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Updated: May 27, 2025
The quadrille was ended, and the music stopped playing. "Come now," said Coble, tossing off his glass, "spell oh! let's have a song while they take their breath. Jemmy, strike up." "Hurrah, for a song!" cries Jemmy. "Here goes."
However, they could only surmise, and no more. But the dog being turned out of the cabin in compliance with Ramsay's wish was the most important point of all. They could have got over all the rest, but that was quite incomprehensible; and they all agreed with Coble, when he observed, hitching up his trousers "Depend upon it, there's a screw loose somewhere."
The corporal was still up, anxiously waiting for the return of Smallbones, and he was very much alarmed when he heard Moggy come alongside. Moggy soon detailed to the corporal, Dick Short, and Coble, all that had taken place, and what it was proposed should be done.
At noon on the 15th, parties were sent out in search of the cockswain of the coble, who had lost himself in the woods, as he was returning from Ball-Bay, where the boat had been hauled up the preceding day at sun-set: he was found on the 18th, naked and almost exhausted, insomuch that he was obliged to be carried to the settlement, having received several deep cuts and bruises which rendered him incapable of getting out of his bed for some time.
With three reefs in the sail they dodged out among the jumping seas, and ran over the bay after the truant yacht. The swift coble soon overhauled the runaway, and the men came back well drenched by their second trip. The whole thing was done with perfect simplicity; and the fishermen would not accept even a glass of ale from the boy's father.
"It's no use," said Coble, "I sees now it's of no use; it's only being cut to pieces for nothing, my men; but I won't leave the deck." Coble threw away his cutlass, and walked aft; the other men did the same, all but Jansen, who still hesitated. Coble caught the cutlass out of his hand, and threw it overboard, just as the boats dashed alongside.
As soon as the coble is put under sail her great rudder is fixed; and this rudder, which is very broad, goes under water to a depth of three feet or so. When the wind is on the beam the rudder acts exactly like a centre-board: if it breaks, nothing can save the coble; but so long as it holds the vessel will lie well over and sail with amazing swiftness.
For," continued Coble, "the admiral would never have ordered us out till to-morrow morning, if he did not make us sail this evening. It's not a man-of-war fashion, is it, Dick?" "No," replied Short. "Well, we shall see," replied Coble. "I shall turn in now. You've heard all about Smallbones, heh! Dick?" Short nodded his head.
The old man unlocked the chain which fastened his wherry, and in a few minutes Vanslyperken was on the deck of the cutter, but he found there was no one to receive him, no watch kept. "Very well," thought he, "we'll talk about this to-morrow morning. Short or Coble, I wonder which of the two pretty neglect of duty, indeed report to the admiral, by heavens!"
When the two men were growing grizzled with advancing years the coble which belonged to them had gone away from the fishing-ground one black night, before a strong north-easterly gale: she shot between the Great Farne Island and the Bird's Rock. The tide was going like a millrace, and the solemn roar of the vast stream made very terrible music in the dark.
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