Part 9 (1/2)
”That is all---for the present---Lieutenant Cantor,” said Commander Bainbridge, rising from his chair and hastening out.
”And all this, on account of a puppy of a junior who will not use sense and reason at the request of a superior officer!” ground Cantor between his teeth. ”I shall pay Darrin for this, and for that greater insult, too.”
Some minutes before the call to breakfast was due, Darrin and Dalzell appeared from their quarters and walked aft to where a group of the ”_Long Island's_” officers stood. Three or four of them had newspapers in their hands.
”It's time the government did something!” exclaimed one lieutenant commander, testily.
”We're going to do something, soon,” a.s.serted another officer, with a snap of his jaws.
”When?” demanded a third officer, while several men laughed derisively.
”We'll have to,” continued the second speaker. ”Every day the Mexican situation becomes worse. The usurper, Huerta, is becoming more of a menace all the time. He has no regard for the rights of any one, but himself. And he is unable to do more, in the field, than to accept defeat after defeat at the hands of the rebels under that former bandit chief, 'Pancho' Villa. Both the so-called Federals and the rebels, in Mexico, are doing their best to make Mexico a hotbed of incurable anarchy. Scores of American citizens have been murdered ruthlessly, and American women have been roughly treated. British subjects have been shot without the shadow of an excuse, and other foreigners have been maltreated. This country claims to uphold the Monroe Doctrine, which prevents European nations from interfering with force in affairs on this continent. If that is the case, then the United States must put an end to the numberless outrages against Americans and Europeans that take place every week in Mexico. That once orderly republic, Mexico, is now nothing better than a school for instruction in wholesale murder and in the ruthless riding over of the rights of all aliens residing or traveling in that country. These aliens have every right to protection.”
”Quite true,” remarked another officer. ”But what has that to do with the United States? What has there been in our conduct during the past three or four years to indicate that we would take any strong-handed action to make life and property safe in Mexico?”
”We shall soon interfere,” predicted the former speaker, confidently.
”Affairs in Mexico are now nearing a crisis. The United States will no longer be called a civilized and honorable nation if Army and Navy men are not sent to Mexico to uphold our government and the rights of American citizens living there.”
”Do you think, Holton, that will happen before you and I have been put on the retired list as white-haired rear admirals?” asked another officer, half-jeeringly.
”You will find,” insisted Lieutenant Holton, ”that we shall soon be listening to the thunder of our American naval guns at Vera Cruz, Tampico, or some other port on the sh.o.r.es of the Gulf of Mexico.”
”Hurrah!” came from the throats of a dozen officers, but the cheer was not a very confident one. Too long had the United States been patient in the face of one insult or injury after another.
General Huerta, in Mexico City, and Carranza and Villa, in the west and north of that country, had headed factions, neither of which seemed to care about Mexico's good name in the world at large. Maltreated Americans demanded punishment of the Mexican offenders, but the United States had been engaged in patiently waiting and watching, only once in a while sending a feeble protest either to the Federal or the Const.i.tutionalist leaders in that murder-ridden country of Mexico.
Mess-call sounded to breakfast. The officers filed into their places at table; then, on observing that the executive officer was not in his place at the head of the table, they remained standing by their chairs.
A minute afterward Commander Bainbridge entered with brisk stride, going to his place and giving the seating signal as he said:
”Pardon my tardiness, gentlemen; the captain detained me on a most urgent matter.”
After that the buzz of conversation broke loose. Breakfast orders were taken by the white-coated, noiseless Filipino servants. When all had been served, the executive officer glanced up, then rose.
”The attendants will withdraw,” he ordered. ”Orderly!”
”Aye, aye, sir!” responded the marine orderly on post just inside the door.
”As soon as the attendants have gone outside, orderly, you will chose the door from the outside, and remain there to keep any one from entering the room.”
”Aye, aye, sir!” responded the orderly, who then followed the last attendant outside, closing the door after him.
”Gentlemen,” continued the executive officer, remaining standing, ”Captain Gales sent for me this morning, to make a most important communication. With his approval I am going to tell you something of what he said. In a word, then, this s.h.i.+p is ordered to be fitted for a cruise to Mexico in the shortest time possible.
Within three or four days we must be on our way to Mexican waters.
”We are to go with bunkers filled with coal. We are to carry abundant clothing supplies for tropical service. We are to carry all the large and small arms ammunition that we can stow away.
We are to take on food supplies to our fullest commissary capacity.
In a word, we are to go prepared for any emergency.