Evening star., 1952-09-19

Next day Willie went to his pos
on the bridge as Junior officer O.
the deck shortly after sunrise
Capt. Queeg came up to the
bridge, brisk and smiling, with 6
pleasant greeting for each sailor
and officer. Good morning, cap.
tain. All lines singled up. sir,
Willie said, saluting smartly.
"Ah, good morning. Thank you
thank you, Willie" Queeg leaned
over the bulwark, taking a quick
look at the mooring lines. The
Caine was tied to the Moulton
which was secured fore and aft
to buoys.
Tight squeeze. hey?" Queee
said jovially to Maryk and Cor
ton, who stood together on the
port wing, awaiting with interest
the new captains first demonStra-
ton of ship handling. The two
officers nodded respectfully. Queeg
called, Take in all lines!"
The manila ropes came snak-
ing aboard the Caine. "All lines
taken in. sir!" said the telephone
talker.
Kay" Queeg glanced around
the wheelhouse. wetted his lips,
dropped the book on the chair,
and said, well. let's go. All en-
gines back one third"
The ship vibrated and things
began to happen so fast that
Willie couldn't tell exactly what
went wrong or why. AS the Caine
moved backward the sharp fluke
of the decked anchor came ripping
down along the forecastle of the
other ship. It gaShed jagged
hole in the Moulton's bridge with
CHASTITY metallic screech. Capt.
Queeg shouted a tangle of wheel
and engine orders; the stacks
vomited pillows of black smoke
which poured down on the bridge:
there ensued a few moments of
wild yelling and running around
in the smoky gloom. Then it was
all over. The Caine was stuck
fast by the stern in the mud on
the other side of the loch, canted
over about 10 degrees.
Beginners Luck.
well, well, beginners luck,
hey?" Queeg said smiling, in the
shocked quiet that followed. "Mr.
Gorton, lay aft and find out if
there's been any damage" He
sent a blinker message to Capt.
Sammis apologizing for the mis-
hap. The executive officer re-
turned in a few minutes and re-
ported that there was no visible
damage to the hull and the pro-
pellers were buried in mud to
their hubs.
Kay. a little mud bath never
hurt a propeller" Queeg said.
Shine 'em up a little, maybe. +"
He was looking out toward the
harbor.
Guess we'll have to send a
grounding report dispatch to
ServPac, captain" Gorton said.
Shall /"
Maybe We will and then again
maybe we won't" Queeg said. "See
that tug? Over there by the
point? Give him a call on your
blinker light"
The tug obligingly turned out
OF the main channel and came
chugging into West Loeb. A tow
line was soon rigged and the Caine
was easily pulled off the mud.
$50 much for that" Queeg said
affably to Gorton. And so much
for your grounding report, Burt.
No sense getting old ServPac in
an uproar over nothing. hey? All
engines ahead one third"
He conned the ship confidently
across the harbor to the fueling
dock where they were to spend the
day taking on oil, food and am
munition. He tore in toward the
dock at a sharp angle at Is knots,
but in the very last seconds Queeg
backed down emergency full and
the Caine slowed, shuddering
fearfully and dropped into it's
berthing space as neatly as a New
York taXicab parking.
That afternoon Willie was in
the coding room writing a letter
to May, the last before the start
of the voyage.
A radioman knocked at his open
doorway. Pardon me, Mr.. Keith.
Action from ComServPac. Just
come over the harbor circuit"
"Sure. give it here" Willie
went to the coding machine and
broke the dispatch. A written re-
port is desired explaining ground
ing of Caine this morning in West
Loch. Include explanation of fail
ure to report grounding via dis
patch to this command.
He brought the decode to the
captains room. Queeg was sit
ting in his underwear at the desk,
working over a pile of official mail
When he read the message he sat
upright with loud squeak of the
swivel chair. He stared at the
sheet for a long time while Willie
tried to think of a good excuse to
sneak out of the room.
At last Queeg picked up the
steel balls from his desk and rolled
them rapidly, cycling the dispatch.
"Well, hell, he wants a grounding
report. Well give him a ground
ing report. Spruce up. Willie, and
stand by to deliver it by hand.
Seems to have his pants on fire