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If we don't like its looks we can pop back anyhow; and shall have lost nothing, for there is no shooting nets to-day, that is quite certain." The topmast was lowered, small jib and foresail got up, and two reefs put in the mainsail; then they began to get up the anchor. "What! are you going up home, Tripper?" shouted a man from the next boat. "Ay, ay, lad!"
But in that short interval a jib had been blown into ribbons and the foresail torn loose from its treble reefing points. A great rent was made by its violent flappings before it could be again secured. In the struggle one man was knocked insensible, so severe were the surgings of the boom, as the heavy canvas jarred the whole ship with its cannon-like reports.
"Keep your helm hard down, Blair!" shouted Paul to the quartermaster in charge of the wheel. "She don't mind it now, sir!" yelled the quartermaster, at the top of his lungs. "She's falling off, Mr. Terrill," added Paul. "I see she is, sir." "We must keep her head up to it, or our decks will be washed. Hard down, Blair!" "She don't mind it, sir!" "Set the close-reefed foresail, Mr.
Feeling that temptation might prove overpowering, she put the slices of cold fish out of sight under the spinnaker with the remark that they ought to be kept for Miss Rutherford. She and Frank ate the herrings' roes on toast, the sweetbread and one of the four rolls. Then though Frank still looked hungry, Priscilla hoisted the foresail and hauled up the anchor.
Pencroft prudently lowered the foresail, not wishing to be caught by a sudden gust while carrying too much canvas; it was perhaps an unnecessary precaution on such a calm night, but Pencroft was a prudent sailor and cannot be blamed for it. The reporter slept part of the night. Pencroft and Herbert took turns for a spell of two hours each at the helm.
By eight o'clock that night we were off the North Foreland, bowling along at a slashing pace, with our mainsail boomed out to starboard, and our spinnaker set on the port side, jib and foresail stowed.
But the lifeboat freed herself of the sea, and like a living creature stood up to face the gale. Close-reefed mizzen and reefed storm foresail was her canvas; watchful men stood by halyards and sheets, hitched, not belayed, and watched each gust and sea as only Deal men who watch for their lives can watch, and even they are sometimes caught.
Did you ever hear such a question? I shouldn't think you'd ever been to school. Didn't you ever hear of walking the plank?" "Oh, yes." "Well, old Black Pedro the First named his new ship 'The Angel of Death' and he had a picture of the Angel embroidered in black velvet on his foresail. He was a proud man, I tell you, when he sailed out of San Domingo on his first voyage.
The seventh day of this month we had a very terrible storm, by force whereof one of our men was blown into the sea out of our waste, but he caught hold of the foresail sheet, and there held till the captain plucked him again into the ship. The twenty-fifth day of this month we had sight of the island of Orkney, which was then east from us.
It was wonderful beyond words to Harvey; and the most wonderful part was that he heard no orders except an occasional grunt from Troop, ending with, "That's good, my son!" "Never seen anchor weighed before?" said Tom Platt, to Harvey gaping at the damp canvas of the foresail. "No. Where are we going?" "Fish and make berth, as you'll find out 'fore you've been a week aboard.
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