Read "Square and Compasses" by Oliver Optic online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
Commodore Mad Twinker could not help seeing the preparations on board of the caisson for the reception of his party. He saw the pike-poles, but he could not know that the ends were armed with spikes. Doubtless he supposed the weapons were simply to be used in shoving the barges away from the tow.
Oscar Chester saw at a glance, when the party on the caisson picked up the pikes, that the captain of the Sylph was likely to make bad work with the boats of the enemy. He walked forward to the pilot-house and reported to Dory the state of things, for the first pilot had not yet looked astern.