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Rh against you. I suppose you would like to remain with Striker."

"Yes, sir—everybody else on board being a stranger."

"We'll try to fix it up. And that being settled, we'll not be on the lookout for any ship to take you to Hong Kong for the present." The commodore raised his voice and called the guard at the companionway "Ask Captain Gridley to step in," he continued.

The word was passed, and soon the captain of the Olympia appeared, and the situation was explained to him. Being short of a few men, as Commodore Dewey had said, he gladly accepted Larry and Striker, and added their names to the muster-roll, to serve until discharged or until the end of the trip. This finished, the pair were turned over to the officer of the deck, who in his turn passed them to the chief of the gunners.

"Well, you're a full-fledged son o' Uncle Sam now, Larry," remarked Striker, after the pair had been assigned to their positions at one of the side guns, and been put through a strict drill lasting over an hour. "How do you feel?"

"I feel a good deal like the cat that strayed in a strange garret," laughed the boy, just a bit