as you can." "But that ain't the point. If I can go in and pull the real stuff, they'll say, 'Here's a guy that knows the ropes. We'll go [ Page Eighteen ] easy on his kroner and ores.' Resides, suppose you get Lost, and want to ask the way of some cop. What would you do .'" " In the first place, I wouldn't get lost." "That's you all over. Dodge the question. Well, J am goin' to speak Norske. Let's see. how do you say beer? Beer, oel, pro- nounced ul; red wine, rodvin, pronounced ro-ween; white wine, hvitvin. weet-W( en." Prank interrupted Red's soliloquy with: "Is that all you're going to do — learn how to ask for drinks? Why don't you eat?" "Aw, shut up, will yuh ? I'll get to that later on. Fish is something like the English word — fisk. but it's a far cry from chicken to hans. Say, 1 ought to be a millionaire when 1 go ashore. A kroner is worth 14.7 cents, and I draw $8.81, or 60 kroner. There are 6 ores in one cent. Here's a good idea: tell the folks at home you spent 1200 ores on one meal and they'll think you broke in a bank. I'm going to refer to my cash account in terms of kroner — makes me think I'm worth more. By the way. this is a good chance to make a collection of foreign coins, stamps, newspaper clippings describing the arrival of the squadron, and pictures of the cruise. If my kroner don't give out before we leave Norway. I'll have enough relics and mementos to till a laundry bag." "Red, you make me tired. Good-bye. I'll leave you to make your plans on the Q. T." The following afternoon the long-looked for Norwegian coast appeared off the port bow. When it came close enough, Prank manned the telescope and took a good look at the "promised land." The far away hills were dark green — covered with fir and pine. From north to south, within the radius of vision, Frank saw the rugged mountains, the deep valleys, the thin lines of silver that represented creeks and mountain streams. Long arms of the sea, the Norwegian fjords, stretched far inland, as if to welcome the rivers and lead their waters out to the great ocean. The shore was composed of bare rocks, on which the waves broke and surged. The coast of Norway is a wild coast, a fit breeder of the strong and reckless race that braved the terrors of the sea and preceded Colum- bus to America by fully five hundred years. [ Page Nineteen ] CHAPTER III. Frank And Red In Norway. It was 11:30 at night before Frank came again on the foc'sle. He expected darkness, as is usual in southern latitudes at this time; darkness, that comes on with that quickness Coleridge has so aptly described : "The sun's rim dips, the stars rush out. At one stride comes the dark." But he saw a wonderful sight. To the right Frank could see the moon, half-hidden by the silver clouds, making a shining path- way of light on the ocean waves. To the left, a broad band of red glowed behind the black silhouette of hills, betraying the hiding place of the sun. For a long time he stood there lost in admiration of this queer spectacle of night in the embrace of day. Then he turned and went below. The morning of the 23rd found the battleships at the mouth of Christiania Fjord, where they stopped to allow the Norwegian pilots to come aboard. A few hours later, the squadron steamed between the lighthouses at the entrance. It was a sunshiny day ; a few summer clouds floated lazily overhead, and, for a change, it was warm, due to the shelter from the cold north winds afforded by the land. The. waters of the fjord were as smooth as glass, and rippled away from the bows of the ship as in the smooth surface of a lake. Here and there, along the banks, one could see picturesque villages, and occasionally, a fair-sized town. At one place, school had let out for the day, and the kiddies stood on the banks, waving and cheering for the strangers. Many of the townspeople had rowed out in small boats to get a close view of the Americans. One row-boat contained two Norwegian girls, and beauties they were, too. They were golden-haired, blue-eyed blondes; their cheeks were red with the healthy flush of outdoor life, and they appeared to be physically well developed. A gob shouted : ' ' Hello, girls ! ' ' [ Page Twenty ] To the surprise of all, one of them sent back an answering shout : ' ' Hello, Americans ! ' ' Well, the sailors cheered them like mad. The starboard life- lines nearly broke under the weight of the curious spectators. Slowly the ships proceeded up the fjord, and at one o'clock Christiania lay dead ahead, in full sight. A German steamer from Hamburg passed close by to starboard, outward bound, it is the custom for a ship underway to lower the colors a little on pass- ing another vessel of different nationality ; it is the same in prin- ciple as the action of a civilian in tipping his hat to a friend. A grizzled squarehead in the stern hauled the red, white and black all the way down, and held his country's flag in one hand and his old black pipe in the other. The harbor of Christiania was tilled with small sailing craft, that tacked and wore fearlessly within a few yards of the huge war vessels nosing into the place of anchor- age. These half raters were as trim as one could wish ; they were very narrow and cut the water like a knife, at a comparatively high rate of speed ; they heeled at a sharp angle on the turns and answered quickly to the slightest breath of wind. Instead of a man's owning a Ford in Christiania he owns a sailing boat, and gets just as much pleasure out of it, too. Another striking feature of the arrival was the number of flags. As Eddy Foster remarked: "The Crown Prince must have a corner on the flag and flagpole market." The sides of the hills about Christiania were gay with the national colors; every front yard, it seemed, had its flagpole. This was partly explained by the fact that the Norwegians are a