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

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“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?”