Читать книгу Ralph Osborn, Midshipman at Annapolis. A Story of Life at the U.S. Naval Academy онлайн

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“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.