American Boys Afloat by Oliver Optic

On board of the Maud it had been issued as an order by Captain Scott after the matter had been fully talked over, that the watches should be four hours in length, except the dog-watches, which were to be half as long, both in the sailing and the engineer department. The arrangement was precisely the same as on board of the Guardian-Mother, or any other ship at sea. The tricks at the wheel were to be two hours in length.

The commander of the little steamer had all the dignity appertaining to the master of a vessel, but the smallness of the ship's company rendered it necessary that he should perform his full share of the work like an ordinary deck-hand. But he was accustomed to this sacrifice of one of the immunities of his position; for on board of the Seahound, in which he had made a voyage of over a thousand miles, he had been captain, crew, cook, and steward.

Felix was at the wheel, where he was to remain until four bells, or two o'clock in the morning. The half-hours were regularly struck on a bell hung in front of the pilot-house, and a line from its tongue extended into the apartment. Between the two windows in front was a clock, so that the wheelman could keep the run of the time, and strike the bells. Captain Scott was obliged to do duty as a deck-hand during the two hours of Felix's watch. His principal occupation at this time was to keep the lookout, a very important duty on board of a steamer.

Many vessels, a large proportion of them steamers, were constantly passing in and out of the Mediterranean, and there was always danger of a collision. At sea there are "rules of the road," as well as on the land; and Captain Scott had learned them so that he knew just what to do under any circumstances; and he was the only one on board who did know them in full, though Morris had learned the most necessary ones.

On the road, in the United States, it is generally the rule to keep to the right when two vehicles meet, going in opposite directions, and to keep to the left in getting ahead of another, though it is the opposite rule in England and Canada. At sea, when two steamers approach each other "end on," or going directly towards each other, both also keep to the right, and each leaves the other on the port hand. But the rules of the road on the ocean are too complicated and dry to be given in a story in full.

"Where are we now Captain Scott? " asked Felix, when he had about finished his trick at the wheel.

"Twenty miles east of Europa Point," replied the captain, who was beginning to be very sleepy, though he had walked the deck all the time in order to keep himself awake, for he had worked hard and been greatly excited from the early evening till two o'clock in the morning.

"I knew that myself," replied the wheelman cheerfully, for he had taken a nap.

"Then why did you ask me, Flix?"

"I thought we might be near some place."

"We are out of sight of land, and there isn't a thing to be seen."

"But where is the light we are running for?"

"Alboran; that is ninety miles ahead of us, and we shall not see it before eleven o'clock in the forenoon," replied the captain. "I will take the wheel now, Flix, for I need something to keep me awake."

"Then I suppose I may go to sleep," added Felix.

"No, you may not! " protested Scott with energy. "It is still your watch, and will be till eight bells. You will keep a sharp lookout, for that is your duty for the next two hours, as it has been mine for the last two; " and he struck four bells.

"All right, Captain Scott; and I am wide awake," replied Felix; and he left the pilot-house, and began to plank the deck on the forecastle.

The duty of the lookout was not of a very exciting character; and though the Milesian had not been dubbed a knight-errant, he would have preferred something a little more stirring. It would have suited him better to remain at the wheel; but the captain would not permit any one to take the trick of another. Occasionally he halted at the windows of the pilot-house and had a chat with the captain.

"I wonder if the Grand Mogul will try to arrest you and Felipe to-morrow? " he asked at one of these halts.

"I think he has a bigger bone than that to pick with Captain Ringgold," replied Scott. "I should not wonder, from what the Pacha said, if they had a row. He wanted to fight a duel with the commander, who would not do anything of the sort, though he would defend himself if he were assaulted."

"The captain is able to take care of himself, and he will do so," added Felix.