homogenous and patriotic people, and partly because the Ameri- cans happened to arrive on the longest day of the year, the day of the mid-night sun, which was being celebrated. Red Dugan was afire with excitement. He wanted to know if there was any mail, how soon it would be before the first liberty boat went ashore, where the ships would moor, and above all, he wanted to try out his home-made brand of Norwegian. There was no liberty until the next day, however, because of the celebration of the holiday. But Red was on the spot the next afternoon at 2 :30, when the liberty party fell in on the quarterdeck. He had his [ Page Twenty-one ] THE MIDNIGHT SUN. NORWAY white cap as clean as soap and water and sunshine could make it, his blue uniform was carefully pressed and painstakingly brush- ed, and his shoes were as highly polished as a mirror. When the coxs'n shoved off the motor sailer, the men gave a hearty cheer. Although it was only a short distance to the dock, the time seemed to pass slowly on the way. At last the boat officer shouted : ' ' Disembark ! ' ' and the men stepped ashore in Europe. Red laid his course towards the Cafe Bien, and entered in hopes of getting something to eat. A smiling woman clerk was standing behind the counter. "Hair doo no got froot?" he inquired, (Have you any fruit?) The clerk evidently did not understand Norwegian ; at least, not Red's. ' ' Do you speak English ? ' ' No answer. ' ' Parlez-vous francais ? ' ' Still no answer. ' ' Konnen Sie Deutsch sprechen ? ' ' A bland smile was his only reward. "1 say, d'you speak Hog Latin, by any chance?" No, she did not. So Red em- ployed the age old method of [ Page Twenty-two ] sign language, which is understood everywhere. He pointed to some cakes and moved his jaws; he indicated his thirst by tilting up- wards an empty glass. The waiter smiled; she understood, waved him towards a seat, and Red sat down for his dinner. First came a large bowl of tomato soup. Then appeared broiled salmon and mealy, boiled potatoes. Next, there were roast pork, bread, butter, and rich, brown gravy. Red had to ask for the bread, for it is used very little, potatoes being eaten in its stead. And for dessert Red had a big dish of strawberries and ice cream. (Jordbaer med flode.) When he asked the price of all this excellent food he was surprised to learn that it cost only seven kroner — one dollar. A meal like that would have been worth at least three and a half in the States. Red paid the bill and added a five kroner tip. The waitress was so unused to American generosity that she nearly kissed him. lie fled. A stranger accosted him. on Karl Johan's Grade, the principal street of Christiania. This man pointed to a cafe and muttered "Champagne?" Red was naturally opposed to being spoken to in this manner by tramps and beggars, but he choked his feeling of aversion for a moment and said : ' ' Do you speak English ? ' ' "•fa!" (pronounced yaw, means yes.) "What are you doing around here?" "Ja!" "D<> you understand me?" 'Ma!" "You do not understand me!" "Ja!" "Say. just between you and me, don't you think you are a damn fool ! ' ' "Oh. ja. ja!" "So do I. So long, old top. You'd better go back to school." Except in a minority of cases the sailor on shore leave thinks first of all of food, and after that, of sightseeing. Red was satis- fied with the meal he had eaten a few minutes before, so he set out on a tour of the city. Some men never look at a map of the places they are visiting, since they believe the element of strangeness lends [ Pagt T unity-three ] a touch of adventure to their wanderings ; others prefer to lay out their route before hand in order to know just what they wish to see, when they can see it, and where, thus saving time and seeing more. Red, true to his nature, adapted the haphazard method. He halted before the Grand Cafe and hailed a Ford taxi — yes, there were Fords in Christiania. The driver was a tow-headed Nor- wegian who could not understand English, so Red decided to get an interpreter. He jumped into the front seat and took the wheel away from the driver, not without a struggle. Driving slowly past a street corner, he shouted at a group of men standing on a side- walk : "Any you fellows talk English?" A heavy-set gentleman, carrying a brief case, and dressed in a brown tweed suit stepped forward. "Yes, I speak it." ' ' Come on, get in — quick. ' ' Taken by surprise, Fats, for such did Red name him, stepped on the running board. Red turned on the gas, and, as the car jumped forward, reached out with his free hand, grasped Fats' coat front, and pulled him into the car. "Fats, you're my guide, and you're goin' to show me all the sights of Christiania, such as they are, before eleven o'clock to- night, Do I hear any objection?" ' ' B-ut, my dear sir, this is — unexpected, to say the least. It is not the custom here to kidnap a guide. You must allow — " "Oh, no you don't. You can talk too well to get off so easily. Don't worry, I'm the goat, I'll set you up to a swell dinner, pro- vided you journey around with me awhile. "What say?" The man smiled slightly and replied: "Well, I'll do it, for the novelty of it, Where do you wish to go ? " "Oh, anywhere. Doesn't make any difference to me." ' ' Then keep right on. The street in which we are now driving is Karl Johan's Gade, the principal one of the city. Do you see this large building to our right? That is the university. It was founded in 1811 by King Frederick VI, on voluntary contributions from all classes throughout Norway. Grosch erected the buildings [ Page Ticenty-four ] from 1841-1851, and, as you can see, they arc very fine. This por- tion facing the lawn has a huge portico adorned with a bronze frieze representing Athene breathing the spirit of life into the first human beings. That statue in the middle of the lawn is of