“Man the main braces!” proceeded the officer of the deck.
“Ready, sir,” reported the first midshipman.
“Let go and haul.”
As the hands executed the last order; all the yards on the mainmast swung round towards the wind till the light breeze caught the sails aback, and brought them against the mast. The effect was to deaden the headway of the ship.
“Avast bracing!” shouted the first lieutenant, when the yards on the mainmast were about square.
In a few moments the onward progress of the Young America was entirely checked, and she lay motionless on the sea. There were four other vessels in the squadron, following the flag-ship, and each of them, in its turn, hove to, or came up into the wind.
“Fourth cutters, clear away their boat!” continued the first lieutenant, after he had received his order from the captain. “Mr. Messenger will take charge of the boat.”
The young officer indicated was the first midshipman, whose quarter watch was then on duty.
“All the fourth cutters!” piped the boatswain’s mate, as Messenger crossed the deck to perform the duty assigned to him.
“He’s alive!” shouted a dozen of the idlers on the rail, who had not removed their gaze from the waif in the small boat.