United States or Taiwan ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The fellow in the cross-trees happened, however, to be a poor sort of unintelligent fellow, and could say very little about the craft beyond stating the fact that she was a schooner, painted black; that she sat deep in the water, showed an immense spread of canvas, and appeared to be very fast.
The lieutenant of the cutter said that at first the sun prevented his seeing us, which I believe was the fact; but he acknowledged that he had no idea that we had been wrecked, although he thought that the Dryad was, as he had seen a mast floating, and, sending a boat to look at it, found her name on the cross-trees. We were, however, too much exhausted to enter into much conversation.
"Now, sir, up to the main-top gallant mast-head; perch yourself upon the cross-trees up with you." "What am I to go up there for, sir?" inquired Jack. "For punishment, sir," replied the master. "What have I done, sir?" "No reply, sir up with you." "If you please, sir," replied Jack, "I should wish to argue this point a little."
The lookouts were aloft, as usual, but it was as much for form as for any great use they were likely to be, since it was seldom a man could see further from the cross-trees than he could from the deck. The officers, as well as the men, had breakfasted. A species of sullen discontent pervaded the ship, and the recent kind feelings toward Raoul Yvard had nearly vanished in disappointment.
To name the masts in order, we have the Fore-mast. Main-mast. Mizzen-mast. Fore-top-mast. Main-top-mast. Mizzen-top-mast. Fore-topgallant-mast. Main-topgallant-mast. Mizzen-topgallant-mast. The parts of the different masts are connected and secured by means of cross-trees and caps, which are named after the mast and part of the mast to which they belong.
Thus we were weaving and weaving away when I started at a sound so strange, long drawn, and musically wild and unearthly, that the ball of free will dropped from my hand, and I stood gazing up at the clouds whence that voice dropped like a wing. High aloft in the cross-trees was that mad Gay-Header, Tashtego.
But her mamma did not appear to be quite satisfied with this venture; and she sprang over the futtocks, and seized her with one arm as she began to mount them. Mr. Mingo ran up the topmast rigging, and seated himself on the cross-trees. The anxious mother looked at him a moment, and then darted down to the deck with the baby in her arm. Then, seeing Mrs.
He stepped back on the pathway and spoke up to Skin as he would have talked on shipboard to a blundering seaman in the cross-trees. "Ain't a slip-knot made to slip? And when a man's fool enough to tie one in place of a hitch " He cast off the rope, bent it around the rung with, as it seemed, one turn of the hand, and with a jerk had it firm and true. "Make way, up there!" he called.
But one of these men was Joe Cross, and Rodd chirruped faintly to attract's the sailor's attention. "Make out anything, sir?" "Come up here, Joe," replied Rodd, in a low tone, and the man sprang to the ratlines and began rapidly to ascend till he was nearly on a level with the occupant of the cross-trees. "See a whale spouting, sir? I should have thought it was getting too dark."
The instrument, apparently after being carefully adjusted, was removed from the mate's eye and suspended from the cross-trees in such a manner that it should not strike against the mast or any of the rigging with the roll of the ship, and then the observer drew forth a pipe, which he filled and proceeded to smoke with the greatest apparent calmness and contentment.
Word Of The Day