Part 10 (2/2)

”Now, Ned,” said Williams as the windla.s.s-pawls began to clank, ”you are in charge of the s.h.i.+p, mind, until she is in the blue water once more; and all hands, myself included, are ready to obey your orders, whatever they may be. You want a smart hand at the wheel, you say, and another as a look-out aloft. I intend, therefore, to take the wheel myself; and Rogers, who has the quickest eye on board the s.h.i.+p, will station himself on the fore-topsail-yard to watch for the rocks you spoke about. The rest of the hands will be stationed at the sheets and braces, with orders to let go and haul the moment you give the word. So, with this arrangement, if anything goes wrong you will not be able to say that any of us were to blame.”

”All right,” cried Ned, ”I am quite satisfied with the arrangement; and I will do my best, as I said, to take the s.h.i.+p safely through. As there is a good steady breeze blowing I shall work her under topsails, topgallant-sails, jibs, and spanker, with the courses in the brails ready for an emergency, but not set; as presently, when we get into the narrowest part of the pa.s.sage, our boards will be so short that the men would not be able to get down the tacks and sheets before it will be time to heave in stays again. When the cable is shortened in to twenty- fathoms let the hands go aloft and loose the canvas.”

”Right you are,” said Williams, turning away and walking forward to superintend operations on the forecastle.

The men roused the cable in to the inspiriting strains of a lively ”shanty;” and before long Rogers' voice was heard announcing the news that the twenty-fathom shackle was inside the hawse-pipe.

”Away aloft and loose the canvas” was now the word, upon which the men deserted the windla.s.s; and whilst some swarmed aloft to cast off the gaskets from the upper sails others laid out upon the jib-boom to loose the jibs, the residue scattering about the decks to attend to the calls of their s.h.i.+pmates aloft to ”let go the main-topgallant-clewlines” and to perform other similar operations of an equally mysterious character-- mysterious, at least, to Sibylla, who, at a hint from Ned, had ventured out on deck to look abroad upon the unwonted scene, and to watch the pa.s.sage of the s.h.i.+p through the reef.

In thus summoning Sibylla from the seclusion of her own cabin Ned honestly believed that his only motive was to do the poor girl a service. He said to himself that she would be far better on deck, breathing the fresh air and stimulated by the healthy excitement of a little peril, than she would be if she remained below cooped up in a stuffy state-room, fretting her heart out over matters that neither she nor he could help. Moreover, he was anxious that she should become accustomed as quickly as possible to the novelty of being the only woman on board, and accustomed, too, to the idea of coming and going as freely about the decks as she had done before the mutiny. And if, in addition to these motives, there lurked another far down in the depths of Ned's heart, making him anxious that Sibylla should see for herself how valuable, and indeed indispensable, his services were to the mutineers, who shall blame him?

With the usual amount of bustle on board a merchantman the canvas was at length set, the yards braced in the manner necessary for casting the s.h.i.+p, and the men returned to the windla.s.s--Williams walking aft and standing by the wheel, whilst Rogers and Martin remained on the forecastle to superintend the operation of getting the anchor. Williams was evidently very much pleased at the prospect of getting out to sea again, for as he pa.s.sed Sibylla he raised his hat with more grace than could have been expected of him and wished her ”good-morning!”--a salutation which the young lady silently acknowledged with one of her most stately bows.

Presently the cry came from Rogers:

”Anchor's aweigh, sir.”

”Very well,” said Ned; ”rouse it up to the bows smartly, cat it, and then range along your cable all ready for letting go again if need be.

Flatten in your larboard jib-sheets for'ard; man your larboard fore- braces and brace the headyards sharp up. Hard a-starboard with your helm, Williams--she has stern-way upon her. And you Rogers, away aloft and keep a sharp look-out for sunken rocks. Martin will see to the catting of the anchor.”

Fully alive to the necessity for prompt obedience to the orders which had been given them, the crew sprang to their several stations and did their work with a smartness which would have been creditable even on board a man-of-war; and in another minute the s.h.i.+p had paid handsomely off on the larboard tack, with her after-canvas clean full.

”Let draw your jib-sheets,” now shouted Ned; ”let go your larboard and round-in upon your starboard fore-braces, and then lay aft here, two or three of you, and haul out the spanker. Steady the helm and meet her, Williams. Keep everything a-rap full and let her go through the water.

What is the latest news from the anchor for'ard there?”

”The stock is just coming out of the water, sir,” answered Martin.

”That is right; up with it as smartly as you can, lads,” urged Ned.

Then to Rogers:

”How are things looking from aloft, Rogers?”

”All right, sir--no rocks anywhere in the way as I can see, and deep water right up to the edge of the reef,” came the answer.

”That is well,” commented Ned, walking to the lee rail to note the speed of the s.h.i.+p through the water, and also to judge more accurately her distance from the swirling ma.s.ses of white water which marked the position of the reef.

She was nearing the rocks fast and was already within a cable's-length of them; and the men forward were beginning to cast anxious glances aft, fearing that Ned was cutting his distance too fine.

But Ned knew perfectly well what he was about; with the utmost calmness he gave the word ”Stations!” and then, as the men sprang to obey the order, he glanced aloft at the canvas. Williams was performing his share of the work with the skill of a most accomplished helmsman, and all the canvas was clean full.

Now came the ticklish part of the business. If Ned's judgment failed him here the s.h.i.+p was as good as lost. He took one more glance at the breakers and then gave the word:

”Ready about!” followed immediately by the customary ”Helm is a-lee!” at the same moment signing to Williams to put the helm down.

The wheel, under the influence of a single vigorous impulse from Williams' sinewy arm, went whirling round until it was hard over, when he caught and grasped the spokes and held it there. The s.h.i.+p swept gracefully up into the wind with her white canvas fluttering so violently as to make the stout craft tremble to her keel; and, shaving the reef so closely that a vigorous jump would have launched a man from her rail into the breakers alongside, she forged ahead and finally paid off on the opposite tack.

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