The Fooling with the Sail
It was on the Friday night, that the Second Mate had the watch looking for the man up the main; and for the next five days little else was talked about; though, with the of Williams, Tammy and myself, no one to think of the seriously. Perhaps I should not Quoin, who still persisted, on every occasion, that there was a aboard. As for the Second Mate, I have very little now, but that he was to there was something and less than he had at of. Yet, all the same, I know he had to keep his and half-formed opinions well to himself; for the Old Man and the First Mate him about his "bogy." This, I got from Tammy, who had them him the second dog-watch the day. There was another thing Tammy told me, that how the Second Mate about his to the and of the man he had go aloft. He had Tammy give him every detail he about the we had by the log-reel. What is more, the Second had not to the lightly, as a thing to be at; but had seriously, and asked a great many questions. It is very to me that he was out the only possible conclusion. Though, knows, it was one that was and enough.
It was on the Wednesday night, after the five days of talk I have mentioned, that there came, to me and to those who knew, another of fear. And yet, I can that, at that time, those who had nothing, would little to be of, in all that I am going to tell you. Still, they were much puzzled and astonished, and perhaps, after all, a little awed. There was so much in the that was inexplicable, and yet again such a that was natural and commonplace. For, when all is said and done, it was nothing more than the of one of the sails; yet by what were details—significant, that is, in the light of that which Tammy and I and the Second Mate knew.
Seven bells, and then one, had gone in the watch, and our was being out to the Mate's. Most of the men were already out of their bunks, and about on their sea-chests, into their togs.
Suddenly, one of the 'prentices in the other watch, put his in through the on the port side.
"The Mate wants to know," he said, "which of you fast the royal, last watch."
"Wot's 'e want to know that for?" one of the men.
"The side's adrift," said the 'prentice. "And he says that the who it fast is to go up and see to it as soon as the watch is relieved."
"Oh! 'e? Well 'twasn't me, any'ow," the man. "You'd of t'others."
"Ask what?" Plummer, out of his bunk, sleepily.
The 'prentice his message.
The man and himself.
"Let me see," he muttered, and his with one hand, while he for his with the other. "'oo r'yal fast?" He got into his trousers, and up. "Why, Or'nary, er course; 'oo else do suppose?"
"That's all I wanted to know!" said the 'prentice, and away.
"Hi! Tom!" Stubbins out to the Ordinary. "Wake up, you lazy devil. Ther Mate's just sent to who it was the fast. It's all blowin' adrift, and he says you're to along up as soon as eight goes, and make it fast again."
Tom jumped out of his bunk, and to dress, quickly.
"Blowin' adrift!" he said. "There ain't all that much wind; and I the ends of the well in under the other turns."
"P'raps one of is rotten, and way," suggested
Stubbins. "Anyway, you'd up, it's just on eight bells."
A minute later, eight went, and we away for roll-call.
As soon as the names were called over, I saw the Mate the
Second and say something. Then the Second Mate out:
"Tom!"
"Sir!" answered Tom.
"Was it you fast that royal, last watch?"
"Yes, Sir."
"How's that it's adrift?"
"Carn't say, Sir."
"Well, it has, and you'd jump and the it again. And mind you make a job of it this time."
"i, i, Sir," said Tom, and the of us forrard. Reaching the rigging, he into it, and to make his way aloft. I see him with a amount of distinctness, as the moon was very clear and bright, though old.
I over to the weather pin-rail, and up against it, him, while I my pipe. The other men, the watch on and the watch below, had gone into the fo'cas'le, so that I I was the only one about the maindeck. Yet, a minute later, I that I was mistaken; for, as I to light up, I saw Williams, the cockney, come out from under the of the house, and turn and look up at the Ordinary as he upwards. I was a little surprised, as I he and three of the others had a "poker fight" on, and he'd over sixty of tobacco. I I opened my mouth to sing out to him to know why he wasn't playing; and then, all at once, there came into my mind the memory of my with him. I that he had said were always at night. I the, then, he had on those two words; and that, I afraid. For, all at once, the had me of a sail—even a one—blowing in such and weather as we were then having. I I had not that there was something and about the affair. Sails don't in weather, with the sea and the ship as as a rock. I moved away from the rail and Williams. He something, or, at least, he at something that was very much a to me at that time. Up above, the boy was up, to what? That was the thing that me so frightened. Ought I to tell all I and guessed? And then, who should I tell? I should only be laughed at—I—
Williams me, and spoke.
