Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-11-30
DAILY STORY
HOW A SCANDAL IN THE
NAVY WAS PREVENTED


| the Spanish-American war, was just
out of the Naval academy. He had
| been in more scrapes while at Annapo-
| lis than any man there, and, though he
was a fair scholar, that he had sue
| ceeded in coming out with a commits
sion was a surprise TO ALL The truth
| is he was such a good fellow that the
| faculty did not have the heart to re-
| fuse to graduate him. Nevertheless it
was predicted that his love for esca-
| pades would always keep him back in
his profession.
Backstay was sent to Cuban waters
on the Yellow Jacket, one of the many
| small armed boats used to watch the
| coming of the Spanish fleet, which was
! daily expected The Yellow Jacket
| was commanded by Lieutenant Quack-
enbos, man abnormally anxious for
distinction. Indeed. he talked so much
about what lie would do or try to do
if he got an opportunity that his Off
GERS would exchange glances whenever
the old man" touched upon the oft
| mentioned subject. OF course the main
topic of conversation on the Yellow
Jacket was the Spanish fleet and the
opportunities it would present for wide
awake officers to give notice of its ar
rival or perhaps save the American
fleet from attack or possible destruc
ton and thereby gain promotion.
The longer the SpaniardS were in
coming the skeener the expectancy till
at last Lieutenant Quackenbos was in
tremor of excitement during each
and every twenty-four hours. Then
when it came to be understood that
the first man to discover the hostile
fleet would be promoted the command
er of the Yellow Jacket resolved to re-
duce his Quantum OF sleep to two
hours in the day and two in the night
The Yellow Jacket was cruising on
the south Cuban coast and kept in
touch with other vessels of the feet.
In order that none of the others should
get ahead of him in announcing the
arrival of the enemy. if indeed the en-
envy came in those waters. QuackenboS
ordered that all signal apparatus be
kept on deck ready for immediate use.
In all this Backstay saw golden
opportunity for prank. On his glass
he painted or, rather, daubed with ink
something that looked like a man-of-
war in the distance. Then about
bells in the evening, when the sun had
been set long enough to cast Il slight
dusk over the ocean, he rushed down
TO his commander, who was taking his
daily nap In his cabin, and shouted in
steutorian tones:
"Thc fleet"
Quackenbos. Selling his glass, bound
ed UP the cOmpanionway and. bringing
the glass TO bear on the horizon, swept
it. Backstay handed him his own
glass. The lieutenant brought it to the
sky line and saw a Spanish man-of-
wer. Without losing a moment he or
dered that Il signal be sent to the near
est vessel stating that the feet had ar
rived. Backstay received his glass
from his commander passed his tongue
over the object lens and wiped the lens
on his coat sleeve. The officer TO whom
the signal had been sent signaled back
that the announcement had been for
warded to the admiral and asked in
what quarter the enemy was to be
found since he had not discovered him.
Quackenbos looked again, but could
see nothing. Others looked. with the
same result. The man-of- war had van
ished
We're outdone." said Backstay, low
ering his own glass. Some floating
torpedo has blown her up
Handing his glass to his commander,
that officer saw clouds of smoke. He
signaled that a man-of-war had been |
seen. but had disappeared Then the |
Off II;
possible that he should not see that |
they were laughing at him.
You'll have to pay for this, Back |
stay" said one of his mates. It'll all |
come out, and they'll court martial |
you"
Backstay looked a trifie uneasy, but |
said nothing. He grinned; he was al |
ways grinning.
The next day, while the officers of |
the Yellow Jacket were at dinner, they,
all left the table in a hurry at hearing |
some one on deck say:
1.-THE Spanish feet has eluded us and
got into Santiago"
If the excitement at the confirma-
ton of this news was great 1t was
magnifed a hundred times the next
day when a message came from the
flagship asking for the name of the
man who had discovered the Spanish
man-ofwar reported two days before
The officers in Backstay's secret looked
at each other with mingled amt1se-
ment and wonder, and the commander
Of the Yellow Jacket signaled, as he
was obliged to do, that the officer was
Robert c. Backstay.
Back came signal for Midshlpman
Robert c. Backstay to report on board
the flagship.
Before Backstay left the Yellow
Jacket consultation was held be-
tween him and the juniors, and it was
decided that the secret was to be kept.
To confess that the Spanish vessel seen
was an ink Snnt would make a terri ].