Part 8 (1/2)
And yet, half an hour later, as they were dressing-down, the Bank fog dropped on them, ”between fish and fish,” as they say It drove steadily and in wreaths, curling and s-doithout a word Long Jack and Uncle Salters slipped the windlass-brakes into their sockets, and began to heave up the anchor, the windlass jarring as the wet heave a hand at the last
The anchor ca-sail bellied as Troop steadied her at the wheel ”Up jib and foresail,” said he
”Slip 'e fast the jib-sheet, while the others raised the clacking, rattling rings of the foresail; and the fore-boom creaked as the ”We're Here” looked up into the wind and dived off into blank, whirling white
”There's wind behind this fog,” said Troop
It was all wonderful beyond words to Harvey; and the most wonderful part was that he heard no orders except an occasional grunt froood, hed before?” said To at the da?”
”Fish and make berth, as you'll find out 'fore you've bin a week aboard It's all new to you, but we never knohat may coht--”
”It's better than fourteen dollars a month an' a bullet in your belly,”
said Troop, frorind”
”Dollars an' cents better,” returned thejib with a wooden spar tied to it ”But we didn't think o' that e manned the windlass-brakes on the 'Miss Jim Buck',[1] outside Beaufort Harbor, with Fort Macon heavin' hot shot at our stern, an' a livin' gale atop of all Where was you then, Disko?”
”Jest here, or hereabouts,” Disko replied, ”earnin' in' Reb privateers 'Sorry I can't accouess we'll coht on wind 'fore we see Eastern Point”
There was an incessant slapping and chatter at the bo, varied by a solid thud and a little spout of spray that clattered down on the fo'c'sle The rigging dripped cla the lee of the house--all save Uncle Salters, who sat stiffly on thehands
[1] The Gemsbok, U S N?
”'Guess she'd carry stays'l,” said Disko, rolling one eye at his brother
”Guess she wouldn't to any sorter profit What's the sense o' wastin'
canvas?” the farmer-sailor replied
The wheel twitched almost i wave-top slashed diagonally across the boat, smote Uncle Salters between the shoulders, and drenched hi, and went forward, only to catch another
”See dad chase him, all around the deck,” said Dan ”Uncle Salters he thinks his quarter-share's our canvas Dad's put this duckin' act up on him two trips runnin' Hi! That found hie by the foremast, but a wave slapped him over the knees Disko's face was as blank as the circle of the wheel
”'Guess she'd lie easier under stays'l, Salters,” said Disko, as though he had seen nothing
”Set your old kite, then,” roared the victih a cloud of spray; ”only don't lay it to it your coffee You ought to hev more sense than to bum araound on deck this weather”
”Now they'll swill coffee an' play checkers till the cows come home,”
said Dan, as Uncle Salters hustled Penn into the fore-cabin ”'Looks to me like's if we'd all be doin' so fer a spell There's nothin' in creation deader-lilad ye spoke, Danny,” cried Long Jack, who had been casting round in search of aer under that T-wharf hat There's no idleness for thi, Tom Platt, an' we'll l'arn hiot to go it alone
Dad learnedJack walked his prey up and down, teaching, as he said, ”things at the sea that ivry ear to a seventy-ton schooner with a stuift of expression When he wished to draw Harvey's attention to the peak-halyards, he dug his knuckles into the back of the boy's neck and kept hiaze for half a minute