The floor of the hold was composed of rough planks, with a narrow hatch to gain access to the ballast. On either side I could discern the stout curved frames, while overhead, save where the hatch gaped to the light of day, huge timbers crossed athwart ship barely five feet from the floor. The whole place smelt strongly of tar; mingled with a dozen different odours, all more or less obnoxious to my nostrils.
Having relieved myself of the sack, I followed 'Enery towards the fore end of the hold, where a low bulkhead, barely three feet in height, separated the cargo and stores from the cable tier. There two neatly coiled ropes, thicker than my leg above the knee, occupied the greater part of the limited space, their ends vanishing through two small apertures in the deck above.
This I saw by the feeble glimmer of a horn lantern.
"Here's your mess for awhile, till I gives you the word," said 'Enery. "I'll pass you down a pannikin of water and some hard tack as soon as I can. No one will see you here, but take care of yon cable, for if we've got to let go in a hurry you'll find yourself capsized in a brace of shakes."
"Let go what?" I asked, bewildered by his warning.
"The anchor, Maäster Hammond. We never know when we've got to let go, 'specially if she misses stays as we beat down the harbour."
Fearing to betray my ignorance, I refrained from asking him what missing stays meant; and, promising to look me up as soon as his duties would permit, the old seaman hastened away, and I was left in solitude, though the men were still at work stowing the stores in the after part of the hold.
At length the stream of hold trimmers gradually slackened and died away; the hatches were replaced, and the hold was in darkness, save for the dull yellow glimmer of the lantern that 'Enery had thoughtfully left for my benefit.
It seemed several hours before the old seaman reappeared, bringing the promised biscuit and water.
"Cap'n's come aboard," he announced. "We're just going to warp out, for the wind's dead in our teeth. 'Twill be a long job, I'll allow, afore we clear the bar. Never mind, Maäster Hammond; keep your heart up, and watch the cable."