bit of
court-plaster or lint. With me, oakum answers for one, and canvass for
the other."

While this was saying, all hands were in motion. The sea and marine
officers looking for their side-arms, the surgeon carefully collecting
his books, and the chaplain seizing a dish of cold beef, that was
hurriedly set upon a table, carrying it down with him to his quarters,
by way of taking it out of harm's way. In a minute, the gun-room was
cleared of all who usually dwelt there, and their places were supplied
by the seamen who manned the three or four thirty-two's that were
mounted in the apartment, together with their opposites. As the
sea-officers, in particular, appeared among the men, their faces assumed
an air of authority, and their voices were heard calling out the order
to "tumble up," as they hastened themselves to their several stations.

All this time, Sir Gervaise Oakes paced the poop. Bunting and the
quarter-master were in readiness to hoist the new signal, and Greenly
merely waited for the reports, to join the commander-in-chief. In about
five minutes after the drum had given its first tap, these were
completed, and the captain ascended to the poop.

"By standing on, on our present course, Captain Greenly," observed Sir
Gervaise, anxious to justify to himself the evolution he contemplated,
"the rear of our line and the van of the French will be brought within
fair range of shot from each other, and, by an accident, we might lose a
ship; since any vessel that was crippled, would necessarily sag directly
down upon the enemy. Now, I propose to keep away in the Plantagenet, and
just brush past the leading French ships, at about the distance the
Warspite will _have_ to pass, and so alter the face of matters a little.
What do you think would be the consequence of such a man[oe]uvre?"

"That the van of our line and the van of the French will be brought as
near together, as you have just said must happen to the rear, Sir
Gervaise, in any case."

"It does not require a mathematician to tell that much, sir. You will
keep away, as soon as Bunting shows the signal, and bring the wind
abeam. Never mind the braces; let _them_ stand fast; as soon as we have
passed the French admiral, I shall luff, again. This will cause us to
lose a little of our weatherly position, but about that I am very
indifferent. Give the order, sir--Bunting, run up the signal."

These commands were silently obeyed, and presently the Plantagenet wa