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Updated: May 17, 2025
The creatures were therefore within plain view of us, while the telescope clearly revealed every detail of what was happening, and of the creatures themselves, but so incredibly agile were they in their movements that several minutes elapsed before I was able to do more than just form a rough estimate of their size; but presently the boat drew up fairly abreast of them, and then I directed Billy, who was steering, to haul the fore-sheet to windward to deaden the boat's way, for I was curious to see what would be the outcome of the struggle.
He had not the slightest idea of her meaning, did not in fact know the difference between a fore-sheet and a mainsail. And it was just to find out the depth of his ignorance that she had spoken. "Never mind," she said, "I'll do it myself." She slackened and made fast the rope, and took hold of the tiller again. The sails shook and filled softly as they glided out from under the wall.
She was hauled alongside, her people being got out, while some fresh hands went down into her and secured her with her own cable and the end of the schooner's main-sheet. At the same time the schooner's fore-sheet was passed into the cutter as a preventer. Four men were saved from the pinnace.
As this was done she put her helm hard down and hauled her fore-sheet over flat to windward.
Jam your helm hard-a-port, you Dick! hard over with it, man; that's your sort. Now, sway away upon these here mizzen halliards; down with your fore-lug; ease up the fore-sheet there, for'ard; up with the mizzen, lads; bowse it well up; that's well; belay. Haul your fore-sheet over to wind'ard, and make fast. There! that's capital. Now let's see what we can do to these here shrouds."
I obeyed, and had to tend the fore-sheet myself, for my pains, when the order was given to "ready about." The eddy proved a true friend, but it did not carry us up much higher than the place where we had anchored, when it became necessary to tack. This was done in season, on account of our ignorance of all the soundings, and we had soon got the John's head off-shore again.
Our men were in such a consternation, that not a man on board the ship had presence of mind to apply to the proper duty of a sailor, except friend William; and had he not run very nimbly, and with a composure that I am sure I was not master of, to let go the fore-sheet, set in the weather-brace of the fore-yard, and haul down the top-sails, we had certainly brought all our masts by the board, and perhaps have been overwhelmed in the sea.
"Keep her away," shouted Bowse to the man at the helm, thinking that the speronara was about to board him; but immediately he saw he was mistaken, for instead of her fore-sheet being eased off, it was kept to windward, and, as she lay hove-to, he observed preparations to launch a boat into the water.
I had been off the deck rather more than half an hour, and was just putting my head up the companion-hatch, when I heard Jack Stretcher sing out, "Let go the fore-sheet! down with the helm! down with the " Before he could finish the sentence, there came the rushing sound of a heavy squall. Down bent the schooner to its fury over, over she went.
"Maybe it is and maybe if you don't talk sense I'll heave you over the rail some fine day. Better give her a grain more fore-sheet. Man, but it's a wicked night." We made Canso after the worst day and night we had had in the Johnnie Duncan since she was launched. Outside Canso Harbor it looked bad. We didn't think the skipper would try to enter the harbor that black night, but he did.
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