The Washington times., 1938-03-26

son straight in the eyes, and his
gaze was defiant. The officer
clenched his fists.
IT can see by the way you're
trying to wear your uniforms that
you want to be salty-a regular
sailor. Well, being salty, German,
means a lot more than wearing
white hat a certain angle. It
means loyalty to your shipmates,
from the skipper down, it means
doing your share, and more, to
keep things shipShape, and most
of all it means absolute and i'm.
mediate cheerful obedience. Do
you understand"
Dennis stood rigidly. eyes, sir.
understand"
"All right. That will be ALL"
Dennis saluted, and returned to
the deck, a black storm raging in
his heart. They were all against
him, officers, c. P. o. and enlisted
men. They kidded him. Like a
fool he had told Joe Deegan, the
seaman first on his watch, that he
wanted to be salty. That was his
nickname now-"Salty." Even the
exec. took him for a ride.
PUFF OF SMOKE
That afternoon, the heavy
Standard motors we're purring as
they pushed the chaser through
the oily sea. Off watch, Dennis
was sitting just aft of the engine
room companionway. Suddenly
there was a puff of smoke. then
a muffled explosion from the en-,
gineroom. Things happened fast;
First, the fear-crazed, smoke.
blackened face of the chief ma.
chinist appeared over the engine
room hatch.
There's fire" he shouted. "A
gas line broke"
Barberion, running like a deer,
shot by on his way toward the
flames.
Lend a hand, German" he
barked.
Now by all the rules, Dennis
German should have grinned to
himself. The one man that had
seen him soldering in this emer'
gency was caught in the flames.
GOES AFTER HIM
But something snapped in Den.
mis- when he saw the c. P. o. topple
and fall. Pausing only to soak his
white hat in the water butt, and
then pull it well down over his
eyes, he sprang for the engine
room companionway like an I'm,
leashed whip.
The heat struck him in the face
like a sheet of steel, and hi
thanked God in his heart that he
had gulped a lung full of fresh air,
Fighting to keep his lips closed
Dennis crawled to the c. P. Oh
inert body. Then with all the
strength at his command, he
heaved, regaining his feet with the
chief slung over his shoulder, ano
CROPPED the few steps to the COM
panionway. Halfway up, his grir
slackened, he could feel the
flames, and only all his will kept
him going up.
CHIEF SAVED
Then hands grasped his wrists
he felt Barberino'S weight released
and knew that they had pulled the
chief through the hatchway. A
he began to lose consciousness, he
fought to keep his mouth closed
and the last thing he felt was colo
sea air on his face.
Lying In sick bay, swathed ir
bandages, Dennis turned painfully
on his side. He opened his eyes
and saw a figure in the next bunk
concealed except for two hare
blue eyes.
How are you, Chief?" he whis
pered.
The eyes crinkled, and you could
tell that there was a grin under
meath them. Lieut.. Unison, whC
stood unobserved by either, but OBJ
serving both, coughed a little
shamefaeedly, when he heard the
hoarse muffled reply.
"Okay-Salty"
Il There was a different ring In
the word, than Dennis had ever
heard before, and he grinned. The
Lieutenant grinned, too, as hi
walked over to the companionway
and a startled orderly wondered
what was up as he heard hin
muttering the words over anc
over Salty-Salty-Thank Goc
flor the United States sailor"