"I wonder what Uncle Sam does when he smashes up your boats like that?" questioned Donald. "In this case," Dick vouchsafed, "I rather guess ’Uncle Sam’ will say it is altogether our own fault. Poor Tommy was so rattled that he pulled on the wrong rope and steered us right in front of the motor boat even after they had veered off to avoid hitting us." "Well, if they permit us to take a look around the ship, I am willing to call it square," Gordon remarked philosophically. A little later the boys were escorted to a vacant stateroom or cabin where they found their underwear already dry and waiting to be donned. "I call that quick work," exclaimed Gordon, and while he was speaking a knock sounded at the door. "Come in!" he called out, and a colored mess boy stuck his woolly head into the room. "Yoh clo’es will be ready foh yoh all in jest a jiffy, sah. Here am yoh rubber shoes dry a’ready an’ de tailor am a-pressing yoh pants and yoh coats, sah." "Where did you find our coats?" inquired Dick. "They were in the rowboat the last I knew." The colored boy grinned broadly, showing an expansive row of shining white teeth. "Ah don’t rightly know foh shu, boss, but Ah reckon dey foun’ ’em floatin’ on de water an’ fetched ’em aboahd wid yoh boat, sah." "You mean to say they have rescued the rowboat too and have it on board this ship?" asked Gordon incredulously. "Shu as shootin’, sah, an’ Chips wid his little Chips is fixin’ of her up good as new. Dey ain’t nuthin’ we cain’t do on one ob Unc’ Sam’s ships, sah." With which closing encomium the black face was withdrawn and the door closed. "Wonder what he meant by his ’Chips wid his little Chips’?" laughingly questioned Robert Meade. "You will have to ask Dick," answered Gordon rather enviously. For now that he had become so enthusiastic over his determination to follow his father’s wishes and become a naval officer he felt he had neglected many past opportunities for learning about the service. "He meant the Chief Carpenter and his helpers, I ’reckon. ’You see, ’Chips’ is a nickname in the Navy for the man who handles the saw and hammer," Dick announced. "When you boys are dressed come out into the mess room. Put on your bath robes till your clothes are ready for you," called a voice from the passageway outside their door and needing no second bidding they all walked out into the comfortable room where a number of junior officers were standing about.