"Confounded old fool!" he muttered to himself as he went, "I'd like to finish up him and those two kids at one stroke! I'll do it, too, if I get a chance." In the meantime Ned, at the orderly's heels, had traversed several of the memorable narrow, steel-lined corridors, and at last found himself in front of heavy green plush portieres, beyond which lay, as he guessed, that hallowed spot, the captain's cabin. The orderly knocked softly at the polished mahogany door frame. "Ord'ly, sir," he announced. And a minute later: "Ordinary Seaman Strong, sir." "Send him in," came the pleasant, mellow voice of the captain. Ned subdued an inclination to take to his heels, and entered, looking as calm as he could. "A moment, Strong," said the captain in a pleasant voice. "I'll be through here in a minute." Ned stood stiffly at attention and gazed about him out of the corners of his eyes while his commander wrote busily, dipping his pen from time to time in a massive silver ink-stand. The commander's quarters, although on a fighting ship, were as luxuriously appointed as the library in any mansion ashore. The fittings were all dark mahogany, relieved, here and there, with maple-wood, on which the soft lights glowed and shone. As in the officers' cabins, there was no porthole, the armor at this part of the ship precluding any such device. Thick glass, let into the quarter deck above, however, admitted light. "Ord'ly!" "Sir!" The orderly sprang into view, like a familiar spirit, from behind the curtain where he had been standing at attention. "Take these general orders to Mr. Scott!" "Yes, sir!" The galvanic orderly saluted and was off like a shot. "I wonder if that fellow is equipped with springs?" mused Ned, "or if he is galvanized daily, or merely wound up by clockwork?" "Well, Strong." The captain was gazing at the boy quizzically. Ned saluted stiffly, and stood straighter than ever at attention, waiting for what was to come. CHAPTER XVI. A BIT OF PROMOTION. "Strong," began the captain, "I sent for you to ask you a few questions. As you know, I have taken some interest in you since I witnessed your courageous behavior aboard the _Rhode Island_." Ned blushed hotly, but said nothing. The captain's remark did not seem to call for a reply. "You have ambitions, and your friend Taylor has also, I presume." "Yes, sir," replied Ned; "we wish to advance ourselves in our chosen profession, sir." "I am going to give you a chance," was the rejoinder. "You are, of course, acquainted with the rudiments of gunnery?" "Yes, sir. We were schooled in the elements of gun practice at Newport." "So I perceived by a perusal of your papers."