vindictively at our two friends, though they did not know of anything they had done to merit his displeasure. His name was Henry Dell, but he called himself “Hank.” 

 “That’s the sort of lad who is looking for trouble. Steer clear of him,” counseled the sergeant in a low tone to Frank and Ned, as he led them toward the mess hall where they would have their meals. 

77CHAPTER XI—“ALL ABOARD!”

77

 “Say, Frank, when do you think we’ll really go on board a battleship?” 

 Ned asked this question of his brother, who was busy writing to his uncle, in the federal prison, telling the unfortunate man something of their new life. 

 “On the battleship?” repeated Frank, as he sealed the missive. “Well, I shouldn’t be surprised if it were very soon now.” 

 “Really?” cried Ned in incredulous delight. “How do you know?” 

 “Oh, well, rumors have been going around that some of the more advanced of us would be given our chance soon.” 

 “And do they count us advanced?” 

 “So I understand. We’ve worked hard enough, haven’t we?” 

 “We sure have! But that doesn’t always count.” 

 “Well, I think we are slated for the Georgetown all right,” Frank said. 78 

78

 “What! That magnificent new battleship?” cried Ned, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. 

 “That’s the one, and it’s the very last word in battleships,” Frank went on. 

 This talk took place about four months after the arrival of our heroes at the training station. Those four months were so crowded with work, play, incidents, and a few accidents of minor character, so full of learning new things, that the whole book could be devoted to what happened when Ned and Frank were learning to be sailors. But there are other matters to tell of, so only a brief idea of what took place will be given. Perhaps another volume will tell more fully of life at Norfolk. 

 Instruction for the two boys of 

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