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The boat was lowered, and the shore Maxim mounted in it. Sand bags were piled up in plenty. A Naval Reserve officer, fair-haired and young faced, sprang in to join the gun's officer. There was also a British bluejacket ready to go, and there were African soldiers and sailors, as well as the two engine-men, English and Goanese.
The mountains and the guns went out, and there floated in that roaring office of the 'Daily Mail' instead, and the warm, rustling vestibule of the playhouse on a December night. This is the way we make war now; only for the instant it was half joke and half home-sickness. Where were we? What were we doing? "Right-hand Gun Hill fired, sir," came the even voice of the bluejacket. "At the balloon."
When school was over, and the bugle, that ever-sounding bugle, rang out the call for `divisions' presently, we all bustled up, of course, to the upper deck, and, whether it was from the schoolmaster's observation or what, I'm sure I can't say, I was struck by the wonderful lot of fine fellows we had on board the training-ship: all wearing the same smart bluejacket uniform, men and boys alike, and all ready, I believe, even us youngsters who had but just joined the service, to go anywhere and do anything for the sake of the Queen God bless her! aye, and to battle likewise for the old flag and the old country that has had the command of the seas for a thousand years so father says!
When, however, one of the stage sailors came on and volunteered to dance a hornpipe, his indignation knew no bounds. "He's not a true bluejacket that I'll warrant!" he exclaimed. "If he was, he wouldn't be handling his feet in the way he is doing. I should so like to step down and just show you, my lady, and the rest of the good people here, how we dance aboard.
The soldier, adjusting his bundle, glanced at him over his shoulder. "Thankee," he said, with mock gratitude. "Look 'ere," said the boatswain, springing up and catching him by the sleeve; "I'll give it to you in writing. Come, you ain't faint-hearted? Why, a bluejacket 'ud do it for the fun o' the thing.
From his breast-pocket he took the card on which he had written his message to his brother officers, read and reread it, and replaced it. Save for the admiral and his aide at the steps of the cottage, and a bareheaded bluejacket who was reporting to them, and the admiral's orderly, who was walking toward Swanson, no one was in sight.
But we came across none in any need of help, save such offices as the dead require, along our route to the front; for, wherever we noticed any groups of bodies together, all alike, whether bluejacket or Arab, were stone dead. Bullet and knife and sword had each and all had a busy day of it!
He is a credit to our public schools, a fruit of our system of universal education. And he belongs to a service in which are reconciled, paradoxically, democracy and discipline. One moment you may hear a bluejacket talking to an officer as man to man, and the next you will see him salute and obey an order implicitly.
He is not a sailor and does not claim to be. When not in barracks ashore he lives aboard some war-ship afloat; and on shipboard he does certain guard work and handles the secondary batteries. But he does not have to sailorize; the bluejacket takes care of that part, and takes care of it well.
Coming up the street at a wild run were some half-dozen English sailors, their loose blue blouses and trousers flapping madly. They were evidently from a ship which Mackay had seen lying in the harbor that morning. "Give us a gun!" roared the foremost as soon as he saw the missionary. Mackay did not possess a gun, and would not have given the enraged bluejacket one had he owned a dozen.
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