The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-09-14
CHAPTER XVIII.

CHAPTER XVIII.
I STRIKE A BARGAIN WITH THE YANKEE
The captain put his cup down; the bow
was empty; I offered to brew another jorum,
but he thanked me and said no, adding sig
nificantly that he would have no more here
by which he meant that he would brew for
himself in his own ship anon. The drink had
made him cheerful and good natured. He
recommended that we should go on deck and
set about trans-shipping while the weather
held, for he was an old hand in these seas,
and never trusted the skies longer than a
quarter of a hour.
This here list" says he, "wants remedy
ing, and that'll follow our easin' of the hold. {"
yes" said ], land I should be mighty
thankful if some of your men would see all
clear aloft for me, that we might start with
running rigging that1l travel, capstans
thatm ~revolve, and sails that'll spread.n
"Oh, We'll manage that for you" said he.
"Tru-ly she's been bad froze-very bad froze.
burned if ever 1 see a worse freeze"
So saying, he called to Bill, who seemed
the principal maj Of the boats crew, and
gave him some directions, and Immediately
afterward all the men entered the boat and
rowed away to the ship.
While they were absent I carried the cap
tain into the hold and left him to overhaul
it. I told him that all the spirits, provisions
and the like were in the hold and lazarette,
which was true enough-wanting to keep
him out of the run-though, thanks 10 the
precaution I had taken, l was in no fear even
if he should penetrate so deep aft. Before
he came out five-and-twenty stout fellows
arrived in four. boats from the ship, and
when We went OF deck we found them going
the round of the vessel, scraping the guns to
get a view of them, peering down the COM
panion, overhauling the forecastle well, as I
call the hollow beyond the forecastle, and
staring aloft with their faces full of grinning
wonder. The captain sang out to them,
and they all mustered aft.
Snow, lads" said he, "there 8 a big job be-
fore you-a big job for Cape Horn, l mean;
and you'll have to slip through it as if you
was grease. When done there'l be a carouse,
and I'll warrant ye all such a sup that the
most romantic among yell never cast an
other pining thought in the direction o. your
mothers milk"
Having delivered this preface, he divided
the men into two gangs-one, under the
boatswain, to attend to the rigging, clear the
canvas of the ice, get the pumps and the cap
STAINS to work, n see all ready for getting
sail on the schooner; the other, under the
second mate, to get tackles aloft and break
out the cargo, taking care to trim ship while
so doing.
They fell to their several jobs with a will.
'Tis the habit of our countrymen to sheer at
the Americans as sailors, affirming that If
ever they win a battle at sea it is by the help
of British ~rencgades. But this I protest:
after witnessing the smartness of those
Yankee whalcmen, ! would sooner charge
the English than the Americans with lubber-
illness, came the nautical merits of the two
nations ever before me to decide upon. They
had the matches open, tackles aloft and men
at work below while the mariners Of other
countries would have been standing looking
on and 'jawing". upon the course to be
taken. Some overran the fabric aloft,
clearing, cutting away, pounding, making
the ice fly in storms; others sweated the cap
STAINS till they clanked; others fell to the
pumps, working with hammers and kettles
of boiling water. The wondrous old
schooner was never busier-no, not in the
hey day of her flag, when her guns were
blazing and hor pooplo yelling.
As half-past three in the afternoon the
breeze began to sit in dark curls upon the
water, and there was evidence enough in the
haZiness in the west, and in the loom of the
shoulders of vapor in the dark blue obscure
there, to warrant a sackful for this capfuI
| presently.
II reckon" says the captain to me, after
looking into the west, shat we'd best knock
Off now. There's snow and wind yonder.
we'd better see all snug while there's
time"
lie called to one of the men to tell the sec
ond mate to como up from below end get tie
matches on, and bringing ME to the rail he
pointed to q boat, and asked if that would
do? said yes, and thanked him heartily for
the gift, which was handsome, I must say
the boat being a very good one. though,
to be sure, he had got many times its value
out of the schooner; and a party of men were
forthwith told off to get the boat hoisted and
slowed.
The captain then shook me by the hand,
and, calling a farewell to Wilkinson and the
negroes, scrambled into the chains and
dropped into his boat, very highly satisfied, I
make no doubt, with the business he had done
that day.
A boats crew were left behind to help us
to make sail. But the weather looking some
what wild in the west, with the red light of
the sun among the clouds there, Inc the dark
heave Of the swell running into a sickly
crimson under the sun, and then flowing out
dusky again, I got them to treble reef the
mainsail and hoist it, and then thanking
them, advised them to be of. We gave them
a cheer when they started, which they re-
turned, and then, putting Cromwell to the
tiller, I went forward with the others and
set the topsail and for~estaysail the ~spritsail
lying furled), which would be show enough
Of canvas till / saw what the weather was
like. kept the topsail aback, waiting for a
boat to arrive with my chart, and in q few
minutes the boat we had cheered returned
with what I wanted.
Meanwhile they were shortening sail on
the whaler; and, though she was no beauty,
yet I tell you I found her as picturesque as
any ship / had ever beheld as she lay with
her maintopgallantsail clewed up, her top
sail yards on the caps, and the heads Of men
k~notting the reef points showing black over
the white cloths, her hull floating up out of
the hollow and finging a wet orange CLEAN
to the west, a tumble Of creamy foam about
her to her rolling-shadows like the passage
of phantom hands hurrying over her sails to.
the swaying of her masts, and the swelling
sea darkling from her into the east.
I followed my hands, and hailing the cap
tain, who was on the quarter deck, asked
him for the time by his chronometer. He
lourished his arm m disappeared, and
presently returning shouted to know IL I was
ready. I put the key in my watch and an
swered yes, and then he gave me the time.
Ny watch, though antique, was a noble
piece of mechanism, and, I have little doubt,
as trustworthy as his ~chronometer. But |
was careful to let it lie snug in my hand. I
did not want the negro at the tiller nor the
others to see it. They would wonder that 80
fine a jeweled piece as this should be in the
possession of the second mate of a little brig,
and 1t was my business to manage that they
never should have cause to wonder at any
thing in that way.
The dusk of the evening came quick out
OF the east, and the wind freshened with a
long cry in our rigging, as il the eastern
darkness was Q Toe 1t was rushing out a ths