Schwei- gaard, one of our statesmen and lawyers. The north wing used to be the University Library ; but that has been removed to a separate building, Drammen's Road. In the garden in the rear of this build- ing there are a number of ancient runic stones. The old Vikings, you know, called letters, runes. And there is an old Viking ship there, too, housed in a temporary building." "Say, I want to see that. 1 '11 drive around and stop, then we'll drop in and inspect." Red parked the Ford under a tree in a rear street, and Fats told the driver, "paa Norske," to wait there. The cabin was closed, but two or three kroners proved a good key and soon the two men were gazing on a ship built over a thousand years ago. "This is called the Gokstad Ship, as it was discovered in 1880, in a large mound near Sande Fjord, on Gokstad Farm. The ship was hauled on rollers three-quarters of a mile from the fjord, and an old chieftain was buried in it with all his treasures. Robbers had dug down to it and torn away a portion of the port side to get to the treasure, which, of course, was all gone when Ni iolaysen disinterred the vessel for the museum. On the right side of the ship is a large rudder, which, in those days, was always placed to the right of the stern, from which circumstance we get the name 'steerboard' or 'starboard.' That ought to be interesting to you, a navy man." Red nodded. "Along the side strakes you can see holes. They were for the spruce oars, sixteen on each side. That indicates that this was a small war vessel, for the leading craft usually had 20 or more oars on each side. The shields hanging along the rail formed a miniature armor plate for the protection of the rowers and fighters in battle. There is a detachable mast that was carried along; in fact, most of the navigation was done by sail, but the maneuvering in battle was accomplished by rowing. The fights began at long range with the launching of flights of arrows. The men crouched low behind the bulwarks and shields until the \ P«0r Twenty-five ] ships came together. Then began the hand to hand struggle, in which the best man won. Battle axes, swords, clubs, and stones were commonly used." Here Red interrupted. ' ' I hear they adopted bricks, after they visited Ireland." ' ' None of this funny stuff, young man. If you want me to stay on as your guide, don't try any kidding along." "Fats, I'm not saying a word. Let's hear some more about this boat." ' ' Very well. The bow here is pretty well demolished, because it stuck up out of the mound in which the ship was buried. Presum- ably, both bow and stern were finished with carved dragons. In the Sagas, we frequently read of a dragon's head about the prow, and the sail was compared with dragon's wings. The stern often was carved in form of a tail, so they called the whole ship a dragon. "Special care was exercised in the construction of the prow. The strong oak boards were beautifully clinched, and the edges adorned with moldings. "The lowest strake is clinched to the keel with iron bolts, while the others are bound to the frame with soft roots. The vessel ex- hibits a combination of strength and buoyancy with beautiful curves fore and aft. As an illustration of her seaworthiness, an exact model was built in the nineties, and a Norwegian crew sailed in her across the Atlantic." Red shook his head, and added: "Why, that boat looks almost like one of our whaleboats. We could hoist it up on the deck of the South C. by the boat cranes without trying. The old Vikings must have been a tough gang to sail all over the ocean in a ship like this. I'd like to have seen the skipper; he must have been a terror to keep the men in shape in these crowded quarters for days at a time." "Yes, the Vikings were a trifle unruly. Nowadays you grow tired of ship life and go ashore to have a good time. In those days, the Vikings were more than tired of salt fish and lack of sleep, and when they set foot on land, they were all ready to tear loose. That's why they were such good fighters." [ Page Twenty-six ] After a few minutes, Red's curiosity was satisfied and he sug- gested that they leave to seek new fields for sightseeing. They walked back to the car, where the driver, with a curious look of mixed resignation and contentment, was still waiting. Red was doomed to learn more about Ford taxis in Christiania than he ex- pected or cared for. Directed by Fats, Red drove the car back to Karl Johan's Gade (Johan's Street), and up the hill towards the Royal Palace. It is at the foot of this hill that Drammen's Vei, the most popular promenade in the city, begins; to the right, one may see the Palace Park, and to the left, broad sidewalks shaded by lofty trees. In summertime the stores close at four and five o'clock in the afternoon and the tired clerks go out for a stroll along Drammen's Vei. At the time when Red was driving up the avenue, the walks were crowded with civilians among whom be could see sailors, officers, and midshipmen. Again the Ford was allowed to remain in a side street while Red and his guide started out to see the Royal Palace. A broad flight of steps Leads from the end of Karl Johan's Gade to the terrace in front of the Slotte, from which a magnificent view of the heart of the business district of the city may be obtained. It was a little after five o'clock when the two sightseers mounted these steps and found that they had arrived too late to be admitted to the palace grounds. A sentinel paced back and forth before the barred gates, beyond which Red could see the well-kept lawns, the flower beds resplendent with many colors, the white marble statues, peep- ing out of shady corners, and the sunshine glittering on the waters of a fountain. The guard wore a tall, visored cap with black ostrich plume, a black velvet blouse with gold aiguilettes, and blue