Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 4, 2025
He was now face upward, and with the utmost difficulty moved his eyes, he could not yet, by any exercise of will or muscle, move his head, and there, almost within reach, was a dark line, which he knew was the royal-backstay; farther in toward the spars was another the topgallant-backstay; and within this, two other ropes which he knew for the topgallant-rigging, though he could see no ratlines, nor could he distinguish the lay of the strands; the ropes appeared like solid bars.
I cannot express the feeling that came over me at that sight. I yelled, rather than shouted, "Sail ho!" and then, pushing in, I caught hold of a royal-backstay, and was on deck in an instant. I believe I made frantic gestures to windward, for Mr. Marble, who had the watch, had to shake me sharply before I could let the fact be known.
The first horror past, his mind took on a strange contemplativeness; fear of death gave way to mild curiosity as to the manner of it. Would he strike on the lee quarter, or would he go overboard? And might he not catch something? There was rigging below him the lee royal-backstay stretched farthest out from the mast, and if he brushed it, there was a possible chance.
The same glance apprised him of an English ensign, union down, tattered and frayed to half its size, at the end of the standing spanker-gaff, with the halyards made fast high on the royal-backstay, above the reach of bungling blind fingers. Tom Plate was coming aft with none of the hesitancy of the blind, and squinting aloft at the damaged distress-signal.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking