True Blue: Stirring Stories of Naval Academy Life — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

TRUE BLUE. The roomy canvas-covered spot was at that heur a free- for-all lounging quarters. inthroned on a,bench, Hannibal was already under- roing a vigorous pumping as to the academy trip “Come off, _ Snowball !’ Dismal Joy was jeering in- credulously ; your horses swam a river?” “A ribber, ht ; “And Faraday got excited ?” “ “Bend on de ‘mergency signal!’ dat‘s ‘zactly what Cap- ung-Commodore Faraday calls out, sah, cause we was a mile from land.”’ 1 ‘A mile from land?” derided Fisheake. “Why, you conscienceless prevaricator! there isnt a stream in your course more than sixty feet wide!” “Jesso, sah!’ nodded Hannibal, placidly; “a mile from land down, I means. Dat ribber was mighty deep!" “Good for you! Ho! ho! Hannibal!” encouraged Chawncey De Lawncey, Bia to see his opponents rigged. “Whaffor him call we—us don’t belong to he!” spoke Hannibal, with chilling flignity, “IT deliberate, Mistah De Law neey, tings somewhat differential trom ‘cademy, when yo’ call me to pull on yo’ boots so yo kin kick me cow n de stairs, sah!’ “Anybody inquiring after me at the institution, Hanni- bal?” insinuated Chawncey, who could never take a hint nor leave well enough alone. “Dar was, sah!” “Ah!” “Young leddy meets me at de gate, hangin’ on cadet’s ahm.”’ “Knew me, I tawncy ?° ‘“‘Jesso, for she says, ‘Do yo’ know when Mistah De Lawncey will be back ?’ ro es, yes?” urged Chawncey, all smiles and simpers. “And I said, ‘Mebbe not for days and days.’ ” “And she said ?” * “How, fortinit’! “Eh?” twanged Chawncey, as a laugh went up. “She said you was good enough, sah—good for picnics mostly—said her fadder banked de furnace at eight when yo’ calls ‘round !” “Next!” paped fat, short Pun’kin, with a puffaw. ona comicbooks.com