trousers with a broad, white band along each outside seam. He was effect- ively armed with a rifle and fixed bayonet. At first, Red despaired of getting inside, for the guard politely but firmly barred the pathway. But when Red withdrew, he saw four of his midshipmen friends and, calling them by name, he said: "Boys, what d You say we try to pass the bird with the gun and take a close-up of the Royal vegetable gardens?" "Easily said, Doogan, but how '11 you work it?" | Vape Twenty-seven ~\ "Easier yet, Skinny. Here's the idea. You four men fall in ranks behind me and be my staff. I '11 play the part of distinguished visitor and awe the guard into submission. We may not get away with it, but we don 't lose anything by taking a chance. ' ' "All right, Doogan, we'll try anything once." So Red formed his staff. He marched ahead of the others, all with heads up, chests out, and in step. At the gates, Red abruptly gave the command : ' ' Staff, left turn, march ! ' ' and the boys went on through, not even deigning to glance at the startled guard, who r not knowing what to do, allowed them to pass. For a half hour r Red and his "staff" wandered about the grounds, enjoying the sights. But they made a mistake when they attempted to enter the palace itself. They were almost at the great, bronze doors when the Master of the Royal Guards rushed out, with drawn sword, and stopped them. "What are you doing here?" he demanded in English. "Oh, just lookin' around." "Well, you get out of here as fast as you can travel. How did you get in, may I ask?" "By the same way, George, that we're goin' to leave. Staff, let 's beat it, before we get in bad. ' ' Fats was waiting patiently when they appeared outside, and exclaimed, the moment he saw them : "I knew you would be chased out of there before long. That 's why I didn 't accompany you when you started inside. Mr. Dugan, I think I had better take you to a place where you can't get into hot water. Come with me." "Fats, there's only one place where I can't go wrong, and that's in a restaurant, where I 'm too busy eating. What time is it ? " "Only a quarter till six. We have plenty of time to drive up to Holmenkollen and Frognersaeteren, in the mountains, then we can return and dine at the Continental." "Sounds gcod to me! We'll wake up Swede, here, and take his poor old Ford on a cross country walk. Hi, Swede, turn out ! ' ' The driver, who had been sleeping, opened his eyes, yawned, and listened to the directions Fats gave him. Soon the two were riding through Majorstuen, a beautiful suburb of Christiania, where many [ Page Twenty-eight ] of the society people and foreign ambassadors reside. When they reached the terminal station for the electric line in Majorstuen Fats advised Red to dismiss the car and proceed by tramway up the mountain side, as it would be far cheaper, with just as good an opportunity to gain a view of the fjord and the valley. The taxi- meter read ten crowns, and Red was congratulating himself on his thriftiness. "Hvor meget?" (how much) he asked. "Tredje kroner." (thirty crowns). "Yes," cut in Fats, "he wants ten crowns for the traveling we did and twenty for time spent in waiting." "Look here, Swede, I don't want to buy this Ford from you, I only wanted to hire it for the afternoon. Where d'you get that stuff?" But Red's protests were wasted and he at last paid the thirty crowns. When he started away, the driver snapped out of his stolidity and began jabbering in Norwegian. Fats translated: "He wants fifteen crowns more; the city has laid a tax of 50', on all taxi fares. I'm afraid you must pay him.* "This is highway robbery," objected Red. "I did about a dollar's worth of riding and they stick me for three dollars wait' ing and two dollars luxury tax. I suppose I'll have to dig up, however. Here, Swede, your fare — and also a one ore tip for you to buy a glass of champagne. How about it? " (One ore was worth one-sixth of a cent). Swede was not in the least offended by Red's tip. He merely touched his cap, said "Tak" (thanks) and drove off. The electric car from Majorstuen ran up the mountain side from the western part of the city. First, it passed through the fields of Vestre Aker, in which stood clumps of trees, remnants of old forests that stood there in Viking days, then began a rapid ascent of the western side of Vettakollen. After sweeping around a great curve at Skeedalen, the car traversed an embankment raised across a valley to Holmenkollen Station. Red and Fats disembark- ed there and walked up a little foot-path to Holmenkollen. There they found a huge, old-fashioned inn, built of rough-hewn logs, surmounted by a roof of quaint tiles and protected at the ridge by [ Page Twenty-nine ] a carved wooden dragon, which was grinning diabolically at the valley far below. They had their choice of dining at their ease in a roomy hall, or of repairing to the flower-screened veranda to sip a glass of wine, meanwhile gazing at the splendid vista before them. But our friends did not stay long. After a short rest, they boarded another car and continued the ascent of the mountain to Frogner- saeteren. From this little station they went on up a woodland path, past a pretty little mountain lake with waters as green as emerald, to the extreme top, near the wireless towers. A wooden scaffolding, ninety or a hundred feet high, had been constructed in the middle of a cleared space. A magnificent view of Christiania was obtained there, and beyond, of the silver waters of the fjord with countless wooded islands, stretching far away to the horizon and the open sea. The great battleships anchored in the harbor resembled little top ships of tin, resting in a basin made by some modeler for a museum. To the rear, one caught a glimpse of the mountains, their snowy peaks rising above the dark green of the distant