Navy boys behind the big guns

In Short

This is a classic boy’s adventure novel from the tail end of the Great War, following four enlisted seamen from a small coastal town as they transition from lighthearted recruits to veterans of the high seas. While the story is primarily an action-driven romp featuring espionage, submarine chases, and narrow escapes, it captures the intense patriotism and technological fascination of its era. It has survived as a quintessential example of "series fiction," offering a window into the juvenile literature that defined the 1910s by blending real naval procedure with melodramatic suspense.

The Story

The narrative follows four young friends—Whistler Morgan, Al Torrance, Frenchy, and Ikey Rosenmeyer—who have traded the boredom of their hometown of Seacove for the discipline and excitement of the United States Navy. Having already served aboard the destroyer Colodia, the boys are eager for further duty, though they find themselves temporarily caught up in local intrigue. While on leave, they spot a mysterious man and an oddly "slouchy" power boat, suspecting that German spies are active in their own backyard. Their suspicions are confirmed when they encounter a saboteur named Blake, whom they later identify as a German agent named Franz Linder.

The tension rises when a catastrophic dam burst threatens the local region. The boys narrowly survive the deluge while attempting to warn the town, an event that serves as a grim preamble to their return to active duty. Assigned to the superdreadnaught Kennebunk, they find themselves aboard a massive, modern ship of war, but their journey is interrupted when they are caught in a storm while traveling on an auxiliary tender. The tender is attacked and sunk by a German U-boat, forcing the boys and their officer, Ensign MacMasters, to cling to the wreckage before washing ashore on a desolate island. There, they encounter an eccentric, ominous woman known as "Old Mag," who claims to have second sight and prophecies the doom of the Kennebunk.

After surviving the island, the boys are reunited with the Kennebunk, but the sense of unease persists. A bizarre, rhythmic ticking sound emanates from the bowels of the ship, fueling superstitions among the crew that the vessel is haunted. Whistler and his friends conduct an investigation and discover that the sound is not ghostly, but mechanical—an infernal machine hidden in an ironbound chest, rigged with clockwork and explosives by enemy infiltrators. The boys successfully expose the plot, preventing a disaster and securing the safety of the massive warship. The story concludes with the boys reflecting on their successful service and the thrilling nature of their cruise, fully embracing their identities as seasoned sailors ready for the next challenge.

How It Unfolds

The home front intrigue The boys observe suspicious activity near an Elmvale dam, linking a stranger to potential sabotage. This local mystery shifts rapidly into a natural disaster when the dam bursts, forcing the recruits to witness the destruction of their own neighborhood.

The call to duty Assigned to the superdreadnaught Kennebunk, the recruits face the harsh reality of naval discipline and the dangerous reality of war. Their transit is cut short when they are swept into a gale and their auxiliary ship is torpedoed by a submarine.

Survival on the strand The survivors wash up on a rugged island, encountering a cryptic recluse whose dark warnings unnerve the crew. They must endure the elements and the psychological toll of her prophecies before they can find a way to return to their fleet.

The ticking mystery Back aboard the Kennebunk, the boys are plagued by a rhythmic sound they believe is a ghost. Their investigation reveals a hidden bomb, confirming that the enemy is operating within the very heart of the battleship.

The People

Whistler Morgan serves as the group’s level-headed, observant leader. His propensity for whistling and his habit of carrying a telescope make him the primary investigator of the group. He is the most serious of the four, often acting as the bridge between the younger, more impulsive crew members and the stern naval officers.

Al Torrance is the group’s self-appointed "Old Salt." He is fiercely competitive and deeply invested in proving his worth as a sailor. He frequently mocks the others for their lack of discipline, yet he is the first to suggest reckless, heroic actions when the chips are down.

Frenchy and Ikey Rosenmeyer act as the comic relief. Their constant giggling and "keening" irritate the older, more serious sailors, and they are frequently reprimanded for their mischief. However, it is their curiosity that leads them to discover the ticking bomb, proving that their lack of focus is sometimes an asset in uncovering hidden dangers.

Ensign MacMasters is the mentor figure who bridges the gap between the officers and the boys. He is characterized by his tactical optimism and his ability to keep his men composed during the sinking of their tender. He treats the boys with a mix of fatherly concern and professional distance.

In Its Own Voice

"One moment he was a plain figure standing out against the background of the dam; the next he was not there at all!"

The boys witness a mysterious stranger vanishing into the brush, triggering their suspicions of espionage.

"The spirits of the night come and whisper to her while she stays awake."

The ominous recluse known as Old Mag explains the source of her supposed second sight to the stranded sailors.

"Several grim cylinders lay side by side in the chest's bottom."

Whistler and the warrant officer finally uncover the source of the rhythmic ticking, confirming the presence of a bomb.

What It's Really About

At its core, this story is a celebration of the transition from childhood to the professional, technological world of early 20th-century warfare. The book argues that the Navy is the ultimate "school"—a place where "harum-scarum" boys learn the value of duty, discipline, and technical mastery. It frames the world as a place where hidden threats, such as spies and saboteurs, are everywhere, and where the only defense is a watchful, suspicious, and well-drilled mind. The "tick-tock" of the bomb serves as a metaphor for the pervasive, unseen danger of the war, suggesting that modernity itself—with its machines and wireless telegraphy—is both a tool for victory and a vulnerability to be exploited by the enemy.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy historical artifacts or the fast-paced, unpretentious style of early 20th-century "series books" will find this an engaging, quick read. It is remarkably earnest, capturing a moment in history when the U.S. Navy was seen as a clean, efficient, and adventurous machine. The book is not without its period-specific challenges: it features a heavy reliance on the "quip-heavy" dialogue of the time, and the characters often default to caricatured behaviors that reflect the attitudes of 1919.

The pacing is breathless, jumping from local mystery to high-seas disaster with little time for reflection, which gives the book a "b-movie" energy. It is not a deep psychological study, but it is an effective window into how a generation of young Americans was taught to view the First World War. You will likely walk away from it with a strange appreciation for the "ticking" tension of the plot and a clearer understanding of the "Navy boy" archetype that dominated juvenile fiction for decades. If you enjoy stories where four friends consistently outwit enemy agents through sheer audacity and luck, this book will provide a nostalgic and historically illuminating experience.