Both of them rushed forward at a pace rather
undignified for a commander.
"Silence, aloft!" shouted the captain. "We have made her out. Mr. Flint,
you will take the deck, and call all hands without any unnecessary
noise."
This order was given to Giblock, the boatswain, and in a minute or two
every man on board was in his station. The first lieutenant remained on
the bridge, but the second took his place in the waist, and the third
forward, though this arrangement of the officers was not sanctioned by
ancient usage. Silence was commanded, and the engine, working at half
speed, made hardly any noise. The captain had spoken to Sampson, the
chief engineer, and he had done his best to avoid all noise in his
department.
The captain and the first lieutenant remained on the bridge, anxiously
sighting in the direction in which the sail had been reported to be. As
the captain had instructed the engineer to do, he had caused the fires
to be reduced and a change of fuel used so that the smokestack of the
Bronx was just beginning to send up volumes of black smoke. The bunkers
contained a small portion of soft coal for this purpose.
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