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Updated: June 20, 2025
"I should steer to the nor'ard," answered the mate, "so as to be to wind'ard when the change comes." "I knew it," exclaimed Johnson delightedly; "I was dead certain of it. Now, we're going to give that frigate the slip by steering to the south'ard; because her skipper will argue as you do, and when he finds he's lost the run of us, he'll haul up to the nor'ard directly.
'Twas the bad season now; the big fish had struck off still further and there wa'n't another boat in sight. The land was just a yeller and green smooch along the sky line and the waves was runnin' bigger. The Shootin' Star was seaworthy, though, and I wa'n't worried about her. The only thing that troubled me was the fog, and that was pilin' up to wind'ard.
"Most gladly, Master Hendrick, will I do your bidding; but as we don't know what course to steer, won't we be apt to go astray?" "There is no fear of that, captain. See you yonder bluff with the bush on the top of it?" "Where away, Master Hendrick? D'ye mean the one lyin' to wind'ard o' that cliff shaped like the side of a Dutch galliot?" "The same.
"Shame!" cried Jim, seizing one of the oars; "pull, Bunks, pull to wind'ard a bit; we'll drop down and save him yet. Pull, you murderer!" shouted Jim, with a burst of anger so sudden and fierce that Job was cowed. He sat down and obeyed.
We put the sail to her. "And stand by to cut clear our anchorage!" I stood by with my bait knife; and when he called out, I cut, and away we went racing before wind and tide; me in the waist on, the buoy lashed to the wind'ard side, to hold her down, and he on the wind'ard gunnel, too, but aft, with an oar in one hand and the sheet of the sail in the other. "And where now?"
I was busy with a barge wot happened to be handy at the time, but I 'eard her say that she would take it and give it to 'im. When I peeped round she 'ad got the letter open and was leaning over the side to wind'ard trying to get 'er breath.
"Cripes! that vessel was certainly a clipper for goin'! Her cap'n was wise enough to keep to wind'ard, for he seemed to know where the rough water begins to rise and how to make the most o' them keys. Never mind; off Nor'west Cape he'll have to come out like a seaman and take his duckin'! H'ist that there jib, Billy, and make Dave move his carcass where it'll do some good."
"Well, San Domingo," I said, "are there any signs of the chase? And where is the commodore?" "De chase, sah, am about four mile to wind'ard ob us, bearin' about half a point abaft de beam, and de commodore am 'bout a mile and a half astern of us." "Astern of us the commodore astern of us, did you say?" exclaimed I incredulously. "Yes, sah," answered the black, quite unmoved, "dead astern ob us.
A lot you knew about what you was rollin' by then, Sammie." "'Tain't what I knew, but what I did, that counted, Archie, and it takes more than twenty-seven glasses o' cassy to put my rail under. You oughter know that, Archie. I knew what I was doin' don't worry. An' that twenty-seventh rollin'! I shook 'em up spittin' to wind'ard for luck and lets 'em run. And out they comes a-bowlin'. Seventeen!
Then, all speaking at once, and each raising his voice to its limit, they argued excitedly: "Can't be done." "Coil it on the forecastle." "Yes, we can." "Too much sea." "Run down to wind'ard." "Line 'ud part, anyhow." "Float a barrel." "Shut up." "I tell you, we can." "Call the watch." "Seldom, yer daft." "Needn't get a boat over." "Hell ye can." "Call the boys." "All hands with heavin'-lines."
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