"Very well, Mr. Passford; I give you the order to carry out your plan,
and I hope it will work to your satisfaction. But you must not take more
than twenty men," said the commander in conclusion of the whole matter.
"Mr. Walbrook," called Christy without losing a moment in the
preparations for carrying out his scheme, which neither the captain nor
himself could say was an original idea.
The station of the second lieutenant at quarters is on the forecastle,
and of the third in the waist, or the middle of the ship. The third
lieutenant stepped forward at the call of the executive officer, touched
his cap, for "the honors due the quarter-deck cannot be dispensed with,"
even at exciting times.
Christy gave him the order to cast loose the launch, and have it in
readiness to lower into the water at a moment's notice; and Mr. Walbrook
proceeded to obey it without delay. The first lieutenant then called Mr.
Walters, a midshipman, and directed him to give his compliments to Mr.
Vapoor, and ask him if he could spare the third assistant engineer for
special duty for a couple of hours, more or less.
The messenger returned with the reply that the chief engineer would be
happy to detail Mr. Graines for special duty at once. In five minutes
more the assistant engineer appeared upon the quarter-deck in uniform,
and touched his cap to the executive officer.
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