Captain Allistoun,
unblinking, faced the rising sun. His lips stirred, opened for the first
time in twenty-four hours, and with a fresh firm voice he cried, "Wear
ship!"
The commanding sharp tones made all these torpid men start like a sudden
flick of a whip. Then again, motionless where they lay, the force of
habit made some of them repeat the order in hardly audible murmurs.
Captain Allistoun glanced down at his crew, and several, with fumbling
fingers and hopeless movements, tried to cast themselves adrift. He
repeated impatiently, "Wear ship. Now then, Mr. Baker, get the
men along. What's the matter with them?"--"Wear ship. Do you hear
there?--Wear ship!" thundered out the boatswain suddenly. His voice
seemed to break through a deadly spell. Men began to stir and crawl.--"I
want the fore-top-mast staysail run up smartly," said the master,
very loudly; "if you can't manage it standing up you must do it lying
down--that's all. Bear a hand!"--"Come along! Let's give the old girl
a chance," urged the boatswain.--"Aye! aye! Wear ship!" exclaimed
quavering voices. The forecastle men, with reluctant faces, prepared to
go forward.
Pages:
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142