tremendous, and to lift either of her courses on the yards would take not
less than half a dozen men even in good weather.

The fellow hung about while I dressed him down and told him about what a
worthless specimen of humanity he was. Finally I sent him aft to help
where he could, and he lent a hand at the braces in the waist under the
direction of Mr. Trunnell, who stood on the break of the poop, with the
young third mate beside him, and gave his orders utterly oblivious to the
boy's presence.

In a short time we made an offing, and as the pilot was on the tug, we
had only to let go the line and stand away on our course. The t'gallant
yards were sent up, then the royals sheeted home, and by dint of great
effort and plenty of bawling we got the canvas on her fore and aft and
trimmed the yards so as to make each one look as if at odds with its
fellows, but yet enough to make a fair wind of the gentle southerly
breeze. Then we let go the tow-line and stood to the westward, while the
little tug gave a parting whistle and went heading away into the rising
sun astern.




II


I will say now that when I look back on that morning it is evident there
was a lack of discipline or command on board the _Pirate_; but at the
time it did not appear to me to be the fact, because the lack of
discipline was not apparent in my watch. Trunnell and I divided up the