"Gawd!" he said, "it's started agen!"
"What?" I said. Though I what he meant.
"Them syles," he answered, and a the royal.
I up, briefly. All the of the sail was adrift, from the outwards. Lower, I saw Tom; he was just himself into the t'gallant rigging.
Williams spoke again.
"We two on 'em just way, comin' art."
"Two of the men!" I exclaimed.
"Yus!" he said tersely.
"I can't understand," I on. "I anything about it."
"Who'd got tell it?" he asked.
I no reply to his question; indeed, I had it, for the problem of what I ought to do in the had again in my mind.
"I've a good mind to go and tell the Second Mate all I know," I said. "He's something himself that he can't away, and—and I can't this of things. If the Second Mate all—"
"Garn!" he cut in, me. "An' be told yer're a hidiot. Not yer. Yer were are."
I irresolute. What he had said, was perfectly correct, and I was positively what to do for the best. That there was aloft, I was convinced; though if I had been asked my for this, they would have been hard to find. Yet of its existence, I was as as though my already saw it. I whether, being so of the it would assume, I stop it by joining Tom on the yard? This came as I up at the royal. Tom had the sail, and was on the foot-rope, close in to the bunt. He was over the yard, and for the of the sail. And then, as I looked, I saw the of the up and abruptly, as though a of wind had it.
"I'm blimed—!" Williams began, with a of expectation. And then he stopped as as he had begun. For, in a moment, the sail had right over the after of the yard, Tom clean from off the foot-rope.
"My God!" I out loud. "He's gone!"
For an there was a over my eyes, and Williams was out something that I not catch. Then, just as quickly, it went, and I see again, clearly.
Williams was pointing, and I saw something black, the yard. Williams called out something fresh, and a for the rigging. I the last part——
"—ther garskit."
Straightway, I that Tom had managed to the as he fell, and I after Williams to give him a hand in the into safety.
Down on deck, I the of feet, and then the Second Mate's voice. He was what the was up; but I did not trouble to answer him then. I wanted all my to help me aloft. I very well that some of the were little than old shakins; and, unless Tom got of something on the t'gallant him, he might come with a any moment. I the top, and myself over it in quick time. Williams was some above me. In less than a minute, I the t'gallant yard. Williams had gone up on to the royal. I out on to the t'gallant foot-rope until I was just Tom; then I out to him to let himself to me, and I would catch him. He no answer, and I saw that he was in a fashion, and by one hand.
Williams's voice came to me from the yard. He was out to me to go up and give him a hand to Tom up on to the yard. When I him, he told me that the had itself the lad's wrist. I the yard, and down. It was as Williams had said, and I how near a thing it had been. Strangely enough, at that moment, the came to me how little wind there was. I the wild way in which the sail had at the boy.
All this time, I was working, the port buntline. I took the end, a with it the gasket, and let the over the boy's and shoulders. Then I took a on it and it under his arms. A minute later we had him safely on the us. In the moonlight, I just make out the mark of a great on his forehead, where the of the sail must have him when it him over.
As we there a moment, taking our breath, I the of the Second Mate's voice close us. Williams down; then he looked up at me and gave a short, laugh.
"Crikey!" he said.
"What's up?" I asked, quickly.
He his and downwards. I a bit, the with one hand, and the Ordinary with the other. In this way I look below. At first, I see nothing. Then the Second Mate's voice came up to me again.
"Who the are you? What are you doing?"
I saw him now. He was at the of the weather t'gallant rigging, his was upwards, the after of the mast. It to me only as a blurred, pale-coloured in the moonlight.
He his question.
"It's Williams and I, Sir," I said. "Tom, here, has had an accident."
I stopped. He to come up higher us. From the to there came a of men talking.
The Second Mate us.
"Well, what's up, anyway?" he inquired, suspiciously. "What's happened?"
He had forward, and was at Tom. I started to explain; but he cut me with:
"Is he dead?"
"No, Sir," I said. "I don't think so; but the beggar's had a fall. He was by the when we got to him. The sail him off the yard."
"What?" he said, sharply.
"The wind the sail, and it over the yard—"
"What wind?" he interrupted. "There's no wind, scarcely." He his weight on to the other foot. "What do you mean?"
"I what I say, Sir. The wind the of the sail over the top of the and Tom clean off the foot-rope. Williams and I saw it happen."
"But there's no wind to do such a thing; you're talking nonsense!"
It to me that there was as much of as anything else in his voice; yet I tell that he was suspicious—though, of what, I he himself have told.
