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The "Artemise" was purchased into the British navy, under the same name, and the command of her given to Mr Flinn. Mr Woods was raised to the rank of first lieutenant, and Mr Vining also moved a step up the ratlines, leaving a vacancy for a third lieutenant, which our skipper most kindly filled up by giving me an acting order.
He managed to get underneath the crosstrees, and there he froze to the ratlines. Two sailors had to go after him to help him down. All of which was bad enough had there been no worse. But he was vicious, malignant, dirty, and without common decency. He was a tall, powerful man, and he fought with everybody. And there was no fairness in his fighting.
"Ay, ay, sir," replied my tormentor, springing nimbly into the rigging and shinning up the ratlines almost as soon as the words were out of the commander's mouth, "I'll see, sir."
"I'm afraid, though, Master Jack is rather a small boy for his years, being short and thick-set." "Not a serious fault that, Vernon. He'll, be able to go aloft more nimbly than any of those lamp-post sort of chaps with long legs, who always trip themselves up in the ratlines. Look at me, youngster, I'm not a big man, and yet I've not been the worse sailor on that account, I think!"
At the moment of a certain difficult manoeuvre, four men had to climb to the crossbars of the fore-mast in order to reef the mainsail. The first who sprang to the ratlines was Hunt. The second was Martin Holt; Burry and one of the recruits followed them. I could not have believed that any man could display such skill and agility as Hunt’s. His hands and feet hardly caught the ratlines.
Thin wisps of mists were sweeping over the sea, veiling the stars. How God helps His little children who help Him! Up the shrouds of the foremast. The ratlines seared his feet. A little wind licked his body. The mist was chill as a winding-sheet. There was no danger of being seen. He was nearer the stars than the deck. Between him and it now lay a blanket of mist. But what was that in the East?
"I can see it off the fore-yard," answered Pearce, the master, who had immediately ascended the rigging upon the report. The first-lieutenant now went aloft, and soon brought it down to the lower ratlines. In a few minutes it was distinctly seen from the deck of the frigate.
I began to feel somewhat easier, and cried aloud that the first of them who came up after me would go down again in two pieces. Despite my warning a brace essayed to climb the ratlines, as pitiable an attempt as ever I witnessed, and fell to the deck again. 'Twas a miracle that they missed falling into the sea.
Some of the sailors, mounted on the ratlines of the fore-shrouds, uttered longing cries. Captain Hull, who no longer spoke, was in a dilemma. There was something there, like an irresistible magnet, which attracted the "Pilgrim" and all her crew. "Mama, mama!" then cried little Jack, "I should like to have the whale, to see how it is made." "Ah! you wish to have this whale, my boy?
"Hold her thus," he commanded, and bellowing orders as he went, he heaved himself down the companion to see them executed. Men sprang to the ratlines to obey him, and went swarming aloft to let out the reefs of the topsails; others ran astern to do the like by the mizzen and soon they had her leaping and plunging through the green water with every sheet unfurled, racing straight out to sea.
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