"Ah," sighed Herc, as his nostrils dilated under the odors of appetizing food, and his eye fell on the long rows of tables, spread with plates, knives and forks, with a cup at each man's elbow, "this is a lot more interesting to me right now than all the underground subways in the navy." CHAPTER XI. BREAKING TWO ROOKIES. A fresh breeze, tossing up the foamy white caps; fleecy clouds, scurrying by overhead; and, on the sparkling sea, spread in a long formidable line, the North Atlantic squadron, steaming "in column," bound for the battle practice at Guantanamo. Between each of the huge battle bulldogs, glistening wetly with the tossed-up spray, a perfect distance was maintained--as accurately as if the space between each ship in the long line were fixed permanently; yet the squadron was reeling off twenty knots an hour on its way to tropic waters. On the fore-deck of the _Manhattan_, which, leviathan as she was, pitched heavily in the huge Atlantic swells, stood the two Dreadnought Boys; but a big change was manifest in the ruddy-headed Herc's smiling features, since he sat down to supper the night before the squadron sailed. Ned regarded his chum with a smile at the other's woe-begone look. "Cheer up, Herc," he said. "It will soon be over, you know. Sea-sickness does not last long." "A good thing it doesn't," groaned the unfortunate Herc, "or I'd be finished with earthly woes by this time. O-oh-oh-oh!" The exclamation was forced from Ned's cousin as the _Manhattan_ gave an extra heavy pitch which sent the salt foam flying in a wet cloud over the port-bow. It was the second morning following the fleet's departure from New York. The night before, after a day of agony, poor Herc had been hoisted into his hammock by three sailors, and now, in the early dawn, he was undergoing once more all the torments of the day previous. Ned, on the contrary, seemed unaffected by the motion of the ship in the heavy sea-way, and had escaped the toll old Neptune demands from most neophytes. "Here, you boys," bluffly snapped a boatswain's mate, approaching the boys; "what are you doing here?" It was not the same petty officer who had shown them about the ship. "Beg pardon, sir," said Ned, respectfully saluting, "but we haven't received any assignments yet." "Well, lay hold of a swab and get to work." "A swab, sir?" "It sounds what I feel like," groaned Herc. "Yes, a deck-mop, if you like that term better. No idlers allowed here." "My friend here, is pretty sea-sick, sir," ventured Ned respectfully. "Never mind; a little work will do him good--work and a good breakfast----" "Breakfast oh-o-o-oh!" from the luckless Herc. "Come, hammocks have been piped down for five minutes. Have you stowed yours?" demanded the boatswain's mate sharply. "Yes, sir," replied Ned, who had performed this office both for himself and for his friend. "Well, you will turn to with the first deck division and scrub decks."