when the day came on which the cabin - boy was to take command , the weather was fair and quiet ; but he drummed up the whole ship 's crew , and with the exception of a tiny bit of canvas , had all sails reefed . the captain and crew laughed at him , and said : " that shows the sort of a captain we have now . do n't you want us to reef that last bit of sail this very minute ? " " not yet , " answered the cabin - boy , " but before long . " suddenly a squall struck them , struck them so heavily that they thought they would capsize , and had they not reefed the sails they would undoubtedly have foundered when the first breaker roared down upon the ship . the boy ordered them to throw the first cord of birch - wood overboard , billet by billet , one at a time and never two , and he did not let them touch the other two cords . now they obeyed him to the letter , and did not laugh ; but cast out the birch - wood billet by billet . when the last billet fell they heard a groaning , as though some one were wrestling with death , and then the squall had passed . " heaven be praised ! " said the crew -- and the captain added : " i am going to let the company know that you saved ship and cargo . " 
they trusted the cabin - boy .
why did the crew obey the cabin-boy to the letter and not laugh ?
why did the crew obey the cabin-boy to the letter and not laugh ?