“Well, then, if you won’t, gentlemen—steward, let’s have some coffee.”
The coffee appeared and disappeared; and the officers made their bows and quitted the cabin as the first-lieutenant entered it to report the muster at quarters.
“All present and sober, sir. I am afraid, sir,” continued he, “the masts will be over the side, if we do not clew up the royals.”
“Stop a moment, if you please, Mr Nourse, until I go up and judge for myself,” replied the captain, who was inclined to be pertinacious.
Captain Carrington went on deck. The men were still ranged round the decks, at their quarters; more than one pair of eyes were raised aloft to watch the masts, which were bending like coach-whips, and complaining bitterly.
“Shall we beat a retreat, and pipe hands to shorten sail, sir? We had better take in the third reefs, sir? it looks, very squally to-night,” observed the first-lieutenant.
“Really, Mr Nourse, I don’t exactly perceive the necessity—”
But at that moment the fore and main-top-gallant-masts went over the side; and the look-out man at the fore-top-gallant-mast-head, who had been called down by the first-lieutenant, but did not hear the injunction, was hurled into the sea to leeward.
“Helm down!” cried the master.
“Man overboard!—man overboard!” echoed round the decks; while some of the officers and men jumped into the quarter boats, and off the gripes and lashings.