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It was descending full upon Plummer, who, all unconscious of the thing, was staring towards the t'gallant yard. "Look out above you, Plummer!" I almost shrieked. "What? where?" he called, and grabbed at the stay, and waved his flare, excitedly. Down on the upper topsail yard, Quoin's and Jaskett's voices rose simultaneously, and in the identical instant, their flares went out.
Now it is not with ships as with horses; for though, if a horse walk well and fast, it generally furnishes good token that he is not bad at a gallop, yet the ship that in a light breeze is outstripped, may sweep the stakes, so soon as a t'gallant breeze enables her to strike into a canter. Thus fared it with us.
Now the bo'sun had seen my stroke, and so sprang upon the t'gallant rail, and peered over; but gave back on the instant, shouting to me to run and call the other watch, for that the sea was full of the monsters swimming off to the ship, and at that I was away at a run, and when I had waked the men, I raced aft to the cabin and did likewise with the second mate, and so returned in a minute, bearing the bo'sun's cutlass, my own cut-and-thrust, and the lantern that hung always in the saloon.
The light from the lantern prevented me from seeing to any distance in the darkness; but, at the crosstrees, Stubbins, who was some ratlines ahead, shouted out all at once, and in gasps: "They're fightin' ... like ... hell!" "What?" called the Second Mate, breathlessly. Apparently, Stubbins did not hear him; for he made no reply. We cleared the crosstrees, and climbed into the t'gallant rigging.
I managed to get some hands to work on the braces, and finally got the yards trimmed shipshape and in the American fashion. That was, with the lower yards sharp on the back-stays, the topsails a little further aft, the t'gallant a little further still, until the main-skysail was almost touching with its weather leach cutting into the breeze a point or more forward of the weather beam.
I reached the top, and lifted myself over it in quick time. Williams was some distance above me. In less than half a minute, I reached the t'gallant yard. Williams had gone up on to the royal. I slid out on to the t'gallant foot-rope until I was just below Tom; then I sung out to him to let himself down to me, and I would catch him.
Reef the t'gallant sails of your temper, boy, and don't run foul of an old man who has been all but a wet-nurse to ye taught ye to walk, and swim, and pull an oar, and build ships, and has hauled ye out o' the sea when ye fell in from the time ye could barely stump along on two legs, lookin' like as if ye was more nor half seas over."
At the same moment, the humped Something, midway out upon the yard, rose up. It ran in to the mast, and I lost sight of it. "God!" I heard the Skipper gasp, and he fumbled in his side pocket. I saw the two figures which had dropped on to the t'gallant, run swiftly along the yard one to the starboard and the other to the port yard-arms.
Then he fixed himself comfortably on the chest by jamming himself against the bulkhead, locking his hands about his knees, blowing smoke in a thick cloud. I heard the hail of Trunnell from the bridge during this pause, asking about a t'gallant leach-line. Thinking it well to take a look out, I did so to see if the men obeyed his orders, and found them rather slow slacking the line.
"Stubbins," he sung out. "Stubbins, are you there?" We listened; but nothing came to us beyond the blowing moan of the wind, and the flap, flap of the bellying t'gallant above. The Second Mate climbed over the crosstrees, and Plummer followed. The man got out by the royal backstay, and lit his flare.
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