Page:The Dark Frigate (Hawes).djvu/102

his eyes, descended from the poop and braced himself in its lee.

“The wind blows frisking,” the mate cried, scrambling up the ladder and joining the master.

“Yea, it is like to over-blow. She took a shrewd plunge but now. We shall further our voyage by striking every sail. Go thou, mate, and have them secure the spritsail-yard, then take thy station on the forecastle.”

For an hour or two the old Rose of Devon went plunging through the seas; and there was much loosing and lowering of sails. For a while, then, the wind scanted so that there was hope the storm had passed, and during the lull they bent and set the new foresail and must needs brace and veer and haul aft. But ere long the gale blew up amain, and in the late afternoon Captain Candle, sniffing the breeze, called upon all to stand by and once more to hand both foresail and mainsail.

“Cast off the topsail sheets, clew garnets, leechlines and buntlines!” The order came thinly through the roar of the wind.

“Yea, yea!” a shrill voice piped.

‘Stand by the sheet and brace — come lower the yard and furl the sail — see that your main halyards be clear and all the rest of your gear clear and cast off.”

“It is all clear.”

"Lower the main yard — haul down upon your down-haul.” As the yard swayed down and the men belayed the halyards, one minute staggering to keep their feet, the next minute slipping and sliding across the decks, the captain’s sharp voice, holding them at their work, cut through the gale, ‘‘Haul up the clew garnets, lifts,