Evening star., 1952-09-20

roneous assignment"
Queeg, frowning at the air in
front of him, his face gone pale,
said with difficulty. And wonder
how that would look in my record,
of my first command
after one MONTH"
II believe I could guarantee you
a fitness report that would re-
move any possible doubt on that
score"
Queeg Speaks His Mind.
Queeg suddenly plunged his left
hand into his pocket and brought
out the steel balls. Don't mis-
understand me, sir. I don't say
that CO Of the Caine is the best
assignment any officer ever had,
or even that it's the assignment I
deserved. But it happens to be
the assignment I've got. The Caine
is far from what I want it to be,
but that doesn't mean I'm going
to give up and sneak off to some
shore billet. No, thank you, Cap
tain Grace" He looked for a
moment at the operations officer,
and resumed his glowering address
to the invisible audience in front
Of and a little above him. II am
captain of the Caine, and I in
tend to remain captain, and while
I'm captain the Caine will carry
out all its assignments or 60 to
the bottom trying. I'll promise you
one thing. sir--if stubbornness.
and toughnesS, and unremitting
vigilance and supervision by the
commanding officer are of any
avail, he Caine will come through
any combat duty assigned. And
I'll stand by the fitness report I'll
get when my tour Of duty is over.
sir. That's all I have to say"
Grace leaned backward, hooking
his arm over the back of his chair.
He regarded Queeg with a slight
smile, and nodded his head slowly
several times. professional pride
and sense of duty. both of which.
you obviously have, can carry an
officer a long way in this outfit"
He stood, and put out his hand
to Queeg. II think we've each
spoken our piece. I'm going to &C
|cept your report. AS to these mis-
takes of yours. or unfortunate in
cidents. as you prefer to call them,
well, they say a bad beginning
makes good ending"
THANK you, sir" said Queeg.
II have always endeavored to
make only sensible and useful
decisions. and in view of your
kind advice I shall redouble my
efforts in that direction"
Captain Grace stood beside the
admiral's heavy mahogany desk
in a wood-paneled, green -carpeted
room.
II wish you'd have let me see
the report before accepting it,"
the admiral was grumbling. He was
a lean, wintry little man with
piercing blue eyes.
"I'm sorry. admiral"
''It's all right. What's your
impression of this Queeg? That's
the main thing.
Grace drummed on the desk
softly with his fingers for a mo-
ment. "An old lady, I'm afraid.
sir. I think he's earnest enough
and probably pretty tough. but
he's one of those that are never
wrong. no matter how wrong they
are -"
How about that towline?
What's the story? Did he cut it
or didn't hep"
zoo Dislikes 4Queeg's Jib.
Grace shook his head obviously.
Well, it's one of those things.
He got terribly offended when I
asked about it-seemed sincere
enough. I more or less had to take
his word that it didn't happen.
You'd have to run court of in
quiry to get at the definite facts.
sir, and I don't know 80"
Hell, we can't 60 tracking
down scuttlebutt with courts of
inquiry. But I don't like the cut
of the mans jib, Grace. Too many
questionable occurrences too fast.
Do you think / ought to recon-
mend to the bureau that he be
relieyed?" ss. r.
mo. SIR" said Grace promptly.
I'm all fairness to the man, he's
done nothing that we know of
definitely to warrant that. Over
tension in his first command could
account for everything that's hap
pened so far"
well, then-look here, CincPac
wants me to send two destroyer
minesweepers back to the States
for overhaul and new radar in
stallations to go on the Flintlock
push" said the admiral. Whats
wrong with sending the Caine?"
Nothing, sir. It's been in the
forward area % months :"
"Okay. Get up the dispatch
recommending the Caine. Let this
Queeg pull his next butch some
where else"
A yard overhaul in the States
was the most precious. prayed-for
assignment Of the war. In a year
of combat steaming De Vriess had
been unable to earn it for the old
disintegrating Caine. Queeg had
achieved it in his first four weeks,
commanding the Navy's best
damn target-towing ship.
(Copyright. 1851, by Herman wouk.
Distributed by Doubleday Syndicate.l
(To Be Continued Monday