forests. The freshness and delicate scent of the air can never be de- scribed in words. One breath of it is more exhilarating than a glass of old wine ; it lends fresh vigor to one 's step and gives a feeling of pure enjoyment of life. The breezes, wandering through the forest aisles, emerge laden with oxygen and with the pungent odor of fir and pine. Statistics show that Norway is the most healthy country of Europe — let us look to the air as a reason. The travelers missed the next return car to Majorstuen, so they decided to go on foot part way down the mountain. They repassed Frognersaeteren and followed the ski trail for quite a while. This ski trail is a rendezvous for all the lovers of outdoor sports in the winter time ; then, the branches of the evergreen trees droop and crackle under the weight of the snow, myriads of icicles sparkle in the rays from the low hanging sun, the cold north wind brings the red blood to the cheeks of the boys and girls, sleds flash by in rapid succession, and shouts of laughter arise when some unfortunate ' ' Norske ' ' fails to round a corner and lands in a heap at the snow- banked side of the trail. But Fats and Red viewed an entirely dif- [Page Thirty'] ferent scene. It was a pleasant afternoon. The sun had slanted down towards the western hilltops and had seemingly paused, as if reluctant to take the final plunge behind the distant horizon. The fir trees were motionless, as though they were taking an afternoon siesta. Even the birds were silent. The path wandered through clumps of fir trees, where the interlacing branches above cast a pre- matui'e evening darkness over the ground; out into pretty glens, dotted here and there by white-barked birch and freshened by small bine and yellow flowers. Down a steep embankment, over a round- ed hummock, and around rugged rock walls, the pathway led the two travelers. They could have walked on for hours enjoying the beauty and quietness of this mountain trail — but it's a long road that has no end. They soon arrived at Midstuen and took a Christ- iania-bonnd car. The Continental is just opposite the National Theater, one block from Kar] Johan's Gade. At this time. Red was more interested in the hotel than in the most famous theater in Norway. He lost no time in procuring a table for two in one corner of the grill, where he could observe without being observed. After eating on bare tables, with thick, sea-going mess gear, and after listening to the disputes between nine noisy messmates, Red conld appreciate the white table linen, the thin chinaware, the shining knives and forks, and the quiet surroundings. Before the waiter appeared. Red caught sight of Frank Morris, who had just entered the grill. "Frank, come over here." ''Well, well, if it isn't Red. AVhat have yon been doing with yourself this afternoon?" "Just knocking around the place a little. Sit down and join the party. Fats, allow me to present my wife." "Your wife?" "Oli. it's only a slang term for room-mate. Waiter, waiter. Come here. Bring orders for two — no, three. Vorstaar de?" "Yes. T understand English." "Good. Now we can get what we want, and not make a wild guess. For a starter, bring some Bouillon; then, a course of broiled salmon, and as to the rest, we'll let you know later. And, waiter — [ Par/f Thirty-one ] "Yes?" "Bring a flask of the best and oldest wine you have, Rhenish preferred. Fats, I don 't drink ordinarily, but I want to be able to say, when I get home, that I have tasted wine, real wine from the vineyards of Germany. No matter if the dusty, ragged label was ' fixed ' and recently pasted on ; no matter if the liquor never came from the Rhine valley, I can still talk about how I drank old Rhen- ish wine and awaken the envy of the postoffice prophets at home." Fats smiled at Red's amusing egotism, but promised to join him in a toast for Norway. The long walk had made Red as hungry as a bear after hibernation, so that he did full justice to the food. He was greatly interested when the waiter carried in a tray filled with cracked ice, on which rested a dark flask, with a ragged, dirty label with the date 1880, and artistically draped with cobwebs. Three dainty glasses were filled with the clear, red liquor. "Now, my friends," said Fats, "you must join me in a toast to America, your native land ; may she ever grow and prosper as the years pass by." Three glasses clinked and they drank to the prosperity of the States, with wine. A wet toast for a dry land. "It is our turn, now," Red suggested. "Let us all wish a happy future for Norway, and a long reign for her king. What ho ! " And again the glasses were raised in the air. "There is one custom peculiar to Norway, and that is the good, old habit of drinking to each other's health. Long years ago, the sea rovers would hoist their drinking horns, filled with frothing beer, and with a hearty skoal, drink it to 'the last drop. Let us do likewise. Now, altogether, skoal!" The cups, empty at last, were replaced on the table. Red, look- ing at Fats more closely, found him to bear all the marks of a gen- tleman. At last he asked: "You will pardon me, I hope, for my abruptness in making your acquaintance this afternoon. May I apologize, and at the same time ask your real name?" "Most certainly, I pardon you. And as to my name, here is my card, Mr. Dugan and Mr. Morris. I hope that I can be of service to you before you leave Christiania, and I am sure that I should enjoy the chance." [ Page Thirty-two ] Red picked up the small, rectangular card, read it, and — felt as cheap as a one ore piece, which, as you will remember, is one- sixth of a cent. Here is what he read : Count Olav Varetsen, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The routine on board a navy vessel in port is naturally not as exacting as at sea. Except those who are actually on watch, the men have the afternoons almost entirely at their disposal. The fol- lowing list gives an idea of what is done, but it must be remem- bered that specific tasks are cared for by different sections which liave, therefore, plenty of spare time : A. M. 4:00 Call ship's cooks of the watch. 