or action!" commanded the captain. The navigator and
another lieutenant hurried to the telephones and transmitted the order.
The flag lieutenant of the squadron rushed to the telephone leading to
the wireless room, and ordered a message forwarded to all of the ships
of the squadron to proceed at full speed. For safety's sake the order
was repeated by means of flag signals.

While from the bridge the officers were watching the gray phantoms of
the strange armored fleet, it continued calmly on its course. The
leading ship threw up great masses of foam like huge exploding
fountains, which covered the bow with showers of gray water.

In a few minutes things began to get lively within the steel body of the
_Connecticut_. The sounds of shrill bugle-calls, of the loud ringing of
bells, of excited calls and a hurried running to and fro, came up from
below.

In the midst of the water pouring over the deck appeared the sailors in
their white uniforms. They at once removed the gun-coverings, while
peculiarly shrill commands resounded above the roar of the wind and the
waves.

Great quantities of thick, black smoke poured from the yellowish brown
funnels, to be immediately seized and broken up by the wind. The reserve
signalmen for duty on the bridge as well as the fire-control detail took
up their positions.

One lieutenant climbed hastily up into the military top of the foremast.
Two other officers and a few midshipmen followed him as far as the
platform above the conning-tower, where the instruments connected with
the fire-control were kept. Orderlies came and went with messages. All
this was the work of a few minutes. Captain Farlow was inwardly
delighted that everything should have gone off so well before the
admiral. Now the other ships reported that they were clear for action.
Just as the bright ensigns were being run to the mastheads, the sun
broke through the black clouds for a moment. The six monster ships
continued on their way in the sunlight like sliding masses of white
iron, with their long yellowish brown funnels emitting clouds of smoke
and their rigid masts pointing upward into the angry sky. The sunshine
made the deck structures sparkle with thousands of glistening drops for
a brief moment; then the sun disappeared and the majestic picture was
swallowed up once more by the gray clouds.

"Shall we go up to the conning-tower?" inquired the flag lieutenant of
the admiral.

"Oh, no, we'll stay here," said the