We were doing pretty well, what with plenty of wind and the Johnnie buckling down to her work like she was a steamer, till the hawser parted and back toward the rocks went the Flamingo again.
“No use,” said Clancy, “sea’s too much for any line we got. We’ll try it with the seine-boat. Who’ll go in the seine-boat and try to take them off? Think quick, but mind what it means.”
Every man of the crew of the Johnnie Duncan said, “Here!” The cook even came out of the forec’s’le and put in his “And me, too, skipper.”
“You’re good men,” said Clancy,––“damn good men,” and looked us up and down. We felt proud, he said it in such a way. “But you’re taking your lives in your hands and some of you got wives and children––mothers or something. Who hasn’t anybody depending on him? Which of you hasn’t any woman somewhere, or little brothers or sisters?”
About twelve of the sixteen men standing on the deck of the Johnnie Duncan said “Me!”
“Three-quarters of you, at least,” said Clancy, “are damn liars. Over with the seine-boat and be careful nobody gets hurt.”
Somebody did get hurt, though. Andie Howe got his foot smashed and was helped below. Clancy gave the rest of us a scolding in advance. “You’re not hurt yet, but some of you will be––like Andie––if you don’t watch out. You’d think that some of you were out on some little pond up in the country somewhere launching a canoe off one of those club-house floats. Keep an eye out for those seas when they board. And watch out for that deckload or some of you’ll have a head cut off. A man killed or a man washed over the rail––what’s the difference––it’s a man lost. Look out now––watch, you Steve––damn you, watch out! Over with it!”
And over it went and with it leaped two men 303 before it could sag away, while the rest of us stood by the rail watching our chance.
“Nelson,” called Clancy, “come away from that rail! Steve, come away!––come away, I say, and no back talk. Pat, you can go––jump in––watch your chance or it’s the last of you. Eddie, you can go, and you Bill, and you Frenchy. Joe! stand away from that rail or I’ll put you in the hold and batten the hatches on you. Now, that’s better. And that’s enough––six men to the oars and one to steer.”