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

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“Oh, this spoon of yours is cheeking me, that’s all,” sneered Coleman.

“Mr. Coleman called me a miserable beast. I told him that as he is a third classman he could run me but that he couldn’t insult me. I told him to take it back, sir.”

“And didn’t he?”

“No, he didn’t,” interrupted Coleman; “and furthermore, he won’t.”

“Well, Mr. Osborn, as a third classman I’ll apologize to you for him. Third classmen run plebes but they don’t insult them. Now see here, Coleman, if you——”

But “Gruff” Smith was interrupted by a loud order from the officer of the deck, of:

“Midshipmen of the watch on the weather sheer poles! Stand by to go over the topmast heads.”

The midshipmen divided themselves on the three sheer poles abreast the foremast, mainmast, and mizzenmast, each braced for a run, eager to be first. On Ralph’s right was a third classman named Richards.

“Now look here, Mr. Plebe; don’t you dare get ahead of me,” he said.

“No, sir,” replied Ralph.

At the order, “Lay aloft,” the young men streamed up the rigging. Richards was first and right after him came Ralph. Each went over the futtock shrouds to the topmast rigging, disdaining the lubbers’ hole, and in a moment were high up the topmast. In going over the crosstrees the ship was making a quick roll to leeward, and Richards tripped and lost his hold, and was thrown downward head first. As he half turned around in a vain effort to clutch something Ralph saw a white, agonized face, and a second later he heard a scream of, “Man overboard,” which brought terror to every heart. No fancy drill ever inspired the frightened tones of that particular cry. It was immediately followed by sharp, quick orders from the officer of the deck, Lieutenant Minturn.