Allison; Taking Control

Chapter 46

Later, after the sun had gone below the horizon, Allison sat in his cabin with his two naval lieutenants and Master Washburn going over the direction they had received from Semple as well as the signals he and Suggs had devised. Bosun Tallow already had men hard at work cutting, sewing and painting their new signal pennants which he had been assured would be ready for use by the time they weighed anchor. Allison was just going through the list of basic messages they would generate with those pennants when a hurried knock came at the door.

“Come!”

Midshipman Hardin walked in to deliver a message.

“S-sir, Mr. Bannon sent me to let you know... there’s a dinghy approaching from Allison . There’s... there’s one man aboard. He said you wanted to know immediately, sir.”

“Indeed I did. Tell Mr. Bannon to call the men to deck and prepare to receive one person onboard amidships and then recover the dinghy. I will be there presently.”

“Yessir!” Hardin answered in the nervous, overly-quick fash