So Sam and Cleary allied themselves with the Hercules party, which was
in the majority. They became quite intimate with the naval officers who
belonged to this faction, and saw more of them than of the army men.
Sam was much interested in learning about the profession which kept
alive at sea the same traditions which the army preserved on land. For
the first few days of the voyage the rolling of the ship made him feel
a little sick, and he concealed his failings as well as he could and
kept to himself; but he proved to be on the whole a good sailor. He was
particularly pleased to learn that on a man-of-war the captain takes
his meals alone, and that only on invitation can an inferior officer
sit down at table with him. This appealed to him as an admirable way of
maintaining discipline and respect. The fact that all the naval men he
met had their arms and bodies more or less tattooed also aroused his
admiration. He inquired of the common soldiers if they ever indulged in
the same artistic luxury, and found out to his delight that a few of
them did.

"It's strange," he remarked to Cleary, "that tattooing is universal in
the navy and comparatively rare in the army. I rather think the habit
must have been common to both services, and somehow we have nearly lost
it. It's a fine thing. It marks a man with noble symbols and mottoes,
and commits him to an honorable life, indelibly I may say."

"It's a little like branding a mule," said Cleary.

"Yes," said Sam; "the brand shows who owns the mule, and the tattooing
shows a man belongs to his country."

"And if he's shipwrecked and hasn't any picture-books or newspapers
with him, he can find all he wants on his own skin," said Cleary.

"Joke as you please, I think it's a patriotic custom."

"Why don't you get tattooed then?" asked Cleary.

"Do you think there's anybody on board can do it?" cried Sam
enthusiastically.

"Of course. Any of those blue-jackets can tell you whom to go to."

Sam was off before Cleary had finished his sentence. Sure enough, he
found a boatswain who was renowned as an artist, and without further
parley he delivered himself into his hands. Cleary was consulted on the
choice of designs, and the result was pronounced by all the
connoisseurs on board--and there were many--to be a masterpiece. On his
chest was a huge spread-eagle with a bunch of arrows, bayonets, and
lightning-flashes in his claws. Cannon belched f