270 THE BOY CAPTAIN.

L— Want a pilot. Can I have one?

M— Want a tug. Can I have one?

N— What is the meteorological weather forecast?

P— Call attention of signal station in sight.

Q—Vessel asks for orders by telegraph from owner.

R— Report me by telegraph to my owner.

S— Send the following message by telegraph.

T—Send the following message by the signal letters through
the telegraph.

« As a matter of course, the signal-flag code is limited,”
Ben said, as he prepared to rearrange his flags. «Now,
here are some two-flag signals when the burgee must

always be uppermost,” and once more he had recourse to
the book:

1 — Attention or demand; B D meaning, “ What ship is that?”
2—B H meaning, “ Vessels that wish to be reported all well show
your distinguishing signals.”

“That serves to show this especial way of working, and
it can be continued to a great many questions or answers ;
but if we replace the burgee with the pennant the reading
is different,’ and Ben, observing that his sweetheart was
deeply interested, continued the lesson. “If the square
flag is raised in the place of the pennant, then again is
the meaning changed. There are also three and four-flag
signals, which can also be varied according to the code-
flag, until, as you see by the number of pages here, a cap-
tain can tell another a great deal of news while remaining
at a distance. Now here are the most important mes-
sages to be flashed across the sea by those bits of bunt-