Part 24 (1/2)
”From the bottom of the sea, I suppose,” said Horner, who evidently did not admire their looks as they advanced aft
The captain, after a little palavering, ordered the steward to bring up so a short way forward, Neptune commanded all who had not before visited his dominions to come and pay their respects to hi very coot hold of Jim and ht back
No one interfered with Esdale, who had, I found, crossed Neptune's hand with a crown-piece; which, of course, none of us were able to do A huge tub of water had been placed in front of hisall those ere for the first ti the line Three of the ordinary seamen were novices like us
The barber first lathered our chins with so it off with his razor, finally ducked our heads into the tub Horner, when undergoing the operation, had the brush several times thrust into his mouth, and his whole face and head daubed over When he opened his ain went the brush As he kicked and screamed and spluttered, he was treated worse and worse
Ji a lesson from me, kept his mouth shut I was let off even ot loose, but instead of wisely re and began abusing Daddy Neptune and his gang, whereupon he was again captured and coo the saht out his fiddle, and Neptune and his party-- indeed, the whole crew--began dancing round and round, singing and shouting every now and then as an interlude, catching hold of the ”green hands” and pitching the alwayscirculated so rapidly a the crew that they would all soon have been intoxicated had not the captain, in a thundering voice, ordered the their tomfoolery to an end
They obeyed Neptune and his followers dived below, and presently returned like stout seaiven to brace the yards sharp up, and, with an easterly wind, we stood on our course
The next land we made was a solitary islet Near it stood a remarkable rock called the ”Ninepin,” detached frohteen hundred feet in height It had the appearance of aout of the ocean There are no inhabitants on the island, nor any good landing-place, but fresh water is to be obtained there, as well as pigs and vegetables
We soon after this began to fall in with stormy weather We found our shi+p, which had re the land of storms in the dead of winter, with the days scarcely reatest caution was deemed necessary The royal allant -sail booot in, the hatches were battened down, and everything was done to ht aloft
We were nearly off the River Plate when there were indications of an approaching gale The hitherto blue sky was overcast, and the scud flew rapidly along, as if isters will have to look out for yourselves before long,” said Toold, the boat-steerer, who had acted the part of Neptune ”We shall be having old Harry Cane aboard here, and he's a precious deal more difficult to tackle than Daddy Neptune, who paid us a visit on the line”
”Oh, dear! Oh, dear! I wonder e shall do?” cried Horner, who did not exactly understand as going to happen
”Why, hold on to the weather-rigging, if you haven't to be pulling and hauling, and duck your head if you see a sea co,” answered Jim, who understood the joke about Harry Cane
In a short time the captain ordered the topsails to be reefed and the hter sails handed Jiallant sailyard to furl the sail We were laying out when, to my horror, I saw Ji that he would be dashed to pieces, and that I should lose my staunchest friend
”Ji what I was saying, or considering how useless it was to shout
”Here I aht, Peter,” cried Jim, and his voice seemed to come not far froht in the belly of the sail, and there he lay as if he had been in a ha been hauled out just at the tiain, resu finished our work caale struck us, taking us right aback The cabin dead-lights not being properly secured, the cabin was nearly filled ater The carpenter and his sters were sent below to help hihts
When this was done down came the rain in such torrents that it seemed as if it would swah of the sea, she began to roll in a hich threatened every instant to shake the masts out of her It see not been well set up they one The only accident I have to s was killed, but this did not grieve the crew, for as we had no salt on board, and the meat would not keep, the portion not required for the cabin was served out to us
Another, and what ht have proved a far , when a sea striking the rudder with tre away several of the brass spokes as it flew round, and sent hiht he was killed, but he picked hih he could not use his arm for two or three days, at the end of that time he was able to do his duty as well as ever
That storht look out for others, and so the captain seeet round Cape Horn ere always under snug canvas at night, and during the day a bright look-out was kept, lest one of those sudden squalls called Paht come off the land and whip the masts out of the shi+p, or lay her on her beam-ends, as frequently happens when the hands are not ready to shorten sail We, however, got to the southward of the Falkland Islands without accident
My poor friend and an to experience He cah and increasing weakness made him very unfit for it The doctor at last insisted on his reh Esdale declared that he would rather be on deck and try to do his best