It was Sunday, and after a while the fog lifted and the sun came out strong and clear.  All the men who were off duty came on deck to bask in the sun, and to get dried and thawed out.

“Steve” poked his uncombed, sleepy head through the “booby” hatch cover.  “Well, this is something like!  If the ‘old man’ will let us take it easy after inspection, I won’t think life in the navy is so bad after all.”

“Well, inspection and general muster and the reading of the ship’s bible will take up most of the morning,” said gunner’s mate “Patt,” as he emerged from the hatch after “Steve,” wiping his grimy hands on a wad of waste, for he had been giving the guns a rub.  “And if we don’t have to go chasing an imaginary Spaniard or lug coal from the after hold forward, we’ll be in luck,” he continued.

“What about the ‘ship’s bible’?  What is ’general muster’?” queried half a dozen of us.

“Why,” said “Patt,” “the ship’s bible is the book of rules and regulations of the United States Navy.  It is read once a month to the officers and crew of every ship in the navy.  The officers and crew will be mustered aft—­you’ll see—­the deck force and engineer force on the port side, the petty officers on the starboard side forward, the commissioned officers on the starboard side aft, and the marines athwartships aft.  This forms three sides to a square.  See?”

“I don’t see the use of all this,” broke in the irreverent “Kid.”  “Do we have to stand there and have war articles fired at us?”

“That’s what, ‘Kid,’” replied “Patt,” good-naturedly.

“After all hands have taken their places,” continued our informant, “the ‘old man’ will walk down the galley ladder in that dignified way of his, followed by the executive officer.  ‘Mother Hubbub’ will then open the blue-covered book that he carries, and read you things that will make your hair stand on end and cause you to consider the best wording for your last will and testament.”  “Patt” was very impressive, and we stood with open mouths and staring eyes.

“When old ‘Hubbub’ opens the book, all hands, even the captain, will take off their hats and stand at attention.  Then the war articles will be read to you.  You will learn that there are twenty-seven or more offences for which you are liable to be shot—­such as sleeping on post, desertion, disobedience, wilful waste of Government property, and so forth; you will be told that divine service is recommended whenever possible—­in short, you are told that you must be good, and that if you are not there will be the deuce to pay.  Then the captain will turn to ‘Scully’ and say, ‘Pipe down,’ whereupon ‘Scully’ and the other bosun’s mates will blow a trill on their pipes, and all hands will go about their business.”

So concluded our oracle.

“Gee whiz!” said the “Kid.”  “I nearly got into trouble the other night, for I almost dozed when I was on the buoy.  I’m not used to getting along on eleven hours’ sleep in forty-eight yet,” he added, apologetically.