The afternoon was well along before the welcome intelligence was brought to him that the tide was flowing strong and would be high within the next thirty minutes.
"Tell the engineer to stand by to go astern full speed," he said. "All hands not on necessary duty will gather on the quarter-deck, so that we may get all the weight possible aft. Pipe all hands aft, Mr. Coates."
The boatswain's whistle trilled here and there, and was finally lost in the depths of the ship. Soon the sailors began marching to the quarter-deck until that part of the ship was packed with them.
The captain, with his executive officer, went forward to the bridge.
"I think we had better try it now, Coates," he said. "Give orders to have the anchor shipped."
"Stand by the starboard anchor," commanded the executive.
A few minutes of waiting followed.
"Ship the starboard anchor!"
"Signal the engineer to send both engines full speed astern," ordered the captain.
The bridge telegraph clanked noisily, then a quiver ran through the ship. The commanding officer stood stolidly awaiting the result. It was an anxious moment for him, meaning perhaps the loss of his command, were he to fail to get his ship off the shoal on which it was grounded. But he was calm and self-possessed.