4 :30 Fires started in running steamer. 4:45 Call masters-at-arms, boatswain's mates, buglers and hammock stowers. 5:00 Reveille. Call all hands. 5 :15 Masters-at-arms report decks clear of hammocks. 5 :20 Pipe sweepers and sweep down decks. 5 :30 Turn to. Out smoking lamp. Stow ditty boxes. Clear lower decks. Scrub clothes. 6 :00 Knock off scrubbing and trice up clotheslines. Hoist ash. 7 :00 Up all hammocks. All men turn out. 7 :15 Mess gear. Mess attendants get knives, forks, etc. 8 :00 Colors. 8 :15 Turn to. 8 :30 Sick call. 9:10 Officers' call. Divisions fall in for muster. 9 :15 Quarters for inspection and muster. Physical drill. 11:30 Retreat from drill. (Instruction for Midship- men.) M. 12:00 Dinner. t Page Thirty-three ] P. M. 12 :00 1 :00 Band concert. 1 :00 Turn to. Pipe down wash clothes, if dry. 1 :30 Drill call. 2:30 Retreat from drill (Instruction for Midshipmen.) 4 :00 Knock off work. 6 :00 Supper. 7 :30 Hammocks. 9 :00 Tattoo. Pipe down. Silence. Set the first anchor watch. This doesn't mean an Ingersoll, Alger- non. 9 :05 Taps. All midshipmen were obliged to attend school from 1 :00 p. m. until 2 :30 before going on liberty. Three sections out of four were given permission to go ashore. Liberty was up on the dock for the third class at 10 o'clock, the second class, at 10:30, and the first class, at 11 :00, except on Saturdays and Sundays, when it was ex- tended one hour for all classes. The second squad was notified, on Saturday afternoon, the day after the arrival, to report to Mr. Wilson for instruction in navi- gation. In order to get the position of the ship in the middle of the ocean, it is necessary that the time be known with great accuracy. Whenever possible, the ship's chronometer, or timekeeper, is cor- rected by comparison with a standard ashore either by wireless sig- nal or by visual means. It was possible, in the harbor of Christ- iania, to adopt the latter method, for there was a time ball suspend- ed from the spire on the observatory. The time when this ball dropped was observed on the ship's chronometer, and the differ- ence between the correct time and the reading gave the error. Red found the study of navigation to be very interesting. He was en- abled to get a clearer conception of the earth and its motion in re- lation to the heavenly bodies. For the first time, he realized that he was, in reality, living on a huge gyroscope whirling through space, and he began to apply the principles he had learned in con- nection with the gyro compass to the earth itself. The same laws, he discovered to his own satisfaction, were applicable in both cases, [ Page Thirty-four ] A new principle for the education of the intelligence began to take shape in his mind. He saw at last that it is only by mastering the more complex by a comparison with simple truths, and then by using this complex truth, now familiar, to go on and explain still more difficult propositions, that the intelligence can be strengthened. Thus, navigation helped Red by showing him the means to obtain a general education. But it did more than this. It helped also to cultivate in him that attention to detail that promotes accuracy and clearness. A navigator must know the position of his ship within three or four miles in order to be reasonably safe. If he ever adds two and two and gets five, or trusts to luck, he will sooner or later run his ship up on land. Red began to long for the time when he himself might take a ship from her berth and guide her across the waters of the ocean into foreign ports. When five bells struck, school was dismissed and the liberty party prepared to go ashore. Red Dugan was obliged to remain on board ship, because he happened to be on the duty section. But he was quickly consoled when he saw the motor sailer bringing back a cargo of visitors. He stationed himself near the gangplank and waited until lie saw two pretty Norwegian girls come aboard. He showed a great deal of taste in his selection and lost no time in "staking a claim" against the crowd of volunteer guides around him. "Are you looking for someone to take you about the ship? Can you speak English?" The girl wearing a middy blouse smiled and replied: "A leetle, I spik it. Yes. we would like a guide. Can you show us the sheep ?" "Oh, boy, but can't I! Stand aside, Flaherty, and lemme through. Right this way. Miss — er — beg your pardon, but what's your name?" "Miss Hjordis, and my friend's name ees Miss Laenge. You are — " "James Philip Albert Dugan, popularly known as Red. Now, you just follow me. First, I want to show you the galley — that is, the kitchen, where the food is cooked for our meals. I am well acquainted with the galley ; in fact, I go up to inspect it every day. [ Page Thirty-five ] There it is, hidden behind those tin pans. You see how clean it is ? Always that way, because the men eat so much that it's always cleaned out. Will you taste a piece of pumpkin pie ? ' ' "A piece of — what did you say?" "Pie. Do you mean to tell me you never heard of pie? Say, but \ ou sure are unlucky. Try a slice of this. ' ' Red gave each of the girls a big helping, politely Avaiting on himself last, perhaps in order to secure the entire remainder. The visitors were greatly interested and asserted that they liked the pie very much. Pie is practically unknown in Norway ; even the largest hotels fail to include it in the menu. The party visited all parts of the ship and Red patiently ex- plained the why and the wherefore of all the machinery they saw. The girls appreciated his attention and