SAILING CRAFT 127 



yardarm comes from under, ' turn to, there — 

 d' y' think we 're going to hang on here the 

 whole damn' day ? ' Whereupon the men 

 turn to again with twice the confidence and 

 hearty goodwill that any other form of re- 

 assurance could possibly have given them. 



As she comes back towards an even keel the 

 wind catches the sails. The skipper is still at 

 the wheel, to which he and the two men whose 

 trick it is are clinging. ' Hard-a-lee 1 ' and 

 round she goes this time, till she snuggles into 

 a good lie-to, which keeps her alternately com- 

 ing up and falling off a little, by the counter- 

 action of the sails and helm. Here she rides 

 out the storm, dipping her lee rail under, 

 climbing the wild, gigantic seas, and working 

 off her course on the cyclone-driven waters ; 

 but giving watch and watch about a chance to 

 rest before she squares away again. 



Next morning the skipper hardly puts his 

 head out before he yells the welcome order 

 to set the main lower topsail — from the lee 

 yardarm of which a dozen men had nearly 

 gone to Davy Jones's locker only yesterday. 

 He takes a look round ; then orders up reefed 

 foresail and the three upper topsails, also 

 reefed. Up goes the watch aloft and lays out 

 on the yard. ' Ready ? ' comes the shouted 



