Men sighed, shouted, hissed meaningless
words, groaned. The yards moved, came slowly square against the
wind, that hummed loudly on the yard-arms.--"Going off, sir," shouted
Singleton, "she's just started."--"Catch a turn with that brace. Catch a
turn!" clamoured the master. Mr. Creighton, nearly suffocated and unable
to move, made a mighty effort, and with his left hand managed to nip the
rope.
--"All fast!" cried some one. He closed his eyes as if going off into
a swoon, while huddled together about the brace we watched with scared
looks what the ship would do now.
She went off slowly as though she had been weary and disheartened like
the men she carried. She paid off very gradually, making us hold our
breath till we choked, and as soon as she had brought the wind abaft the
beam she started to move, and fluttered our hearts. It was awful to see
her, nearly overturned, begin to gather way and drag her submerged side
through the water. The dead-eyes of the rigging churned the breaking
seas. The lower half of the deck was full of mad whirlpools and eddies;
and the long line of the lee rail could be seen showing black now and
then in the swirls of a field of foam as dazzling and white as a field
of snow.
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