"If they had a real ship's cat on this iron pot," retorted Torry,
"I know who would most frequently have the attention of that. You
need the cat-o'-nine-tails right now, Frenchy."

"Gee! ain't he bloodthirsty and savage?" whispered Michael, who dearly
loved to tease.

The petty officers who personally inspected the men at this morning
review reported to the division officer, who in turn reported to the
executive officer of the ship, who is always the navigating officer.

After the reports the physical drill, or setting-up exercises, is the
order. These calisthenics are similar to that drill in the army.

It was on this third day that the boys were assigned to the watches and
to their divisions for the cruise. The ship's company is divided into
port and starboard watches, each watch being organized into divisions.
Each turret is manned by a division, numbered in rotation, beginning
with Number One from forward aft. To the delight of Philip Morgan and Al
Torrance they were both assigned to Number Two division, and would be
members of the crew of a big gun in the second turret.

The broadside batteries were partly manned by marines, of whom there
were a large number aboard the _Kennebunk_. These "soldiers of the sea"
had always interested Whistler and his friends.

For convenience in making out station bills and the like, each man of a
division has a number assigned him by which he is known. Whistler and
Torry were given respectively Numbers 2111 and 2112. These numbers
showed that they were Numbers 11 and 12 of the first section of the
second division--the first figure for division, the second for section,
and the remainder the personal number of the man in his section.

The watches, meaning the length of time into which the twenty-four hours
aboard ship is divided, are arranged on a naval vessel as in all
maritime affairs.

The first watch is from 8:00 P. M. till midnight. The mid-watch, or
"graveyard watch," is from midnight till 4:00 A. M.; the morning watch
from 4:00 till 8:00 A. M.; the forenoon watch from 8:00 A. M. till
mid-day; the afternoon watch from noon till 4:00 P. M.; and the
dog-watches, each of which is but two hours long, are from 4:00 till
6:00 P. M. and from 6:00 till 8 P. M.

The Seacove boys were already well trained in the general duties that
fell to their share, even though they had never cruised upon a
superdreadnaught. Now they had the special duties of looking after the
guns in the turr