Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net The Battleship Boys at Sea OR Two Apprentices in Uncle Sam’s Navy By FRANK GEE PATCHIN Author of The Battleship Boys’ First Step Upward, The Pony Rider Boys Series, Etc. Illustrated PHILADELPHIA HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. The Lure of the Battleship 7 II. In Uncle Sam’s Navy 27 III. Who Threw the Pie? 35 IV. Piping up Hammocks 43 V. Trying Out Their Grit 50 VI. In the Midst of the Battle 60 VII. The Red-Headed Boy’s Surprise 69 VIII. On the Rifle Range 74 IX. Betrayed by a Streak of Red 86 X. Their First Detail 94 XI. On Board a Battleship 102 XII. In the Deck Division 118 XIII. Resenting an Insult 125 XIV. Called Before the Mast 132 XV. A Badly Banged-up Bully 144 XVI. Receiving a Challenge 154 XVII. Proving His Courage 165 XVIII. The Orderly Takes a Header 180 XIX. The Work of an Enemy 193 XX. Out on the Mine Field 200 XXI. Breaking the Record 208 XXII. Buried Three Fathoms Deep 217 XXIII. Heroes to the Rescue 224 XXIV. Conclusion 236 THE BATTLESHIP BOYS AT SEA CHAPTER I—THE LURE OF THE BATTLESHIP “That must be the place over there, Sam.” “Where?” “Just across the street on the next block. I see something in front of the building that looks like the picture we saw in the post office at home.” Dan Davis turned to a passing policeman and, respectfully touching his hat, asked: “Will you tell us, sir, where we may find the United States Navy recruiting station?” The policeman pointed to the building in front of which Dan’s eyes had caught sight of a highly colored lithograph. “Thank you, sir. Come on, Sam; I was right. That is the place we are looking for. See that flag up there in the third story window? That’s the flag you and I are going to serve under if we are lucky enough to be accepted.”