United States or French Polynesia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The next morning, which was the 8th of March a date forever memorable in naval annals smoke was seen pouring out from the funnels of the Merrimac, and there were signs of activity on board the Patrick Henry, of six guns, and the Jamestown, Raleigh, Beaufort, and Teazer, little craft carrying one gun each, and at eleven o'clock they all moved down the inlet on which Norfolk is situated.
"He he's the guy," says Hunk, "the very guy!" "Wha-a-at?" says I, followin' the look in them wide-set pop eyes of his. "Who is?" "Him," says he, pointin' to Cuyler. "He's a reg'lar guy, he is; the spit and image of what I been wantin' to connect with these last six months. Say, Shorty, put me next." "Gwan!" says I. "You ain't supposed to exist. Paint your funnels black and run the blockade."
Above each superstructure, their fighting-tops, giant davits, funnels, and gibbet-like yards twisted into the air, fantastic and incomprehensible, but the bulk below seemed to rest solidly on the bottom of the ocean, like an island of lead. The muzzles of their guns peered from the turrets as from ramparts of rock. Channing gave a sigh of admiration. "Don't tell me they move," he said.
There were cross ribs which gave us a footing, and occasionally projections streamline fin-tips, the casings of the upper rudder shafts, and the upstanding stubby funnels into which helicopters were folded. We moved along the central footpath and crouched by a six-foot casing. The stars and the glowing Earth were over us.
Then the roar of blown-off steam grew still, and with loud blasts from the funnels that rapidly quickened they swept again down the slight grade like snorting giants, the huge head-lamp casting a blaze of radiance before them.
She seemed to be in a hurry, too, if the dense volumes of smoke that poured from her as yet unseen funnels were to be taken as any criterion. "Now, what craft will that be?" exclaimed "the skipper," as he studied the two mastheads attentively. "A liner, I should say, by the length of her between her masts. Probably an `Orient, `Orient-Pacific, or `X. and Z. boat.
The day before they sighted Jungle Island and discovered the little land-locked harbour upon the bosom of which the Cowrie now rode quietly at anchor, the watch had discovered the smoke and funnels of a warship upon the southern horizon.
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.
But against this there was the fact that during the final rush of the torpedo craft upon the enemy, the necessity to maintain our highest speed throughout the entire period of the attack involved forced draught, and consequently flaming funnels, which latter of course immediately attracted the attention of the enemy and nullified all our efforts to take him by surprise.
He had seen that tweed before; the short girl with her back to him was wearing the dress in which he had seen her on the Wednesday night, searching among Lord Ashiel's papers in the library at the castle. It was Julia Romaninov beyond a doubt, and Gimblet drew back quickly and took up his position behind the funnels on the after-deck.
Word Of The Day