"Two bells to back her," added the acting captain.
"Two bells to back her. I can remember all that without writing it down. But what is the other pull for. There don't seem to be any need of any more bells."
"I think there is; at least, it saves striking too many strokes on the gong when there is an emergency. The other is the speed bell."
"What is that for, to make her go faster?"
"Yes, or slower. If you start the engine, the engineer will run it slowly at first, and continue to do so till he gets the speed bell, or jingler, which he can never mistake for the gong."
"I see; and that is a good scheme."
"If you are approaching a wharf or another vessel, or if a fog come up, you ring the jingler, if the boat is going at full speed, and the engineer slows her down. If there is any danger, and you wish to stop her as quick as you can, you ring one bell on the gong, which stops the engine, and then two bells on the same, which reverses the engine. Now let me see if you know all about it; for your brother may want you to steer the Leopard, and become her captain, after he has tied my hands behind me again."
"If he does that, I will cut you loose, Christy."
"Thank you, Percy. I don't know what he will do, but it seems to me that he is going to do something;" and Christy proceeded to examine his pupil in the use of the bell-pulls.
Percy made some mistakes, which were carefully corrected; and, as he did so, the captain wrote down the directions in full, placing the paper on the shelf with the chart.