"No, sir; I would rather not," answered Cleats, shaking his head.
At this moment a heavy roaring, rushing sound came over the sea from the direction of the land. The water was covered with a dense white mist. The sound increased in volume till it vied with the booming thunder, and the surface of the sea was lashed into a snowy foam by the coming tempest.
"Down with the jib and mainsail!" shouted Captain Kendall, sharply.
"Stand by the mainsail halyards!" said Terrill, through his speaking trumpet. "Man the jib halyards and downhaul!"
"All ready, sir," replied the second lieutenant, forward; for all hands were still at their stations, in anticipation of the emergency.
"All ready, sir," added the fourth lieutenant, whose place was on the quarter-deck.
"Let go the mainsail halyards!" added the first lieutenant; and the order was repeated by the fourth lieutenant. "Down with it, lively!"
The heavy sail, assisted by twenty pairs of willing and eager hands, rattled down in an instant, and was speedily secured.
"Let go the jib halyards! Haul down!" said the second lieutenant, on the forecastle, when the order to take in the jib reached him.
The hands "walked away" with the downhaul, and the jib was on the bowsprit in an instant.