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'We've picked up a lubber in New Bedford town, Come away, away, sto-r-m along, John, Get a-long, storm a-long, storm's g-one along, 'Our lubber's lugger-rigged, and we'll do him brown, Come away, away, sto-r-m along, John, Get a-long, storm a-long, storm's g-one along.
"Not luck," said the Captain; "not luck, my boy. You run her to a hair and keep your eyes slit and you won't want luck. Luck's a lubber's standby. But Minnie's a fine girl." He shook his head thoughtfully. "She'll rouse you up, maybe." The mate laughed, and at the sound of it the Captain frowned again. "Now, lean off that binnacle," he said shortly. "I want to get the bearings."
He will practise him a good deal upon the "shrouds," so as to accustom his feet and fingers to the "ratlines" and other ropes, and will even permit him to pass a number of times through the "lubber's hole," instead of forcing him to climb back downwards by the "futtock shrouds."
The Captain took the young man's hand and looked at his nails which were very rough and dirty and said: "No my lad; boys with such finger nails can't learn navigation." This made a big laugh at the brave lubber's expense.
Gildart, being a little fellow, and his horse a tall one, got into the saddle, according to his own statement, as a lands-man clambers into the main-top through the "lubber's hole" in a squall; and I think the idea was not far-fetched, for, during the process of mounting, his steed was plunging like a ship in a heavy sea. Bucephalus came up at once when whistled to.
"This is not the first time that you have been aloft, sir," one of the top-men said, as he followed Wilkinson's example, instead of going up through the lubber's hole. "It is the first time that I have ever gone up the mast of a man-of-war," Edgar replied; "but everything is so big and solid here, that it seems easy after being accustomed to smaller craft.
Call me if the old man comes on deck." As he finished he staggered into the door of the forward cabin and made for his room, leaving me in command. I went aft and saw the lubber's mark holding on west by south, and after being satisfied that the man steering could tell port from starboard, I climbed the steps to the poop and took a good look around.
There is a good deal of what I call a lubber's fuss, parson, kept up on board a ship that shall be nameless, but which bears, about three leagues distant, broad off in the ocean, and which is lying to under a close-reefed maintopsail, a foretopmast-staysail, and foresail I call my hand a true one in mixing a can take another pull at the halyards!
Up we went, gripping the swaying ropes with toes and fingers, till we reached the main-top, where I was allowed to creep through the "Lubber's Hole," and Francis swung himself neatly over the outside edge of the top, and there he and I stood for a few minutes to rest. I cannot say I derived much comfort from his favourable comments on my first attempt.
"But Indians must be there; perhaps some old mess-mates of your own, Master Arrowhead." "No Tuscarora no Oneida no Mohawk pale-face fire." "The devil it is? Well, Magnet, this surpasses a seaman's philosophy: we old sea-dogs can tell a lubber's nest from a mate's hammock; but I do not think the oldest admiral in his Majesty's fleet can tell a king's smoke from a collier's."
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