when they were at last obliged to lay off and take the last boat ashore for visitors, at five o'clock, they invited him to a dinner party at Dronningen. Red lost no time in accepting, and, in return, requested the pleasure of their company at a dance to be given on the quarterdeck of the South Carolina the next Friday evening. Both the girls were eager to come. When his guests disappeared in the motor sailer, Red leaned on the life-line, slowly smoked a cigarette, and mused over the incidents of the afternoon. He went below, feeling contented, even though he did not go ashore that day. Of course, he was in the first liberty boat that shoved off from the ship the next afternoon. When he disembarked, he noticed a peculiar trait of the Norwegians — that of child-like curiosity. They were standing in great numbers about the dock, staring at the marines, sailors, midshipmen and officers. There were no negroes in Christiania before the arrival of the fleet, and so quite a few of the credulous were willing to believe the "mokes" when the latter claimed they were American Indians. The Christianians also believed the Philippinos were Japanese, and expressed wonder that the Americans, who were thought to be on unfriendly terms with the little yellow men, should allow them to enter the Navy. This, perhaps, explains why there was always a crowd congregated around the docks; the policemen had to open a gangway for the [ Page Thirty-six ] liberty party, on account of the great number of onlookers. A Socialist newspaper — Bolshevik — elaimed that these people had eome down to see the "Drunken Americans fall into the boats to go back to their ships." This remark was probably prompted by the desire to be thought radical and patriotic. The conduct of our men was, on the whole, excellent and when they at last shoved off for Lisbon, the Northlanders were sorry to see them depart. Red and Frank joined each other on the dock and both went on to the place of meeting, in front of the Grand Hotel. The two girls were waiting, for a wonder. Red gave an exclamation of sur- prise and pleasure when he saw them ; even Prank, although he could not forget the 0. A. 0. back home, was forced to admit that the two were "Queens." Why attempt to describe how pretty they were ! Let the reader use his imagination. A long afternoon was before them, so they decided to go to Bygdo and enjoy a long walk through the delightful countryside. They took a small ferry at Framnaes, the place for debarkation from the ships, and went on to Dronningen. where the Royal Yacht Club had its headquarters. Bygdo is a very pretty natural park, and Christiania is indeed fortunate in possessing such a place so near the city. Many boys and girls were on an outing that afternoon, and, when they saw the midshipmen, they also stopped to stare. Red spoke to one young fellow, who knew a little English and asked him: "Would you mind telling me something? It has been a mystery to me all along. If you can clear it up, I'll soon spoon on you for sure." "What do you weesh to know?" "Why do the people here breathe through their mouths?" Red waited. A deep silence followed. One could almost see that question work into the boy's brain, its insidious tentacles curl about his wits and slowly stifle his reason. His face assumed at first a curious expression that rapidly wilted away into a look of blank astonishment. When Red and his friends went away, he was still standing in the middle of the road, his head bent forward in thought, struggling with that devilish question. [ Page Thirty-seven ] Bygdo is full of historic interest. At the Royal Manor, where King Haakon and Queen Maud have their summer residence, the last king of the old Norwegian line held his court six hundred years ago. Many memorials of later Norwegian history are scattered about in the forest. King Oscar used to dwell at the Villa Victoria during the last years of his connection with Norway ; he used to sit by the shore on bright summer evenings and watch, across huge mugs of frothing Norwegian beer, the red disc of the sun descend behind the Asker Hills*. The girls led Frank and his companion to the Folk Museum at Bygdo, where there is a highly interesting collection of ancient houses, clothes, furniture, and other articles illustrating the life and habits of the people of Norway during past ages. The rooms were made up to represent the interior of the old shacks that the Northmen used to frequent. One chamber contained a very inter- esting relic ; it was a flat piece of wood, smoothed on the surface, and with the mysterious title "Til Trygvansoiden " painted in red, straggling letters upon it. The discoverer, Hans Schnedermann, swore that the Vikings maintained a ferry service between the peninsula and the mainland, and that this sign was hung on the bow of the boat. Several eminent scientists have expressed their opinion on tbe subject and have spoken to Herr Schnedermann personally. They found him to be an honest, upright sailor, fairly sober when he is not totally under the influence of liquor, hence they decided there was no reason for disbelieving his statement. The next place of interest in Bygdo was Oscarshal. It is a charming castle on a hillside, overlooking the fjord. It was con- structed by Oscar I, from designs by the famous architect Nebelong on the king's money bags, about the year 1850. The main build- comprises three stories and a battlement tower, from which one can obtain a lovely view of the fjord. Near the shore is a dwelling house for servants. The present king has had great difficulty in keeping this latter place from becoming a rendezvous for police- men, but he solved the problem by employing men servants ex- clusively. This pretty little castle contains a number of precious works of art; Michelson's zinc castings of ancient Norwegian