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Updated: June 7, 2025
You were then a youngster, and thought more of your joke, than of bending sails, or of seeing how they would stand." "There wasn't much of me, certainly, forty years ago, Stowel; but I well remember the knack you had of making every robin, sheet, bowline, and thread do its duty, then, as you do to-day. By the way, can you tell me any thing of the Dover, this evening?"
We filled upon the schooner, and reached away to the northward and eastward on an easy bowline, keeping just beyond reach of the frigate's guns, and making play diligently all the time with our own long eighteen, aiming for the stump of the foremast, so as to embarrass the Frenchmen as much as possible in any attempt that they might make to rig up a jury spar.
The two mates and Gerald, with all hands, went to the ropes, while the captain taking the helm, the ship was brought on a wind, the mizen, which had hitherto been furled, being also set, and the Ouzel Galley stood away on a bowline under all sail to the south-east. "She has the look of a fast craft, and is probably strong-handed," observed the second mate.
The men sprang about the decks like wild-cats, and, in their elation and excitement, did the work of at least three men each; the yards were braced up almost as soon as the ship could luff to the wind; the tacks were seized and boarded with irresistible strength and energy, the sheets flattened in; and in considerably less than five minutes the Aurora was rushing along on a bowline with her lee covering-board nearly awash, and a clear, glassy surge spouting up on each side of her cutwater, and foaming away from her sharp bows with a hissing roar which was sweetest music just then to the ears of her delighted crew.
"Tom," she said, "I will ride the chestnut, Bowline, to that fence some day. It will be a big steeplechase." He winced, but answered slowly. "You have meant to say that for a long time past. I am glad it has been said at last." She was struck by the perfect quietness of his tone. Her eyes sought his face and rested for a moment, half bewildered, half pitying.
So setting our topsails double-reefed again and bracing round the yards on a bowline, we shaped a course for the Azores or Western Islands; and getting into calmer latitudes ere morning, were able to make all plain sail again.
I was a boy, and had stolen away on a bark, the Julia Rollins, bound for Rio, and as we hauled in the line let go by the tow-boat, a seaman raised the bowline song.
"What is the matter, Pencroft?" asked the reporter. "The matter is, that it was not I who made this knot!" And Pencroft showed a rope which fastened the cable to the bitt itself. "What, it was not you?" asked Gideon Spilett. "No! I can swear to it. This is a reef knot, and I always make a running bowline." "You must be mistaken, Pencroft." "I am not mistaken!" declared the sailor.
This was lowered over the stern into the water, and by a little dexterous management, the shark was coaxed to enter it in his eagerness to get at the beef. The mate let fall the running part of the bowline and hauled upon the other, and to the utter bewilderment of the hungry monster, he found himself entrapped in the power of his mortal enemies being firmly and ingloriously fastened by the tail.
You laugh, old gentleman; but your devil's "mistack" looks every inch as queer to a sailor as our topman's answer would sound to you. Yours with all cordiality, notwithstanding, Scenes on the Costa Firme. "Here lies a sheer hulk, poor Tom Bowline." "Tom Bowling," LINE 1. I was awakened by the low growling, and short bark of the dog.
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