"Let go the flying jib halyard! Haul down! Lay out and stow the flying jib!"
"Man the topsail clewlines and buntlines!"
"All ready, sir," replied the second lieutenant.
"Let go the topsail sheets! Clew up! Settle away the halyards! Haul taut the braces!"
All this was done in half the time it takes to read it; and the light sails of the Josephine were furled. The main gaff-topsail was taken in, and then the schooner had only her jib, foresail, and mainsail. It was not necessary to take these in until the peril became more imminent; but Paul ordered the foresail to be lowered, and reefed, for the vessel was supposed to lie to best under this sail. The Young America had furled everything except her topsails, jib, and spanker.
Professor Hamblin had not yet recovered from his astonishment, and he was as indignant as a learned Greek scholar could be. Professor Stoute and himself were the only persons left in the steerage; but while the former laughed, the latter stormed.
"I have been insulted, Mr. Stoute," said the learned gentleman. "That boy has disobeyed me, as though I were a person of no consequence."
"Why, he was perfectly respectful to you," laughed the good-natured professor. "You must remember that he is the captain of the ship, and that everything depends upon him."
"He left the class contrary to my orders; and not satisfied with that, he calls all the rest of the students on deck," added Mr. Hamblin, wrathfully. "I had not finished the Greek lesson."
"But there's a squall coming up," pleaded Mr. Stoute.