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Updated: June 26, 2025
So, you see, smart seaman though I fancied myself to be even at that early age, I had to look out lest I should be supplanted by my own chum; for no sooner did I get the start of him in one thing than he would fetch alongside of me and be working ahead before I well knew where I was, the `owdacious young beggar, as father dubbed him, becoming actually a `royal-yard boy' the following week to myself, while both of us, as I have said, were made first-class boys together.
I find in my notes, taken shortly afterwards, from the dictation of an intelligent midshipman, "that the fore royal-yard got jammed with the spanker-boom, and carried away the larboard quarter boat." Nautical friends have since pointed out to me that this involves an impossibility. I daresay it does.
This course was followed all through the night and up to eight o'clock the next morning, at which hour one of the men having been sent aloft as far as the royal-yard to see whether any sign of the brig could be discovered, and having returned to the deck again with an intimation that the horizon was clear all round the brigantine's position was pricked off upon the chart and her head once more pointed straight for Cuba.
"Captain Cullen," Dorety said, "you are in command of this ship, and it is not proper for me to comment now upon what you do. But I wish to say one thing. There is a hereafter, and yours will be a hot one." Captain Cullen did not even scowl. In his voice was regret as he said "It was blowing a living gale. It was impossible to save the man." "He fell from the royal-yard," Dorety cried hotly.
Our calculations had led us to hope that with the appearance of daylight on this particular morning we should sight the brigantine and her prize, as we had grown to consider the disabled ship; but, greatly to our disappointment, nothing was to be seen in any direction, even from the lofty elevation of our royal-yard.
But ere this had happened I had returned to my former post on the main- royal-yard, for I quickly discovered that the shift of helm had caused the head-sails to interpose themselves between me and the objects which it was my duty to watch, and this was to be remedied only by returning to the royal-mast-head.
I flog you to ze death for von land lobber I vill sacr-r-e!" And with this threat he again plied the instrument of torture, more sharply than ever. I could not stand it. The royal-yard was the highest point to which they intended to force me. If I could reach it then they would be satisfied, and would cease to punish me.
We were as much in the dark as it was possible to be with a knowledge of the circumstance that the bird had flown. We hovered around the reef for several hours, most of which time I passed in the cross-trees, and some of it on the royal-yard.
I immediately suspected, from this reply, that we had accidentally tumbled upon the identical two craft that we were most anxious to find; and, the better to satisfy myself upon this important point, I took the ship's telescope and journeyed up to the royal-yard, from whence I should obtain the most satisfactory view of them possible.
There was a smile upon it in the midst of its scowling a smile of satisfaction at the agony he saw I was undergoing at that moment. I could still hear the voices of the fiends below, calling out the commands: "Up with him, Frenchy up to the royal-yard!" I thought I heard other voices, and that of Brace repeating the words, "Avast there! avast! the lad's in danger."
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