“Oh, I think they will,” Ned said, confidently.
A recruiting officer, in a natty uniform, looked at them closely as they entered the hallway.
“Looking for the recruiting office?” he asked, with a smile.
“Why—er—yes,” admitted Frank, a bit bashfully.
“One flight up—turn to your right,” he directed them.
Ned and Frank went into a barely-furnished room, where two or three men were sitting about. One had a sergeant’s chevrons on his sleeve, and to him Frank spoke.
“That’s fine,” was the hearty response. “We’re looking for good lads, and you two seem to size up pretty well,” he added, drawing a pad of paper toward him. “Not running away from home, or anything like that, are you?” he asked, pleasantly enough.
“No; home sort of ran away from us,” answered Ned, with a laugh.
The sergeant looked at him closely for a moment, and then smiled himself.
“What’s the story?” he asked. “That is if you don’t mind telling me. Perhaps it might save trouble in the end,” he suggested.
“We’ll tell you,” replied Frank, and at a nod from the sergeant the other seamen in the room arose, saluted and went out.
“No use telling everyone your troubles,” went on the government’s representative. “Now I’ll listen to as much as you want tell, so go ahead.”
Frank acted as spokesman, and related all that was necessary concerning their change in fortunes. He related the facts of his uncle’s arrest on a political charge, and, to his relief, the sergeant seemed to think lightly of it.
“Well, you certainly are up against it,” he remarked, when the story of the pocket-picking had been told. “As for that charge against your uncle, it doesn’t amount to a hill of beans in my estimation—I mean as far as any disgrace is concerned.
“Some of those little South American republics are crazy places anyhow, and they’ll do anything to an American who they think has money. I don’t see any reason, in what you’ve told me, why you shouldn’t join the navy if you can pass the physical tests, and you look fit,” he added.
“Oh, I guess we’re all right,” Frank said.
“And we’re pretty well at home on the water, and in and about boats,” added Ned.
“I should think you might be, having lived on Great South Bay so long. That will be a help, too. Some of the recruits get terribly seasick, and though it doesn’t last forever, still it’s just as well to escape it if you can. Now I’ve got to ask you a lot of questions, and you’ll have to answer. First, I suppose both of you are over eighteen years old. Otherwise you’ll have to get your uncle’s consent.”