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"We are going three knots to her two, sir," said the old man, "but it is by her good will; that is the fastest boat in the town, sailing on a wind; at beating to windward we could tackle her easy enough, but not at running free. Ah! there goes her mainsel up; I thought she would not be long before she gave us that."
"Bless your heart, it isn't you I meant. 'Twould be hard if a lady might not put her word in. But a man is different. I do love to see a man belay his jaw, and wait for orders, and then do his duty; hoist the mainsel, you!" "Ay, ay, sir." "Shake out a couple of reefs." "Ay, ay, sir."
Lay her head for the tree, and welcome, but you must lower the mainsel and treble-reef the foresel; and so creep on a couple of knots an hour, and, by daybreak, you'll find the island close under your lee. Then you can look out for a safe landing-place." "The island, Mr. Welch!" said Helen. "There is no island, or I should have seen it." "Oh, the island was hull down.
Another smart fellow cut the life-buoy adrift so quickly that it struck the water within ten yards of Staines. The officer of the watch, without the interval of half a moment, gave the right orders, in the voice of a stentor; "Let go life-buoy. "Life-boat's crew away. "Hands shorten sail. "Mainsel up. "Main topsel to mast." These orders were executed with admirable swiftness.
Why, there's spare canvas enough in the boat to go between these four trees breast high, and then there's the foresel besides; the mainsel is all you and me shall want, sir." "Oh, excuse me," said Miss Rolleston, "I will not be sheltered at the expense of my friends." "Welch, you are a trump," said Hazel, and ran off for the spare canvas. He brought it and the carpenter's basket of tools.
"Oh, how beautiful!" cried Lucy; "it is like a falcon or an eagle sailing down on us; it seems all wings. Why don't we spread wings too and fly away?" "You see, miss," explained the boatman, "that schooner works her sails different from us; going down wind she can carry her mainsel on one side of the craft and her foresel on the other.
By that she keeps on an even keel, and, what is more, her mainsel does not take the wind out of her foresel. Bless you, that little schooner would run past the fastest frigate in the king's service with the wind dead aft as we have got it now; she is coming up with us hand over head, and as stiff on her keel as a rock; this is her point of sailing, beating to windward is ours.
Helm's a-lee. Raise tacks and sheets. Round she was coming like a top. Pilot smoking. Just as he was going to haul the mainsel Somebody tripped against him, and shoved the hot cigar in his eye. He sung out and swore, and there was no mainsel haul. Ship in irons, tide running hard on to the shoal, and before we could clear away for anchoring, bump! there she was hard and fast.
Why, if they ain't reefing the foresel, to make the race even; and there go three reefs into her mainsel too." The old boatman scratched his head. "Who is aboard her, Dick? they are strangers to me." By taking in so many reefs the lateen had lowered her rate of sailing, and she now followed in their wake, keeping a quarter of a mile to windward. Talboys lost all patience.
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