f a rope passing from the eye, at
the end of the reef band, through a block at the extremity of the yard,
thence to the mast, and down to the deck. Hauling on this rope draws the
required portion of the sail up to the yard in readiness to be reefed.

The reef tackles were hauled out, and the buntlines hauled up to bring
the sail where it could be easily handled. When the sail is to be
reefed, the seamen have to a "lay out" on the yards, and tie up the
sail. To enable them to do this with safety, there are horses, or
foot-ropes, extending from the slings, or middle of the spar, to the
yard-arms. This rope hangs below the yard, the middle parts being
supported by stirrups. When a man is to "lay out," he throws his breast
across the yard with his feet on the horse. The man at the "weather
earing," or eye for the reef pendent, has to sit astride the yard, and
pull the sail towards him.

The foot-rope sometimes slips through the eyes in the stirrups when only
one hand goes out upon it, which does, or may, place him in a dangerous
position. During the preceding day, when the barometer indicated a
change of weather, Mr. Lowington had sent the old boatswain aloft to
"mouse the horses," in anticipation of the manoeuvre which the boys were
now compelled to perform at midnight, in a gale of wind. Mousing the
horses was merely fastening the foot-ropes to the eyes of the stirrups,
so that they could not slip through, and thus throw the entire slack of
the horse under one boy, by which he sank down so low that his neck was
even with the spar.

At the foot of each mast there is a contrivance for securing ropes,
called the fife-rail. It is full of belaying pins, to which are secured
the sheets, halyards, buntlines, clewlines, lifts, braces, reef tackle,
and other ropes leading down from aloft. Looking at the mast, it seems
to be surrounded by a perfect wilderness of ropes, without order or
arrangement, whose uses no ordinary mortal could comprehend. There were
other ropes leading down from aloft, which were fastened at the
sheer-poles and under the rail. Now, it is necessary that every sailor
should be able to put his hand on the right rope in the darkest night;
and when the order to haul out the buntlines was given in the gloom and
the gale, those to whom this duty was assigned could have closed their
eyes and found the right lines.

"Aloft, topman!" continued the first lieutenant, when the topsails were
in readiness for reefing.