"Aye, aye, sir! Walk her up, up, boys! Walk her up, _and wake her up_."
Old Smith got the tune and presently the dirge of an anchor chantey echoed across the water as we bent our weight against the capstan bars.
"Paddy come back and turn in your slack, Heave round the capstan, heave a pawl, heave a pawl. We're leavin' Honolulu girls, and never will come back, Heave round the capstan, heave a pawl, heave a pawl. An' happy days all lie behind, good-bye to swipes and rum, Heave round the capstan, heave a pawl, heave a pawl."
"Short stay, sir!" bawled the mate, and we stopped our song. The faint echo of a cheer wafted across the harbor; we recognized the hail from our friends on the _British Monarch_, watching to see us off.
"Break her out, sir!" answered the captain, sending his voice along the length of the ship in sharp, snappy syllables.
At "_short stay_," I was ordered to the wheel and as I slipped the spokes from the beckets, the crowd at the bars again put their beef to the cable, and the anchor left bottom. The tug fastened to our quarter got her signal from the pilot; we heard the jangle of bells in her engine room; we commenced to move.
"Steady so! Steady so!" We were heading toward the old marine railway, the line of the Esplanade having swung under the jib guys with remarkable swiftness, as I turned the wheel to meet her.
"Port handsomely!" I gave her wheel. "Port, I say! _Hard a port!_"
"Hard a port, sir!" Again the shore shot past her bow, and then the blue water of the harbor mouth lay fair ahead.
We were pointing out through the narrow entrance of Honolulu Harbor. Forward they had hooked the cat and the fall was brought "_two blocks_" while the great hook hung upright, dripping the slimy harbor silt.
The mate then assumed charge of the deck, sheeting home and hoisting away as fast as the men could man the ropes. A light off shore breeze on the port quarter bellied out the canvas. The buoys, barrel buoy to starboard, spar buoy to port, slipped past us. Presently the tug started to drag her head to port, as the ship's way increased, and I had to give her wheel to meet her.
"All right, Captain. All clear ahead and plenty of water from here to the Horn. Good luck and a quick passage."