Gregory listened to this long speech without saying a word. The sentiments were his own; but they were mutinous in their nature, and he ought to have reproved the quartermaster for speaking to his superior officer in such terms of the captain. “How were we going when the log was heaved last?” asked the first officer, taking no notice of the speech of the man at the wheel. “Ten and a half, sir,” replied Stokes. Gregory went aft, calling for the watch on the forecastle to follow him, and heaved the log. To his astonishment, the Ville d’Angers was making eleven knots. The firemen were evidently doing their best. He had heard Mr. Frisbone say that the steamer would make fifteen knots under favorable circumstances, and that she had done it most of the time before the collision. At this rate she would be in Portsmouth in five days. He looked at the hulk astern, and saw that she carried the square sail she had rigged on the jury-mast, and the wind was fresh enough to help her along a knot or two an hour. Gregory examined the tow-line, as he had been instructed to do, and found it all right so far as he was able to judge. When he had complied so far with the routine of the vessel and with his orders, he went forward to the engine-room. Alexander was on duty there; and he was the only one of the Tritonia’s ship’s company on the watch in charge of the steamer. Mr. Fluxion and Mr. Pelham had agreed that officers and seamen from each vessel should be in the same watch, so far as it was practicable; and this arrangement would remove any possible danger of quarrelling and disagreement among the students from the different craft. This had been done; but the rule could not be applied to the engineers, for both of them belonged to the Tritonia. But the “greasers,” one from each quarter, belonged to the regular watch. “Good-morning, Mr. Gregory,” said the chief engineer, with a yawn, as the first officer stepped into the engine-room. “Good-morning, Mr. Alexander,” replied Gregory coldly, as he invariably spoke to all the officers of the Tritonia. “You have on a big head of steam.” “The firemen have done very well since I came on watch,” answered the engineer, with another yawn. He had not been careful to improve all his opportunities for sleep, as a sailor should, and as the students had learned to do when on regular duty, and had not turned in till after ten o’clock in the evening; and he had been called at twelve. In the force of engineers the steamer was short-handed; and the watch was changed at six and twelve, night and day; and this bill had been adopted at the request of the engineers themselves, so that they could find no fault with it. “We are making eleven knots; and that’s high speed for a steamer towing a six-hundred-ton ship,” added Gregory, who was really sorry to find the engine doing so well.