After a pause of several minutes, Bluewater spoke.
"I fear we shall collect no more," he said; "one of my ships must take her chance to find the commander-in-chief, alone.

Ha!--that means something!" At this instant a faint, distant flash was seen, for a single moment, in the gloom, and then all heads were bent forward to listen, in breathless attention.

A little time had elapsed, when the dull, smothered report of a gun proclaimed that even the Dover had caught the rapidly transmitted order.
"What means that, sir ?" eagerly demanded Sir Reginald, who had attended to every thing with intense expectation.
"It means, sir, that all of the division are still under my command.

No other ship would note the order.

_Their_ directions, unless specifically pointed out by their numbers, must come from the vice-admiral.