“I am afraid not,” replied the captain, as he returned to the cabin to inform the senior professor of the action he had taken.
“How do you know it is a ship in distress?” asked Mr. Primback, greatly disturbed by the announcement.
“Ships at sea don’t fire guns for nothing in such a sea as this,” answered Wainwright.
“It may be an engagement between a French and a German vessel; for France and Germany are unhappily at war with each other at this time,” suggested the professor.
“I think not, sir; for vessels in action would be likely to fire oftener than once in half an hour,” replied the captain.
“Very true: I think they would be likely to discharge their guns more frequently than this,” added Mr. Primback, looking wise. “You feel confident that the guns are from a ship in distress?”
“I feel reasonably sure of it, sir.”
“Then I suppose it is quite proper to go to her assistance,” said the professor, with an inquiring look at the young commander.
“Entirely proper, Mr. Primback.”
“I am sorry that some other vessel does not have this duty imposed upon it. Nevertheless, as the sea is very stormy, and the violence of the motion does not permit the conducting of the regular recitations, I dare say that no great loss of time will result from this deviation from the true course of the vessel.”