"Mr. Lillyworth, you will make the course southeast by east," said
Christy, looking at the officer of the deck.
"Southeast by east!" exclaimed the second lieutenant; and his remark
needed an exclamation point after it, for though it was customary to
repeat an order to make sure that it was understood, he did so in such
a tone and in such a manner as to manifest very clearly his astonishment
at the nature of the order. The former course had been south by west.
One thing was fully evident from this surprise--that the officer of the
deck gave full faith to the bogus instructions which had been imparted
to him by Mulgrum. He believed that the Bronx was to hasten to the Gulf,
as the former course indicated. It was plain enough to Lillyworth that
the captain was disregarding his instructions; but his lips were sealed
in regard to this disobedience, for he could not indicate in any manner
that he knew the purport of the sealed orders; and doubtless it did not
occur to him that the deaf mute had been blinded, in addition to his
other infirmities. The course was given out to the quartermaster at the
wheel. The steamer promptly fell off, and began to ride quartering over
the smart billows, brought out by the wind from the south-southwest, as
it had blown for the last hour or more.
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