o leeward of the Active. Of
course her hull, even to the bottom, as she rose on a sea, was plainly
visible, and such of her people as were in the tops and rigging could be
easily distinguished by the naked eye.

"The Druid must have some communication for us from the other division
of the fleet," observed the vice-admiral to his signal-officer, as they
stood watching the movements of the frigate; "it is a little
extraordinary Blewet does not signal! Look at the book, and find me a
question to put that will ask his errand?"

Bunting was in the act of turning over the leaves of his little
vocabulary of questions and answers, when three or four dark balls, that
Sir Gervaise, by the aid of the glass, saw suspended between the
frigate's masts, opened into flags, effectually proving that Blewet was
not absolutely asleep.

"Four hundred and sixteen, ordinary communication," observed the
vice-admiral, with his eye still at the glass. "Look up that, Bunting,
and let us know what it means."

"The commander-in-chief--wish to speak him!" read Bunting, in the
customary formal manner in which he announced the purport of a signal.

"Very well--answer; then make the Druid's number to come within hail!
The fellow has got cloth enough spread to travel two feet to our one;
let him edge away and come under our lee. Speaking will be rather close
work to-day."

"I doubt if a ship _can_ come near enough to make herself heard,"
returned the other, "though the second lieutenant of that ship never
uses a trumpet in the heaviest weather, they tell me, sir. Our gents say
his father was a town-crier, and that he has inherited the family
estate."

"Ay, our gents are a set of saucy fellows, as is usually the case when
there isn't work enough aboard."

"You should make a little allowance, Sir Gervaise, for being in the ship
of a successful commander-in-chief. That makes us all carry
weather-helms among the other messes."

"Up with your signal, sir; up with your signal. I shall be obliged to
order Greenly to put you upon watch-and-watch for a month, in order to
bring you down to the old level of manners."

"Signal answered, already, Sir Gervaise. By the way, sir, I'll thank you
to request Captain Greenly to give me another quarter-master. It's
nimble work for us when there is any thing serious to do."

"You shall have him, Bunting," returned the vice-admiral, a shade
passing over his face for the moment. "I had missed poor Jack Glass, and