me, doubtless (so the word was passed), the American officers
have caught the idea of the game, and next time there would be a real
game and so on.

But there was no next game. However, next day Chiz puts out to sea, and
when he's into port again he calls up on the hill as per instructions.
And by and by he is passed again into the presence, who is sitting just
as before at the flat desk in the middle of the room, and gazing
straight before him.

This time Chiz doesn't speak, not even to say; "Good morning, sir." And
the graven image at the desk doesn't speak either, and there's a silence
for maybe a minute, and then the old fellow barks out: "What are you
standing there for? You wish to see me?" And Chiz barks out in his turn:
"No, sir, I don't wish to see you."

"You do not wish to see me? Then what are you doing here?"

And Chiz cracks out: "I'm here because your orders compel me to be here,
sir."

_Zowie!_--that straightened the old boy up. He took a look at Chiz, and
he says, after a while and almost pleasantly: "Have a chair."

And Chiz has a chair, and they have a talk, and after that Chiz finds
him a lot easier to get along with. Chiz says now that the old fellow
isn't such a terrible chap--not after you get onto his curves.

* * * * *

When we first came over (Mac is still speaking), most of the topsiders
over here were strong for the entente stuff, and a good thing, too--why
not?

Our fellows were mostly strong for it, too--two or three so strong that
it was hard to tell whether they were Americans or something else--even
their accents.

And, as I say, most of the officers of our own over here were for
it--most of them. But you can't rid everybody overnight of
long-inherited notions. There was one chap we used to meet, and he sure
was the most patronizing thing!

Now, we know we haven't the biggest navy in the world, but as far as it
goes we think it is pretty good. As good as anybody's, man for man, and
ship for ship--but let that pass.

This chap, who never could see anything in our navy, came in here one
day. He wasn't bad. He was just one of those naturally foolish ones who
thought he was a little brighter than his company. The topsiders would
be working night and day to create good feeling, and he was the kind
would come along and break up the show--not exactly meaning to.

This was in the hotel bar here, where a bunch of us were easing off
after a hard crui