"I have orders for you."

"Whoop! we are going to Cuba," cried young Potter. "It's dead sure this
time. They can't do without us down--"

"Silence!" called out the executive officer, sternly. "Corporal of the
guard, see to that man."

Poor Potter is sent below in disgrace amid the chuckles and jeers of
his unsympathetic shipmates. The little episode nearly earned him many
hours of extra duty.

In the meantime the "Columbia's" captain had communicated the welcome
intelligence that we were to cruise to the southward at once to look for
several suspicious vessels that had been sighted in the vicinity of
Barnegat. This promised action so strongly that a cheer went up from the
crew. This time even the officers joined in.

Very shortly after came the order "All hands on the cat falls," at which
every man Jack came running forward. The blue-clothed figures poured up
the companion-ways like rats out of a sinking ship, for "all hands on
the cat falls" means up anchor, and up anchor meant new experiences,
perhaps a brush with a Spanish man-of-war or the capture of a Spanish
prize. The anchor was yanked up and guided into place on its chocks in a
hurry, and soon the "Yankee" was under way and headed southward. As we
passed the "Columbia," the men of both ships stood at attention, feet
together, hands at the side, heads up, silent. So a ship is saluted in
the United States Navy, a ceremony dignified and impressive, though not
as soul-stirring as the American cheer.