s inside the companionway.

"You're getting too fat and sassy; steer a little."

Poop-deck relieved the little man, who descended the cabin stairs, and
returned in a few moments, smoking a short pipe. He took the wheel, and
Poop-deck again examined the steamer with the glasses.

"There goes his ensign, union down," he exclaimed; "he's in trouble.
We'll show ours."

From a flag-locker inside the companionway he drew out the Stars and
Stripes, which he ran up to the monkey-gaff. Then he looked again.

"Down goes his ensign; up goes the code pennant. He wants to signal.
Come up here, boys," called Poop-deck; "give me a hand."

As the six men climbed the steps, he pulled out the corresponding code
signal from the locker, and ran it up on the other part of the halyards
as the ensign fluttered down. "Go down, one of you," he said, "and get
the signal-book and shipping-list. He'll show his number next. Get ours
ready--R. L. F. T."

While a man sprang below for the books named, the others hooked
together the signal-flags forming the ship's number, and Poop-deck
resumed the glasses.

"Q. T. F. N.," he exclaimed. "Look it up."

The books had arrived, and while one lowered and hoisted again the code
signal, which was also the answering pennant, the others pored over the
shipping-list.

"Steamer _Aldebaran_ of New York," they said.

The pennant came down, and the ship's number went up to the gaff.

"H. V.," called Poop-deck, as he scanned two flags now flying from the
steamer's truck. "What does that say?"

"Damaged rudder--cannot steer," they answered.

"Pull down the number and show the answering pennant again," said
Poop-deck; "and let me see that signal-book." He turned the leaves,
studied a page for a moment, then said: "Run up H. V. R. That says,
'What do you want?' and that's the nearest thing to it."

These flags took the place of the answering pennant at the gaff-end,
and again Poop-deck watched through the glasses, noting first the
showing of the steamer's answering pennant, then the letters K. R. N.

"What does K. R. N. say?" he asked.

They turned the leaves, and answered: "I can tow you."

"Tow us? We're all right; we don't want a tow. He's crazy. How can he
tow us when he can't steer?" exclaimed three or four together.

"He wants to tow us so that he _can_ steer, you blasted fools," said
Poop-deck. "He can keep head to sea and go where he likes with a big
drag on his stern."

"That's so. Where