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Updated: June 17, 2025
He looked quietly over the edge of it. The boy did so, and Tailtackle, after moistening well his dexter claw with tobacco juice, seized the stick with his left by the middle, and balancing it for a second or two, he began to fasten the end of it into his right fist, as if he had been screwing a bolt into a socket.
Tailtackle, I don't like that chap open the magazine." By this time the strange sail was on our quarter, we shortened sail, while he, finding that his manoeuvre of crossing our bows had been foiled by our bearing up also, got the foretack on board again, and set his topgallant sails, all very cleverly. He was not far out of pistol shot.
A heavy splash followed, and immediately some of the men in the forecastle called out: "The vessel is full of water water up to our hammocks." "I am drunk," roared Wagtail, who with might and main was rolling about his little bed. "Captain, I am drunk Gelid, Bangs, we are all drunk." "To the pumps!" cried Tailtackle, who had hastened on deck.
"Eh? give me the glass" in a second I caught it. "By Jupiter, you say true, Tailtackle! beat to quarters quick clear away the long gun forward there!" All was bustle for a minute. I kept my eye on the object, but I could not make out more, than that it was a strange sail; I could neither judge of her size nor her rig, from the distance, and the extreme darkness of the night.
We had scarcely finished dinner, however, when the rushing of the water past the run of the little vessel, and the steadiness with which she skimmed along, shewed that the light air had freshened. Presently Tailtackle came down. "The breeze has set down, sir; the strange sail has got it strong to windward, and brings it along with him cheerily."
Out of the litter a black paw, with fishes or splints whipped round it by a band of spunyam, protruded, and kept swaying about like a pendulum. "What have you got there, Mr Tailtackle?" The gunner turned round. "Oh, it is a vagary of Peter Mangrove's, sir.
"Now, Tom Cringle, you have overshot your mark, my fine fellow," thought I; butjit was all right, and that forenoon the cutter was hoisted out with the guns in her, and the others dismounted and sent back in exchange; and in fine, after three days' hard work, I took the command of H.B.M. schooner, Wave, with Timothy Tailtackle as gunner, the senior midshipman as master, one of the carpenter's crew as carpenter, and a boatswain's mate as boatswain, a surgeon's mate as surgeon, the captain's clerk as purser, and thirty foremast men, besides the blackies, as the crew.
I accordingly, after calling and making my bow, proceeded to the dockyard to enter on my new command, and I was happy in being able to get Tailtackle and Reefpoint once more removed along with me.
Here the morrice dancers began to circle round old Tailtackle, keeping him on the move, spinning round like a weathercock in a whirlwind, while they shouted, "Oh, massa, one macaronilt if you please." To get quit of their importunity, Captain Transom gave them one. "Ah, good massa, tank you, sweet massa!" And away danced John Canoe and his tail, careering up the street.
Missed it again," continued the skipper, as the poor fellow once more made a fruitless attempt to swing himself on to the yard. "Pay out the warp again," sung out Tailtackle "quick, quick, let the ship swing from under, and leave me scope to dive, or I shall be obliged to let go, and be killed on the deck." "God bless me, yes," said Transom, "stick out the warp, let her swing to her anchor."
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