He at Williams, and about to say something. Then, to his mind, he turned, and out to one of the men who had him aloft, to go and pass out a of new, three-inch manilla, and a tailblock.
"Smartly now!" he concluded.
"i, i, Sir," said the man, and swiftly.
The Second Mate to me.
"When you've got Tom below, I shall want a of all this, than the one you've me. It won't wash."
"Very well, Sir," I answered. "But you won't any other."
"What do you mean?" he at me. "I'll let you know I'll have no from you or any one else."
"I don't any impertinence, Sir—I that it's the only there is to give."
"I tell you it won't wash!" he repeated. "There's something too about it all. I shall have to report the to the Captain. I can't tell him that yarn—" He off abruptly.
"It's not the only thing that's this old hooker," I answered. "You ought to know that, Sir."
"What do you mean?" he asked, quickly.
"Well, Sir," I said, "to be straight, what about that you sent us after up the main the other night? That was a affair, wasn't it? This one isn't so funny."
"That will do, Jessop!" he said, angrily. "I won't have any talk." Yet there was something about his that told me I had got one in on my own. He all at once less able to appear that I was telling him a tale.
After that, for a minute, he said nothing. I he was doing some hard thinking. When he spoke again it was on the of the Ordinary on deck.
"One of you'll have to go the and him down," he concluded.
He and looked downwards.
"Are you that gantline?" he sang out.
"Yes, Sir," I one of the men answer.
A moment later, I saw the man's appear over the top. He had the tail-block his neck, and the end of the over his shoulder.
Very soon we had the rigged, and Tom on deck. Then we took him into the fo'cas'le and put him in his bunk. The Second Mate had sent for some brandy, and now he started to him well with it. At the same time a of the men his hands and feet. In a little, he to of round. Presently, after a fit of coughing, he opened his eyes, with a surprised, stare. Then he at the of his bunk-board, and sat up, giddily. One of the men him, while the Second Mate back, and him, critically. The boy as he sat, and put up his hand to his head.
"Here," said the Second Mate, "take another drink."
Tom his and a little; then he spoke.
"By gum!" he said, "my ache."
He put up his hand, again, and at the on his forehead. Then he and at the men about his bunk.
"What's up?" he inquired, in a of way, and as if he not see us clearly.
"What's up?" he asked again.
"That's just what I want to know!" said the Second Mate, speaking for the time with some sternness.
"I ain't been snoozin' while there's been a job on?" Tom inquired, anxiously.
He looked at the men appealingly.
"It's 'im dotty, me," said one of the men, audibly.
"No," I said, Tom's question, "you've had—"
"Shut that, Jessop!" said the Second Mate, quickly, me. "I want to what the boy's got to say for himself."
He again to Tom.
"You were up at the royal," he prompted.
"I carn't say I was, Sir," said Tom, doubtfully. I see that he had not the Second Mate's meaning.
"But you were!" said the Second, with some impatience. "It was adrift, and I sent you up to a it."
"Blowin' adrift, Sir?" said Tom, dully.
"Yes! adrift. Don't I speak plainly?"
The from Tom's face, suddenly.
"So it was, Sir," he said, his memory returning. "The bloomin' sail got full of wind. It me in the face."
He paused a moment.
"I believe—" he began, and then stopped once more.
"Go on!" said the Second Mate. "Spit it out!"
"I don't know, Sir," Tom said. "I don't understand—"
He again.
"That's all I can remember," he muttered, and put his hand up to the on his forehead, as though trying to something.
In the that succeeded, I the voice of Stubbins.
"There hain't no wind," he was saying, in a puzzled tone.
There was a low of from the men.
The Second Mate said nothing, and I at him, curiously. Was he to see, I wondered, how it was to try to any of the affair? Had he at last to it with that of the man up the main? I am now to think that this was so; for, after a moments at Tom, in a of way, he out of the fo'cas'le, saying that he would into the in the morning. Yet, when the came, he did no such thing. As for his the to the Skipper, I much it. Even did he, it must have been in a very way; for we nothing more about it; though, of course, we talked it over among ourselves.
With to the Second Mate, now I am puzzled by his to us aloft. Sometimes I have that he must have us of trying to play off some on him—perhaps, at the time, he still one of us of being in some way with the other business. Or, again, he may have been trying to against the that was being upon him, that there was something and about the old packet. Of course, these are only suppositions.
And then, close upon this, there were developments.
