sounded. "Pipe sweepers" was the next command, and the decks
were thoroughly swept while the deck washers removed their shoes and
socks.

"Wet down decks!" and the washers sprang for the coils of hose attached
to the fire hydrants. Every part of the decks was flushed with clean sea
water and swabs, or deck-mops, were used where necessary.

All this was a familiar routine to Whistler Morgan and his mates. Later
they would be assigned to their places in the watches and to their posts
at all deck drills.

At the execution of morning orders at three bells, or half-past five,
the decks were cleared of all loiterers and the order passed to break
away the anchors. The steam gear was already in action. The derrick had
hoisted aboard the running steamer before the chaser had arrived with
the boys from Seacove and their companions, and it was now stowed in her
proper berth amidships. There was no other craft outboard, even the
captain's gig having been stowed preparatory to going to sea.

Feathery smoke was rising from the funnels of the ship when Whistler and
his chums had come aboard. Now great gray masses of oily smoke ballooned
upward, drifting away to leeward before the gale. As soon as the anchors
were tripped the bows of the great ship swung seaward. She began to
forge ahead.

The _Kennebunk_ was a huge craft, indeed, being of thirty-two thousand
tons' displacement. She carried twelve 12 and 14-inch guns in her
turrets on the center line, while her torpedo battery of 5 and 6-inch
guns numbered twenty. The "all-big-gun" feature of our big battleships
began with the construction of the dreadnaught _Delaware_, in 1906.

The _Kennebunk_ was heavily armored on the waterline and barbettes. She
likewise had 5 to 8-inch armor along in wake of the berth-deck and
armored broadside gun positions.

She had two steel cage masts and cofferdams along the unarmored portion
of her waterline to protect the ship from being flooded if pierced by a
shell between wind and water.

All machinery necessary to the superdreadnaught while in action was
installed below the armored deck and behind the thick belt of armor at
the waterline. Her system of water-tight compartments was perfect, and
she had a complete double bottom.

In addition to her offensive machinery, she had several underwater
torpedo tubes. Although she was supposed to be too heavy for great
speed, her coal carrying capacity was enormous, and she could travel on
the power