“Eight bells, sir.” “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
The Manhattan from stem to stern presented a busy scene. From her tops and bridge stations the wig-wag flags were busily signaling the orders of the flag-ship to the rest of the squadron. A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
From the stacks of each of the grim sea bulldogs, black clouds of smoke were vomiting, and semaphore arms were jerking up and down frantically. On the bridges of every ship of the[96] squadron stood the officers in full uniform. On the bridge of the Manhattan, of course, was the rear-admiral, a bluff, hearty seaman known the world over as “Fighting Bob.” From the after truck of the dreadnought’s cage masts fluttered his insignia.
The steamer came off with the last mails from the shore and was swung hastily into her davits. Below in the engine-rooms and boiler spaces, the great vessels of the squadron throbbed and hummed with pent-up energy. It was as if they were impatient to get to sea once more after the royal time they had enjoyed in San Francisco. From the gaff of each ship of the long line fluttered proudly Old Glory.
“What a sight, eh, Herc?” remarked Ned to his red-headed chum as, being temporarily unemployed, the two found a chance to look about and to chat.
“Never could have seen anything like this if we’d stayed at home on the farm,” grinned Herc.[97] “Although, speaking of the farm, the ships do remind me of a long line of gray geese with the old Manhattan, the daddy gander, that shows ’em the way.”
“Well, I never saw geese that gave out black or any other colored smoke,” chuckled Ned, “nor do geese have funnels sticking up out of their backs. Otherwise your comparison is all right, Herc.”
A messenger came bustling up to them and thrust two packages into their hands.
“Just come off on the steamer,” he said.
“Now what in the world can this be?” wondered Ned as he opened his package, while Herc did the same. When the coverings were torn off, within each was revealed a purple plush box. Within these, in turn, nestling in beds of white satin, were two gold watches. On the back of each was this inscription: “Presented in token of appreciation of a gallant act. San Francisco, 19——.”
[98]
The boys’ eyes sparkled. No need to ask from whom the handsome presents came. The consul at dinner the night before had hinted at gifts, but that they were to be such magnificent ones had never entered the boys’ heads.
They had small time to admire them, however. Orders came to take stations, and each lad hastened to his turret to get everything in readiness for the good-bye salute of twenty-one guns.
The decks were in what to a landsman would have seemed hopeless confusion. Yet, underlying all was the system that has made our navy what it is. Orders were passing rapidly, bos’uns’ pipes screaming shrilly, and Jackies running hither and thither like so many ants when their nest has been disturbed.
High up on the lofty bridge, Commander Dunham and the admiral surveyed the scene.
“I think we are ready, sir,” said the admiral at length.
The captain saluted and turned to the executive officer who stood beside him.
[99]
“All ready, Mr. Jenks,” he said.
The executive officer saluted, and then came a hoarse hail through his megaphone while the wig-waggers on the Manhattan transmitted the signal, “Up anchor,” to the other ships of the squadron.
“Up anchor!” bellowed Mr. Jenks.
The band crashed out into “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” swinging into “Nancy Lee,” “Auld Lang Syne” and other favorites. The blue-jackets grabbed each other around the waist and pirouetted about on the foc’scle like schoolboys. Some sang with the band until “Boom! Boom! Boom!” the stately measured farewell to San Francisco began to boom from the steel mouths of the big guns.
“Anchors shipped, sir!” sang out a middy from the forepart of the ship.
“Slow speed ahead!” ordered the captain to the ensign at the engine-room telegraph.
“Aye, aye, sir!”
[100]
“Both engines.”
The Manhattan slowly swung around and headed to sea, with her big guns belching yellow smoke and flashes of scarlet flame. Ashore, every whistle in the city sent up a deafening roar of screeching and hooting. The wharves and tall buildings on the water-front, black with people, added to the din.
Slowly, and in stately fashion, the huge dreadnought maneuvered till her bow pointed straight for the historic Golden Gate. Each ship of the squadron followed at a measured distance of four hundred yards. From each came clouds of smoke, the fulminating roar of the big guns and the crashing of bands.
Up on the signal halliards of the Manhattan went a string of bunting.
“Increase distance to sixteen hundred yards.”
Gradually and as perfectly measured as if they had been figures in a minuet, the great fighting ships lengthened the distance betw............