kled the
captain, grasping Dan by the arm and leading him over to the starboard
side of the deck.

CHAPTER XII

OBEYING HIS ORDERS

"Davis, that was a stroke of genius on your part."

"I--I beg your pardon, sir. I did not think how far my thoughtlessness
might carry us. I am very sorry, sir."

"You need not be, my lad. If some of our men had as much good sense as
you have, there would be fewer extra-duty squads on the quarter-deck.
The effect on those men will be most excellent. Besides learning to
obey orders, they will carry the memory of that countersign with them
for many a day, and unless they are beyond hope of reform, you will not
see them on an extra-duty tour again for a long time. I commend you,
Davis. You may dismiss the squad now. They need no further lessons
for to-night."

"Captain's orders, sir, to dismiss the squad," announced Dan, stepping
up before the officer of the deck and saluting.

"Very well. Get my raincoat if you will, then, for I think it is going
to rain before the end of the watch."

Dan saluted and hurried away below to fetch the officer's rain clothes.
A light sprinkle set in that soon covered everything, making the decks
slippery; it became hard to keep one's footing. Both the officer of
the deck and the anchor watch pulled their rubber coats more closely
about them, and, with lowered heads to protect their faces from the
drizzle, began walking back and forth.

Eleven o'clock, six bells, rang out; then silence settled over the ship
again. Cautiously a head was thrust above the hatch of the upper deck.
No one was in sight, save the dark figures of the midshipman and the
anchor watch, far aft on the quarter-deck.

The head lengthened out into a dark figure, which was drawn up through
the hatch opening. Without a sound the man slunk across the deck. He
appeared to be perfectly familiar with his way, but crouched low,
probably so that his moving figure might not catch the watchful eyes of
the officer of the deck, or of the anchor watch far below him.

About this time Dan Davis climbed the ladder to the superstructure,
took a long, sweeping observation of the upper deck, then descended to
the quarter-deck again.

"I thought I heard something up there," he muttered. "It must have
been a chain shifting with the roll of the ship."

In the meantime the figure had flattened itself on the deck. When sure
that the anchor watch had gone aft, the man rose and crept