United States or Puerto Rico ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"As soon the Rosan catches her," replied Code, and then, exasperated by the unexpected maneuvers of this remarkable vessel, he cried: "Who are you and what do you want that you chase me all over the sea?" Instantly the man put down the megaphone and gave orders to the crew, and in five minutes she was on her way north into the very heart of the fleet.
But the Gloucester craft crept up, passed, and with an ironical dip of their little flags raced on to the Banks. Cape Sable was not yet out of sight when a topmast on the Rosan broke off short in a sudden squall. Bijonah Tanner immediately laid her to and set all hands to work stepping his spare spar, as he would not think of returning to a shipyard.
She was now out of all mood for writing her letter home, and, stuffing the contents of the drawer back into place, she returned the latter to the table and went on deck. The sea was running higher. The new topmast was up, and within half an hour the Rosan heeled to the wind and plowed her way northward after the remainder of the fleet.
As well as could be judged, the Nettie B., Rosan, and Herring Bone were nearly on even terms twenty miles ahead, all with every stitch set and flying like leaves before a wind. "Bend on balloon jib!" snapped Schofield when he had considered the task before him. Pete ran joyfully to execute the order, but some of the men hesitated.
One rainy afternoon, when work had been generally suspended, a number of the men gathered inside Bill Boughton's store to wait for a let-up in the downpour, and the subject of crews was broached. "How you comin' with your crew, Bige?" asked a tall, lanky man of Captain Tanner. "First rate. Got a dozen men now an' that's about all the Rosan can take care of.
After a while, from a little bit here an' a little there, I made out that the first young feller was private secretary to the president of the Marine Insurance Company. That's the firm that carried the old May, isn't it?" "Yes." "I thought so. They've got my Rosan, too, though I wish mightily now that they hadn't.
At which there broke forth the most extravagant sounds of jubilation and all hands tumbled up to help bend it on. The crew of the Lass did not know it, but Bijonah Tanner and the Rosan had actually been gone twelve hours, having stolen away from the fleet before dressing down the night before when darkness had fallen.
The old man had been sleepless for a week, trying to nose out the Lass for the top haul of the fleet, and here was a young scapegrace who came and cast anchor within a hundred yards of his chosen ground. Nat laughed carelessly at the storm of abuse that rattled over the stern of the Rosan and rowed over to her in his dory with the package of mail.
Nellie Tanner, jealous for her father's prestige, could not but admire the splendid discipline and tactics that whipped the Nettie about on the tack and sent her flying ahead of the Rosan like a great seabird. Once Swallowtail was passed the voyage had begun, and the lead belonged to any one who could take it.
The men obeyed him, and Wheelan and Markle were soon pulling madly to the blue dory astern. When they reached it one man clambered to the bow and cut the drag rope that Code, in his extremity, had thrown over nearly two days before. Then, fastening the short painter to a thwart in their own craft, they hauled the blue dory and its contents alongside the Rosan.
Word Of The Day