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He then explained to Lord Tadcaster that, on a cruise, he never liked to pass a spar, or anything that might possibly reveal the fate of some vessel or other. In the middle of his discourse the officer came in again, but not in the same cool business way: he ran in excitedly, and said, "Captain, the signalman reports it ALIVE!" "Alive? a spar! What do you mean? Something alive ON it, eh?"
But old Hutchins would not hear of it; he seems to have taken a dislike to the signalman from the first, and latterly he had forbidden him to come to his house or his daughter to speak to him." "Excellent, Louis," cried Carrados in great delight. "We shall clear your man in a blaze of red and green lights yet and hang the glib, 'greasy' signalman from his own signal-post."
"Oh!" exclaimed the captain on this being read out aloud, as the signalman put it down on the slate for entry into the ship's log, according to the usual custom. "This is getting interesting. Hoist `Q R S' after the answering pen'ant."
A small flag attached to a staff is held by the signalman in such a position that it can be seen by the ship addressed. A code similar to the Morse telegraph alphabet is employed. By this system the flag, when waved to the right, represents 1, or a dot; and 2, or a dash, when inclined to the left. Each word is concluded by bringing the flag directly to the front, which motion is called 3.
Another short interval elapsed; and then, being down in the waist, right under the break of the poop, the quarter-master having set me to work flemishing down the slack ends of some of the sheets that he did not think were tidily arranged, I heard the signalman mumble some exclamation or other which he could not get out properly from his excitement.
"Signalman, hoist the cutter's recall," said Captain Farmer, presently; after an age of waiting and looking out, as it appeared to me, during which not a word was spoken by anyone. "There is no use searching any more now. If he were afloat, they would have found him long since!" "Alas! I'm afraid there's no hope," replied the commander.
Meanwhile the two men who acted as signalman and assistant stood near the head of the ladder, the first holding the life-line, the assistant the coil of air-tubing. Their duty was to stand by and pay out or haul in tubing and line according as the diver's movements and necessities should require.
"All right, put it down correctly, signalman," said Captain Farmer; and, turning to the commander, he added, "Why, Nesbitt, it's nearly in our direct course across the Bay, only we shall have a tighter squeeze, perhaps, in weathering Finisterre."
The man scratched his head and made wide eyes at one of the midshipmen, requesting him to tell him what the captain meant. “By Jove!” said the mid, “if you do not bear a hand and get the signal ready, he will make you a dog-of-a-wig instead of a Tory.” Seeing the man at a pause, I asked him if he had the signal ready. “Yes, sir,” replied he; “I have the telegraph dinner flags ready, but I do not know what the dog-a-tory pennant is; it must be in the boatswain’s store-room, for I have never had charge of it.” I could not forbear laughing at the man’s explanation. “What’s the signalman about?” inquired the captain; “why does he not hoist the signal?” “He did not know where to find the pendant you mentioned,” replied I. “I have told him you meant the interrogatory pendant.” “To be sure; I said so as plain as I could speak.
With my eyes glued to my binoculars, and my binoculars focused steadily upon that small pole-like object protruding a bare two feet above that shimmering, silvery sheen of water, I directed the signalman near me to ring down the order to the engine-room to "Stand by"; and then to fetch our wireless operator to me.
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