“This is the starboard watch, sir,” continued the executive officer.  “Which officer is to command it?”

“Mr. Hastings.  Mr. Somers will take the port watch.”

“Very good, sir.  And I would suggest, sir, that Mr. Drake is an excellent pilot between here and the sea.”

“Then direct Mr. Drake to take the bridge with the watch officer.”

“Very good, sir.”

“And, as soon as we are under way, Mr. Fullerton, come to my cabin and we will figure out our course more in detail.”

“Very good, sir.”

It was Ensign Fullerton, who, acting as executive officer, transmitted the needed orders to Hal, Eph and Midshipman Drake.

The three young officers now removed their swords, sending them by a marine orderly to their respective cabins.  Hal took command from the bridge, subject to Fullerton’s directions, while Jack, as commanding officer, also took his station there briefly.  Eph, being free to do as he pleased for the time, went to his cabin to try to figure out whether he were dreaming.

Quickly the “Sudbury” left her anchorage, proceeding downstream.  As soon as the start had been fairly made Ensign Fullerton reported at the cabin of the young commanding officer.  They worked out on the chart the probable positions that the suspected schooner would take that afternoon.

“We should sight her at about five o’clock, sir, if she doesn’t change her course, and if the wind holds the same,” said Ensign Fullerton.

“If we get the right craft, first off, it will be a short cruise, won’t it?” smiled Jack, rather wistfully.

“I—­I—­” began Ensign Fullerton, slowly, then paused.

“Well?” smiled Jack Benson.

“On second thought, I believe I had better not say what I started to say,” replied the ensign.

“Oh, go ahead, Fullerton,” urged Jack.  “It isn’t easy to wound my sensibilities.”

“I was going to say, sir,” replied the Ensign, flushing a bit, “that I quite understand how you feel about a short cruise.  The sensation of holding a command in the United States Navy is one that you would not care to give up too soon.”

“I was thinking of something of the sort,” Benson admitted.  “But—­see here!  On one point my orders don’t quite enlighten me.  If the suspected schooner proves not to be the right are we to come back to report the fact?”

“If you were so to order,” replied Fullerton.  “Yet you do not need to.  This vessel is equipped with wireless, and you are in instant communication, at every moment of the day and night, with the Navy Department at Washington.”

“I’m glad of that,” admitted Lieutenant Benson, frankly.  “It will lessen the danger of my making a fool of myself during my first and last naval command.”

“Not your last command, I hope,” remarked the ensign.

“The only way I could get a permanent command,” retorted Jack, “would be to get appointed to Annapolis, if I could, and then work through the long, long years for command rank.”