kings, [ Page Thirty-eight ] a freeze with medallions by Boreh, Glide's paintings of Sogne J. Fjord, landscapes by Friele, and perhaps most famous of all Tilde- mand's cycle of scenes from Norway's present life — the last two in the dining hall. Red requested to be allowed to see the skeletons in the closet, whereupon the waiter led him behind a Japanese screen and offered him a glass of Haig & Haig. Osearshal originally belonged to the House of Bernadotte, but in 1863 was transferred to the Norwegian state by Karl XV for the sum of £16,000. A great timber exporter, Bernt Aker, who owned 102 sawmills and 200 match factories, distinguished him- self by his great benevolence ; among other things, he had presented his fine residence, the Palaet, to the royal family. The king, see- ing a chance for a good business deal, sold the Palaet and bought Osearshal. Bernt Aker was somewhat put out by this, but he promptly raised the price of his safety matches two ores per box. The castle of Osearshal, from the fjord, resembles a gleaming white pearl set in the midst of an emerald field. ( This is not copied from Cook's pamphlets of Baedeker's Guide to Europe; should the reader stop over in Christiania, he can verify the truth of this statement.) Our party then decided to go down to Dronningen for dinner, as they had planned, where there is a most popular restaurant They crossed a board walk bridge, near which were moored a great number of the sail boats Red admired so much. On the way over, they stopped for a moment and watched a yacht owner swab down the deck of his craft with a mop. Red shuddered at the familiar sight and urged his companions to pass on. It is an interesting fact that the people of Norway like fish much more than meat. It is, however, to be expected, for fishing constitutes one of the main industries of that country. In winter, when it is too cold to fish, they eat meat. When Red asked his fair friend which she would have, she replied without the slightest hesitation: "Fiske!" Red was in favor of the other, but he com- plied with her wishes, and ordered a can of sardines. Soon the conversation became animated. An orchestra began playing softly in the distance. It was so good to sit there and rest to contemplate [ Page Thirty-nine ] the open waters of the fjord with its gay burden of sailing clippers, to allow dull care to slip away, and drink in the beauty of the hour, that Red completely forgot the ship and his next morning's work. "Ah, kjaereste," he said to the girl opposite him, "how I should like to remain here and see more of this delightful country ! Do you know, I asked, one day, if there was a chance to form an organized sightseeing trip to Bergen. Mr. Bawdy replied that it was the wrong season of the year. Mr. Bawdy? Oh, he is the wearer of the aiguillettes, he is a very wise man. He told us that the impression we made upon these European countries would re- main long after we are gone. I think we have all decided to leave the right impression, so that, in years to come, there will be a link between these nations and our own country, a bond of friendship that will be hard to break." The girl's blue eyes smiled into his own, and he knew that he, at least, had found another friend to add to his list. He mentally resolved to make a fresh addition to his address index file. Some people delight in making a collection of old stamps, coins, antiques, pottery, and breaths, but Red's favorite amusement was keeping a card index file of correspondents and he used every means in his power to add one or more names in each port. Frank called him at last and notified him that it was high time to get back to the ship. They said good night to the two girls and ran down to the dock just in time to catch the last ferry boat back to Framnaes. Thus ended one more pleasant afternoon of the two \weeks spent in Norway. The next expedition of our two friends was arranged so as to include a trip to the old castle of Arkershus. Almost the first build- ing the traveler sees when his ship drops the anchor in the harbor of Christiania is Akershus, since it is situated on a precipitous rock overlooking the harbor and the fjord. All sorts of guesses were made by the Americans as to the nature of this castle ; some believed at to be the remnants of a monastery that was erected there before the Protestants dropped in on the Northmen, others claimed it was :a fort to be used for the protection of the city, a few midshipmen asserted that it was the Norwegian West Point, and some even had the temerity to call it a brewery. [ Page Forty ] Three hundred years ago, before the city itself was founded, when Oslo on the other side of Bjorviken was still the capital of Norway, the first building on the site known to history was erected. The last male member of the Harald dynasty, Haakon V, decided that his little town needed adequate defence against the influx of Jewish pawnbrokers, so he built a medieval fort with an outer and an inner court-yards, fortified barbicans — each with its portcullis and other defenses — and a great main tower, " Vaagehalsen" (literally, bird roost) on the summit of the hill separating the outer from the inner court. An assault was made on the place about the year 1300. the enemy was repulsed without great difficulty, but the place was ruined as far as habitation was concerned. When gunpowder was introduced into Norway, the change in the method of warfare influenced the construction of the fortifica- tions. The medieval character of the castle disappeared and by de- grees was supplanted by earth works. Lofty towers became rather good targets, so the Vaagehalsen was allowed to fall into ruins. The ancient fortress has stood there on the promontory for many a long year keeping guard over the city and defending it from its enemies. The fortress \\