Strike your gong." "It will be no use to strike it while you are up here," replied the pilot, looking at Christy with interest.
"We have not a second to spare; strike your gong, and we will talk about it afterwards," continued Christy impatiently.
"But I am not a fool, Christy, and I don't"-- "But I do!" interposed the acting captain sharply, as he reached over and pulled the bell.
"I don't like to have a fellow fool with me when I am in earnest.

What good will it do to ring the bell while you are in the pilot-house, Christy ?" But before the captain could answer the question, if he intended to do so, the boat began to shake under the pressure of the engine, and the tug moved ahead at half speed.

Percy was so much astonished that he could hardly throw over the wheel, and Christy took hold of it himself.
"I don't understand it," said he, as he took hold of the spokes, and looked ahead to get the course of the boat.
"You will never make a sailor till you mend your ways," added Christy.
"There must be some one in the engine-room," said Percy.
"Of course there is." "Why didn't you say so, then?
I did not suppose the boat could go ahead while you were up here." "I told you to ring the gong, didn't I ?" "What was the use of ringing it when you were in the pilot-house ?" "What was the use of ringing it when I did ?" demanded Christy, who had but little patience with this kind of a sailor.
"You knew there was some one in the engine-room." "But the engine would have started just the same if you had rung the gong." "Well, I didn't know it; and if you had only said you had an engineer, I should have understood it." "You will never make a sailor, as I said before," added Christy.
"What is the reason I won't ?" "Because you don't obey orders, and that is the first and only business of a sailor." "If you had only told me, it would have been all right." "If the captain, in an emergency, should tell you to port the helm, you could not obey the order till he had explained why it was given; and by that time the ship might go to the bottom.

I can't trust you with the wheel if you don't do better than you have; for I have no time to explain what I am about, and I should not do it if I had." "It would not have taken over half an hour to tell me there was an engineer in the engine-room," growled Percy.
"That is not the way to do things on board of a vessel, and I object to the method.

I don't know what there is before us, and I don't mean to give an order which is not likely to be obeyed till I have explained its meaning." "I will do as you say, Christy," said Percy rather doggedly.